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Newt hit buzz saw in meeting with Right leaders
Washington Examiner ^ | Thursday December 8, 2011

Posted on 12/08/2011 11:51:17 AM PST by Bigtigermike

A flattering account of a meeting earlier this week in which former House Speaker Newt Gingrich met with a group of 63 conservative leaders is prompting angry reactions among at least some of the attendees.

The Conservative HQ story described Gingrich's exchange with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in terms suggesting it was anything but tense:

"One of the earliest and toughest questions came from Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli who noted many of the ideas Speaker Gingrich had championed seemed like they might end-up growing government.  'How can we be sure, what’s the restraint on you that these ideas won’t end up being more big government?'

"Speaker Gingrich replied to laughter that 'there’s nothing to restrain a President from doing something dumb, but I trust the people in this room to tell me if that is the case.' But then he noted more seriously that, 'I’m a Federalist.  I look to the Federalist Papers and the Constitution to guide me and restrain government.'"

But an attendee stated that "Cuccinelli had five followup questions and it was like a prosecutor cross-examining a defendant. Newt kept trying to change the subject, but Cuccinelli wouldn't back down."

[.....]

Another heated exchange occurred when the American Conservative Union's Donald Devine challenged Gingrich's support of President George W. Bush's prescription drug benefit.

"Devine said 'we had the votes to beat it, but then you went to the Republican Study Committee the day before the vote and turned it around. Now we have you to thank for the third biggest entitlement in the budget, so how can you ask us to support you".

In response, Gingrich claimed that Sen. John Kerry, would have defeated Bush in the 2004 election had the new Medicare drug benefit not been pushed by the president and approved by a Republican Congress.

(Excerpt) Read more at campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; conservative; conservatives; cuccinelli; dcinsider; elections; gingrich; newt; newtgingrich; rino
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To: whd23
So is Newt saying we have him to thank for Obama?

No, we have Rush to thank for that - else we'd have Hillary in the WH now.

21 posted on 12/08/2011 12:16:14 PM PST by Riodacat (And when all is said and done, there'll be a hell of a lot more said than done......)
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To: Bigtigermike

Any of these guys could have run themselves.

They didn’t.

Next time try leading from the front.


22 posted on 12/08/2011 12:18:24 PM PST by VanDeKoik (1 million in stimulus dollars paid for this tagline!)
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To: Spunky

Probably referring to this exchange:

At the 27:45 minute mark where they went back and forth about the individual manadate.

I wouldn’t say he “crucified” him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X61J-5sW288


23 posted on 12/08/2011 12:19:37 PM PST by parksstp (Articulate Conservatives look for Converts. RINO's look for Democrat Heretics.)
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To: Alex Murphy

I have no idea if Newt is correct about this or not but I fail to see how deliberately losing to Democrats is ever a principled stand.


24 posted on 12/08/2011 12:19:56 PM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Bigtigermike

no matter what they say about Newt, HE IS BETTER THAN ROMNEY


25 posted on 12/08/2011 12:20:20 PM PST by Mr. K (Physically unable to profreed <--- oops, see?)
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To: parksstp

Thanks!


26 posted on 12/08/2011 12:21:24 PM PST by Spunky (Sarah Palin on Polls "Poles are for Strippers and Cross Country Skiers")
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To: Gator113
OMG that is a stupid comment.

Here, let me see if I can top it.

You did.

Using your characters it would go more like this:

Newt recommended that Eve get more fruit in her diet to avoid constipation. Eve ate an apple, did not suffer from constipation but caused women to be cursed with menstruation. Is Newt to blame for "cramps, headaches, suspension of sex, bloating and on and on?"

Please note how I phrased the example and my original post as a question.

27 posted on 12/08/2011 12:21:24 PM PST by whd23 (Every time a link is de-blogged an angel gets its wings.)
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To: GOPJ

“They gave Newt a standing ovation when he left... was this fact left out or is it buried at the end of this?”

It was at the beginning of the article, not the end:

“That wasn’t a standing ovation, we were all getting up to leave,” said an attendee who requested anonymity. “It was a very skeptical audience, there were at least three very tense exchanges. It was anything but an endorsement meeting.”


28 posted on 12/08/2011 12:21:45 PM PST by flaglady47 (When the gov't fears the people, liberty; When the people fear the gov't, tyranny.)
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To: Bigtigermike

” - - - Newt kept trying to change the subject, but Cuccinelli wouldn’t back down.”

Way to go Ken! You have hit Nanny-Newt’s soft spot! Keep it up!

“Nanny-State Newt” has never met a BIGGER Government Program that he did not like.


