Posted on 01/19/2012 9:06:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
In response to the Drudge Report’s scoop about Marianne Gingrich’s interview with ABC News, Bob Walker, a senior Gingrich adviser, tells National Review Online that the campaign will fight back. “It is pretty nasty to use personal tragedy for political exploitation,” he says. “That was a very bitter divorce, and you’re talking about somebody who is still, probably, very bitter.”
Beyond Walker, several sources close to the Gingrich campaign agree on the merits, but predict that Gingrich will likely ignore the story. They tell NRO that the interview is a “retread” of an Esquire magazine article published in 2010, and that Gingrich will not respond to the broadcast, at least in any official capacity.
“He’ll answer questions from voters, he’s not running away from anything, but these are old issues from the divorce,” says one source. “He has addressed these issues before, and there is nothing new here.”
Other sources familiar with ABC’s editorial direction on the segment shrug off the newsflashes, guessing that Matt Drudge, the site’s editor, was playing up a leaked scoop, nothing more. “Marianne Gingrich’s unhappiness with how things ended is something people close to Newt have known for a long time,” says a second source. “The real response from people who know him is disappointment with Marianne for doing this, and sadness about the whole situation.”
A prolonged battle with her over quotes, or with ABC News, is likely not on the horizon. There may be concerns voiced about how certain anecdotes are presented, and about specific claims, but “Gingrich has addressed this time and time again,” says a third source. “He is out there all of the time, in all of these forums, acknowledging that he has made mistakes.”
ABC News wanted Gingrich to come on Nightline to offer a rebuttal of sorts but Gingrich’s advisers declined. “This is a sideshow, a distraction,” the third source says. “Is it helpful? No. But is it a game-changer? No.”
EDITOR’s NOTE: This post has been updated to include new reporting.
Below, Gingrich’s daughters issue a memo to ABC News:
To: ABC News Leadership
From: Kathy Lubbers, Jackie Cushman
Date: January 18, 2012
The failure of a marriage is a terrible and emotional experience for everyone involved. Anyone who has had that experience understands it is a personal tragedy filled with regrets, and sometimes differing memories of events.
We will not say anything negative about our father’s ex-wife. He has said before, privately and publicly, that he regrets any pain he may have caused in the past to people he loves.
ABC News or other campaigns may want to talk about the past, just days before an important primary election. But Newt is going to talk to the people of South Carolina about the future– about job creation, lower taxes, and about who can defeat Barack Obama by providing the sharpest contrast to his damaging, extreme liberalism. We are confident this is the conversation the people of South Carolina are interested in having.
Our father is running for President because of his grandchildren – so they can inherit the America he loves. To do that, President Obama must be defeated. And as the only candidate in the race, including Obama, who has actually helped balance the national budget, create jobs, reform welfare, and cut taxes and spending, Newt felt compelled to run – to serve his country and safeguard his grandchildren’s future.
AND wait till Perry saying "I ENDORSE/TRUST/FORGIVE Newt!" kicks in Saturday in Carolina... :~)
But first, THANK YOU, Texas (155 delegates) & Gov Perry!
GO NEWT!!!
Speaker Gingrich-led Republicans….the result: * Voting on each of the Contract with America items * Four consecutive balanced budgets * Over $400 billion of debt paid off * Major welfare reform accomplished * 11 million new jobs for America * Unemployment falling to under 4%.
That's where a record comes in. Not just the record of votes, which is often a meaningless toll of positions taken for political reasons on bills that were always going to pass or were never going to pass, but a record of actions taken that actually mattered.
A record of actions taken that actually mattered. Newt is the man who fits that description to a "T".
He can identify what is most important to the country, develop a plan to overcome that challenge, articulate the the merits of overcoming the challenge and why the plan will work.
I hadn't been for Gingrich initially and spent plenty of energy excoriating him, these last several years, for any number of sins he committed against the Republican/Conservative ideals. He seemed a turncoat of sorts, particularly when he babysat Pelosi on the couch.
On reflection, Newt is an attention whore seeking relevancy for his ideas and I guess I take him at his word that he made a few mistakes in his life and he has at least some regret for those decisions. God knows I am no angel and so I have to reflect on the man's ability to get things done.
Newt gave us the Republican majority, the Contract with America and completed 2/3rds of his agenda while in office.
He now has a new plan for America and with what is likely to become a Congressional Super Majority and a Senate Majority, if not Super Majority, I believe he will absolutely accomplish his agenda.
Say goodbye to ObamaCare the single biggest scam and travesty foisted upon a free people who, by right, ought to have been given the opportunity to read the bill and debate it. Instead, a win at all cost, cheating agenda was developed and it was signed with most people never laying eyes on at least page 2 of this utopian dreck.
Executive Orders Positions:
The following are all within the executive powers to simply order and with the exception of securing the border within one year, they are all easily accomplished with the stroke of a pen and no way to challenge them in the legislature.
Keystone may be challenged in the courts but I think the Executive can order the EPA to approve, under National Security Priorities and it is a National Security issue, as well, a jobs issue.
As President, Newt, could actually have a very busy 1st week or month just on these initiative alone.
1. Eliminate the thirty-nine White House "Czar" positions created during the current administration. The president does not have the authority to appoint bureaucrats to power who are not accountable to the Congress.
2. "Mexico City Policy" of Respect for Life. Reauthorize President Ronald Reagan’s policy – also known as the "Mexico City Policy"— to stop tax payer dollars from being used to fund or promote abortions in foreign countries.
