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Cambridge MA-- Newt Gingrich skipped campaigning in the nearby first-in-the-nation state of New Hampshire yesterday to speak with students at Harvard, where he attempted to minimize the role he played in receiving millions of dollars from mortgage behemoth Freddie Mac as a consultant for a firm bearing his own name.
Calling the consulting fees "Gingrich Group's earnings, not my earnings," the former Speaker of the House tried to distance himself from the firm at which he earned millions of dollars in the years since he has left office.
"I didn't take it," he told reporters of the fees Gingrich Group earned from Freddie Mac. The funds “weren’t paid to me as a candidate,’’ he explained.
"Freddie Mac paid Gingrich Group, which has a number of employees and a number of offices a consulting fee, just like you would pay any other consulting firm," Gingrich said.
Attempting to minimize his connection to his namesake firm, Gingrich repeatedly said in a press conference he is no longer affiliated with the company. He also welcomed "thorough vetting" of his candidacy, adding that he hoped that Gingrich Group would release earnings numbers from Freddie Mac to the public.
Perhaps unintentionally though, Gingrich revealed that he has conflicting feelings about the money-making industry of consulting firms in politics. In a question and answer session at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Gingrich criticized the use of expensive consultants in campaign advising for candidates seeking higher office. Gingrich said the merry-go-round of advisors, consultants and ad-makers produce ill-informed candidates who rely on the staffers and consultants who helped get them into office to survive, upon being elected to office.
"What's happened is we've grown a consulting industry so that instead of having the old time big city machine bosses, we now have these consultants," Gingrich said, despite having collected millions of dollars in similar fees himself.
Gingrich and his wife Callista appeared at the Kennedy School for a screening of a film they produced, “A City Upon a Hill." The documentary-style film promotes the idea of American exceptionalism.
Gingrich appeared both pleased and pleasantly surprised by new poll numbers showing him nearly tied for first place in New Hampshire with long-time front runner Mitt Romney.
"It is almost disorienting," Gingrich said. "I jumped by a factor of three in the past month...we thought we would be in contention by January. This is a lot."
When asked if he could feasibly beat Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, where Romney had until Friday held a double digit lead, Gingrich shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows?"
"I would say it was more plausible tonight that it was yesterday," he said. Gingrich recently opened new headquarters, hired a state director and several staffers in the Granite State.
Gingrich returns for more campaigning in New Hampshire on Monday. He will meet with the New Hampshire Union Leader editorial staff, whose endorsement is among the most sought after ahead of the first-in-the-nation Republican primary to be held on January 10.
Leave a Comment:
As Bugs Bunny would say, What a maroon!
Well, or more like a Spinning Dervish. Gingrich:
"I didn't take the money."
"I took the money, but not directly."
"I took the money directly, but it was for historical advise."
"It wasn't for historical advise, but for my years in Washington and connections with the Republican Party."
"It's not an issue that I took the money as a lobbyist, since I did it out of love for my country."
Man it's getting really dizzy in here.
Hey True Patriot - knda reminds you of Barney Frank, only on such a smaller scale, eh?
So TrueP - you loving Freddie and Fannie these days?
This is what you look for in government right TruePatriot?
Plus I know you are loving the revelations re: John Kerry's investment 'strategy.'
Have a great weekend TruePatriot. :)
Wouldn't it be nice if one day a politician (of no matter what party, and no matter what the "offense") said right at the beginning: "I did it. I wish I hadn't, but I did. And I'm sorry. I apologize to (fill in the blank) . . . ."
He/she might be forgiven and would likely gain the electorate's respect for being honest.
Your post sounds just like Newter Spanky.
Typical Republican doublespeak:
Talk about dancing on the head of a pin!
Do all of you guys take this play from the Rightwing playbook?
How 'bout it Spank? Talk in circles and deflect, spin and explain and hope it serves to confuse people?
What do you guys have against simple truth and plain facts, Spanky?
