Please stop spreading dishonest Romney spin.
Newt wasn’t “forced out,” he resigned after the Repubs lost a handful of seats in 1998.
The ethics investigations happened years before that and had nothing to do with it. Nancy Pelosi was on the committee. He was reprimanded based on one trumped-up charge and voluntarily agreed to pay 300,000 to cover costs of the investigation. All the charge said was that he taught a college class that promoted Republicans. The IRS then investigated that charge and found Newt not guilty of anything.
The investigation was a political witchhunt. Of course everyone voted to reprimand him because you can never lose by accusing a congressman of corruption with the public, whether it’s true or not.
LOL. Yeah, right. I guess he resigned because he wanted to spend more time with his family. This kind of revisionist history is what is wrong with the Newtbots. From a contemperaneous report:
Gingrich calls it quits--November 6, 1998.
"Today I have reached a difficult personal decision. I will not be a candidate for Speaker of the 106th Congress, Gingrich said in a written statement released Friday evening.
Gingrich told friends it is unlikely that he will return at all when Congress reconvenes in January, but is not ruling out that possibility altogether. Gingrich did say during a series of phone calls informing members of the Republican caucus of his decision that he will not serve out his full twoyear term in the 106th Congress.
Gingrichs move came as a shock, as the speaker had been fighting to keep his top job up until Friday afternoon.
Sources say Gingrich made the choice when he was told as many as 30 Republicans would refuse to vote for him on the floor of the House. Another close associate of Gingrich said the speaker did not want to be the center of attention and distract his party for the next two years.
The ethics investigations happened years before that and had nothing to do with it.
Years ago? The House voted on the reprimand on Junuary 21, 1997. The assertion that this reprimand did not contribute to Gingrich resigning from being Speaker and not running again for office doesn't pass the laugh test.
Nancy Pelosi was on the committee. He was reprimanded based on one trumped-up charge and voluntarily agreed to pay 300,000 to cover costs of the investigation. All the charge said was that he taught a college class that promoted Republicans. The IRS then investigated that charge and found Newt not guilty of anything.
The chairman of the committee was Nancy Johnson, a Rep and Ben Cardin was the ranking member. The vote was 7-1 against Gingrich with only Lamar Smith not voting for the reprimand.
"Moments after Cole spoke, Gingrich's lawyer, J. Randolph Evans, said Gingrich had agreed to the proposed punishment in the case. "The speaker himself has apologized to the subcommittee, to the House and to the American people," he said."
"Cole disclosed that in its original statement of alleged violations, the investigative subcommittee had charged Gingrich with three counts of violating House rules, two for having failed to seek proper legal advice on the tax laws and one for providing the committee with inaccurate information.
But Cole said committee members were anxious to bring the ethics case to a swift conclusion without a lengthy disciplinary hearing, which he said could have "put the House in some turmoil for up to six months." So the members encouraged him to enter into negotiations with Gingrich and his lawyers.
As a result of those negotiations, completed on Dec. 20, the three counts were combined into a single count of engaging "in conduct that did not reflect creditably on the House of Representatives." In return, Gingrich agreed to admit to the violations, and face a reprimand and the financial penalty."
The investigation was a political witchhunt. Of course everyone voted to reprimand him because you can never lose by accusing a congressman of corruption with the public, whether it’s true or not.
You must really have to do some mental contortions to describe this as a polticial witchhunt in a Rep controlled House and a Rep chairing the ethics committee. And the idea that 90% of Reps would vote "to accuse a congressman of corruption with the public, whether it’s true or not." is really laughable. Hell, the Dems stood by Clinton in the impeachment hearings in the House and we had a blue dress with a stain on it along with videotape of Clinton lying and the temporary suspension of his law license by a federal judge.
Newt Gingrich tries to rewrite history of his ethics scandal (Fact Checker biography)
Thank you for posting that..I was just get ready to go OFF on Kabar...lol. So little time..so much misinformation