3. Restore conscience clause protections for Healthcare Workers.No American working in a medical environment should be forced to perform any procedure that he or she finds morally or ethically objectionable based on religious teaching. This protection should include, but not be limited to abortion. Existing conscience clause protections need to be strengthened.
4. Respect Each Sovereign Nation’s Choice of its Capital. Each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own Capital. Accordingly, the U.S. State Department should be instructed to respect the choice of each sovereign nation and place the American embassy in their Capital. (Israel is the only country the United States discriminates against in this regard. The people of Israel have designated Jerusalem as their capital. Yet the United States retains its embassy in Tel Aviv.)
5. End the Attorney General's Assault on the States. Instruct the Attorney General to withdraw all immigration-related lawsuits against states immediately, including those pending in Arizona and South Carolina. The Obama Administration refuses to enforce federal immigration laws, and instead sues states who are merely trying to enforce the laws that the federal government neglects. The Gingrich Administration will secure the border by Jan. 1, 2014 by any means necessary.
Unleash American Energy by Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline. Instruct the State Department to approve a Presidential Permit immediately for the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that will send 700,000 barrels of oil a day from Great Plains and Southwestern states to Gulf Coast refineries lower staggering energy prices, and create up to 120,000 American jobs.
Now we get into the details of an inclusive agenda that brings the people(you and me), through their representatives, into process. The TEA Party and conservatives are going to have a majority in both houses.
Let’s elect an Executive who will absolutely fulfill the promise of our ideals.
Newt gave us the three most important victories of the 90’s Welfare Reform, Balanced Budget and Reduced Taxes. I hope I don’t need to describe the benefits of those victories. They ought to be obvious to everyone by now.
Lastly, there have been some reports that Newt shouldn’t get all the credit. Really? Then perhaps we marginalize the accomplishments of Washington, Roosevelt, Kennedy and ….wait for it… Reagan.
Do we really want to go down the road with that kind of adolescent sophistry and parsing of what happened?
Newt is the guy who thought of these big things, proposed them and shepherded their implementation?
Newt has once again identified what is important to us now, at this time and described how we can get there with our representative majorities. He has done it before and I declare Newt Gingrich was then and is Now a leader.
We should elect Newt Gingrich to the Presidency of the United States
I wonder if he's considered how disappointed with him she might be. While it is always best to let go of the bitterness, it is not always easy, and cheaters have no right to judge the ones they've betrayed for any reason whatsoever, IMO. I'll probably wind up voting for Newt, the way things are going, but I will do so with a heavy heart. I have absolutley no sympathy for the man.
The liberals are counting on this to be a death blow. They’re going to be disappointed.
A generic Republican could beat Obamski, but there’s nothing generic about Gingrich. The whole campaign will be focused on him, IMO.
I cannot help but wonder if there has not been some ‘insider’ trading going on in this campaign. Oh, for the ‘social’ only conservatives I am NOT taking Newt’s side. I just saw this media hit piece a bit “two” self serving when the stated purpose was to end Newt’s career. I voted for old Lord McCain and he has a ‘history’ of jumping sheets as well. I guess Meggy never knew.
“That was a very bitter divorce, and you’re talking about somebody who is still, probably, very bitter.”
It always amazes me that, when karma comes ‘round, people are surprised. The difference between her and Newt is that Newt seems to have asked God’s forgiveness and has found peace. Apparently, she has not and will carry this with her to her grave.
Ignore the RINO Cabal who want the status quo and are terrified of the brilliant, capable, and experienced Newt Gingrich...a man who believes in our Constitution and its laws and a man who loves his country. What could be worse for the MSM, all talking heads and Progressives.
GO NEWT GINGRICH!!
Bitter ex wife, bitter divorce = I don’t care.
Wasn’t Marianne the reason for the break-up of Newt’s first marriage? It’s difficult to feel any sympathy for her. ....... Let sleeping dogs lie @ all that jazz.......
Romneys religion has a cure for that .. Polygamy..Mitts great grandpa had 15 wives.. and polygamy is still a requirement for mormon godhood.. so wanna guess if romney might not take a few wives if he could?
While the hype is all centered around Newt's wife and Romney's tax info, how about stirring up some media interest in what the Czars have been up to for three years?
Marianne, anything you say is only going to show you as the scorned ex so unless you can prove he committed murder or sold state secrets it’s time to get over yourself.
Have at it.
This is my Newt post for the next couple of weeks at least.
We get it....Newt sucks...not going to argue that.
But he sucks less than the rest.
I really don’t know what to make of this. this information has been floating out there for a long time. Undoubtedly she is still bitter, otherwise she would not be dropping thes bomb at this time. I am for Santorum but in South Carolina I am pulling for Gingrich just so that we extend this primary season without prematurely crowning Romney (as they have been trying to do). Cain was neutrlized in exactly the same way. It seems to me that the Unions (kings of missing ballots) are also pushing for Romney to cue up Obama’s battle against the 1%. A person more representative of the 1% than Romney cannot be found . Romney is THEIR man, not ours. I see the media jumping all over themselves to push Romney and destroy anyone in his way, why? I am now on the “anyone but Romney” camp with a hard lean to Santorum. I am comforted in the knowledge that they ( the lib media) hate Gingrich, that alone makes him much more palatable to me.
“Apparently, she has not and will carry this with her to her grave”.
It has been what? Fourteen years since the divorce and Marianne is still bitter. I’m getting a “crazy, Miss Havisham” vibe from her. I have the feeling that she is more ticked about not being the possible first lady than anything else. I wonder about the mental status of someone holding that much hate in their heart for such a long time and granting an interview to air one’s dirty laundry only perpetuates the bitterness in her. IMHO.
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