Free Republic

Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States and out of office for twenty years, still has the landslide support of the American people that helped him win two historic terms in the 1980s.An overlooked poll released last week by Public Policy Polling of over 1200 registered voters showed the Republican icon Reagan was the most popular of the five most recent presidents with 41 percent, impeached Democrat Bill Clinton was a distant second at 27 percent.The current occupant of the Oval Office, Barack Obama, came in third with 22 percent, thanks to a splintering of support from African-Americans....

<p>CINCINNATI (AP) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is praising President Barack Obama for showing political courage on Afghanistan.</p> <p>The Georgia Republican said Wednesday that Obama's plan to send 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan is the right step, and that Tuesday's speech at West Point showed the president was facing reality.</p>

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has released a statement on Climategate. In a previous blog , AT readers were promised an update on Gingrich's then pending statement on Climategate. Here it is: "On the climate change scandal by Newt Gingrich Two stories have broken in the past few days that should give Congress further pause before it ever again takes up energy tax legislation that justifies the destruction of millions of American jobs based on the supposed urgency of meeting the challenge of global warming. Emails obtained by hackers from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit...

Newt Gingrich. His name became familiar in 1994, when Republicans took control of Congress following Bill and Hillary Clinton’s disastrous attempt to take over the health care industry. In the year or so that followed, Republicans instituted welfare reform and balanced the budget for the first time since LBJ’s presidency. Clinton, of course, was quick to take credit for the new fiscal conservatism in Washington, and he and the Congress were just as quick to spend the “surplus.” Many of the Republicans who won in 1994, as Newt will readily proclaim to all who will listen, were moderates. Therefore, moderate...

"...[I]t’s equally clear that you can’t be a right-wing party and govern the country." --Newt Gingrich quoted by Jonathan Martin, Politico, November 12, 2009 Dr. Newt Gingrich (Ph.D. History) should know better by now not to use “right-wing” as an adjective to describe the GOP. The GOP is not “right-wing,” but rather a conservative political party. Members of that party responded to Newt Gingrich’s “Contract for America” that was not “right-wing,” but an expression of the conservative philosophy of limited government shared by most Republicans and many Independents. Unfortunately, had Newt Gingrich adhered to political principle he might not have...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted disaster for his party if the conservative wing of the GOP continues to field independent candidates to the right of the party’s nominee. “If we get into a cycle where there are tea parties and there are conservative third-party candidates, we will make [Nancy] Pelosi speaker for life,” Gingrich told POLITICO in an interview Thursday, calling the practice “totally destructive.” But Gingrich, who broke with many fellow conservatives by getting behind the liberal Republican who was nominated but ultimately dropped out and backed the Democrat in a New York special congressional election, admitted that...

Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House speaker and purveyor of the GOP "Contract With America'' that helped his party win control of the House after President Bill Clinton's election, says GOP chairman Michael Steele has started work on a new framework for 2010 that he is calling "First principles.'' "I've been talking with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, '' Gingrich said today, speaking with students at C-SPAN's Cable Center Class. "He is developing a first principles model that I think is a very exciting , positive step in the right direction,'' said Gingrich, who has said that he will...

A cancer diagnosis can strain any relationship. But when a woman gets news of a life-threatening illness, her husband is six times more likely to leave her than if the tables were turned and the man got the bad news, according to new research. The study included diagnoses of both cancer and multiple sclerosis and found an overall divorce rate of nearly 12 percent, which is similar to that found in the normal population. But when the researchers looked at gender differences, they found the rate was nearly 21 percent when women were the patients compared with about 3 percent...

According to Bill O’Reilly’s week long poll it is Governor Sarah Palin: Sarah Palin: 30% Huckabee: 29% Romney: 25% Gingrich:16% I find it odd that the numbers were only announced by Mr O’Reilly and not released. I would say the results are actually much better for Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin typically has a much larger margin of victory against the three respectable but boring Huckabee, Romney & Gingrich. But a win is still a win. I thought it was interesting what Huckabee had to say about Sarah Palin...

Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO-turned-McCain campaign advisor and surrogate, announced on Thursday the endorsements of eight Republican Senators, including conservative stalwart Senator Tom Coburn. “Our nation is facing serious economic challengers because we keep rehiring the same failed career politicians who have proven themselves incapable of making hard choices,” read Coburn’s statement. “Carly’s common sense and fiscal conservatism will be a welcome addition to the United States Senate. I am glad to offer her my endorsement.” Today’s announcement by Fiorina, who only formally announced her bid for Senate on Wednesday, comes on the heels of Senator Jim Demint’s endorsement...

Newt said it was difficult to go against the 11 local officials who picked Dede.Says anyone who is angry with him has a right to feel that way.

People are buzzing about this online but I’m not sure why. “I regret deeply that she was chosen,” he says of Scozzafava in an apparent reversal of his prior support. Except it’s not a reversal: He admitted to Andrew Wilkow way back on October 21 that she’s not the person he would have nominated. His endorsement was always strategic, to support Republican leaders at the local level and dissuade third-party challenges next year. Why Republicans in a district where there’s no primary should defer to party leaders instead of rallying behind their preferred candidate is a question left unanswered, but...

Here is video of Newt Gingrich on Sean Hannity's show "explaining" why he endorsed Scozzafava and saying that he "deeply regrets" she was chosen by the 11 local county chairs. When asked what he would say to Conservatives that are angry at him Newt answered "they have every right to be angry, I don't blame them," he went on to say "I think she was the wrong nominee and I think it was a terrible position." (Video)

From Hannity Radio, "Willing to swallow alot to make Boehner Speaker"

New York Republicans got a rock in their trick-or-treat bags over the Halloween weekend, as Dede Scozzafava ripped off her million-dollar Republican mask and revealed herself to be a Democrat. It was never a very good disguise, but every previous attempt to peer beneath it was punished with stern lectures from Newt Gingrich and the rest of the party establishment. The bags of contributor money Republicans handed to the Scozzafava campaign would have been more usefully spent hiring detectives to trail ACORN operatives, and keep Democrat voter fraud down to manageable levels. The Scozzafava campaign is the latest dreadful mistake...

Newt Gingrich, who had previously endorsed moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava in the NY-23 special election, now says he is "deeply upset" about her endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens after she withdrew from the race. "How could she have accepted all that support?" said Gingrich, also adding: "I'm very, very let down because she told everybody she was a Republican, and she said she was a loyal Republican." Gingrich had caught a lot of criticism on the right for supporting Scozzafava, and arguing that the Republican Party needs to have room for moderates. Now that Scozzafava has quit the race and...

Fearful that the party had almost no chance of winning the Nov. 3 New York special election after Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava abruptly announced Saturday that she was dropping out, high-ranking national Democrats immediately began working to secure her endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens, POLITICO has learned. On Sunday afternoon, their vigorous efforts paid off as Scozzafava bucked her own party and issued a statement supporting Owens over Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, a coup for Democrats who recognized that their best remaining chance of winning the Republican-leaning seat on Tuesday was to swing disaffected Scozzafava supporters their way. By...

6 Days ago, Newt said Conservatives got excited in this race over "misinformation" Newt remaining dug-in has caused a reaction... newt.org Sunday, November 01, 2009 5:52 PM Stick a fork in it Newt, you're done. Oh yeah, and how do I unsubscribe to your e-mails as I'm no longer interested in anything you have to say after this fiasco you helped create? Sunday, November 01, 2009 5:42 PM What we need are real conservatives to lead this country. If you make an attempt in 2012, I will steadfastly oppose you...we don't need Rhinos in office anymore.... Sunday, November 01, 2009...

Two weeks after Sarah Palin's unique exit from public office, Newt Gingrich offered up some unsolicited counsel for the former governor in an interview with POLITICO. Apparently, Newt was certain that Palin's reputation needed serious burnishing, and he was all too ready to provide it by offering substantial details on the range and style of speeches that would be most appropriate for Palin to deliver to various audiences in order to sustain a public revival. Exactly why he felt she needed his help remains a bit of a mystery, except that Gingrich, like Karl Rove, seems absolutely certain that the...

