Gingrich Claims Washington Post/ABC News Poll Was "Deliberately Rigged"

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich is no fan of the new Washington Post/ABC News poll.  According to the Associated Press:

A short time later on KSL Newsradio, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich took issue with the poll.

"I think this poll was deliberately rigged and produced a result that's fundamentally false," said Gingrich.

He took particular issue with the involvement of the Washington Post.

"It's a typical Washington Post effort to slant the world in favor of liberal Democrats," he claimed.

It's no surprise that Mr. Gingrich isn't happy with the poll's results, as it revealed only 20% of Americans currently identify with the GOP and that a "clear majority" now backs Democratic health insurance reform proposals. 

It is fairly commonplace for those in politics to criticize a given poll on its merits (samples size, margin or error, etc.), but for Gingrich to accuse two leading news organizations of "deliberately rigg[ing]" a poll in one party's favor is quite striking.

Gingrich's claim about the Washington Post is even more bizarre when one examines the writers it features on its opinion pages.  The Post is home to some of the conservative movement's foremost thinkers, such as George Will, Charles Krauthammer and William Kristol, among others.