In response to charges from Mitt Romney that the former House speaker ‘lobbied’ for Freddie Mac, Newt Gingrich campaign surrogate J.C. Watts, a former congressman from Oklahoma, argued that his work as a ‘consultant’ to the mortgage giant actually makes Gingrich a better candidate for president.

“I think this actually plays into the broader argument to why I think Newt Gingrich would do a better job in the presidency,” Watts said on a conference call this afternoon. “I think, you know, if you’ve got someone that, the governor [Mitt Romney] did consulting work in terms of financial services, I think beating up Newt Gingrich for consulting or beating up Mitt Romney for consulting in the private sector, I think that’s a bit like beating up Michael Jordan for being a great basketball player. You want somebody that’s been there, done that.”