Newt Gingrich is embarking on his first day of campaigning in Iowa as a bona fide presidential candidate — and telling voters that he really, really opposes the health care mandate.
The Des Moines Register reports:
“I believe the Obamacare model is hopeless,”Gingrich said to about 85 people who were part of a Duquque Kiwanis Club luncheon.
Of course, this comes as Gingrich is backing away from his past support for the mandate/subsidy model of universal health insurance, and after he defended his past positions just yesterday on Meet The Press.
Also, as the Register reports, Gingrich ran into his first Iowa heckler, in the lobby of the Dubuque Holiday Inn. Local man Russell Fuhrman, who identified himself as a Republican, told Gingrich: “Get out now before you make a bigger fool of yourself.”
The Register reports:
Fuhrman told The Register afterward that he just happened to be at the hotel. He said he’s upset with Gingrich’s disagreements with parts of the House Republican Medicare reform plan.
Fuhrman said he’s a solid Republican but that Gingrich “is a jerk.”
“I’m a strong Republican but he’s an embarrassment to our party,” Fuhrman said.
Late Update: Here is the video, courtesy of Fox News. The heckler comes in at about the 1:35 mark:
