Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney: Comparing Conservative ‘Products of Work’

GulagBound.com ^ | January 30, 2012 | PolitiJim

[SoConPubbie]

It is terrible that conservatives are out there distorting the records of each candidate. Or worse passing along wrong information without checking facts. All of them have qualifications and disqualifications. But can we get away from what they say they will do and compare what they actually did when they were afforded governing power?

I was talking to a nationally published conservative author and speaker today who had absolutely no clue that Newt Gingrich gave the “keynote” rebuttal AGAINST Al Gore on Cap and Trade legislation. This is a travesty not just of conservative media, but those we surround ourselves with.

Sorry in advance to those supporting Santorum and Paul. For Florida at least, this is a 2 man race. My apologies in advance for the lack of objectivity. The more I read about how wildly Romney lies about his record (and distorts Newt’s), I realize I simply can’t address this without showing emotion. But I am trying to give an ACCURATE snapshot of anything that could be considered conservative or liberal on both.

What are their biggest accomplishments actually governing?

Mitt Romney as MA Governor

• 4 years as governor – 220 days absent his last year.
• Scored a 55 on CATO scorecard of Governors.
• Had a Democrat Controlled Congress.
• Promised no new taxes and raised them excessively.In 2003, Romney actually set the record for the most fee increases enacted by a state, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. In addition, he raised over $300 million dollars from businesses by “closing loopholes” on subchapter S corporations but this loophole closing actually resulted in doubling the tax rates. Indeed, as Peter Nicholas, chairman of Boston Scientific stated, “when Mitt Romney became governor in 2003, subchapter S corporations that were owned by Massachusetts business trusts were taxed at 5.3 percent…..By the time Romney left office, the tax rate on these corporations had climbed to 9.8 percent.” *
• Was 47th out of 50 in job creation of all Governors. If Katrina had not hit he would have been lower.
• State spending ended $5.2 billion dollars higher when he began office.
• He left a $3 billion deficit. Edit: $2 billion deficit via RomneyCare in unfunded liability. (Romney also claimed he turned $3 Billion deficit into $1 Billion surplus. Truth is it was only a $1.2 Billion deficit cut with gutting education and raising taxes. The “rainy day” fund ended up only being $77 Million surplus NOT a $1 Billion surplus.)
• He spent millions on pork projects such as buying new cars for welfare recipients.
• Initiated most liberal progressive socialized health care of any state in history. 50% (2010 poll) dislike it, and costs are higher than other states.
• Allowed Planned Parenthood to be incorporated into MA law by name as part of the oversight of parts of the program.
• Used executive orders to implement gay marriage
• Romney spent millions of state money pursuing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and although they dumped it, then created the Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan
• Romney dramatically limited emissions on six power plants, even going so far as to claim – with radical environmentalists at his side – that one power plant had killed 59 people.
• He continued to grant state aid to four “sanctuary cities” in Massachusetts with no effort made to restrict this assistance. Contrary to his campaign propaganda there was no bill or effort to give drivers licenses to illegals that he “fought.”
• One of his own endorsers (Powerline) admit, “…there is no question that Governor Romney’s initial fiscal discipline slacked off in the second half of his term…” Note: Said another way, he couldn’t even be fiscally responsible for more than 2 years.

Romney’s conservative initiatives?

• He consolidated the social service and public health bureaucracy and restructured the Metropolitan District Commission.
• Romney even eliminated half of the executive branch’s press positions, saving $1.2 million. (yes million).
• In May of 2004, he proposed cutting the state’s income tax rate from 5.3% to 5.0%. He failed. Three times.
• He pushed for legislation that increased the number of hours each week recipients must work and establishing a five-year limit for receiving benefits.
• He forced Medicaid recipients to make co-payments for some services and for new state workers to increase contributions from 15% to 25%.
• He changed the state pension system by moving it from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system.
• He vetoed a “card check” system for unions.
• He vetoed a minimum wage law.

