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Subscribe to RSSAIKEN, S.C. -– Newt Gingrich targeted his GOP rivals (saying he has deeper knowledge of history than them) and President Obama, insinuating the president did not study American history.
“One of the things that makes me different from my friends,” Gingrich said of his Republican opponents for the nomination, “is I actually studied history. And unlike Obama, who’s clearly a very, very bright person, who graduated from Columbia and graduated from Harvard, I actually studied American history.”
That was greeted with laughs from the approximately 200 members of the Aiken Republican Club.
Obama’s college education has been the subject of conspiracy theories, claiming the president’s studies were concentrated in Marxism, which has led some prominent Republicans, including Donald Trump and Rick Perry, to pick up on the meme and call for the president to release his college transcripts.
Less than 20 minutes after Gingrich questioned the president’s grasp of American history, he invoked Obama’s Ivy League education as he challenged him to a series of Lincoln-Douglas style debates.
“I just think something about that Harvard law school, that Columbia undergraduate, the elegance of the greatest orator of his generation,” Gingrich goaded, “he will just kind of feel compelled to prove he is unafraid,” to participate in a debate.
Gingrich is already planning to take on his primary opponent Herman Cain in such a debate in November, sponsored by the Texas Tea Party Patriots, which is charging between $200 and $1,000 per ticket.
And, of course, while President Obama is the presumptive presidential nominee for his party, Gingrich trails far behind in most polls.
Gingrich also played to the audience on judges, touting the strength and the ability of the executive branch, to “reshape the courts.” If necessary, it could abolish individual courts, Gingrich claimed, based on precedent set by Thomas Jefferson’s Judiciary Act of 1802.
What a presidential candidate will do about judges and justices is a key litmus test for conservative, especially very conservative voters in South Carolina, particularly on issues of abortion and business regulation.
During his speech, Gingrich also contrasted his ideas with those of his opponents, although he didn’t mention any of them by name. He cited his experience as Speaker of the House of Representatives when explaining why his plan to balance the budget was better than those of his opponents.
“I have to confess, unlike some of my colleagues,” Gingrich said, “I don't have any consultants on balancing the budget. And I don’t have any talking points. I just have a decade of experience actually doing it.”
Gingrich saw a mass exodus of consultants and aides back in June and is $1.2 million in debt.
Gingrich also mentioned he will be making speeches soon in Iowa and South Carolina that will unveil his plan for brain-science research, an issue he frequently mentions on the trail. Because the plan will involve investment in research and development, Gingrich said it will “initially confuse many conservative intellectuals, because one of the things you can’t get across in Washington is the concept of investment. Everything is a cost.”
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The only way Callista Gingrich will ever become First Lady is if Newt divorces her, like he has all of his other wives, and she marries a Democrat!
Newt who ???
Seems a fair comment about our President given his performance in world affairs. It is easy to conclude Obama has little understanding of history or American history. Something to indicate otherwise? And it is very much traditional American politics to question the qualifications and performance of a President. LOL
After watching the presidential candidates I've come to the conclusion that they re not really interested in the white house but are instead focused on the house and senate races. That's where policy is written and killed. The president sets the tone but the legislative branch is where it gets done or not.
Another example of Obama failure.
Obama says he wants his $450 billion -so called - Jobs Bill. Obama is more interested in class warfare than jobs. Obama poisoned the bill by tying it to a tax increase - something the Republicans were certain to oppose. If Obama wanted jobs over rich/poor politics, he would have funded it with cuts in spending.
This President does not compromise - he just keeps setting up the next failure with the tone of "my way or you are obstructionist." The game is up. The American voter is slow, but he does eventually catch on. Bye-bye Obama in 2012.
Grinspoon97-are you willing to share some of the drugs you are taking?
I think you have enough already. Remember what happened to Jackson. You appear close to that result. Denying you more is the responsible thing to do.
This man reminds me of the play, "The Mouse that Roared". For a man that graduated from Columbia and Havard, he's doing a pretty good job as Commander-in-Chief. I think history will certainly favor his accomplishments thus far! There is no need for the president to debate this man because Mr. Gingrich will soon be voted off the island!
he's doing a pretty good job as Commander-in-Chief. LOL Obama's high points.....
It is Obama who will be voted OUT!
