Newt Gingrich Sits Down With News On 6 After Tulsa Town Hall

News On 6 anchor Terry Hood had a chance to sit down with the former speaker after Monday's town hall.

Newt Gingrich said his leadership led to welfare reform, when asked to respond to criticism from Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn on his contentious tenure as Speaker of the House.

"I was the leader trying to get Bill Clinton to sign things and we managed to get him to sign welfare reform, the first tax cut in 16 years," Gingrich said. "I think sometimes that meant we made compromises that Coburn wouldn't have made. And I respect that."

During his Tulsa stop, he said President Obama was staging a war against religion and dictating how people will worship. Terry Hood asked Gingrich what he meant by that.

"A good example is his recent attack on the Catholic Church. His provision would require Catholic institutions to provide abortion pills and sterilization, both of which are against catholic doctrine. It's an extraordinary imposition by the government on a religious institution," Gingrich said.

But Gingrich's biggest pitch is on the economy. He says wants to be the "jobs president," and he plans to start in the oil patch.

"There are a couple of big changes I'd make. First of all, I'd open up offshore and I'd open up federal land. I'd make it easy to get permits and I'd get people out there doing something. As someone said, stop bowing to the Saudi King and start drilling in America," Newt Gingrich said.

Newt Gingrich said he was not sure if there would be a Republican nominee going into the convention.

"I described it as being like the NCAA final four with no elimination," he said.