Romney left office without running for a second term with approval ratings under 35%.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Newt Gingrich as GA Congressman and Speaker of the House

• 33 years as Congressman including 4 as Speaker of the House
• Lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 90% (most recent year was for 1998 at 100%)* **
• He had a Democrat controlled Congress up until 1994, a Democrat President and Senate from 1992 until 1998
• Helped Reagan pass biggest tax cut in 50 years as Minority Whip, called out George Bush on breaking his promise and led (as a legislator) a Democrat President to do the same.
• Art Laffer confirms Gingrich helped on a team that designed “Supply Side Economics.”
• Supported/Championed policies that created 11 Million jobs.
• National Taxpayers Union’s Annual Scorecard on reduced spending and taxes gave Gingrich an “A”, for his last four years in office, ranking him #1, #4, #2 and #11 and as one of the most conservative members in Congress.
• Led a Balanced Budget initiative with a Democrat President. AS A SPEAKER not an Executive Branch Leader and not in control of the Senate or Executive Branch. He balanced the budget 4 times creating the first SURPLUS in decades.
• $400 billion in debt was paid off during time as Speaker, although Gingrich agreed with Reagan on deal that ended up running deficits until 1988.
• Fought and defeated HillaryCare both in strategy, as well as political and legislative maneuvering.
• On third try got a Democratic President and Senate to initiate Welfare Reform that put 60% of recipients to work.
• Gingrich’s pro-life voting record is 98.6%, 70 out of 71 votes.
• Brought two partial birth abortion bills to Clinton that served as the model for what was passed under George W. Bush.
• He helped Reagan’s initiative to eliminate 12 of 94 programs and cut budgets of many others like the SBA more than 50%.
• He identified, recruited, campaigned for and helped organize over the biggest minority opposition swing getting 367 Congressional candidates to sign the Contract With America. This resulted in a NET GOP pickup of 52 seats in the House, 8 in the Senate and 11 Governorships.
• Multiple conservatives congressmen got their political start including:
  Jon Kyl Mike DeWine
  Jim Inhofe
  Fred Thompson
  Bill Frist Rick Santorum
• Contract With America – (1995 Description): “…represented the culmination of 30 years of creative conservative thinking dealing with the basic social and economic problems of modern America. The ideas provided the background for the widest range of legislative initiatives, certainly since the 1930s, and possibly at any time in American political history.”
• Contract With America, summarized: The ten items in the Contract were all acted upon in the first 100 days of the new Congress, which is what the signatories had pledged. Nine of the ten items in the Contract passed the House: Only the constitutional amendment on term limits (which required a two-thirds vote) was defeated. Out of a total of 302 roll call votes on issues related to the Contract With America, the conservatives prevailed on 299 of them. A balanced budget amendment passed in the House by a 300-123 margin but was subsequently defeated as it fell one vote short of the two-thirds needed for passage in the U.S. Senate. The overall margin by which the items in the Contract were passed averaged about 70 percent despite the fact that the Republicans only held a 12-seat margin over the Democrats (52-48 percent, the smallest House majority margin in 40 years). Given the notorious lack of party discipline in the American Congress, the passage by a large majority of nearly all of the items in the Contract was a remarkable achievement. I can’t adequately cover all 10 initiatives and their profundity but they include:
  • Congressional Reform including Congress being subject to the law they pass
  • Balanced Budget with Line Item Veto (failed Senate, passed Veto but declared unconstitutional)
  • Anti-crime package (truth in sentencing, more law enforcement help)
  • Personal Responsibility (ultimately became Welfare Reform)
  • Tax Package Including Child Tax Credit, Elimination of Marriage Penalty, Savings Account, Middle Class Tax Relief
  • Disallow US Troops from serving under foreign authorities like the UN
  • Frivolous Litigation vetoed by Clinton but tort reform override veto.
  • Job Creation act included capital-gains cuts and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. Other sections of the Contract include a proposed Family Reinforcement Act (tax incentives for adoption, strengthening the powers of parents in their children’s education, stronger child pornography laws, and elderly dependent care tax credit) and the Senior Citizens Fairness Act (raise the Social Security earnings limit, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance). The only bill that failed was Term Limits.

• He is the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals at Air University and taught officers from all five services as an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University.

Gingrich’s “Liberal” Legislation?

• Supported Reagan in Simpson-Mazzoli Amnesty Bill
• Voted to raise taxes twice with Reagan.
• Would vote for earmarks in exchange for conservative legislative votes.

When Newt became Speaker in 1995 congressional approval was about 20%. When he resigned the Speakership four years later, it was about 60%. Now it’s 11%.

Observations

It is interesting how Romney is mostly lauded for conservative positions he never implemented, or was able to pass, when he was a governing leader and Gingrich is chastised for supposed liberal positions for which there is no voting record evidencing it. When it comes down to what they accomplished when in power to govern – Gingrich acted more like a Conservative President, and Romney more like a Compromising Legislator.

