Posted on 03/20/2012 4:36:52 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Rick Santorum makes an excellent point that “past performance really does indicate future results.” I completely agree—but not just “in Mitt Romney’s case.” Rick Santorum became the third-highest ranking Republican in the Senate in 2001 at a time when Republicans inherited balanced budgets, surpluses, and conservative, pro-life majorities. Senator Santorum and his big spending GOP allies proceeded to squander this inheritance.
The leadership of the Rick Santorum Republicans proved disastrous:
* The Rick Santorum Republicans never passed a single balanced budget, after inheriting balanced budgets and record surpluses. They racked up $1.7 trillion in deficits and increased the average number of earmarks by almost 500 percent. The Senator even voted for the Bridge to Nowhere.
* The Rick Santorum Republicans increased the national debt by 12 percent and voted to raise the debt ceiling five times to accommodate it—even while dealing with a president of their own party.
* The Senator voted with Democrats and Big Labor to defeat the National Right to Work Act of 1995. He justifies this vote saying he was representing Pennsylvania where forced unionization is the law but today, PA Senator Toomey is cosponsoring nearly identical legislation.
* The Senator voted with Democrats and Big Labor — repeatedly — to protect Davis-Bacon legislation, an old law on the books that requires the federal government to pay more to its contractors. He was so wedded to big labor that he even voted against waiving Davis-Bacon in times of emergency. By voting to protect Davis-Bacon, the Senator cost taxpayers many millions in higher taxes, deficits, and national debt.
* The Senator sponsored the “Santorum Amendment” to raise the Minimum Wage 21.4%. He supported Ted Kennedy’s proposed hike in the Minimum Wage. And, in a 2006 campaign commercial, he bragged about his support for a higher Minimum Wage.
* The Rick Santorum Republicans abandoned their principles, resulting in the worst electoral defeat for Republicans since Watergate and the loss of GOP Congressional majorities in both the House and Senate. This left Congress in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. And in destroying the Republican brand of balanced budgets and spending control, the Rick Santorum Republican failure gave us Barack Obama in 2008.
This is not a record of leadership to be proud of, and in 2006 it resulted in a catastrophic 18-point defeat. I fear it would do so again in the fall of 2012 if he were the nominee.
Unlike Senator Santorum, I did not go to Washington seeing politics as a “team sport.” Instead, I set out to change the game, and was willing to fight the forces of the establishment within the Republican Party to do so. The result was the first GOP majority in 40 years and the largest increase in pro-life votes in House of Representatives history. When I was Speaker, we balanced the budget for the first time since the 1920s — and it stayed balanced for four straight years. We reformed welfare, lifting millions of Americans from poverty. We passed the biggest capital gains tax cut in history, helping create 11 million jobs. And we did it all while paying down the national debt by $400 billion.
If you agree with Senator Santorum that “past performance really does indicate future results,” it means there’s only one candidate in this race who can offer the change our country desperately needs.
I need no reminding about Newt’s history.
Imperfect as it is, it stacks up great against Romney and Santorum.
There is no contest.
That you have chosen sides and chosen to try to make your weaker one appear better than Newt’s, history wise and performance wise, hurts your credibility with me.
Not that you care about that.
I say this to say, your horse is weaker than mine, by far. Not in polling and votes right now, but on the merits and the substance.
Imperfection with Newt, compare to imperfection with R or S, even with low numbers?
I’ll take that stand.
As we used to say, any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Good try, but we make factual observations CONSTANTLY.
Why don’t you try convinces people to vote for your Candidate instead of Bashing Newt all the time.
What that clean enough for you Pro-Santorum supporters.
Don't try to argue with people who have made a lifetime career out of Political Science. There are things that we will never see, that drives the direction of genius politicians/Sates man like Newt Gingrich.
The internal polling also indicates that if Newt were to drop out, Romney would gain the most from it.
Newt says it, you believe it, that settles it? Santorum has been on the air long enough to have his own. If talking points win, God help us all. We look at the total man. Remember, we have to vote for a man, not a speech nor an idea. I don’t see a better man in this contest than Santorum, who has been tested by life and stuck to his real life principles even when “inconvenient”.
Gingrich sure does take off a lot for a guy who says he is running for President.
Polling is almost non-existent for the LA primary. But Newt is spending time there trying to get his numbers above 25% of the vote which is the mandated number in order to share proportionally in 20 of the 46 delegates to be selected via the primary vote. JMO ...
Santorum became the fad after people decided Newt was toast because of what Romney’s lying ads did to him in IA and FL.
That is just a FACT.
Santorum profited most off of Mitt’s millions worth of lies. People didn’t gravitate to the scummy Mitt, they gravitated away from Newt who had been leading the polls, towards a different non Romney.
It was not on the relative merits of the two men’s records and candidacies.
Rick Santorum is majorly challenged in all of those areas. His severe record flaws have been noted, ad nauseum. His lack of Newt level abilities has been observed. People will admit Newt is in a class by himself and still say, but he can’t win, so we picked Rick.
What do you say when Rick does himself in?
Oh if only, if only...it was NEWT’S fault...he didn’t drop out.
Like I said, if Rick had dropped out and endorsed Newt when Perry did and Cain, things would be different for Newt.
I didn’t say all who support Santorum are stupid.
