Posted on 11/22/2011 5:08:07 PM PST by Steelfish
NOVEMBER 22, 2011 Newt’s Friend Freddie Did the mortgage giant keep the candidate on a leash?
Newt Gingrich racked up between $1.6 and $1.8 million in payments from Freddie Mac through the years for, the former speaker maintains, essentially doing nothing.
It’s not inconceivable that he’s right. Such was the incredible largesse available to the government-sponsored mortgage giant that one or two million dollars over the course of a decade was practically chump change. Gingrich says he didn’t lobby for Freddie, and, in response to a question about his payments at one of the Republican debates, said he only offered advice to Freddie “as a historian” that its lending practices were insane.
Surely, though, there must have been historians available who were cheaper and had more expertise in the history of foolishly loaning money to poor credit risks. At the very least, Freddie wanted to keep Gingrich on a leash in order to prevent him from blasting it in public. Contra Gingrich, former Freddie officials say they paid him for his advice on its policy initiatives and his insight on how to reach out to conservatives.
If Gingrich did chastise his benefactors, Frederick the Great’s line about the hesitant Austrian empress at the partitioning of Poland in the late 18th century applies: “She wept but she took.”
The Gingrich flap is a reminder of the dollar-fueled Washington-based influence peddling that contributed to the housing collapse and contributes to our economic misery to this day. While Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac merrily degraded the nation’s underwriting standards and made a fortune from it, they bought off or bulldozed anyone inclined to stop them.
If Gingrich is truly turning over a new leaf in his suddenly resurgent bid for the White House, he might express some regret about how he allowed brackish....
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Oh, a “diastrous standard bearer”?
Why? Because he is supposed to be slimed? Exaggerate much?
Compared to Romney, he is an outstanding example for Conservatism. Is he a Conservative, absolutely NOT! Is he a flaky politician looking for another chance, absolutely!
Is he a better choice that most of the other candidates, absolutely NOT. Is he a better choice than Romney, HELL yes!
When did these guys become anti-capitalist? Cripes, you’d think consulting was illegal.
Anybody paying the slightest bit of attention to politics has to have noticed just how far up Mitt Romney’s ass Rich Lowery has crawled. It really is painful to watch. I like the man, but I just can’t trust him anymore when it comes to the Republican primary field.
Why wasn’t he noted as author of this column? His name is right on top of it on the NR web page, and everywhere else this story appears today.
Gingrich must be seriously conservative and a serious threat if NR is opposed to him. How many posts have you been able to make from NR articles? Probably a lot.
No, disastrous because he cannot win, he is a political opportunist taking whatever stand will gain him the most at the moment, and demonstrably does not know how to handle power if elected.
Can't get the nomination, or can't beat Obama? I say you're wrong in either case.
Heck with you, Buddy - I’ll vote for him anytime.
I am not your buddy. But then, neither is Newt.
I don’t agree with the idea that Newt can’t win. Everyone who runs for office is an opportunist. We had better pick one, and it better be a damn serious opportunist because the opportunist in chief will take the opportunity to wipe this country out.
Newt can’t win. He and the Mrs. will be seen as the GOPElite.
Newt is part of the Problem. Folks are tired of politicians.
Too bad -that just may leave you with Barry Obama as your only friend.
Somebody else poses a legitimate challenge to Romney and here comes the National Review right on time to launch an attack on the threat.
Newt killed himself in tonight’s debate with his continued insistence on amnesty for illegals and H-1 visas for foreign engineers to replace American engineers with cheaper foreigners for the likes of Microsoft and Apple.
For a bright guy he continually tries to play Russian roulette with all chambers loaded.
So sad - so much promise. How quickly genius can be overcome by really dumb stupid outbursts, like love fests with Pelosi, amnesty, right wing extremist slanders.
You are distorting what Newt said. Obviously you cannot hear.
Good piece by Lowry.
I’m aware of all the bumper sticker objections against Newt. There are every bit as many against Romney and whomever else is on the rodent-wheel known as the GOP candidate slate. If there is hope for the future, it lies in people abandoning bumper-stickerism and pondering with the deepest and widest cluster of neurons they can pull together this next election day that life in the future is going to spin off in unanticipated directions if we do not get the wheels back on the car.
oh, please...people keep shaking the brush pile hoping that something interesting will fall out. As usual, the Republicans will spend all kinds of time stomping on each other while the Demos just sit back and revel in our stupidity. The Repubs should have, at the start, agreed that every negative comment would have been against the administration, and then agreed that they could go at each other as to who could have been more effective in their mutual desire to eliminate Obama from the political scene.
I’ll have to admit Newt is an Icehole..
Question is Does America presently NEED an Icehole as President?..
I have no problem with having an Icehole as President..
Somebody to go in “there” gut the place.. Re-modeling all of Washington D.C. with Congressional Help..
The Senate needs to be taken and the House strengthened..
We need a Justice Department thats for justice..
Perp walking George Soros for aggravated Sedition for starters..
I am talking a really really BAD Icehole.. a mean SOB... a Pit Bull..
Newt just might be what we need..
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