29 posted on 12/08/2011 12:22:00 PM PST by Graewoulf ( obama"care" violates the 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Law, AND is illegal by the U.S. Constitution.)
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To: parksstp; Spunky

OMG Sorry about the link; It’s the full CNN Western Debate, unfortunately it’s a Paultard that put it up on YT. Why can’t normal people post the debates?


30 posted on 12/08/2011 12:22:35 PM PST by parksstp (Articulate Conservatives look for Converts. RINO's look for Democrat Heretics.)
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To: whd23

Nice try, but you stepped in it. I want you to know that you did make me laugh... in both posts. So, thanks for the laughs.


31 posted on 12/08/2011 12:24:39 PM PST by Gator113 (~Just livin' life, my way~.. Newt/Palin-West-2012."got a lot swirling around in my head.")
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To: flaglady47

“.......who requested anonymity.”

A clue. LMAO


32 posted on 12/08/2011 12:27:13 PM PST by Gator113 (~Just livin' life, my way~.. Newt/Palin-West-2012."got a lot swirling around in my head.")
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To: Alex Murphy

Exactly so! Newt will jettison anything and anyone in order to win.


33 posted on 12/08/2011 12:27:55 PM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: Gator113
* shrug *

I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.

later, gator.

34 posted on 12/08/2011 12:28:18 PM PST by whd23 (Every time a link is de-blogged an angel gets its wings.)
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To: Bigtigermike

Dang it....

Why is it that “winning” beats out doing the right thing for the right reasons?

Seriously! Sometimes it is worth losing the battle in the pursuit of maintaining moral integrity! Kicking Moral integrity to the curb for any reason is an automatic loss!

Why is it that Politicos cant see that?

And then they wonder why we don’t trust them? Come on! You wouldn’t trust a slimeball like that to rake the leaves in your backyard with a moral compass such as this!

Seriously, this is just another example of the qualities inherent in the (political) Establishment class. It really IS the Establishment (made up of Democrats and Republicans) vs. the rest of us.

Newt is brilliant, but also without a moral compass as far as I am concerned. PLEASE America, we can do BETTER than this!!!!!!!!


35 posted on 12/08/2011 12:28:21 PM PST by Danae (Anailnathrach ortha bhais beatha do cheal deanaimha)
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To: Bigtigermike

Another heated exchange occurred when the American Conservative Union’s Donald Devine challenged Gingrich’s support of President George W. Bush’s prescription drug benefit.

It was my understanding that the prescription drug program was paying for itself from all those who bought the insurance and if the program started to take in less than it was spending there was a provision in the program to raise rates or review the cost. I also understand after the democrats took over the house they threw that provision out.So now it has the potential to be a big money loser if it isn’t already


36 posted on 12/08/2011 12:29:35 PM PST by wild74
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To: GraceG
we would have been able to get in a true rock ribbed conservative...

Um, who? And where is he now? And where was he in 2008 -- or 2000, for that matter?

I really think our most intractable problem stems from the very nature of things: people who think gov't is the answer to everything (a/k/a liberals) are far more eager to get into politics than people who think gov't is the problem (a/k/a conservatives), who would rather be left alone by the gov't.

We have some conservatives (more with the Tea Party movement), but it's a far more unpleasant task to go into gov't with the aim of cleaning it up (think Augean Stables) and reducing it than to skip happily into it promising everyone heaven on earth.

We're probably lucky to have as many conservatives as we do.

37 posted on 12/08/2011 12:30:30 PM PST by maryz
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To: Riodacat
No, we have Rush to thank for that - else we'd have Hillary in the WH now.

First of all, ACORN stole the Democrat caucuses from Hillary.

Second of all, Rush's "Operation Chaos" was about Republicans crossing over and voting for Hillary in the Democrat primaries.

How you get "Rush gave us Ubama" out of that is puzzling.

I'd be really interested in your explanation.

38 posted on 12/08/2011 12:34:35 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Holding our flawed politicians to higher standards than the enemyÂ’s politicians guarantees they win)
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To: parksstp

>> I wouldn’t say he “crucified” him

Thanks so much for posting the link and the timestamp so we could easily listen and decide for ourselves! Good on you; would be wonderful to see more replies like yours.

I tend to agree that Romney did not “crucify” Gingrich there.


39 posted on 12/08/2011 12:39:20 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Trust in God, but row away from the rocks!)
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To: Bigtigermike

“Kerry, would have defeated Bush in the 2004 election had the new Medicare drug benefit not been pushed by the president and approved by a Republican Congress.”

Nonsense! That reasoning was wrong when Bush was pushing his “kinder, gentler conservatism,” and it is still wrong. This is where Newt bothers me. Will he apply the same reasoning to global warming policies or socialized medicine, amnesty? We need clear messages from Newt and solid promises that he won’t reason himself into destructive progressive policies that grow an already unaffordable government.


40 posted on 12/08/2011 12:39:37 PM PST by pallis
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