I believe they fell for a diversion.
A siren song.
And I will believe than until my last breath.
The objective realities back me up.
One of the biggest problem for Newt is that he skips too many states.
He only competes where he thinks he will do well instead of getting in there in less friendly states and making his case.
Rudy tried that in 2008 and it was a disaster. He was able to discern that it was a losing venture and got out.
With Newt it isn’t the message, it is the messenger that is losing. Newt is still standing on the deck of the Titanic and declaring “the ship is not sinking”.
Well said.
Am I going to believe you or my own lying eyes. I heard him on Hannity saying that we were wrong in not believing in manmade GW 4 mos ago.
He is my first choice, but they all have flaws.
Pray for America
In 2 maybe 3 states AL, MS, TN Democratic Voters crossed over and voted for Santorum. They will vote for Obama in the GE.
Bloody Thursday Just about everyone under the Republican Tent assassinated Newt's character. Still have not seen Santorum Character assassinated.
Most voters believe what they see and hear on TV. They never take the time to look at the real facts.
Dems want to face the Light weight Santorum in the GE.
Newt most recently has challenged Mitt to stop the attack ads on his opposition.
"“I challenge Gov. Romney and his super PAC to pledge to take every negative ad about every Republican off the air, because it dishonors them, it weakens the Republican Party, and it helps Barack Obama,” said Mr. Gingrich in Covington, Lousiania, according to CBS News."
“One of the biggest problem for Newt is that he skips too many states.”
We Agree on something.
So Santorum has 10 primary victories and 238 delegates,
and number of close 2d place races to Romney who is outspending everyone 20-1 in the 6th year of his campaign
Newt has 2 primaries and just over 100 delegates
But Newt supporter logic is that Rick should drop out
When have there ever so many blind calls for the 2d place in the race to drop out to help the 4th place?
D. Oh.
Every primary is a chance for the voters who dont buy the Romney spinach to pick Newt Rick or the other guy
You must despise the stupid gullible peasants in Santorum flyover country almost as much as obama does, and maybe Newt too, who figures why campaign in states where folks are too busy shopping at Walmart
Not up to date but Santorum country is green, Newt country is purple, Mitt country is orange. Hmm. Pick the biggest loser.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_2012
(And Ron Paul has Mexico and Canada)
“Newt is staying in for a good reason, not because he is just stubborn, but because without him, Romney would win the nomination sooner if just Santorum were in the race.”
Herein lies what makes no sense. Sooner, later? What difference is there if the outcome is the same? To be honest FRiend, running a good campaign and being in the top two of contenders when the money and odds are against you, shows a high level of competence. It isn’t perfect, but quite a feat.
I always argue with those that feel they have nothing to learn. I argue with Tokyo Rove. He has made a lifetime out of Political Science. If I don’t argue with him, I will have to accept that he is correct and Romney is inevitable.
There are always reasons for why someone who should do well isn’t doing well. But it can’t be corrected without taking a look at what that is.
I think Newt is smart, but Newt isn’t wise. Something in him gets in the way of that. I won’t say what that may be because I am going to refrain from being nasty as I promised another here yesterday that I was going to stop it.
You kidding?
“Character assassination” got Newt his only primary victory other than Georgia, as a backlash in South Carolina
I can’t share your theory that Santorum’s 10 primary victories are a fluke or a crossover vote campaign. For one example I am aware of, Santorum carried the working women of Alabama and no, they won’t vote for Bambi if Santorum is on the GOP ticket
Romney has probably spent $100 million and still can’t get more than 35% of the dogs to want to play with him, even with all those sausages hung around his neck
Imagine a poser like Romney saying Santorum is not conservative enough .. Because he has made some big government votes..
uh... pot, kettle
I have an idea this video will make the democrat 2012 election ads if Newt is anywhere near the GOP ticket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi6n_-wB154
Can you not read?
Do you not understand that I can navigate polls and maps plenty well enough, without your “help”.
Re-read my assessment of what happened to Newt when Mitt savaged him and how Rick profited from the destroyed Newt.
Re-read that I didn’t say Santorum backers were stupid, I said they fell for the siren song, the diversion of Santorum as a substitute for the destroyed Newt.
All we as a party and conservatives needed to do, when Romney did that to Newt, was rally around him as the non Romney instead of chasing the Santorum diversion, instead of heeding his siren call, and Newt would be heading toward convention as the nominee, not Romney.
It’s your call to post this beside-my-point stuff to me.
Mitt is playing for the same Big Government team obama is playing for, but his only strong points are his being better with money and management.
Should Mitt win against obama, doubtful, but for the sake of argument, should he win the presidency Mitt will only make the government bigger and better financed.
Mitt's contribution will be improving the system for when the progressives/socialists/demonrats take over again four years later, which they will then use against We, the People, just as obama has used Homeland Security, the TSAs, etc. that Bush created.
If you want to reverse Government growth and begin to reform the crony socialist madness the demonrats and the rinos have spawned, if you want a strong American energy economy, low taxes and a strong, vibrant American economy, Newt Gingrich is the best choice. He has been there, done that and America got better as a result. Let's do that again!!!
Yet Newt turns around and pens a piece doing exactly what he called on Romney to stop doing even when he knows he has no chance to win.
You can’t make this stuff up. LOL
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