Newt Gingrich was a lobbyist, plain and simple

Washington Examiner ^ | 112011 | Tim Carney

[Fred]

When Newt Gingrich says he never lobbied, he's not telling the truth.

When he was a paid consultant for the drug-industry's lobby group, Gingrich worked hard to persuade Republican congressmen to vote for the Medicare drug subsidy that the industry favored. To deny Gingrich was a lobbyist requires an Obama-like word parsing over who is and who isn't a lobbyist.

Gingrich stated last week on Fox News, "I do no lobbying of any kind. I never have. A very important point to make. I have never done lobbying of any kind."

But the facts contradict that claim.

First of all, we know that Gingrich has been paid by drug companies and by the drug lobby, notably during the Medicare drug debate. A former employee of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, (the main industry lobby) told me Gingrich was being paid by someone in the industry at the time. A spokeswoman for Gingrich's health care consulting firm, Center for Health Transformation, told me that drug companies have been CHT clients.

[CowboyJay]

"It is appearing increasingly likely that once out of government, Newt’s influence could be bought by the highest bidder. It explains his seemingly out of character forays into progressive policies like prescription drug coverage, fannie and freddie, and global warming, but it does nothing to reassure conservatives who may be considering him for President. Will he be able to bought in the Oval Office too?"

Once you're bought, you're bought - as in owned.

If you ever think about coming un-bought, all the people who bought you have to do is threaten to reveal that you're bought, how easy it was to buy you off, and just what you did for that dirty money.

Newt's owned outright by interests making a buck off of destroying the country, and let's be honest, he never was terribly reliable or conservative in the first place.

[ez]

I’m not thrilled about any representative or senator becoming President, they’re all bought. They are also used to being extremely partisan wrt congresional wrangling and are thus unsuitable as an executive. I prefer governors but our choices there are Romney, Huntsman, and Perry. I suppose Perry is the best of that lot but he is a little too pious for me, and he’s the one guy Obama can probably out-debate. Not a happy situation.

[D-fendr]

Newt opposes individual mandates and employer mandates.

As far as history, I’m old enough to remember how important and effective Newt was for conservatism.

And he’s proving to be the most conservative candidate with a decent chance to beat Obama who is also notMitt.

I understand you’re agin him now, but I hope that if he becomes the candidate we all will get behind the nominee to accomplish the critical objective of stopping this Regime now.