I Am Endorsing Doug Hoffman Updated 11/1 - The race has evolved into a contest between a conservative and a pro-Pelosi, tax increase, big government liberal Democrat. This is both a tribute to the power of the national conservative movement to define an issue and a commentary on the populist anger against politics-as-usual. The New York GOP has now had two troubled special elections and it is clear they should go to a primary nominating system so everyone will feel it was fair and open. The age of party leaders picking people is over. Scozzafava did the right thing in...

Lifelong Republican(RINO) throws support to Democrat Owens Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., was among those who urged Dierdre K. Scozzafava to endorse Democratic congressional candidate William L. Owens, the senator's spokesman said Saturday. The spokesman, Maxwell Young, said the senator called a number of north country political leaders after Ms. Scozzafava suspended her campaign and had more than one conversation with the Republican candidate ahead of her announcement. He said the senator also called other Democratic leaders about the situation, including White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Mr. Owens said he was “honored” by the endorsement. “Over the course...

It almost seems Speaker Gingrich's climb-down in the NY23 race, has liberated him. Gingrich was on Fox News this morning, and not once but serveral times referred to democrats with the "Socialist" word. He was great.

Just a little congressional race a full three years before the next presidential election, but yet it provides the clearest indication of exactly who all the major candidates are: Here are my grades from a conservative perspective. Sarah Palin First on October 22, Sarah Palin came out on her Facebook page with a strong endorsement of the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. A clear shot across the bow of the GOP establishment favoring principle over party. Palin cited Reagan’s ‘time for choosing’ and the principles of “smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty “....

Gingrich endorses Hoffman Posted: October 31st, 2009 01:04 PM ET From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston WASHINGTON (CNN)– Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who came under fire from some conservatives for endorsing Dede Scozzafava in next week's special Congressional election in New York, is now backing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Gingrich made the announcement via Twitter shortly after the Republican Party nominee Scozzafava announced she was releasing supporters from their commitment to back her. "Scozzafava dropping out leaves hoffman as only anti-tax anti-pelosi vote in ny 23 Every voter opposed to tax increases support doug hoffman," Gingrich wrote on...

The National Republican Congressional Committee will now be throwing its support to Hoffman, after endorsing Scozzafava and deriding the Conservative Party candidate in statements throughout much of the race.

Just a heads up on more good news on top of my earlier post on the Hoffman race. The National Republican Congressional Committee appears to be backing off and conceding defeat while more and more Republican officials are jumping ship and backing Hoffman. One more sign? Guiliani is sending his adviser to help Hoffman. (Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net

Tea Party Patriots 2012 Presidential Poll Who do you think would make a great conservative president? (Consider only their commitment to the constitution, charisma and personal integrity. Do NOT consider their ability to win.)

The news keeps getting better regarding the Hoffman, Scozzafava, Owens race. Scott Johnson from Powerline relates a conversation he had with a friend and "principal of the political consulting firm of Red Sea LLC and the polling firm Basswood Research," Jon Lerner. Following up on Rothenberg's column, I called Jon to ask for his take on the congressional election. He made so many interesting points that I asked him to reiterate them briefly in a message for Power Line readers. Jon writes: To recap our discussion of NY-23, I have done three surveys for the Club for Growth. The initial...

"Perhaps more ominously for his ( Newt's )rapidly fading hopes for a 2012 Presidential bid, conservatives are beginning to question his integrity. His constant repetition of the false "she's locally selected" mantra seems as off message as Scozzafava's numerous well documented campaign missteps.""Either Newt Gingrich is lying, or someone misled him."But how can "the smartest guy in the room", with a reputation as a scholar and seeker of truth have been so easily misled about a set of facts that could be discerned with half an hour's worth of phone calls?"

Why is Newt Gingrich undercutting our efforts to stop Big Labor's Card Check bill? Right to Work activists will be disturbed to learn Newt is backing an outspoken supporter of forced unionism and the union bosses in a special election for Congress next week in New York 23. Does Mr. Gingrich really think it makes no difference whether the Republican Party is pro-worker freedom or not? Just like the final few years when he was Speaker of the House of Representatives, for Newt, it is appears it is just about power and party over principle. You’ve probably heard some of...

