Byron York: Gingrich: Conservative critics part of DC 'frenzy'

Washington Examiner ^ | January 25, 2012 | Byron York

[Cincinatus' Wife]

MOUNT DORA, Florida -- After an appearance before several hundred Tea Party supporters at a lakeside resort, Newt Gingrich reacted to the latest wave of criticism directed at him from members of the Washington-based conservative establishment. Members of that establishment, he said, are "sitting around in a frenzy, having coffee, lunch, and cocktail hours talking about how do we stop Gingrich."

I asked Gingrich to react to a new column by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., longtime editor of The American Spectator in which Tyrrell called Gingrich "conservatism's Bill Clinton" and hinted that Gingrich might be the subject of new allegations of philandering. "His public record is already besmeared with tawdry divorces," Tyrrell wrote, "and there are private encounters with the fair sex that doubtless will come out."

"Tyrrell has to write whatever Tyrrell wants to write," Gingrich said. "I've been running a campaign that's based on very large ideas. For example, the speech yesterday on Latin America, the speech yesterday on what we ought to do in space."

"I get a pretty good reaction from the American people on these large ideas," Gingrich continued. "And then there is the Washington establishment, which is sitting around in a frenzy, having coffee, lunch, and cocktail hours talking about how do we stop Gingrich?"

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Byron York: What really happened in the Gingrich ethics case?…………………………………….”Back in January 1997, the day after Cole presented his damning report to the Ethics Committee, the Washington Post's front-page banner headline was "Gingrich Actions 'Intentional' or 'Reckless'; Counsel Concludes That Speaker's Course Funding Was 'Clear Violation' of Tax Laws." That same day, the New York Times ran eleven stories on the Gingrich matter, four of them on the front page (one inside story was headlined, "Report Describes How Gingrich Used Taxpayers' Money for Partisan Politics"). On television, Dan Rather began the CBS Evening News by telling viewers that "only now is the evidence of Newt Gingrich's ethics violations and tax problems being disclosed in detail."

The story was much different when Gingrich was exonerated. The Washington Post ran a brief story on page five. The Times ran an equally brief story on page 23. And the evening newscasts of CBS, NBC, and ABC -- which together had devoted hours of coverage to the question of Gingrich's ethics -- did not report the story at all. Not a word.

Gingrich himself, not wanting to dredge up the whole ugly tale, said little about his exoneration. "I consider this a full and complete vindication," he wrote in a brief statement. "I urge my colleagues to go back and read their statements and watch how they said them, with no facts, based on nothing more than a desire to politically destroy a colleague."

Now, Gingrich is saying much the same thing in the face of Romney's accusations. And despite the prominence of the matter in the GOP race, few outsiders seem inclined to dive back into the ethics matter to determine whether Gingrich deserves the criticism or not. But if Gingrich is to have any hope of climbing out from under the allegations, he'll have to find some way of letting people know what really happened.”

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The GE Years: What Made Reagan Reagan [Newt said this book explained Ronald Reagan's leadership]

Craig Shirley: Gingrich a lot more like Reagan than Romney - Reaganites versus Romniacs

Gingrich Frames the Debate

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Newt Gingrich greets supporters after delivering remarks at a rally in Cocoa.( Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel / January 25, 2012 )

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Gingrich arrives to a rally at the Dolphin Aviation near Sarsota Bradenton International Airport on Jan 24 (Photo Elaine Litherland)

[longtermmemmory]

we need a real world contrast of a Romney rally.

are his crowds really fading? By pass the MSM.

Drudge is just protecting his private life interests.

[skeeter]

Gingrich himself, not wanting to dredge up the whole ugly tale, said little about his exoneration. "I consider this a full and complete vindication," he wrote in a brief statement. "I urge my colleagues to go back and read their statements and watch how they said them, with no facts, based on nothing more than a desire to politically destroy a colleague."

Some things haven't changed.

These kinds of lying smears & innuendo are exactly whats wrong with the GOP establishment, as well as US politics in general.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[RoosterRedux]

The Emmett Tyrrell article was quite strange. He not only smeared Newt but went on to say that Romney was more conservative than Newt.

In what parallel universe is Romney AT ALL conservative? Romney is to the left of Teddy Kennedy!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Emmett Tyrrell article was quite strange. He not only smeared Newt but went on to say that Romney was more conservative than Newt.

We don't hear the term "anti-Romney" candidate associated with Newt lately do we? The D.C. Establishment, K-Street-Wall Street-Beltway media syndicate is on the move to remove Newt.

[RoosterRedux]

They are indeed on the move.

What I can't understand is "why?"...why don't they let the American people have their say? Why this intense loyalty to Romney?

Something about all this just doesn't add up.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

for the first time in 11 years there is no Drudge link, favorite or anything else on my computer

[The Working Man]

What I can’t understand is “why?”...why don’t they let the American people have their say? Why this intense loyalty to Romney?

Something about all this just doesn’t add up.

---

I’m guessing here, but... I think that the whole house of cards is going to fall down around our ears. And if it does the RNC does NOT want a Republican sitting in the oval office.

If that is true then it is extremely short sighted of them. Whoever is in the oval office when TSHTF will be the one who also must pick up the mess and will reshape this nation into what their vision of America is.

So my question to everyone is this; Who do you want in the office of the President of the United States if that happens. A man like Obama/Romney or a man like Gingrich?

[RoosterRedux]

I think that the whole house of cards is going to fall down around our ears. And if it does the RNC does NOT want a Republican sitting in the oval office.

Putting it another way, if the country is viewed as an aircraft or ship that may crash, what kind of person do we want at the helm?

A nincompoop like Obama, a spineless opportunist like Romney, or a leader with a deep understand of the problem and the craft like Gingrich?

[txrangerette]

Your guess is way too kind to their motives, JMO.

Romney is the next in line, the McCain, the Dole etc...it’s his turn. The Establishment always has their pick in mind, and it requires very little thinking.

If you buck that Establishment, you are asking for trouble.

Newt has been in and around and tied to DC for years, except he has some characteristics that alienate him from the Establishment...he’s connected in his own way, BUT HE IS NOT THEIR PICK.

In fact, they fear, loathe and despise him. He isn’t “one of THEM”.

They will stop at nothing to stop him.

[The Working Man]

I understand where you are going and I agree with you that Newt is the best candidate at this moment.

With that being said, I am sensing a great deal of fear and trepidation coming from Washington and frankly most of the other Capitals around the world. And that quite frankly causes my ears to perk up and look even closer.

The so-called ‘elites’ know something is up. Maybe they don’t know exactly what it is either but they ‘know’ it bone deep in themselves. So I am going to watch them to see what they do. Their need for self-preservation will come on out eventually and when it does we need to see what they do.

Especially if they start removing themselves from the public view. Interesting times we live in and I wish we didn’t.

[kristinn]

Ping.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Cincinatus’ Wife.

[Georgia Girl 2]

The GOP establishment does not want change in Washington any more than Obama does. They like big government and the power and control that comes with it. Their worst nightmare is that we elect a president who will truly attempt to restore the Constitutional republic and cut the size and scope of govt.

[Matchett-PI]

Thanks for the ping to York’s article, kristinn! bttt

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....They will stop at nothing to stop him.

Exactly. That in itself says it all. (We've see this before haven't we txrangerette?)