Newt Gingrich is an official useful idiot.

(WaPo) — Newt Gingrich has declared that Dems must not use his now-walked-back criticism of Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan against the GOP, but guess what: Dems aren’t going to listen to him.

On a conference call just now, Dem messaging chief Chuck Schumer vowed that Dems would aggressively highlight Gingrich’s attacks on the Ryan proposal — and the subsequent backlash it provoked from Republicans — to paint the GOP as hostage to extremists and ideologically hell bent on ending Medicare.

“Newt and I are considered political opposites, but I couldn’t agree more with what he said Sunday about the plan to end Medicare,” Schumer said. “He acknowledged that it is right wing social engineering.”

“It was refreshing to hear such candor from a top Republican,” Schumer continued. “Gingrich was saying what everyone knows to be true: The plan is extreme.”

Schumer added that the fact that Republicans turned so aggressively on Gingrich proves that they have become far more extreme than they were in Gingrich’s heyday — and vowed that Dems would continue pounding away at this theme.

March 30th:

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — Senator Chuck Schumer may have some explaining to do after having some explaining to do.

Tuesday, Schumer was caught going over budget talking points with his fellow Democratic senators on a conference call. Apparently Schumer didn’t know some reporters had already joined the call, and the exchange was caught on tape.

Schumer was heard explaining to his fellow Democrats why he favors characterizing spending cuts proposed by the GOP as “extreme” and “draconian.”

“I always use the word ‘extreme,’ that’s what the caucus instructed me to do the other week,” Schumer said.