Nightly News   |  November 21, 2011

Gingrich leading GOP field in new poll

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is now leading in a new USA Today-Gallup poll with 22 percent, which puts him ahead of Mitt Romney. Over the weekend, Gingrich had a few choice words for the Occupy Wall Street protesters. NBC’s Brian Williams reports.

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This content comes from a Full-Text Transcript of the program.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: On the presidential campaign trail tonight, an apparent surge for Newt Gingrich , if you've been following then you know, now leading in a new USA Today Gallup poll with 22 percent, putting him ahead of Mitt Romney . Though we should point out, Gingrich is now the sixth different Republican to lead in the polls. Over this past weekend Gingrich had a few choice words for the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Mr. NEWT GINGRICH: They take over a public park they didn't pay for, to go nearby to use bathrooms they didn't pay for, to beg for food from places they don't want to pay for, to obstruct those who are going to work to pay the taxes to sustain the bathrooms and to sustain the park, so they can self righteously claim that the are the paragons of virtue to which we owe everything.

WILLIAMS: The most explosive quote from that gathering, he said the protesters quote, "need to get a job and take a bath."