Please tell us "yes" or "no": Did Newter take money from them?
I'm sure that if Obama was asked about his role as a lead attorney in the lawsuits that forced banks to make loans to unqualified people, which was at heart of the housing meltdown, which in turn led to the financial collapse in 2008, he would say "I was just a part of those lawsuits".
Of course, his compliant media would never actually ask that question.
Here's the link to the lawsuit that started it all, listing Barack Obama as one of the 8 attorneys suing banks to force them to make bad loans;
http://www.mediacircus.com/2008/10/obama-sued-citibank-under-cra-to-force-it-to-make-bad-loans/
Spinning AND off topic AGAIN. It is a pet peeve of mine, punk, so I reported that post as No Value. Otherwise unless your attacks of other posters are insulting (Inflammatory), I don't feed trolls and just ignore you. I wish others would do likewise so you will STFU or stay on topic.
Roy Wilson,
Loved your link. Something called media circus, posted a a bog post about a 1982 class action suit alleging red lining by Citi Bank. It was filed in court and the period of discovery began. One of the lawyers was indeed Obama. In 1995 the parties withdrew their lawsuit after reaching a settlement. Pretty garden variety, but you better ask Spanky or Anna Molly.
Now the web site goes on to use this as their claim that this particular lawsuit started the housing crisis and financial meltdown in 2008..... that is a ludicrous claim.
Ray, keep on, keep on... LOL
This thread is about Newt. Do you want to comment on these specific?
TP and Stupid, you are pathetic. Why don't you answer the question?
Are Freddie and Fannie bad now all of a sudden? No problems with Barney Frank or Franklin Raines? Raines took $90 million from them. That was OK?
Is this your idea of "Good government"?
So save your FAUX outrage of "Deflection" and answer the question.
It has everything to do with you and your ilk's hypocrisy.
All this shows is that "fact" is far, far stranger than fiction.
The thought of Newt shilling his movie at the Kennedy School is almost as much of a freak show as...
You just can't make this stuff up...
That's right, this thread is about Newt and whatever he might have done unethical or illegal. Couldn't make out any charge or statement of such in the article.
Perhaps someone would clearly state what wrong doing was done and who is claiming it?
Roy Wilson, I would agree that CRA was a factor, and that it's effect was to increase the number of high risk loans. But your attempt to pin the entire housing meltdown on Obama's fight against redlining is another example of the damage that extremist partisanship inflicts on one's ability to reason. The plain and obvious fact that's known by all of us whose minds are not crippled by partisanship is that the housing bubble and meltdown and the associated financial bubble and meltdown were the result years of unethical and criminal behavior on the part of politicians from both parties, the banking industry, and American consumers. The politically afflicted tend to jump on stories like this one about Obama like a hungry dog on a scrap of raw meat. Pathetic, really.
White Collar Auto -- This thread is about Newt's lobbying background that includes Fannie/Freddie. There have been threads more generally about Fannie/Freddie, and no doubt you ignored the conversation like you usually do. But here goes with a summary...
Regulation of Fannie/Freddie were blocked because of Republicans like Newt, followed by promotion during Dubya for home ownership and low interest rates. Ending the Glass-Steagall Act was bad enough, but Republicans turning a blind eye to Wall Street made things worse.
Wall Street was the main culprit, breaking up and re-bundling toxic mortgage securities, and then hedging against these knowing at some point it would collapse. Fannie/Freddie were merely followers and only one part of the problem.
Now, the other question is if the right-wing wants to continue to get their panties in a wad about Dodd and Frank, where is their outrage toward their own leaders who were far more involved in the housing bust -- And who have tried to block finance reforms.
Back in February, President Obama presented plans to phase out Fannie and Freddie. Where are you and the Teapublicans in supporting him on this? The right-wing are hypocrites just like Newt who can never own up to anything.
And thanks to all for helping the thread to stay on topic.
