CNN news 2011-12-30 加文本

cnn news 2011-12-30

ALAN DUKE, cnn CORRESPONDENT: Well, these documents show us that Jackie Battley-Gingrich, his first wife, did not want the divorce, which is interesting, because this year, the Newt Gingrich campaign has come out with this new defense about that divorce. It's been very controversial for three decades. I was covering it back when it was happening, and it was controversial because people questioned the way that Newt was handling his divorce from his first wife.

Well, what Newt started saying this year in his campaign -- told us in a statement just this weekend was that in fact it was Jackie who requested the divorce, and that was somewhat surprising to people who know her, because they say it didn't happen. So we went, found the court records, and -- after some trouble, because they were stashed away in the court clerk's desk, as they told us, to protect them. But what we found in fact was a petition, a response from Jackie Gingrich, which I'll read from, says, "Defendant shows that she has adequate and ample ground for divorce, but she does not desire one at this time."

While the Gingrich campaign is telling us now that it was the first wife who asked Newt Gingrich for the divorce, these court documents show that's not the case.

GRIFFIN: And much of this is going to go online, so people who want to look through this can actually find the details in your reporting. Right?

DUKE: Yes, it should be available about now, the full story, with interviews and the actual court documents that we found at the Carroll County, Georgia, courthouse in a file stashed in a drawer this week.

GRIFFIN: Yes.

Paul, I want to turn to you, because this divorce has been much talked about for years and years and years, and nit-picked over. Does it really matter anymore? I mean, it was a messy divorce. He's talked about the divorce.

Is he getting any political traction there in Iowa, or do you anticipate it will?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, cnn POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, listen, he's been married three times now, Drew. And he's admitted to having an affair with his current wife when he was still married to his second wife. It's been a story line for Newt Gingrich since he jumped into this race for the White House back in the spring.

Take a look at this though. This is an ABC/"Washington Post" poll from just a week ago, and it asks, "Is Gingrich's marital history, three times, is that a factor in your vote for the White House, for the GOP nomination?" Seventy-two percent say not a major factor. This is of Republicans who are likely to vote in the primaries and caucuses. But Drew, here in Iowa, and also in South Carolina, which is the third state to hold a contest, social conservative voters are more prominent in Republican circles, and with them it could be an issue.

This morning, I was speaking to a prominent social conservative leader here who likes Gingrich, like his stances on the issues. But he brought up the marriages, and that can be a problem for some voters here.

We've seen it come up in the debates, Drew. We've seen Newt Gingrich acknowledge that he's made mistakes in the past, and that he's gone to God for forgiveness. Yes, it can be a factor with some voters, especially here in Iowa and South Carolina -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: I'll reach out to both of you guys.

Alan, and you first with the same question. Have we heard back from the Gingrich campaign at all?

DUKE: We got an e-mail from them on Sunday saying that they're standing by the point that Newt Gingrich is the one who asked for the -- that Jackie Gingrich asked for the divorce. They're standing by that, despite what the court documents say. What they're saying is that these divorce papers were actually filed by Newt Gingrich at her request, but that is not what people who were there contemporaneously are telling us now.

GRIFFIN: All right. Nitty-gritty online.

Paul, to you, any reaction at all from the Gingrich campaign? Are they likely to react to this?

STEINHAUSER: Other than what they've told Alan and a few others that have reached out, probably not. Listen, they don't want this to be the story line this week.

The Gingrich campaign wants to come out strong tomorrow here in Iowa. They want to talk about the economy, they want to talk about jobs, and contrast themselves with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul and the other candidates. This is the last thing they want to have to deal with again