Gingrich think tank collected millions from health-care industry [came up with individual mandate]
Newt and Freddie Mac..........."And while the former House speaker insists that he never stooped to lobbying per se in his 13-year post-congressional career, he clearly did cash in on his status and connections, whether as a high-priced speechmaker or as an adviser to Freddie Mac the ill-fated government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) in housing finance that is now sucking up taxpayer bailout money. All told, Freddie paid Mr. Gingrich a reported $1.6 million.
At the Nov. 9 Republican debate, Mr. Gingrich claimed his job at Freddie was speaking truth to power: I said to them at the time this is a bubble. This is insane. But former Freddie officials told Bloomberg News they hired Mr. Gingrich in 2006-07 to build bridges to Capitol Hill Republicans and develop an argument on behalf of the companys public-private structure that would resonate with conservatives seeking to dismantle it. Indeed, Mr. Gingrich proclaimed, I like the GSE model, on Freddies Web site in 2007. He added that making homeownership more accessible and affordable is a policy goal I believe conservatives should embrace. He likened Freddie to the Homestead Act and suggested a health-care GSE.".....