Hey Spanky, White Collar Criminal,
Barny Frank never wanted to be President, Newt does. It's sad that the GOP/tp is so despirate to make President Obama a one term President that they would throw their support behind this massively crooked person. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. I know, push idiot Cane to the front. It would be fun watching him get killed in each and every debate with President Obama. The man won't read papers and could care less about foreign policy. so much for interacting with the leaders of the world. They would just walk away shaking their heads. He would make this country a joke amongst the leaders of the world. They would be telling Cain jokes amongst themselves.
Spanky, WCC, stop being such an ignorant trolls. There are actually true conservatives on this vine that are much better qualified then you are.
Nobody is responsible for writing bad loans except the bankers that wrote them. My kid was 22 years old just got his first job making 50k and the bank offered him a $345,000 "interest only loan" have you ever heard of such a thing you pay and pay and never have equity. Hell the mafia would give you a better loan. The bankers and mortgage companies worked hand in hand with the reality companies, sometimes they were virtually one in the same. They floated bogus appraisals, and bogus loans all in the same day at the same location, the story was always "we can get you in that house" which was music to a lot of young naive peoples ears. They felt they could never lose homes were going up 10-12% per year and they knew they would be foreclosing on many of the loans they wrote but what the heck let them make payments for 8 or 10 months we will get the house back and it will be worth more when we do. Bankers wrote those loans not Barney Frank, now they wn't lend people who can afford it reasonable amounts because they are scared to death the home will be worth less next year. They never told anybody you can afford this loan or house the story was always we have a way we can get you in, and they enticed a lot of young people to sign some ridiculous loans, all kinds of crazy loans based on inflated appraisals made by the same people making the loans. People trusted the nice man at the bank, the nice man at the bank wrote up the bad loans, they are responsible for their own dishonesty not Barney Frank and not Obama. To make matters worse they then sold the bad loans as high return securities and investments creating even more losses on the same bad loans, they even charged more fees to write a bad loan. The housing crisis was created by dishonest greedy bankers and nothing more. As long as housing prices were rising it worked for them and as soon as prices started dropping the wheels came off.
Forrest,
You could explain how it all came down till you're blue in the face and they will still be screaming the lie at the top of their lungs. They just don't care. They want President Obama out so badly that they will lie, cheat and steal to try to convince us they they are right. The good news is, we know much, much better.
Gingrich is guilty of having been an integral part of the politics that has kept America in front but he is wise to distance himself from the abhorrent practices that have marred, brought into question, the reputation/performance of Congress/government. The holy book of dreams sayeth the expected infidel inside a mountain can hear the voices of angels ask of whom seeks heaven through test of faith are they to be accepted to fall unto God's heart. Three times it is written. Death unto all infidels in oil who desecrate this garden of delights. Follow the righteous path that I layeth out before thee.
Tout, whatever is you are trying to say, it is irrelevant to Gingrich's unethical, dishonest career in the House of Representatives and it is completely devoid of any relevance to his current predicament. It is, as it relates to the real world, complete and utter gibberish.
The holy book reference was a nice touch, though.
Where is the article saying Mr. Obama has distanced himself from:
Nah, the media refuses to be fair and balanced.
Running old Newt as a candidate for the presidency is like... casting pearls before the swine at feeding time. Newt should retire comfortably into private life if he is not wanted or appreciated. Feed them sour swill I say.
Roy WILSON, the article/link you pasted disproves your own argument...
At least read your own links before you post it... it could make you sound like an idiot.. we wouldn't want that. The law-suit was about discrimination about people with equal credit worthiness (one being black and the other white - and the white being able to be able to get loans and the black not).
So Obama fought for equality, so what? did the law suit say make loans to risky people and people with shaky credit? A BIG FAT NO.
So Roy, stick to what you know because economics or politics aint it.
Unregulated Capitalism caused this mess... and it was led by your guys Gingrich, Bush and Greenspan.... they created this mess... this is not an ideological position... it's just the truth.
