Good post.
As for Newt’s consulting enterprises: Advising a third party is not advocating! Big difference.
If health care providers and insurance carriers were asking for his advice - it was very likely related to onerous Federal regulations and the potential for Obamacare.
You don’t hire an electrician to design slip covers or an interior designer to fix your plumbing. Newt’s clients got their money’s worth and Newt got an education in private enterprise.
Newt got his education on the taxpayers dime and a hefty retirement plan to boot.
His consulting firm only exists because he spent a lifetime in the halls of Congress and was Speaker of the House.
I have a problem with selling governmental insider intellectual information to advance the goal of how to get my tax dollar. From what I can discern, most of his clients are Lobbyist.
Newt’s claim not to be a Lobbyist, reminds me of Bill Clinton tell us “I didn’t have sex with that woman” fame.
Then, that’s just my opinion.