The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

In an interview Thursday night with ABC News' Brian Ross, Newt Gingrich’s second ex-wife Marianne said the former Speaker - who has signed a pledge recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman – asked her for an “open marriage” so he could continue seeing his mistress, Callista, now his third wife. Marianne said the exchange happened at the same time Gingrich slammed President Bill Clinton for his lack of moral leadership over his affair.

But instead of showing contrition when CNN's John King asked him about the charge during the CNN Southern Republican Debate in South Carolina, Gingrich got a standing ovation expressing outrage that the question was even asked.

“The destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office, and I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,” Gingrich said.