And please leave Obama out of discussion that have nothing to do with him.
"Newt should retire comfortably into private life if he is not wanted or appreciated."
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
To quantify Obama's existence into a biography would be like Louis Carroll doing a collaboration with Steven King. He could be likened to the Cheshire cat from Pet Cemetary. A mythical fictional creature of intangible quantum. Evasive, elusive, prone to give appearance without any measure of live substance or evidence of feeling or emotion apart from traces of residue. He is one of those people who I like to refer to as "profound accomplisher"
"Nah, the media refuses to be fair and balanced."
Funny - whenever some conservative has an ethics problem, you can count of some other conservative bringing up ethics problem by a liberal and blaming the "liberal" media. Well guess what --two wrongs still DO MOT MAKE A RIGHT. Con games by liberals are NOT a justification for con games by conservatives. And --- the "liberal" media is NOT the gulity party. Killing the messenger doesn't make anything right either.
Laudnum -
B.S. (please go back on your narcotics - I know you simply mis-typed your name,)
Your post makes no sense. Must have been posted while you were in the arms of morpheus...
Good ol' Newt,
The Political prostitute!
It's amazing to see how people can follow this Political cadavers stuck on 300 yr old ideas for the future of this country.
Maybe his History background has something to do with it!
He longs for the good old days of the 1700's Colonial US.
My, my.
The Ging-rich group. Newt took the money and now he is running. I wish he had the honesty to say he traded on his experience as a Washington insider for cash.
Yep, you provided no comment about Mrs. Pelosi and the rest of the crooks on the Congressional floors.
There are no accusations of dishonesty being leveled at Pelosi. What do you want him to say?
Yep, you provided no comment about Mrs. Pelosi and the rest of the crooks on the Congressional floors.
One more time --- two wrongs DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT.
Charlie: way to try to change the subject. Ms. Pelosi isn't running for President. Newt Gingrich is. If you want to live in Pelosi's district so you can vote against her, go ahead.Otherwise try and focus on the subject: The latest republican "savior" running for President who is imploding, Gingrich: this time when those who've been asleep for the past 20 years finally learn who newt Gingrich is: (hint: most definately not an "outsider" ).
I did not take the money my company took the money, oh Newt you gotta do better than that, but the problem is you can't. You sound a lot like slick Willie now don't you, I did not have sex with that woman, but as it turns out my pecker did! So now you claim you don't get paid by the company that bears your name, are you insane, you are like a little kid with chocolate all over his face claiming you did not eat the candy. Do you run the company or not, did you take the contract, yes you did, did you cash those checks, yes you did. How about cutting a check for 1.6 million and returning the money if the company you run handles accounts without your knowlege, or approval. You are a pathetic liar Newt, but you hang in there buddy, and give Romney all the trouble he can handle.
Honestly, Newt is not an honest man, not in his private life and not in his public life. Time for him to fade away.
Ging rich you like opulence,don't you? Where did you find the money for your luxury life?Do you get your money from the 1%?
The stench of BS is getting pretty strong.
He may have put some space between them . But look at his back pocket !!! His wallet is open and sticking out looking for more MONEY . I know he has allimoney to pay , tiffinies bills to pay and med bills to pay for a former wife . Guess life sucks when you are NEAR the TOP.
Nice flip-flop there Newt.
.
acrawmer,
Love your "gin-rich" phrase.
Ging-rich is nothing but a peddler of books, DVD, his political name to the highest bidder.
He is beyond flip flopping, he lies. Ask any of his former wives or any reporter investigating his ties to special interests.
He is too intelligent to lie. He just uses an audacious dichotomy of language.
This is the man that actually said "if you quote me then you are lying" now that is a classic right there.
Forrest, OK he does not speak the truth by commission and omission. His bombastic tone and style of not answering the question seem like he is intelligent. His attack style is to pontificate about the premise of the question. Thereby he does not answer the direct question.