Similarly, why there is no evidence that Gingrich ever voted against something he campaigned on, Romney broke numerous pledges to both liberals and conservatives in his state.

So I leave it up to you to conclude who is more likely to do what they say.

(If I have omitted any major legislation that was passed into law for either – please submit in contact page so I can add it). Footnote: **Santorum lifetime ACU rating is only 83%, 84% for 1998 alone. David Keene, who headed the organization during most of Gingrich’s 20 years in Congress, said Gingrich’s rating is high in part because the issues on which he deviated were not voted on in Congress, and votes determine the group’s scorecard. While he’s not a conservative, he’s a partisan. He’s done a lot for conservatives. His speakership was basically conservative,” said Keene, who calls Gingrich a friend but is neutral in the 2012 race. Keene gives no substantive fact for his assertion and doesn’t explain why Gingrich wouldn’t vote for non-conservative positions if indeed he wasn’t a conservative. He similarly doesn’t comment on Santorum’s ideas that didn’t make it into law or Romney’s.

[SoConPubbie]

And the Un-Masking of Mitt Romney, the left-wing, Progressive Liberal, continues . . . "If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Newt never has had and never will have the machine it takes to beat the zero.

[humblegunner]

Hey look, your blog can be posted without excerpting!

How do you like THEM apples, boy?

IT’S A BLOG! Please let brer Arlen know, too.
He’ll profit from the knowledge, I’ll tell you what.

[SoConPubbie]

Newt never has had and never will have the machine it takes to beat the zero.

Sorry, but this isn't about your opinion about whether or not a conservative has the machine to beat the Crypto-Communist Zero.

It is, however, about whether the eventual GOP nominee can beat Zero.

Romney can't.

In fact, the only thing inevitable about Romney, is that with his lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal record, he is the only candidate GUARANTEED to give Obama re-election, and by WIDE margins.

Obama and the Media will use Romney's lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal record like a club up-side his head, 24/7, until his candidacy is nothing less than a bloody pulp.

By the time they are through showing what a hypocrite and liar he is on every single issue near and dear to conservatives, his poll numbers will be in the toilet and turnout will be completely suppressed in the base of the GOP and with independents.

The differences between Obama's and Romney's record are differences without distinction.

[humblegunner]

Oh, by the way.. this ought to be posted under blogs.

Just thought you would like to know. It’s not verified or vetted or well written.

Just a compilation of stolen material put together by a couple of pimps.

True story.

I’m not commenting on the content.. just the source. Which is trash.

[humblegunner]

Well, hey what do you know:

These Gulag pukes have straight-up STOLEN this content that
they want to pass off as their own, how about that? Cute, eh?

Looky here:

http://www.politijim.com/2012/01/stats-on-what-newt-and-mitt-did-not.html

Word for word, there it is.
Totally ripped off. Just like bloggers usually do. What scumbags.

[Raider Sam]

Remembere these?

To: Fred
Newt is a real Turd where conservatism is concerned:

GOP Debate: Newt Gingrich Admits 1986 Amnesty Failed, But Would Do it Again
2 posted on November 24, 2011 9:51:19 PM CST by SoConPubbie
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To: zeebee
Newt orchestrated the takeover of the first republican congress in 40 years, and made it work. That’s good enough for me.

Newt voted to create the Department of Education.

Newt voted for the Amnesty.

Newt voted to lock up 65 million acres of Alaskan wilderness.

Newt voted to give China Most favored Nation status.

Newt pushed the liberal Scozzafazza in NY23( a GOP district) when there was a perfectly good conservative running in the race.

Newt is for the Individual Mandate where Health Insurance is concerned.

Newt is for a limited Amnesty.

Depending on the day of the week, Newt believes Global Warming is real.

We need a conservative, not a moderate globalist.
6 posted on November 24, 2011 9:58:18 PM CST by SoConPubbie
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To: zeebee
Anybody not pushing Illegal Immigration and bigger government and globalism.

