NEWT GINGRICH ON THE FLYING IMAMS: “Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told an audience in New Hampshire Muslim clerics pulled off a plane for praying should have been charged criminally. . . . ‘Those six people should have been arrested and prosecuted for pretending to be terrorists,’ Gingrich said. ‘And the crew of the U.S. airplane should have been invited to the White House and congratulated for being correct in the protection of citizens.'” (Via Don Surber). Newt’s suggestion, however, doesn’t seem consistent with the Bush Administration’s preferred stance on these things. More here.

UPDATE: Reader David Rule notes that the UPI story, characterizing the imams as being “pulled off a plane for praying,” is misleading. In fact, they were heard making anti-American and pro-Saddam remarks, asked for seatbelt extenders (which can be used as weapons) despite not being fat enough to need them, and engaged in other suspicious behaviors. A copy of the police report, and a letter from a passenger on that flight, can be found here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Newt gets praise for stating the obvious: “Which just goes to show, as I was saying in an email to someone the other day, how starved we are for statements of the obvious from our political leaders.” UPI’s tendentious characterization of the facts is noted, too.

And Scott Johnson notes: “It would be enlightening to get the views of other political figures on the incident.” Especially the other Presidential candidates.