A fancy lie made with a good vocabulary is still a lie.
The cast of character the GOP has come up with this time is like a rogues gallery; serial cheater, serial sexual harraser, serial dummies. My God, you would think that someone would recognize that there is only one honest, smart guy in the whole bunch and he is polling last. Makes me think that the GOP is compromised of people who cannot think, reason or read.
Oh please, not one of you would turn down this kind of money for legitimate work after you had lost your existing job.
Talk about a non-story.
Gingrich is smarter and infinitely more experienced than Obama, AND successfully negotiated major legislation with Dems and Reps - he is the anti-Obama, a guy who actually compromised and accomplished things that were good for the country.
His candidacy would be a great contrast to the Master con-man, the Master Divider, who has a litany of failure as a track record.
I guess that must be why republicans ran him out of Congress, a long time ago.
He is the ultimate Washington insider the tea party wants nothing to do with, you need to convince them first before you try to convince others.
Forrest, the Republicans could run Pee Wee Herman and beat Obama. That's why he doing all the damage he can before he gets booted. He's paying the country back for not buying his bull$hit. He's an evil, vindictive, jerk.
Ron well over 70% of the country thinks the president is a very likable guy.
This becomes a moot point once you see what a lying hypocrite he is.
To lead a lynch mob for the head of Bill Clinton while pushing the head of his mistress back under his own desk speaks volumes about him. Never mind the fact he did so while his wife lay in a hospital bed.
Now he is trying to distance himself from this housing debacle. A little too late for that. I highly doubt his advice was what type of architecture was used on a particular house or when it was built. He was advising them how to get into the beds of certain politicians.
Newt is only looking out for Newt. I am pretty sure him and his wife are trying to sell something from their business. This is great exposure for them. He knows damn well he wont be their choice.
All Romney has to do is, nothing. Just stand there and let the rest implode around him. The Republican nomination is his to lose.
@Ron...wahhhhahahahahaha! That was a good one! Sometimes getting out of the house more can do a fella a bunch of good! Try it!
Gingrich refused to negotiate on spending limts with Clinto and caused the government to shut down for a week. Newt didn't win the battle !You call that smarter?
"the Republicans could run Pee Wee Herman and beat Obama."
Ron -- it is very clear you get your information from the likes of Rush the junkie or Fox.
Obama is ahead of every major GOP candidate in the polls and the Republicans fall several points with every humiliating debate. It's too bad for them that Pee Wee Herman isn't running on the GOP ticket: he'd have more credibility than their current clown car full of idiots.
It's not going to make any difference who runs against Obama, he's done and he knows it. Now it's just a matter of how much damage the evil SOB is going to do before he gets booted from office. First, he put the screws to the Keystone Pipeline costing hundreds of thousands of jobs, and dropped a depth charge on the economy. Now he gets pizzed at Ohio because they voted to deep 6 his Obama Care bill and dive bombs their oil and gas development costing them and the nation 200,000 jobs and billions of dollars. He can't be removed from office soon enough. He will do a tremendous amount of damage between now and January 2013. Obama is one sorry baztard. He likely just drove a stake in Sherrod Brown's heart, not that it's a bad thing, but certainly shows no loyalty to a guy that supported him.
Wishful thinking Ron, just wishful thinking, all the polls indicate otherwise, the fact that republicans have a different front-runner each week indicates otherwise. Who is going to beat him? Romney is the only candidate that comes close, and many republicans can't stand him.
(Ron) You are certainly entitled to your own opinions; however, you are not entitled to your own facts. The failure of the republicans to pass any jobs bill is what has cost jobs in the U.S. not anything the Obama administration has done. If you have documentation to back your claims, I would be happy to read it.
