World class scumbag Newt Gingrich is somehow still in the presidential race despite scandal after scandal. Recent polls even show him gaining on Romney. He's essentially the teflon don of GOP candidates. Nothing sticks to this guy.

It's looking like an ABC interview with his second wife, Marianne Gingrich, might actually do some damage, however. She spoke to ABC reporter Brian Ross for 2 hours. The interview is apparently so devastating that ABC debated the ethics of airing it prior to the South Carolina primary, according to the Drudge Report. Some network executives wanted to see it aired on Monday, only after the votes had already been counted.

Seems a tad bit more unethical for a network to try to protect a candidate in such a blatant manner, actually.

The Gingrich camp has pulled out all the stops in deflecting and delaying the controversy from hitting. Gingrich's two daughters from his first marriage sent a letter to ABC News pleading with them not to air it. The New York Times quotes from it at length:

"ABC News or other campaigns may want to talk about the past, just days before an important primary election,'' they wrote, adding that their father's campaign would concentrate on issues important to voters.

"The failure of a marriage is a terrible and emotional experience for everyone involved. Anyone who has had that experience understands it is a personal tragedy filled with regrets, and sometimes differing memories of events."

"We will not say anything negative about our father's ex-wife," the statement continued. "He has said before, privately and publicly, that he regrets any pain he may have caused in the past to people he loves."

Right. Marital woes are a terrible thing. Gingrich sure felt differently about the private lives of politicians back in 1998. From the above linked article:

The speaker (Gingrich) once again pledged to say during every public appearance that Americans have the right to know the truth about the Lewinsky matter and that the president is not above the law.

Luckily the decision makers at ABC came to their senses, and now the AP reports that ABC will be airing it tomorrow night during Nightline. No excerpts have been released so far. In a long interview with Esquire in 2010, Marianne Gingrich didn't reveal anything too bad. It looks like she might have revealed a whole lot more to ABC.

Don't just whisper it to Connie Chung, Marianne. Say it loudly.

[pic via Getty]