J.C. Watts: Gingrich has a proven track record
Former Republican Rep. J.C. Watts said on Sunday's "Face the Nation" that he is supporting former House Speaker Newt Gingrich because he has a track record of "getting results."
"I think Newt Gingrich has a proven track record of changing Washington and getting results," the former Oklahoma congressman told "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer.
"All the things we're talking about on a national level today - balanced budgets, tax relief, paying down our national debt, entitlement reform - when Newt was Speaker, he did those things," Watts added. "We had balanced budgets... The only time we've had balanced budgets in my lifetime, and I'm 54. We had entitlement reform with welfare. We paid our $450 billion toward our national debt... I am one of the people that believe that Newt Gingrich creates, I think, the kind of Republican Party that I want."
When Schieffer asked why Watts was one of the few fellow congressmen from when Gingrich was in the House to campaign for him now, he answered: "You would have to ask them."
When asked about Gingrich's recent drop in polls after surging in early December, Watts said his current standing still shows "strength" and that the race is fluid ahead of the first contest in Iowa on Tuesday.
"You've had almost 50 percent of the negative ads in Iowa run against Newt Gingrich," Watts said. "But the fact that he even registered... But the fact that he still registers considering the negative ads that he's had run against him, I think shows his stability, shows his strength... I think you'll see that it's still pretty fluid... And no one knows what's going to happen on Tuesday."