I am a supporter of Sherrod Brown and am very proud of Ohio voters that stood up for the middle class in the U.S. and refused to allow a new and inexperienced governor to strip workers of hard earned rights. I am sorry you are so unhappy with your state. Since one million young people are now insured because of their ability to stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26 and preexisting conditions no longer prevent you obtaining health care, the new polls show that the majority of the people in the U.S. support health care reform.
Hide and watch, Forest. He needed Ohio to have any sort of chance. He found out how unpopular he was in Ohio when they dumped Obamacare by a 2 to one margin. So now he's going to whiz all over the oil and gas industry as payback because he bet on the wrong horse with renewables. Well guess what. The people in this country don't like being force fed a crap sandwich by a vindictive loser that's in over his head. He's going down, Forest. You might want to jump off of that horse. His poll numbers are lousy and as soon as one candidate instead of 6 surfaces, you will see the just how bad he's doing.
Ron the same people that thumped the heck out of your Governors new policies will work just as hard to re-elect Obama, you can ignore that if you wish, but I promise you those people that smashed that agenda will not elect a republican president. They are fired up and ready to fight, they won, it felt good to them, they will be back in November, there is not a poll that has Obama losing in Ohio, not even the Fox poll. I'm just telling you how it is Ron.
Nancy, this Bud's for you.
I assume you already know that Obama punted on the keystone pipeline project. If you need facts on that just google it. Here are the facts on Ohio.
President Obama’s United States Department of Agriculture has delayed shale gas drilling in Ohio for up to six months by cancelling a mineral lease auction for Wayne National Forest (WNF). The move was taken in deference to environmentalists, on the pretext of studying the effects of hydraulic fracturing.
“Conditions have changed since the 2006 Forest Plan was developed,” announced WNF Supervisor Anne Carey on Tuesday. “The technology used in the Utica & Marcellus Shale formations need to be studied to see if potential effects to the surface are significantly different than those identified in the Forest Plan.” The study will take up to six months to complete. The WNF study reportedly “will focus solely on how it could affect forest land,” the significance of hydraulic fracturing to united proponents of the delay, “and not how it could affect groundwater.”
Speaking of the WNF gas drilling, one environmentalist group spokesman suggested that moving forward with drilling “could turn the Ohio Valley into Ozone Alley,” even though Wayne National Forest already has nearly 1300 oil and gas wells in operation.
That's 200,000 jobs for Ohio, Nancy and one can only gas at the dollar value.
The only poll that matters is at the ballot box, Nancy, and Ohio voters decided 2 to 1 that they don't want Obamacare. The Union Vote was a referendum on John, (dumba$$) Kacich's attempt to steal the State employee's pension fund. It had nothing to do with Obama, but issue 3 did.
Try educating yourself on the issues and what your beloved Obama is trying to do to the oil and gas industry.
Forest, you are as wrong as wrong can be, and here's why. The Police and Fire Departments sunk Issue 2 in Ohio because the Governor tried to pull a fast one and ride his election into grabbing their pension. Had he excluded the Police and Fire, he might have won. It had nothing to do with Obama. The Police and Fire Unions in Ohio will not support Obama. I can pretty much guarantee that for you.
Obama just deep sixed 200,000 high paying mostly union jobs in Eastern Ohio and another 100,000 or so in the middle of the country.
You, my friend, are whistling past the graveyard.
OK Ron you know best, there is nothing to support your position, plenty of numbers to support mine. I will tell you this though, I don't watch and I don't hide, I do not live in Ohio but I spent plenty of time working phone lists and making calls to get out the vote and I'm telling you these people are not going to put a republican in the Oval Office, not in 2012, not any of the candidates republicans are running. Ohio will be in Obama's column in 2012, by about the same margin as the governors assault on workers rights failed.
"Try educating yourself on the issues and what your beloved Obama is trying to do to the oil and gas industry."
Try educating yourself Ron. Domestic oil and gas production are at an all time high. And try looking at the numbers -- Obama is beating every republican.
