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Why Newt Gingrich won’t last
Washington Post ^ | November 15, 2011 | Dana Milbank

Posted on 11/16/2011 3:23:30 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

....The public got a taste of Gingrich’s relative moderation in May, when he disparaged PaulRyan’s budget plan, which House Republicans embraced en masse, as “right-wing social engineering” and “too big a jump.” He quickly retreated from this inadvertent honesty, uttered in the same “Meet the Press” interview when he defended his previous support for an “individual mandate” requiring health insurance — the part of Obamacare that conservatives find most objectionable.

...In 2005, he sat down with then-Sen.HillaryClinton to make common cause over health care. He said he and Clinton “have the same instinct” on health care and praised the notion of a health-care “transfer of finances” from rich to poor. “I risk sounding not quite as right wing as I should,” Gingrich said at the time. “I’ve spent enough of my life fighting,” he added.

In 2007, Gingrich appeared with JohnKerry and conceded that humans have contributed to global warming, saying, “We should address it very actively.” He complained about “the absence of American leadership” on climate change, pitched incentives to reduce carbon emissions and said: “I am not automatically saying that coercion and bureaucracy is not an answer.” Gingrich called for a “green conservatism.”

In 2009, Gingrich met in the OvalOffice with President Obama and the Rev.AlSharpton and emerged to proclaim that “education should be the first civil right of the 21st century.” Soon after that, he appeared on Capitol Hill with BillClinton and Trent Lott for an unveiling of the former Senate majority leader’s portrait, lamenting that “we wasted so much energy with controversy when we could get so many more things done.”

At one point during his dalliance with the Democratic establishment, Gingrich joked that “one can gradually rebuild almost any reputation if you pander enough to the authorities that write columns and show up on TV.”....

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: gopprimary; moderate; squishy; talker
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To: dirtboy
CW, you should avoid someone like Dana Milbank like the plague. That should be a given for anyone with any tenure on FR.

I know this writer's politics. If he has lied in the article about Newt, make the factual corrections. Just as I would regarding lies about Perry.

41 posted on 11/16/2011 5:33:08 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Snot comment???

You do remember the furor over the damn rock, don’t you?

Whatever, CW. I remain your FRiend. And also a friend of Rick Perry.


42 posted on 11/16/2011 5:33:36 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
That's rich, CW. Let's take this one:

In 2009, Gingrich met in the OvalOffice with President Obama and the Rev.AlSharpton and emerged to proclaim that “education should be the first civil right of the 21st century.”

Sounds like Newt is making a case that could be used for in-state tuition for illegals.

In other words, attack Newt on this and you can turn around and attack Perry on in-state tuition for illegals, using the same rationality.

Of course, you don't see it that way, but, then again, hacks blinded by the lust for partisan advantage never do.

43 posted on 11/16/2011 5:35:57 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
A well-thought out contrary opinion can be found in today's "American Spectator" in an article by Jeffrey Lord titled "Is Newt Gingrich America's Churchill?" by following this link: http://spectator.org/archives/2011/11/15/is-newt-gingrich-americas-chur

or this link on FR: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2808187/posts

44 posted on 11/16/2011 5:37:00 AM PST by Reo
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Gingrich is a quintessential Washington beltway insider. He may have walked away from his Speakership and his House seat, but he had stayed within the beltway sphere of influence and power.

If one has listened to his pre-presidential-run commentaries since leaving the House, every one was “we are going to do this, we are presenting that, we, we, we.”

So, who is the ‘we’ he talks about? He doesn’t hold any elective political position.


45 posted on 11/16/2011 5:38:28 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: Toespi

I’ve followed Newt on the issues, on the Republican revolution, on the Republican slide back, on Newt running from one idea to another, from one wife to another. I’ve watched him very closely on issues that I am more than sufficiently informed about, and the man will become whatever cameleon color fits the situation without looking back — it’s quite remarkable to see how he can reverse direction and not appear to have any doubt about his course correction while others are standing back wondering what the hell just happened. But then Newt is the smartest guy in the room, so who can tell him different?


46 posted on 11/16/2011 5:42:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: xzins

I don’t see any way Gov. Perry ends up as VP. What would be the benefit?


47 posted on 11/16/2011 5:50:54 AM PST by Rational Thought
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To: Rational Thought

Texas and a southern strategy.

For Perry, the next in line syndrome as well as time to get trained in presenting himself better.

