Seems to me you are hyperfocused on whether Newt’s conduct was illegal or unethical.
I don’t see that as the issue and I don’t see that that’s the point of the article. And I certainly don’t have any problem with someone making money off of their expertise or even their political celebrity.
The point of this is the IDEAS. Is someone who has made millions off of being a paid advocate (shill, to some) for big pharma and the health insurance industry — including strongly advocating for an individual mandate — the kind of person that can be trusted as an honest broker of CONSERVATIVE IDEAS about health care reform?
Much more importantly, can you trust the political instincts of someone who says they are conservative, seems to spout conservative ideas, but then for money (BIG money) actually fights for the one thing conservatives — indeed, MOST Americans — want to be free of, the Obamacare mandate and similar?
My suggestion is don’t get caught up in a hypertechnical analysis of whether Gingrich did anything illegal or unethical. That’s the LOWEST BAR. Ask: does Gingrich’s actions demonstrate that his thinking and his actions (IOW, his political instincts) are truly informed and animated by conservatism?
Do they show that Gingrich “gets it” in terms of the zeitgeist in the country and the conservativism of the Tea Party movement?
The answer, I think, is that he gets it, more or less intellectually, but it’s not something coming from his gut.
I hear what you’re saying & you make some good points. However, I think you’re missing one of my points. Healthcare reform has been a MAJOR issue in this country for some time now. Not only the libs have been seeking change, so have a few conservatives.
The libs have owned the narrative which has kind of painted the conservatives into a corner. As I understand it, Newt worked w/ The Heritage Foundation on a conservative solution to combat what the libs had coming down the pike. What they came up w/ was certainly less than ideal from a conservative standpoint. They’ve since scrapped the plan. Period.
Newt is a pragmatist. He sees where the nation is in regards to healthcare & has stated he will repeal Obamacare. I have every reasonable expectation he will not go down that road again. He is an idea man. I can relate. The ones that usually come up w/ the best ideas are usually the ones that come up w/ the zaniest ideas in the process. Indeed, it is part of the process. Newt & The Heritage Foundation came up w/ some zany ideas. They threw them out there (also part of the process), & they have been rejected. Back to the drawing board.
I’m ok w/ that. At least they were thinking unlike many conservatives who haven’t even started the deliberative process on how to handle the problem. Even when Obamacare is repealed, the issue isn’t going to go away. We had better have some ideas of our own lest we be caught flat footed again next time.
Also, in regards to what Newt may feel in his gut in regards to healthcare, you want to visit one of his sites, www. healthtransformation.net
It’s some very interesting reading.
“The answer, I think, is that he gets it, more or less intellectually, but it’s not something coming from his gut.”
From where does this spring? I see nothing but damning accusations built on thin air. To what position papers or materials that have left his hands can you point? The silent assassination of character without proof is the tool of the lowest type of character.