Posted on 12/02/2011 1:50:20 PM PST by libertarian neocon
The folks at Club for Growth has white papers on all the GOP candidates summarizing their public records and does a pretty objective job. Looking at Newt's I really was struck by how conservative Newt's actual voting record was (which of course was mischaracterized by Jennifer Rubin, who I think must have been offered a post in a Romney administration. How else do you explain her going full spittle in support of Romney and anti-Newt?)., with most of the worrisome aspects of his record coming from speeches AFTER he left public office. This is pretty much the exact opposite of Romney, who has a very questionable record from his limited time in elected office, with most of his conservatism coming from campaign speeches. Anyway, let's look at Newt's actual record:
Is his record perfect? Nope. Not even close. But the point is that on the big issues, he voted Conservative and helped champion balanced budgets and tax reform. Focusing on that actual voting record really makes me more comfortable with him. Especially when his main opponent is someone whose main accomplishment is a massive government healthcare program.
If Perry makes a comeback I’ll take Perry, but right now I don’t like what I’m seeing out of the GOP. This is the best we can come up with v. Obama?
“Newt a DC insider who parlayed his years in Congress into a lucrative influence peddling business to the tune of $1.8M for his company — the WSJ dubbing him “Newt Inc.”. He promoted the Global Warming Scheme with Nancy Pelosi. Newt was fined an unprecedented $300K by a bipartisan Congressional ethics committee that eventually drove him from office in 1998. Newt reneged on the original Contract With America — and even with a Republican dominated House, did nothing.”
“The man stands ZERO — and I mean ZERO — chance against Obama. He won’t get a single independent or crossover vote. He’s McCain Redux.”
There was nothing wrong with him starting a consulting business. Even if he did lobbying, so what? It’s all legal. What would you have done in his shoes? On the Pelosi couch thing, there really is no excuse though all he did say was positive things about green tech. On the ethics charge, didn’t the IRS clear him of any wrongdoing in the end?
On the McCain thing. McCain lost because he was incompetent. Remember when he suspended his campaign to deal with the financial crisis and then said absolutely nothing substantive at the bit meeting with all the bigwigs? Also by that point, it would have been hard for any Republican to win after 8 years of Bush, two of which he basically spent in a bunker because he was beaten down by the media so much.
Spot on and what the fight is really about.
“What about his big government vs. small government record? Is he like Bush and his neocon advisors who pushed for big government solutions always, as they are now, killing our freedoms and economic vitality?”
Well under his speakership he brought government spending as % of GDP to levels not seen since Medicare was started. A pretty nice accomplishment I would think.
“Notice all these Conservative milestones are 15 to 25 years ago and we are supposed to ignore his last 15 years of progressive positions.”
The reason I focused on his actual record is because when push came to shove and he had to put himself on the line, he voted the right way on this major legislation. People can say anything. Remember when Obama was saying he was a centrist and Romney a conservative? What you have to look at are people’s records. You could see from Obama’s record he was an extreme liberal just as you can see from Newt’s that he is a conservative.
Is he the small government conservative that I want? Someone like my very own Congressman Scott Garrett? Nope. But unfortunately the choices are the choices. I could vote Libertarian like I have done in the past, but that is very unsatisfying because they takes away from the main not-Obama candidate. The choice is not Newt vs. Tom Coburn it is Newt vs. Mitt. Newt will get my vote in that choice. And then Newt versus Barack Hussein Obama, that is not even close to being a choice.
Sure you are, The one thread you pick to attack out of thousands and many months is my comment pointing out that Newt has a progressive record. You love defending progressive Republicans apparently.
You need to get out more.......
“A few things are missing from your list.”
His lifetime ACU rating is 90% so there are defintely items of his voting record, which is voluminous that we conservatives won’t agree with. If he voted on 1000 bills, there will be 100 that we hate. And just for the record, Santorum’s lifetime ACU rating was 88%.
Cmon, that’s ridiculous.
Meaningless throwaway line.
Are you saying that everybody who holds elective office should resign from their current post if they run for a new one?
Are you saying that Bachmann missing many votes because she's running for president, while she collects a paycheck for being a voting representative, is a good thing?
LOL! That's absurd.
If you single out Bachmann & Perry (and I presume you would also say Ron Paul should resign), then you are saying that all the candidates...
By definition when on mentions two examples, in this case I mentioned Bachmann and Perry, that is not a signaling out.
I would add, I have always made this criticism, even before BAchmann and Perry. In fact many of us made this criticism of Obama when he ran.
Oh, and how about incumbent presidents, should they temporarily resign their office and hand it over to the VP while they run for re-election?
Your example is absurd. I never said people who are running for reelection. Running for reelection is part an elected officials job. A person who runs for reelection spends time with his constituents, reporting to his/her constituents the quantity and quality of his/her work.
—>”singling out”
Good info... thanks for posting. Gingrich has his share of warts, but he’s leagues better than Romney, and infinitely better than what’s in the WH at present.
Hope to see you again on the board, and welcome to FR!
You’re a good man, Ron. :)
No problem Ron, I understand. It’s been a very frustrating primary season.
Who you callin a libertarian neocon, Willis? ;-)
Thanks!
;)
So you aren’t concerned that he whored for Freddie and Fannie?
So you aren’t concerned that he undermined Paul Ryan’s attempt to rein in entitlements?
So you aren’t concerned that he endorses the BS of global warming?
So you aren’t concerned that he is a serial adulterer whose conversion seems like a wooing technique?
3 of 4 are not ancient history but the present.
3 of 4 undermine everything the Tea Party stands for.
The record posted in this thread is old history. What I wrote is the present.
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