So what's the answer Grin? Am seriously interested in what you think would work?
Newt you have won an American History Award..... Send me $5,000 and I will send you a beautiful certificate indicating you know more American History than anyone else from the party that boos active duty soldiers.
AK red... Jobs are the answer. If Obama is serious, he could hire directly rather than seek breaks for those still working. You say you are serious? Let's try thinking outside the Washington box for a bit.
Obama wants to create jobs with his Jobs Bill. That bill would spend $450 Billion on tax breaks to those already with jobs, give a wad of money to hire reachers -but mandates none of the money actually be used to hire anybody, more to "shovel ready fix the roads and bridges" projects - which wouldn't be ready for years. Why not do some real hiring with that money?
Why not contract with the 14 million unemployed for their labor? Hire them all. If you are serious, we can flesh out how this would work and not be a road to socialism. But, back to the "creating jobs" part. We could pay those workers ans AVERAGE of $32,000 a year. It would eliminate unemployment in America, eliminate poverty, and raise wages for everyone. Not a bad start for someone serious about jobs.
The dollars and sense. Keep in mind that about 25% of the cost of the program would come back as Federal taxes from all those new taxpayers. Another 25% would go to States and local government - will hire a bunch of teachers and fix a lot of roads. Then there is all that welfare money we would save. And don't forget, all those new workers will need a lot of stuff to be made and sold - stimulus on steroids. Also nothing prevents us from cutting some from all those government departments and loopholes. Paying for it should be no problem.
Something wrong with actually doing something NOW about the unemployed? The trickle-up and trickle-down ideas take years to work - some don't have that long.
What are the objections?
I know this is going to be hard for you to figure out but please give it a try. The President cannot just create jobs out of mid air. All three branches have to work together. It takes the President + House + Senate = legislation. If you have President - House + Senate = No Legislation. With the do nothing House saying no to absolutely everything the president proposes nothing gets done. In the mean time all the house want to do is to keep giving tax breaks to people that don't need or even especially want. The GOPtp keeps screeching that he hasn't passed a jobs bill, well guess what. The house won't pass anything and the Republicans keep blocking it in the Senate. In the mean time the GOPtp offers nothing. Yeah, I want those zeros leading this country. Before everybody cries about the bills old Harry won't let come to the floor of the Senate. They all are about tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. You so called "Job Creators" need to show us the money before the get another dime from the American people. Put Up or Shut Up.
Yes, but Obama could be FOR a real jobs program rather than his pretend political bill. Obama could also not-poison the bill with unacceptable funding provisions. Dems may feel taxing the rich is a good slogan, but it won't get a jobs bill passed. The jobs are the important thing here. Eliminate that problem by cutting some funding from worthless programs - I figure he would just need a cut of $30 billion a year in waste elimination to pay for the program over 10 years. The Republicans would have to go along with the funding - payed from cuts. Now the debate would switch to the JOBS themselves. Couldn't the silver tongued Obama sell such a plan?
Your turn to put up or shut up. Wouldn't this be a better plan than Obama's tired old (DOA) stimulus 3 retread? Obama must lead ang go to Congress and compromise on the funding mechanism. Would Obama have a problem with that?
Hire 14 million to do what? And that does sound quite a bit like socialism. I should have also put in the condition that you have to work within a totally divided system politically. Have worked construction for the last 30 years and can not see how anybody can employ 14 mil. manufacturing will not come back here without serous wage reduction, deregulation and demand. should these workers be ready to work for min wage or less? Agriculture? Again for min wage or piece work? Am not trying to slam you but have not heard much from either side that is truly workable. Will agree that the jobs bill was mainly a political stunt but somebody better start somewhere, fast.
AK red...manufacturing will not come back here... You can leave it right there. At the turn of the 20th century, agriculture jobs were doomed by productivity. The move was to the cities and manufacturing. In case you didn't notice, that all changed by the start of the 21st.
Factories can be anywhere now. Just scrape off a jungle, build a factory, and start producing with graetful, cheap, eager labor. Shipping and communicationa are no longer a barrier. Also note those programs showing how things are made (produced). Assembly lines faster than thee eye can se, robots for labor, computers ordering and tracking, few real people. Bottom line - we need to figure a new way to make a living and spend our lives. I never really fancied spending my productive efforts in a cubicle or turning the same nut for 30 years on an assembly line. The last guys had a lousey solution - let's design one better.