All of the candidates, with the possible exception of Romney and maybe Huntsman are solid on the social issues, that leaves the rest. So, in my opinion, in order of strength of conservative positions on the issues and electability (with conservative issue positions taking priority):

1. Cain
2. Bachmann
3. Perry
3. Santorum
3. Gingrich
3. Paul

Out of all the 3’s, I could only possibly vote for Santorum. Both Perry and Gingrich with their Open-Border positions will never get my vote while Paul will never get my vote because of his wacked-out Foreign Policy positions. 5.
17 posted on November 24, 2011 10:10:54 PM CST by SoConPubbie
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To: xzins
What a crock. You and I both know that when June 5 rolls around, you won’t be voting for Cain. It will be all over by then. And you’ll be whining about the lack of true conservatives in the field, just like now.

Really?

At this stage of the game in the 2008 election did you think McCain was going to be the Nominee?

And I have news for you, come November 2012, if the Republican Nominee is Romney/Newt/Perry, I’ll be voting 3rd party, period.

I will not vote for someone willing to sell my country down the river because they want to give Amnesty to a bunch of invaders.
50 posted on November 24, 2011 10:53:57 PM CST by SoConPubbie
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Those are just from one thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2812088/posts

So did Newt suddenly become a conservative in the past 5 months, or are you going to throw away your principles and vote for someone you said you could never vote for? Why are you pushing so hard for someone you said failed at conservatism?

[upchuck]

Thanks for the oversized, unreadable graphic.

[tatown]

Newt didn’t look too conservative to me when he camped his fat ass on the sofa with Miss Nancy pushing the idea of global warming being man’s fault.

[Las Vegas Ron]

LOL...you’ve been naile here for a while I see:

To: SoConPubbie
Jackass Conservatives will push us to Romney.

I know what you are doing.

29 posted on Thursday, November 24, 2011 8:27:51 PM by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies | Report Abuse]

And now your mission is to.....

[Las Vegas Ron]

oops, forgot the link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2812088/posts

[SoConPubbie]

Ron, I'm not sure what your point is, maybe you can make your point a little clearer.

As to my mission?

It's the same as every sincere conservative's mission, make sure Mitt Romney is defeated because there is nothing in his record that recommends him to conservatives.

He's a lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal.

And since there are still 46% of the delegates to be won, and there is an actual conservative in the race, Newt Gingrich, if YOU were a sincere conservative, the last thing you would be doing is even whispering any type of support for that lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal, either now or in the future.

[SoConPubbie]

As and Jim Robinson said, you go to war with the army you have. Newt was not my first choice, and yes, I advocated for Sarah, and then the Pizza Guy, and then Newt after comparing his record to that lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal, it was not a hard conclusion to come to. And yet, here you are, promoting that lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal Mitt Romney, when there are 46% of the delegates yet to be won and even after Jim has made it clear that there will be no promoting of Mitt Romney on this site exactly because he is a lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal.

Oh, and here you are:

Friday, February 10, 2012 7:42:23 AM · 19 of 68
Raider Sam to mnehring

Yes we can!!!! Sometimes you have to suspend conservatism to save conservatism, especially if it helps beat that evil, soulless Romney!

Can you say hypocrite?

So, I have to ask you, what's your point?

[SoConPubbie]

Word for word, there it is.

Totally ripped off. Just like bloggers usually do. What scumbags.

Thanks Humblegunner, I'll re-post it later under bloggers with the correct attribution.

[SoConPubbie]

And I have news for you, come November 2012, if the Republican Nominee is Romney/Newt/Perry, I’ll be voting 3rd party, period.

Well, I had to change didn't I?

Most people do.

But the problem is, Romney doesn't have a thing to his record to recommend him to conservatives, while the other two in that comment do.

Romney, being the lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal he is, can never be redeemed.

[Raider Sam]

Actually, Rumsfeld said that. But the point is, in your own words, Newt was a no vote. You didnt say if everyone else was gone, you’d vote for him. You said no, never. Then, you flip-flopped (like Romney).

I’m glad you found that, as I was making fun of the people who wanted to use liberal ideas of class warfare (I believe that is what the thread was about) to beat Romney. So I used Bush’s suspending the free market to save it line as sarcasm, showing that so-called conservatives will promote liberal ideas in order to win, because they aren’t nearly as ideologically competent as they think.

Here are some more fun ones:

To: 556x45
“Its fun to watch the Newt cheerleaders here. He can do no wrong even when its blatantly obvious the guy is a liberal. It’s Scott Brown all over again. If he comes to power the same cheerleaders will become disillusioned as he carries out his predictable liberal agenda.”

