Newt's Health Problems

American Spectator ^ | 11.28.11 @ 6:09AM | By David Catron

[marty60]

The malady is far more serious than a mere affinity for mandates.

When I read that Donald Berwick had resigned from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), I nearly shouted for joy. The cheer died on my lips, however, when my eye caught the following headline among those retrieved when I sent my search engine after more information: "Gingrich-Endorsed Health Care Expert Don Berwick Forced to Resign." Surely, I thought, the gods cannot be this cruel. But they are, of course, as another search confirmed. Newt has indeed lauded Berwick as a pioneer in the quest to improve American health care. The former Speaker is already on record as a supporter of insurance mandates, and it has lately come to light that he endorsed stepped-up end-of-life counseling. Combined with those afflictions, Gingrich's praise of Berwick will send his health care credibility straight to Forest Lawn.

The Berwick boost was included in an opinion piece that Gingrich wrote in August of 2000 for the Washington Post. The column begins with an absurdly over-the-top metaphor equating day-to-day hospital operations with a Concorde crash that had occurred a week earlier: "Imagine that we had an airline crash every day, taking the lives of more than 250 Americans… a tragedy of similar proportions is occurring right now in American hospitals." Gingrich based this grotesque analogy on a highly questionable report by the Institute of Medicine titled, "To Err is Human," which claimed that as many as 98,000 preventable deaths occur in U.S. hospitals each year. This study, which is still cited by Obamacare supporters, was denounced at the time by the Journal of the American Medical Association as "exaggerated" and "shrill."

[org.whodat]

When I pointed out that Newt supported the obummer “unit” concept, as long as congressional members and retires were exempt I got screamed at. LOL

[marty60]

I’M NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

SOOOO, I guess you thought bubba Clintons shinanigans were just fun and games huh.

Or is it at least Newt divorced his wife and married his mistress. Does that make it A-OK.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

I’ll say it again, if you like Romney you’ll love Newt.

[nikos1121]

Hey, let’s deal with the present. I think Newt revolves around the times. I think his core instincts and values are fairly stable. I think too, he knows that he does not have to compromise perhaps as he once did.

I see a calm ocean... Newt at the helm. Lots of frank open debate and discussion. That’s transparency.

Obama will not run as a liberal. He will lie as they always do.

Newt is not ashamed to be conservative and to speak in those terms. Sarah also.

The debate will be very clear and define the differences between us and them like never before.

McCain could not articulate a conservative thought in his dreams. Perry I’m afraid is a good man, but he’s been castrated.

It is not easy to run for this office. Clearly, Newt has been quietly preparing himself. At least to temper the debate, and talk about the issues with real answers, IMO.

[SoldierDad]

You're going to equate what Gingrich did to what Clinton did while in office, while in the oval office, while on the phone to foreign leaders? Wow! Based on your requirements I have serious doubts that a suitable candidate could ever be found to rise to the level of your satisfaction. Or, is it just if their immoral behavior is outed that disqualifies them in your mind?

[marty60]

Bubba had a long time affair with Gennifer Flowers.

Bubba is a 1st class perv.

Newt is a serial affair/marriage guy.

Ask yourself, WHY?

[SoldierDad]

Have any friends or family that have engaged in that same behavior? Did that behavior negatively impact their ability to perform their job? Whether Clinton had a consentual affair with Jennifer Flowers, prior to his becoming President, IMS, is hardly an indictment of him as President. Newt's past certainly does not, IMO, and should not, disqualify him from being President.

Clinton was accussed of sexually harrassing a number of women, and may have raped one of them. At the very least he engaged in behavior with a subordinate in his work environment that would have gotten a CEO fired. Clinton was impeached for lying about that (but, the Senate was too cowardly to convict him). Unfortunately, Clinton was never called to answer the true crimes he committe while in office (Having the FBI files in the WH, giving over nuclear secrets to Korea (via Jimmah Carter), Vincent Foster, etc. Where are Newt's transgressions that are on par with Clinton's?

Newt's past is between him, his family members, and God. I will NOT disqualify him as a potential candidate on the basis of things done out of the purvue of his public office, and for which never impacted his job performance while in public office.

You are certainly entitled to have your opinion, wrong headed though it may be.