What I have in mind is a path - not a static one note solution. I think the industrial model we believed in is unsustainable. How much stuff would we need to make and consume to keep 7 billion (and growing) factory productive and middle-class. You can't! We need a new paradigm. One where basic wants and needs are met. I see we have two choices - we figure out this new paradigm or we continue spending on military to get it for us.
OK, 14 million to do what? It's funny, but isn't that what the Dems figure the Corporations must solve - hire a bunch of people for the good of the economy. I figure we could start with community service and security. Maybe some need a GED - some could use vocational skills training -maybe run at government schools. The government could set up medical practitioner schools and open small offices under a doctor to provide basic doctor's office care free to all. I think we should be encouraging networking to assemble skill sets to open businesses - many small businesses can start with only a couple hundred dollars. And on and on - may we could just ask them to read a book, tutor a kid, study rainbows.
We need to get the unemployed working at a living wage. That is the stimulus. We need to then transition to a sustainable configuration where society benefits and rewards these jobs. This view is very different from socialism where government takes charge of production. Think of it as government encouraging the art and education. It's about induvidual freedom and responsibility - not group think. A lot more to think about than a comment blog will accomodate.
To do nothing is to guaranty failure.
Lets hope you liberal fools don't fall for the 3 word slogans that Obumbles got you to chant like idiots. Hopey and Changey, Yes we can and now We can't wait. If liberals had any spines(which they do not), They would be screaming for Hillary to run and send Jug Ears back to his craphole, Shy-Town... I would not have voted for her but at least she would do what is best for this country and not the opposite! This country showed how tough it is during the first 4 years of Jug Ears administration but if he wins re-election, the country will collapse and Obumbles, Ayers, Wrights, Mancy Pelosers, Hairy Weeds and the mafia unions hopes and dreams will come true...
Now that we all know the Newt took a course in American History 40+ years ago
Case closed....He is our First Choice as President.
How low of a bar can you set to claim...I'm qualified.
I look at the Ocean every day.. Does that make me qualified to be a fish?
Newt is this times Grandpa McCain
Grumpy and can only tell you stories from 30-40 years ago.
As the saying goes...What have you done for me lately besides divorce your dying wife and commit adultery ?
Davis-1560659 - To question our president's intelligence? You are truly and very wrong. You republicans sure are a shameful lot... Shameful is to not question someone or something and put excessive value on intelligence when the person possesses no practical ability to apply the supposed intellect, and then, purposefully insult those who do not agree with your point of view … not too smart it seems, and shameful is to be caught at it
charemor - Leona, if Obama has "failed", can you say obstruction, as in GOP? The man does not stand a chance when the GOP wants to accomplish nothing but make him a one term president. … While democrats controlled both house and senate, you call republicans the obstructionists when they had no power or influence and were actually shut out of the discussions and policy making by the democrats? You do actually know what has been going on for the past 5 years that your precious democrats have controlled the senate and house, Right? Because if you do know, then you are lying for an ideology you believe in … so much so that you are blind to the truth which makes you as failed as the failure you are defending.... Better to be independent using a rational approach than emotional and ideological at all costs.
marv-1900694 - The whole issue of higher education coming these folks is too funny. They get all the wisdom they need from the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck - and the three COMBINED have not accumulated enough college hours to accomplish a 2 year Associates Degree! Check it out … Anyone with intelligence, an education, and any sense of dignity or self respect whatsoever would not make such asinine, spiteful, comments to promote their views. They would rely on their intellect and ability to communicate effectively rather than spit out the spiteful rhetoric you present as a credible statement.
barry-barry-libcon - "Initially confuse many conservative intellectuals---." Conservative? Intellectuals? In the same sentence? Now, I'm more dazed and confused than ever. Scotty. Beam me up. Too dazed and confused down here. … Yes, you are confused, and you certainly have demonstrated the limits of your understanding while your malice and rudeness toward others demonstrates the extent of your insolence and lack of dignity or self-respect.