Generally, I agree with your assessment. The only thing I would add, is that I don’t believe many of them are as innocent as your post would assume. Much like some Perry Supporters, many Newt supporters would appear to be fair-weather conservatives, more interested in their candidate winning vs. holding their candidates responsible for their bad behavior or lacks where conservatism is concerned.
21 posted on December 2, 2011 8:10:38 PM CST by SoConPubbie
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To: MindBender26
Newt Gingrich has a LIFETIME 90% from the ACU

His “LIFETIME” ACU rating ended in 1998 when he retired from congress.

Since then he has done the following:

1. Believes in Global Warming
2. Supported TARP
3. Supported Cap-n-Trade
4. Supported the Individual Mandate for Health Insurance
5. “The Era of Reagan is Over!
6. Limited Amnesty. 7. Fined $300,000 for ethics violation by a GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
8. Sided with Pelosi to push through the “Criminal Safezones Act” which prevents armed citizens from defending themselves in certain arbitrary locations.

Tell me once again how that PAST ACU Rating factors in to the Mitt of today?
6 posted on December 2, 2011 11:58:46 AM CST by SoConPubbie
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http://209.157.64.201/focus/news/2815257/posts?page=9#6

I guess my point is that you are a flip-flopper.

[Raider Sam]

You didnt have to change. If you really believed what you wrote, then you wouldnt have changed. But you couldnt even hold to the statement you made less than half a year ago.

[SoConPubbie]

I guess my point is that you are a flip-flopper.

Whatever twisted logic you want to use to cover for your lack of conservative principle in backing a lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal.

You see, Newt isn't a liar, and he actually has a conservative record. He has his failing yes, but with Mitt Romney, there is no conservative record, his is a record of hard-core Progressive Liberalism as the articles I've posted prove.

Yes, when there were some better alternatives in the race, I chose them over Newt, and since that time, Newt has admitted that several of those things that he had done and that I posted about were big mistakes and he wishes he had never done them.

Your boy, Mitt Romney, never admits he made a mistake, he just lies continually about ever having done them.

Furthermore, on the most (as far as I am concerned) ugly part of Newt's record, his marital issues, Newt sought God's forgiveness, he repented.

Your guy, with his implementation of Gay Marriage, and his continual support of abortion AFTER his supposed Pro-Life "Conversion", we see a man with no character at all.

You're still supporting a lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal, why?

[SoConPubbie]

I guess my point is that you are a flip-flopper.

So if a man supported or did the things I had posted and then, from what I can tell, sincerely admitted they were mistakes, I can't change my position on that man?

Or maybe a better analogy is if I believed at one time in my life, as I did, that Abortion was OK in the case of Rape or for the life of the Mother, and then came to the realization that God didn't have any sub-paragraphs or exceptions in the bible to "Thou shalt not Kill(Murder)" so I guess, according to your rules, I would simply have to keep that belief, even if I now knew it to be incorrect and immoral?

Do you see how silly your position is?

[SoConPubbie]

I guess my point is that you are a flip-flopper.

. . . . .

Or maybe a better analogy is if I believed at one time in my life, as I did, that Abortion was OK in the case of Rape or for the life of the Mother, and then came to the realization that God didn't have any sub-paragraphs or exceptions in the bible to "Thou shalt not Kill(Murder)" so I guess, according to your rules, I would simply have to keep that belief, even if I now knew it to be incorrect and immoral?

TO further elaborate on my point on this issue; one of the things I thought "I knew" about Newt was his ethics investigation in the House.

But as it turned out, as more and more information came out and I did more research on the issue, it turned out he has been exonerated of ALL charges, not one of them proved to be correct, and so, on many of the issues, the common knowledge turned out to be incorrect, or shaded, or incomplete where Newt was concerned.

So, if I were to remain sincere and honest and fair, I had to change.

You trying to draw an analogy between what I had to do with Newt with Romney's flip-flopping on everything but the one thing he should have flipped on, his Socialistic Romneycare, he refuses to do.

Romney lies about his past positions, he just doesn't flip-flop or honestly change.

Need I remind you of the CPAC conference this year in January where Romney infamously said:

1. "I have always been Pro-Life"
2. "I was a severely conservative Governor of MA"

The list of his lies about his record is as long as my arm.

So let's drop the pretense that there is anything honest or sincere about Mitt Romney or his flip-flopping.