Get me rewrite: Gingrich site mentions '3 wives'

[December 15, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rick Perry isn't the only one to have an "oops" moment in the Republican presidential contest.

An article on Newt Gingrich's official website is headlined "A Tale of Three Wives: Life on the Campaign Trail."

It's a short, feel-good piece about Gingrich's wife, Callista, and the wives of Perry and Jon Huntsman. It might, however, remind viewers that Callista is Gingrich's third wife. His divorces from the first two -- he has acknowledged marital infidelity in both marriages -- are a subject of campaign conversation and perhaps some difficulty with religiously conservative voters.

The religious network CBN News wrote the article. Gingrich's campaign posted it, headline and all, on his website, Newt.org, last week. It's commonplace for campaigns to reprint such articles on their sites, said Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond. He declined further comment.

In last Saturday's televised GOP debate, moderator George Stephanopoulous asked whether "a candidate who breaks his marital vows is more likely to break faith with voters?"

Perry, the Texas governor, said, "If you cheat on your wife, you'll cheat on your business partner."

Gingrich gave a dispassionate response. Voters "have the right to ask every single question," he said. "I said up-front, openly, I've made mistakes at times. I've had to go to God for forgiveness."

"But I'm also a 68-year-old grandfather," Gingrich said. "And I think people have to measure who I am now, and whether I'm a person they can trust. "

The debate moved to other topics.

[Associated Press; By CHARLES BABINGTON]

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