Willie Goldsberry - The US continues to make itself look like a racist, foolish country because we have people still wasting time on this mess. … No, it is you who is portraying the US as racist… What IS nonsense, is people like you who can see no reason other than racism as the motive behind chastising the current US President for his inadequacy and failed policies.
Why don't they just come out and say because he is a man of color they don't believe that he was smart enough to attend harvard… Actually, YOU are the only one saying it. Racists always portray others as the problem and try to imply they pity them as they accuse them of hate and racially motivated behavior; the very thing that the accuser (you) represents.
First we had Trump saying we needed to see if he had the grades to actually attend harvard. Never mind the fact that president Obama graduated with honors… And lets not forget that they gave obama a Nobel Peace Prize for nothing as well.
It is so sad to see these people so desperate to get a foothold that they resort to this kind of nonsense. … What is sad, is seeing people like yourself who are so sensitive to racism that they are convinced others are racists and there can be no other truth, despite facts to the contrary (which by the way is the definition of delusion)… a fact that the majority of an entire country elected this president. It is delusional to call these people racist because they dislike the shape this country is in, and they resent the irreverent attitude of a narcissistic president who blames others and refuses to take responsibility for the problems he has to deal with, as well as the additional problems he has caused.
We as a people need to do better - You are So right… We need to tell people such as you who are racist, divisive and just downright stupid to put your racist beliefs away. Let us have no dealings with you or any other person who has to stoop this low to illustrate their belief. We must give them no space in our thoughts because when we do, we lower our standards.
Newt Gingrich as the Leader of the Moral Majority who had divorce papers served on his wife (don't know WHICH of The Many wives it was) while she was recuperating from surgery for cancer.........This Newt Gingrich who is so far behind on his child support from years ago and a different wife that he will not have anything to leave Teeny bopper Callista, This is the Newt Gingrich who would not know the truth if it bit him on the butt, who has a stack of hot checks in DC. He only sounds sensible when he speaks if you don't pay any attention to his words.
The rest of the Grand old Pile of NO and the have a cup of tea potty have fielded the most ignorant candidates since GW "Shrub" Bush
so much poison, so so little substance. Facts make the arguer seem at least a little Knowledgeable and credible, not hate speech and character smearing. Credibility will be what elects the next president... whoever it is. Everyone seems to know who it wont be, or can't possibly be... so, wonder who it will be.
Maybe the racist teabagger republiscum right as you so disrespectfully call them will vote for herman cain ... he seems to be leading at this time. Maybe the racially hypersensitive hate mongering loony leftocrats that others refer to will vote for the current Nobomanation .. he seems to be trailing at this time. Or, maybe the idiots on these blogs will vote by casting their pennies down a magic wishing well like they did last time.
If so... maybe we will be in the money next year.. here is hoping for lots of change in your pockets
You must really feel bad knowing that Newt or one of the other Republicans will win the Presidency in 2012.
Obama is that bad. LOL
To Grinspoon 97 and all other doubters of this administrations attempts to turn around our current economic position here and around the world please watch Inside Job on Showtime, Too Big to Fail on HBO, and Margin Call at your local theatres. These three movies/documentaries explain in very simple terms how we got into the current economic condition. Basically the elimination of the Glass-Stigall Act which regulated banks and investment houses. I think everyone on this post would benefit from the information in these movies.
These, and others, have been out for a while. Obama took on the job of getting our economy going again. I remember a promise that the unemployment wouldn't go over 8%. Blame who you will - and there is plenty of blame on all sides to go around - Obama is not up to the job and we are tired of playin around with his excuses.
Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton all had recessions, unemployment, inflation to deal with. They got second terms because they did get the economy back on track. Obama has failed. America has always believed that a general who doesn't win is out-of-there. Attempting doesn't get it. Well past time to replace Obama.
It doesn't matter how much you know about Amercian History, if you are a mean person with a past. Da!!!! The only thing I would ask Newt about is how you can spend $250,000.00 dollars at Tiffanys.
Willie Goldsberry - The US continues to make itself look like a racist, foolish country because we have people still wasting time on this mess. … No, it is you who is portraying the US as racist… What IS nonsense, is people like you who can see no reason other than racism as the motive behind chastising the current US President for his inadequacy and failed policies.
