Stephen Colbert remembers Newt’s two week Greek vacation in June. Apparently Newt now claims that luxury cruise was a fact-finding mission…

At a stop in Jefferson, Iowa on Monday Gingrich reiterated that the luxury vacation was a chance for him to listen and talk with the Greek people and “reflect” on the American economy.

“I was in Greece in early June I took some flak from the press for going on a trip, but it was actually very helpful to be in Greece in early June,” Gingrich said. “I talked to people who are dealing with this crisis in Europe and whether or not Greece had made a mistake in leaving the drachma, which was their original money and joining this larger confederation and I was talking with people who were in such trouble that they are facing a one third drop in their standard of living.”

On Tuesday, ABC News asked Gingrich to provide a specific example of someone in Greece he spoke with about the European banking crisis.

“I just talked to a number of people who were private citizens who would talk about the way the country operates, the scale of change involved, their attitude toward the Germans dictating to them and really deep sense of despair about the future,” he said.

Not so smart. The man is a craven pol gussying himself up to be (oxymoronically) an intellectual populist.

FOLLOWING UP yesterday’s bit on Newt’s $1.6 million from Freddie Mac… Says Newt, “I have no idea about the details… It was paid to Gingrich Group. Gingrich Group has many clients.”

I bet.