Posted on 11/18/2011 2:51:00 AM PST by Fred
A think tank founded by GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich collected at least $37 million over the past eight years from major health-care companies and industry groups, offering special access to the former House speaker and other perks, according to records and interviews.
The Center for Health Transformation, which opened in 2003, brought in dues of as much as $200,000 per year from insurers and other health-care firms, offering some of them “access to Newt Gingrich” and “direct Newt interaction,” according to promotional materials. The biggest funders, including firms such as AstraZeneca, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Novo Nordisk, were also eligible to receive discounts on “products and workshops” from other Gingrich groups.
The health center advocated, among other things, requiring that “anyone who earns more than $50,000 a year must purchase health insurance or post a bond,” a type of insurance mandate that has since become anathema to conservatives.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I don't know if there is a difference, but I would THINK there is.
Anyway, not having made up my mind, I'm still looking at Newt for the betterment of our nation, and I'm not sure whom to settle on.
I'm starting to think there are too many good people in the race and NO ONE is the perfect conservative.
Response I posted at site:
A think tank is a private group which hires itself out to anyone who wants to pay for it’s advice. Think tanks recommend a course of action or postulate what the future may hold for any given concern and make recommendations on how the concern should navigate through the problematic future happenings on the horizon.
While the Lib media makes an issue about this because it concerns a Conservative running for office, they depend on the total ignorance of their readership to not see a think tank is no different then a financial adviser who tells people where to invest to maximize or protect assets in both troubled or prosperous times.
Newt is advocating a MANDATE!!! That is why he was hired.
Ya know like Obamacare Romneycare...NewtCare
Thanx .. that’s what I was thinking, but not smart enough (or it’s too early with not enough coffee) to say it that way.
“these are consulting fees and not lobbying fees”
Right. Just like Freddie Mac, I’m sure they were only paying Newt $37 million for his historical perspective. /s
And I’m sure it had nothing to do with imposing a healthcare mandate nationwide (obamacare) which obviously benefits the healthcare industry, by forcing everyone to buy their product.
What are we anti capitalism
It actually explains why Newt wandered off the conservative plantation, since he was being paid big bucks to do so. It also begs the question, did he do it for the money, or because he believed in it?
I’m going to make the wild guess that Newt has smashed all records for a pol trading on his influence to make a fortune for himself.
Yes, it was after he left office, which is when most pols and their aides cash in.
No, he was apparently not a lobbyist so registered with Congress.
But it sure sounds like Freddie and the others were paying him millions of dollars for at least his using his knowledge to help them to lobby more effectively and also to buy his public advocacy for positions and policies favorable to them, whether in the mortgage, health or energy fields, among those sectors we are aware of.
It may help to explain his soulless and often big-government oriented, non-conservative positions over the years. Certainly it is information that should come to light during these early stages of the vetting process.
“a think tank is no different then a financial adviser”
Newt is not a physician, nor a healthcare specialist.
He took money to get legislation passed by congress. As a former speaker he has influence and can get that done.
More spam from the 2 account troll.
TIMBLER RATTLER = VIRGINIA RIDGERUNNER
Just a humble opinion....but Newt winning...would be like having Obama version 2.0 in office. No worries about birth certificates, but all this money from the past and think-tank dealings....gives him a pretty slimy appearance.
Denial is a bad thing....
yawn, another noob and his spam posts...
So which of those stories are false? Specifics please.
No spamming, please.
Are you alleging that there was something illegal or unethical about providing these consulting services? How so?
Nice try. I’m still voting for him.
So what? Isn’t it strange how all the leading Republican candidates get attacked by White House surrogates?
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