For Newt, the historical side of appearing on the list of VP’s of the US, and perhaps another shot at potus.


48 posted on 11/16/2011 5:52:39 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
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To: dirtboy
Sounds like Newt is making a case that could be used for in-state tuition for illegals. In other words, attack Newt on this and you can turn around and attack Perry on in-state tuition for illegals, using the same rationality.

No. Texans have to deal with what the D.C. crowd have dictated and/or ignored. The Texas legislature (by a veto proof majority) allowing for instate tuition for children brought to the U.S. by their parents. Gov. Perry agreed and signed the bill in 2001 (many other states have done this and more are considering it). The number of students (who have spent 3 years in a TX high school and graduated, must apply for citizenship; the vast majority attend a community college) is small (it is a state decision). This is a far cry from Newt standing with Barack Obama and claiming "“education should be the first civil right of the 21st century.” Gov. Perry wants to do away with the Dept of Ed and move education control and our money back to the states and local districts.

49 posted on 11/16/2011 5:53:19 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: noprogs

Newton said in 1995 that he “melts” in the presence of the “charismatic” “Bill” Clinton. Maybe our little Republican primary voters have forgotten.


50 posted on 11/16/2011 6:01:13 AM PST by Theodore R.
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To: Reo

Churchill was a man of unshakable principals and leadership skills. Gingrich is a political opportunist and a great talker.

The two are no where near each other in stature.

Beware Cult of Personality candidates like Newt.

They will never be able to live up to these PR manufactured expectations about them


51 posted on 11/16/2011 6:03:10 AM PST by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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To: napscoordinator

Where is Mary Ann, and what did she do?


52 posted on 11/16/2011 6:04:28 AM PST by Theodore R.
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To: ThermoNuclearWarrior

It’s odd that Newt hasn’t paid for Dede the way Rick Santorum has been hurt being tricked by GWB and Specter.


53 posted on 11/16/2011 6:07:05 AM PST by Theodore R.
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“But then Newt is the smartest guy in the room, so who can tell him different?”

Since “smart” and “serial adultery” are your issues, which excludes Mitt Perry and 999 Cain, who do you feel is qualified to confront Barrack Obama, then repair a bankrupted nation, 9% unemployment, a healthcare mandate which must be repealed, an overwhelming illegal alien population, corrupt trade policies with China, Iran’s looming nuclear weapon attainment which threatens Israel’s safety as well as ours, a European financial collapse, the ongoing war in Afghanistan, and the continual terror threat to this country?


54 posted on 11/16/2011 6:08:46 AM PST by Toespi
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To: xzins

Texas will likely vote Republican as the South will likely vote Republican, regardless of who the nominee is. I don’t see a regional motive for Perry as VP.

Gingrich as VP? Maybe. Arguments could be made both for and against.


55 posted on 11/16/2011 6:10:25 AM PST by Rational Thought
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; RoosterRedux; jonrick46; deepbluesea; RockinRight; TexMom7; potlatch; ...
Perry Ping....

IF you'd rather NOT be pinged FReepmail me.

IF you'd like to be added FReepmail me. Thanks.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************


56 posted on 11/16/2011 6:13:16 AM PST by shield (Rev 2:9 Woe unto those who say they are Judahites and are not, but are of the syna GOG ue of Satan.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
See what I mean? You go right into shill mode without making the slightest attempt to comprehend what I am saying. That response was pure talking points without any effort to think outside the talking point.

Contemplate this - if Perry starts to rise, Dana Milbank or some other MSM lackey will write a very similar piece about Perry's deviations from conservative orthodoxy. And you will be squalling like a stuck pig if someone posts it on FR.

57 posted on 11/16/2011 6:20:55 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy
Love is blind.
58 posted on 11/16/2011 6:24:31 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The RNC would prefer Obama to a conservative nominee.)
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To: Toespi
Since “smart” and “serial adultery” are your issues, ....

You are confused. These are Newt's well known issues and now that he's running to challenge Obama and win the election for conservatives, his issues (along with other Newt issues) have become issues we must confront.

Gov. Rick Perry is the conservative who will be the best president for our country.

59 posted on 11/16/2011 6:27:25 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: dirtboy
..You go right into shill mode .... And you will be squalling like a stuck pig if someone posts it on FR.

I defend the truth, while striving to point out the lies and hypocrisy. And unlike you, I try to be civil.

60 posted on 11/16/2011 6:30:53 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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