Newt Gingrich Hit on Health Care Flip-Flops, Think Tank

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[Fred]

AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- As Newt Gingrich attempts to shrug off his political baggage, the former House speaker is under new scrutiny for having close ties to health care giants and flip-flopping on his statements on health care.

The Center for Health Transformation, which Gingrich founded, raked in millions of dollars from heavy hitters like GE Healthcare and Wellpoint, as first reported by the Washington Post. The group says it does not lobby, but on its website, it touts its ability to build bridges between the federal government and private sector. Among its strengths, the think tank lists its unparalleled “network of allies” in the federal government, states, corporations and hospitals; “coalition building capabilities,” and “media visibility.”

Gingrich no longer owns the company and left when he decided to run for president. But his work with the group shows that the former congressman from Georgia has yet to overcome the challenge of reconciling his two roles of businessman and politician.

He has blasted the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act, saying in a video that he is “completely opposed to the Obamacare mandate on individuals,” and that he “fought it for two and half years at the Center for Health Transformation.” But the group, which Gingrich founded, actually supported imposing a mandate on those who made more than $50,000 per year

[Cobra64]

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[TitansAFC]

I truly, truly wish she would have run............sigh...............

[Doe Eyes]

When Newt came into office, there was a massive deficit; when he left, a massive surplus and a balanced budget....Newt was the only reason we ever had a balanced budget and spending restraints.

Newt didn't control spending during the Clinton's term in office. It increased every year. Instead, tax revenue increased more each year. Want to give Newt the credit for Clinton's tax increase?

[org.whodat]

Man, you could not be more wrong, the national debt never, ever stopped growing, the years the books were suppose to be balance, a social security lock box deal was what balanced it. But even then the the national debt grew. It only leveled off when calculated as a percentage of GDP. http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_debt_chart.html

[org.whodat]

The deficit and the debt are two different things.

[moonhawk]

“If Gingrich is elected, we have to get him off the ethanol kool-aid. He’s still bragging about his involvement in “gasahol,” the precursor to ethanol...”

True. Many around here don’t seem to be able to distinguish between what Newt did as a Rep and as Speaker from what he did as a private Citizen. Most of the good stuff falls in the former category, most of the bad stuff in the latter.

[org.whodat]

I should add, the deficit graph, you posted looks that way because of the wonderful economy during the housing bubble, when it burst, we started giving it back and are still giving it back.

[Gator113]

Thanks for that post, doc.

[Gator113]

Very nice.

[TitansAFC]

Debt =/= Deficit We had a surplus for a few years under Newt's budget, which he had to force through. The same pages you linked indicate as much, lagging indicators and all.

[TitansAFC]

-—”Instead, tax revenue increased more each year. Want to give Newt the credit for Clinton’s tax increase?”-—

So you actually credit tax increases for the balanced budget? That’s a very different take than any Conservative economist I’ve read.

Keynes much?

[ken21]

i agree that the purpose of obamacare would destroy private healthcare. indeed, once established the democrats’ plans from fdr forward would encumber the economy—intended or not, destroy the private enterprise system.

any realistic health care system would require all to have “skin in the game”. a beneficent state of california health care system adores illegals at taxpayer expense and now the state is near bankruptcy.

against this backdrop, obviously newt would be better. but newt has disappointed so many times. for example, when rush limbaugh after the obama inauguration said that he hoped obama’s policies failed, newt agreed with rush. then the msm went beserk demanding an apology from both. rush did not apologize, but newt did.

newt’s recent remarks about right wing social engineering made me angry. is a market-driven, competitive health care system “right wing engineering”?

newt’s baggage worries us. my wife and i have not decided whether we would vote for newt; it’s too early to say.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Against abortion with no exceptions, is not exactly wishy washy.

don’t be fooled by the media’s gotcha questions and slick editing, Cain has said 100’s of times he is against abortion in all circumstances, no exceptions.

[moonhawk]

Good to know. I’ll feel better if I must vote for him.

[Doe Eyes]

So Newt didn't cut spending while Clinton was President. I hope you are not claiming he supported the Clinton tax increases.

So, what did Newt do to balance the Budget during the Clinton years?