Gingrich Schools Reich: 'Every Major City Which Is a Poverty Center Is Run By Democrats'

NewsBusters.org ^ | December 15, 2013 | Noel Sheppard

[Kaslin]

ABC This Week viewers were treated to a classic conservative versus liberal debate Sunday.

When former Clinton labor secretary Robert Reich tried to blame the increase in poverty in the past five years on Republicans, former Speaker of the House and current CNN host Newt Gingrich called it "baloney" firing back, "Every major city which is a center of poverty is run by Democrats" (video follows with transcript and absolutely no need for additional commentary):

Gingrich Schools Reich: 'Every Major City Which Is a Poverty Center Is Run By Democrats'

JONATHAN KARL, SUBSTITUTE HOST: And let me ask you, Mr. Gingrich, Speaker, when you look at that issue of inequality - and this is something he's put front and center, the Pope has. It's something of course that President Obama talks a lot about. We saw the story about homelessness in New York--

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Sure.

KARL: Stark reality of the gap in the nation's biggest city. Is this an issue that Republicans should be talking about?

GINGRICH: Absolutely. I mean, how can you justify the level of wealth in those big towers in New York City and the level of poverty in those alleys? And without talking about government, say, surely a society that cared, that believed every person was endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness, would come up with a better solution than 22,000 children that are homeless.

And I think that the Republican Party has an obligation to rethink some of its indifference to the very poor. And I think the Democrats have an obligation to ask themselves after 50 years of the war on poverty, isn't it clear that government is not a very good [unintelligible].

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERT REICH: The war on poverty - which next year we are going to celebrate the 50th anniversary in addition to the Civil Rights Act - the war on poverty was successful for a time. What has happened however over the last 30 years is that much of the, much of the ardor, much of the concern, much of the, what propelled that war on poverty has dissipated.

KARL: Why after five years of President Barack Obama we see the problem worse?

REICH: Well the problem is worse; I think it has something to do, perhaps, with the intransigence of the Speaker's Party, because every time there was a jobs bill, every time there was an effort to expand a low income housing, every time there was an effort to provide better opportunities for young people. We're talking about equal opportunity.

GINGRICH: Every major, every, this is baloney.

REICH: At the basis of this, what is baloney?

GINGRICH: Here's the baloney. Every major city which is a center of poverty is run by Democrats. Every major city. Their policies have failed, they're not willing to admit and the fact is it's the poor who suffer from bad [unintelligible].

[john drake]

The truth hurts doesn’t it, munchkin?

[ClearCase_guy]

GINGRICH: ... And I think that the Republican Party has an obligation to rethink some of its indifference to the very poor.

Thanks Newt. Thanks a bunch.

[C. Edmund Wright]

the GOOD NEWT sighting ping!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Inequality = This election cycle’s War on Women.

[Sacajaweau]

Newt would be my first choice for President. He knows his stuff and how to get things done.

[Bronzy]

I enjoyed listening to Newt here. Program can be viewed: http://www.booktv.org/Program/15183/quotBreakout+Pioneers+of+the+Future+Prison+Guards+of+the+Past+and+the+Epic+Battle+That+Will+Decide+Americas+Fatequot.aspx

[C. Edmund Wright]

Oops…spoke too soon….the first part was the bad Newt….the end was the good Newt….

[Admin Moderator]

Transcripts are not editorials.

[Alberta's Child]

Looks like Reich came up short in this debate against Gingrich.

[DoughtyOne]

And just about every Democrat presidential term, our standard of living goes down. Clinton was one of the few exceptions, and the Republicans in the House forced him to break the mold.

[icwhatudo]

Newt: "And I think that the Republican Party has an obligation to rethink some of its indifference to the very poor. "

[Telepathic Intruder]

The problem with liberals is that they’re blind to the consequences of their own actions, because they just blame them on someone else. They simply continue to push their socialist agenda and can’t see what it’s doing. The worse things get, the harder they push the same thing.

[Sacajaweau]

Does he mean like chocolate city?? How about Rochester NY.

[Alberta's Child]

Gingrich's biggest flaw -- and it's a fatal one in my mind -- is that he's a Beltway hack who has spent his entire career in politics and lobbying.

That's how he ends up shredding his name and reputation on this sort of crap:

[a fool in paradise]

These days, I thought every major city was run by Democrats. Period.

[griswold3]

Ask Newt when did he quit beating his wife....
Funny though that the Catholic church doesn’t spread some of their wealth around.

[A_Former_Democrat]

A message I’ve been saying to my lib friends for years. They can’t come back from it, because it’s the truth

Add to it: every major urban school district. Absolute disasters totally run by Demonrats.

Hit the b******* with the truth, the grim reality of their policies. The truth kills them.

[Squantos]

Heres a good list....

http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/us-mayors.html#Anchor-Mayors-11481

Almost all...:o)

[grumpygresh]

For Reich, equality is always about outcome. So, I want to see affirmative action for midgets in the NBA.