Why don't they just come out and say because he is a man of color they don't believe that he was smart enough to attend harvard… Actually, YOU are the only one saying it. Racists always portray others as the problem and try to imply they pity them as they accuse them of hate and racially motivated behavior; the very thing that the accuser (you) represents.
First we had Trump saying we needed to see if he had the grades to actually attend harvard. Never mind the fact that president Obama graduated with honors… And lets not forget that they gave obama a Nobel Peace Prize for nothing as well.
It is so sad to see these people so desperate to get a foothold that they resort to this kind of nonsense. let them come forward with legitimate arguments … What is sad, is seeing people like yourself who are so sensitive to racism that they are convinced others are racists and there can be no other truth, despite facts to the contrary (which by the way is the definition of delusion)… a fact that the majority of an entire country elected this president. It is delusional to call these people racist because they dislike the shape this country is in, and they resent the irreverent attitude of a narcissistic president who blames others and refuses to take responsibility for the problems he has to deal with, as well as the additional problems he has caused.
We as a people need to do better- We need to tell people such as these to go away. They are racist, devivsive and just downright stupid. Let us have no dealings with any person who has to stoop this low to try winning a public office. We must give them no space in our thoughts because when we do, we lower our standards - You are So right… We need to tell people such as you who are racist, divisive and just downright stupid to put your racist beliefs away and come forward with legitimate arguments. Let us have no dealings with you or any other person who has to stoop this low to illustrate their belief. We must give them no space in our thoughts because when we do, we lower our standards.
And on top of it all, the story about the bracelet clearly stated it was on loan to the First Lady.
It is funny. Words of "wisdom " from His Lordship. He knows history and has no clue that we are on a NATIONAL SUICIDE MISSION with war spending, with open borders, with slave labor imports. Does he have a clue that we offshored most jobs, enriched the Chinese to the point that we are paying them interest on borrowed money , to a Communist country ( hell, our 1% supported the Communists for generations even as we were fighting in VietNam ) , that we have over 20% unemployment (he reads different history books ) ? What does history tell him about a country ,which spends as much in interest payment as the U.S. does ,equal to the total military budget and cuts social safety nets for its citizens at the same time ? Why does he not talk what HISTORY tells him ????? Please ,we do not need more clowns in the White House -we had our share as HISTORY tells us. Professors like him puzzle me-like the Marxists I met years ago on American campuses who were the only people that believed in Communism ( of course ,for other people ) and lacked common sense to figure out the obvious.
What Obama did at HARVARD was to study constitutional law, and make President of the Law Review. For those who scoff at his academic record at Columbia....it is very difficult to get into Columbia, and that he got in and graduated was a big step into Harvard. He probably scored through the roof on the LSAT test, but here's one for you.....W got into Harvard on a legacy admission, and scored "C"'s, and you voted him in. I also see some of the nut jobs are claiming he never went to Columbia or made President of the Law Review. There have been numerous interviews with people who knew him at Harvard in this position. To complain about affirmative action while accepting legacy admissions is hypocritical at best. Gingrich has a "history" of inappropriate behavior that makes Bill Clinton look like a Boy Scout. He also is so tone deaf that he got himself ousted from his position as Speaker of the House, blamed in part for the 1998 losses. He has the advantage of being a historian, but that does not give him any right to claim the President did not study history. In fact, it's an outright lie, as a political science major has to study American politics to get a degree, beyond any other general requirements. It's pretty tough to study politics without history. Newt might outline some real plans rather than playing these dirty little games. Obama is about ten times smarter than Newt. The only one who could make him sweat is Huntsman, but you guys aren't smart enough to choose him. You'd rather pick someone who is a nasty bully, like Newt.
Word! (Amen!)
Yeah constitutional law professors don't know anything about American History. Newt loves playing the race card too doesn't he? I think he reads more books on political psychology than he does history though. Use the linkage words not the direct words---you know "foodstamp President". I'm sure he memorized all those memory link diagrams that hit the amygdala and set off the fear response just enough to kill any rational thought process when in a voting booth. Be careful Newt, others know how to play that game too. Obama might choose to pull out the "I'm for family values" card. Most voters will look at you and it will set off the "cheater--failed marriage--cheater--failed marriage-cheater--buy me a tiffany ring or failed marriage" troupe.
Go back and read "The Science of Fear" again. Your amygdala is all messed up.