After Conservative Backlash, Gingrich Says He's 'Reaching Out' to Paul Ryan

May 17, 2011 -- In an attempt to appease a growing chorus of prominent Republicans angry about his attack on Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan, Newt Gingrich told a group of bloggers Tuesday that he is reaching out to Ryan and trying to make amends.

"My hope is to find a way to work with the House Republicans," Gingrich said on a conference call with bloggers, according to the Daily Caller. "I used language that was too strong, although the underlying principle, I think, was right."

Gingrich's campaign kick-off was marred by his loose lips on the Medicare plan endorsed by House Republicans, and GOP leaders reacted with unusual ferocity to his words, even questioning his ability to run a disciplined presidential campaign.

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Gingrich called Ryan's Medicare plan "right-wing social engineering," saying it is "too big a jump" and "radical change."

"I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering," Gingrich said. "I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate."

Republicans have hammered the former House speaker for his criticism of the Ryan plan. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, whose support will be crucial in the South Carolina primary, slammed Gingrich in an interview with CNN today.

"What he said was absolutely unfortunate," Haley told CNN in a phone interview. "Here you've got Rep. Ryan trying to bring commonsense to this world of insanity, and Newt absolutely cut him off at the knees.

"When you have a conservative fighting for real change, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate cutting him off at the knees," Haley said.

House GOP members have joined the chorus criticizing Gingrich's labeling of the plan as "radical." House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan, who developed the plan, said, "With allies like that, who needs the left?

"Hardly is that social engineering and radical," Ryan said on the Laura Ingraham radio show Monday. "What's radical is kicking the can down the road, not doing anything to fix this problem and watching the whole system implode on itself."

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia called Gingrich's comments a "tremendous misspeak," which could jeopardize his presidential run.

"There's no question there was a misspeak here," Cantor told Chicago radio station WLS Tuesday morning. "Just to sit here while all but three House Republicans voted for the Ryan budget, to somehow portray that as a radical step, I believe, is a tremendous misspeak."

"Many have said now he's finished," Cantor said later. "I probably would reserve judgment on that. Perhaps he can come out and say he misspoke and get back on board with what we're trying to do."

On ABC News' TopLine, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri called Gingrich an "ideas guy" who employed some unfortunate words to make his point.

"I don't know why Newt chose those words, but when you're an idea guy, you're eventually going to toss an idea out there or a view of an idea that somebody doesn't like," Blunt said. "Maybe he'll even decide he'd wished he would've said it a little differently."

In Iowa Monday, Gingrich encountered an angry voterwho called him "an embarrassment to our party" and urged him to get out of the campaign.