RNC Chairman Michael Steele needs to do his homework before going back on Sean Hannity's radio show. Today, Hannity asked him about the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee's support of the liberal Republican in the race against Conservative Party and Republican Doug Hoffman for the House seat vacated by John McHugh. Here's a brief excerpt; listen closely to Steele disputing Hannity about Scozzafava's position on card check: The two sources of proof that Michael Steele is mistaken are Dede Scozzafava and Dede Scozzafava, in writing and on tape. On Oct 19, 2009, the all things liberal...

Never underestimate the stupidity of the Republican Party leadership. In the midst of an attempted power grab of unprecedented proportions by the current Democratic administration that is turning off millions of Americans...as TEA parties and town hall protests against massive government intervention continue to spread...as large percentages of Democrats are recoiling as they find "hope and change" really meant "control and loss of freedom"...the Republican Party has been presented with the chance to saddle this momentum and ride it to power. -snip- -snip-.... astute and prudent Republican leaders would recognize this as an incredible opportunity to field candidates who appeal...

Judging from expenditures made by national Democrats, the party believes its biggest obstacle to victory in a New York special election is not the Republican candidate but the Conservative Party's nominee. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its allies have not run advertisements attacking Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava since Oct. 20, a week ago. Instead, the party has focused solely on knocking down Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Meanwhile, Democratic strategists in Washington are privately beginning to downplay expectations for the race, hinting that they would not be surprised if Hoffman were to win outright, defeating both Scozzafava and attorney Bill...

Gingrich calls GOP support for Hoffman a 'purge' By Jordan Fabian - 10/27/09 09:47 AM ET Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) late Monday had some choice words for Republicans supporting Conservative Party party candidate Doug Hoffman (N.Y.), accusing them of conducting a "purge" of the GOP. Many national Republican figures, such as Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) and ex-Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska), have backed Hoffman over GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava in the 23rd district's special election this year. The district has been long-held by Republicans, but many conservatives have shied away from Scozzafava for her socially liberal positions and the...

As I stand here in a high school gymnasium watching freshmen girls' basketball games, I'm struck by the sight of America's future right in front of me - these tenacious young women full of energy and intensity - I want them to realize every opportunity this great, free nation can provide. There are big political races on the East Coast that are coming down to the wire - the results of which will impact policies and political actions that touch all of us in every state. Like other independent Americans, you know I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Republican political...

Newt answering questions about NY23. Defending the Scozzafava. Says that Hoffman is outside the district. Claims that Scozzafava is a solid fiscal conservative but social liberal. Claims all of Hoffman's money is coming outside the district. Make a point that it was the local GOP that nominated Scozzafava and that they know more than outsiders what is right for the district.

Newt Gingrich appeared on talk shows this Sunday and flirted with the idea of a 2012 presidential bid. In a glaring example of just how wide the schism between Republican Party moderates and conservatives has become, pundits on the right were quick to shoot Gingrich down. The man who led the GOP to a 1994 revival is now dismissed being by some on the right as a RINO -- Republican In Name Only. Why? In a contentious New York State Congressional race that has split the Republican Party at the national level, Gingrich irked conservatives by endorsing moderate Dede Scozzafava,...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is warning conservative activists

Club for Growth, which has endorsed Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman in the special election race for New York's 23rd District, has released a new poll finding Hoffman leading the two major party nominees, Dede Scozzafava (R) and Bill Owens (D). The race has split the Republican Party, as major GOP names such as Sarah Palin have backed Hoffman, while such luminaries as Newt Gingrich are standing behind Scozzafava. The CfG survey of 300 likely voters was conducted October 24-25 with a margin of error of +/- 5.66%. Hoffman leads with 31%, followed by Owens with 27% and Scozzafava with...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is warning conservative activists that their support for a third-party candidate in a key upcoming New York special election is a “mistake.” In a video captured last week and posted on YouTube Friday, Gingrich told tea party organizer Lisa Miller at a book-signing event that conservatives are inadvertently hindering the cause by backing Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman over Dede Scozzafava, the Republican Party’s nominee. “I just think it is a mistake for the conservative movement to think splitting in the special election is a smart idea,” Gingrich said. “If we give that seat to...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Sunday offered one of the strongest hints yet that he will run for the nation's highest office in 2012. Gingrich said that he will begin seriously considering the possibility in about 15 months. "Callista and I are going to think about this in February 2011. And we are going to reach out to all of our friends around the country," he said on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" this morning. "We'll decide, if there's a requirement as citizens that we run, I suspect we probably will. And if there's not a requirement, if other people...

Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker and perennial big thinker in the Republican party, said this morning that he will likely run for president in 2012 if he and his wife, Callista, assess the field of candidates in 2011 and feel "a requirement as citizens that we run." His comments came during an interview on C-SPAN's Washington Journal this morning. The full exchange and video are below. C-SPAN: "If you were to run, what factors would you take into account? What would lead you to think about running?" GINGRICH: "Callista and I are going to think about this in February...

This is new video of a Tea Party Protester asking Newt Gingrich at a book signing why he is supporting Scozzafava, the so called Republican in NY's 23 district, Newt's reasons are lame, (Video with Transcript)

Beware Rinos, Says Sarah Palin GOP Comes Unglued in New York bythelastcrusade.org “If you want to have a conservative majority in Washington, part of that majority's going to make you uncomfortable." So says former House Speaker Newt Gingrich defending his decision to endorse an ultra liberal Republican candidate in the special election for New York's 23rd Congressional District even though she is a Margaret Sanger Award winner, who supports same-sex marriage, abortion-on-demand, and the Obama stimulus programs. Republican candidate DeDe Scozzafava has received not only the backing of Planned Parenthood and The Daily Kos, but her campaign has also...

Former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich is taking real heat over his endorsement of a moderate Republican, Dede Sozzafava, in a special congressional election in upstate New York. David Keating, executive director of Club for Growth, has taken to a third-party conservative, Doug Hoffman, and rakes Gingrich on the anti-tax group’s web site: “Gingrich does this all the time,” said Keating. “He does whatever the party committee asks him to. He likes to cultivate this image of being an innovator (snip) But this afternoon, on his own web site, the former Georgia congressman pushed back: The choice in New York...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) is defending his endorsement of a centrist Republican in New York after the pick landed him in hot water with conservative activists. Last week, Gingrich became one of a small handful of conservatives who endorsed Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R) in her bid to fill Army Secretary John McHugh's now-vacant House seat. As a result, conservative bloggers said Gingrich had eliminated himself from contention for the GOP's presidential nomination in 2012. "My endorsement of Dede Scozzafava in the special election for New York’s 23rd congressional district is a means of regaining a conservative majority in...

So, Newt Gingrich is invoking Reagan to defend his endorsement of radical leftist Dede Scozzafava in the NY-23 special congressional election? Triple-gag: “If you seek to be a perfect minority, you’ll remain a minority,” says Gingrich. “That’s not how Reagan built his revolution or how we won back the House in 1994.” Let’s quote Reagan back to Gingrich, shall we? From his seminal 1975 CPAC address: Let our banner proclaim our belief in a free market as the greatest provider for the people. Let us also call for an end to the nit-picking, the harassment and over-regulation of business and...

On the one hand, the Democrats are trying their best to suffer a devastating blow at the ballot box come November of 2010. After all, the deficits are at obscene levels. Unemployment will be at 10% and go higher. They can't figure out health care, climate change, and they are desperate to lose in Afghanistan. On the other hand, the Republicans are trying just as hard not to take this opening and run with it. When a Congressional race becomes the flashpoint for a political civil war within the party, you know there are problems.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. And we'll switch gears to Honduras, this part - this neck of the woods in Latin America. What about the situation in Honduras? Is that - is that big deal or not? N. GINGRICH: I think it's a very big deal because, you know, as a lawyer, the Honduras Supreme Court followed the Honduran constitution. Zelaya is in fact the president of the country, was in fact trying to become a strong man in the Chavez tradition. The Honduran constitution specifically blocks that from happening and says if you try to extend your term, you automatically...

  When Newt Gingrich was received into the Church last March, the reactions were predictable. The former Speaker of the House was simultaneously welcomed, jeered, and cynically accused of positioning himself to run for president in 2012.   When I spoke to him last Friday in his Washington, D.C., office, Gingrich was humble and soft-spoken about his new faith. He was also excited about his forthcoming documentary, Nine Days That Changed the World, recounting Pope John Paul II's first trip home to Poland in June 1979 after being elected to the see of St. Peter. Gingrich's wife, Callista, a...