Halperin's Take

Gingrich took center-left positions on “Meet the Press” Sunday on Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan and on the concept of an individual health care mandate. His efforts to walk back his views, both directly and through a spokesperson, were necessary but not sufficient. The last twenty-four hours hurt him with the media, hurt him with conservatives, and hurt him with those Republicans looking for a steady, reliable force to take on Barack Obama. At some point, Gingrich has to stop doing this stuff if he is going to be a player in the nomination fight through spring 2012.