Wow Ron,
200,000 high paying jobs stopped by Obama. That's 200,000 families who won't be enjoying much of a Christmas, thanks to Obama.
Think they'll keep their frustrations to themselves?? Think, maybe they'll bitch about this to friends, neighbors, relatives?? I think the whole state will be painfully aware of Obama screwing them.
And you, Ron, are whistling in the dark. The reason you go on and on interminably, your hands shaking as you punch out these blogs, is because you know deep in your heart that Obama is going to be re-elected. And that fear is keeping you up at nights, whistling.
Forest, you wanted something to support my position. OK, I'll site something. You continue to spout how you have plenty of numbers to support Obama. Try this from Michael Tomansky of the Daily Beast, a liberal rag.
It’s possible for liberals and Obama people to read too much into this. Obviously, Obama is not going to win anywhere near 61 percent of the vote in Ohio next year. Lots of people voted for this repeal—cops, firefighters, others—who are likely to be Republican voters next year. And, since the symbolic anti-health-care-law referendum passed by a similar margin, it’s obvious that lots of people cast the liberal vote on one initiative (to protect collective bargaining) and the conservative vote on the other (to express their opposition to health-care reform). Finally, Obama’s own approval rating in the state is pretty bad, at 41 percent.
Obama knows his approval rating sucks, and trying to sink the oil and gas development is pay back, plain and simple. If he can't win, he will destroy what's left for everyone else.
Ron's sounding more desperate with every post. I hope he holds up under the pressure until Obama is reelected: he may need to see a doctor.
He probably would feel better if there was a credible GOP wannabe candidate he could hang his fantasies on but, sadly, they are all taking the last crazy train out of town. The most recent debate featured a public display of maudlin mooing and weeping and a public arm wrestling match over who is more hypocritically religious than the rest. This unsavory exhibition may have sent the entire US electorate into fits of laughter that will pretty much sink the GOP's pathetic crew of losers.
Obama will win by default, Ron. Read 'em and weep.
Well it is something Ron, it is an opinion, I checked the polls again and nothing indicates Obama will lose the election or Ohio. Polls are not always the definitive proof, and there is a lot of time left, however I'm glad they all indicate Obama will win and the fact that they all indicate that probably means something. Maybe if republicans had a viable candidate it would help your cause but here we are a year out and they are already fodder for SNL, they are a quickly becoming a national joke, a self inflicted joke on the republican brand in general, backed by the the republican controlled house which has the lowest approval rating ever recorded. It simply does not look good for republicans, it is to the point where now even the constant Obama bashing is backfiring, because the republican candidates are seen as clowns so it comes off as childish trash-talk by an inferior opponent. Republicans squandered a hell of an opportunity, if they would have floated a real jobs bill right after the midterms, and ran some quality candidates, they could have had it all, but that ship has sailed on them. Realistically now it seems they won't get the Oval office, and republicans at all levels up for election are likely to be punished for their broken promise of jobs, jobs, jobs. They have not been more effective than Obama, and their candidates do not instill any confidence in the electorate, and that is putting it kindly.
Ron is right about Ohio. Obamacare (Issue 3) went down big ... Issue 2 was different a strategic strike to save police, teachers and firemen's negotiating rights and pensions. Obamacare went down because Ohioans do not want bigger gov't and more entitlement programs. Obama will not win Ohio .. especially after he and Pelosi supported the occupiers.
This guy has so many ghosts in his closet he won't be able to hide from all of them.
Newt is a sham trying to masquerade as a "viable candidate" for the GOP nomination. He's become a master wordsmith and desperate Republicans have now turned, momentarily, to him as perhaps their choice for the month. But with rising poll numbers, his shell game will be soon exposed. He almost self levitates during his "speeches" about his experience as a "historian". No one is buying it except the anybody-but-President Obama crowd. And they're delusional if they think this character is their savior. Like Cain, he's a shill for his own interests, not the interests of America.
Too late. About 1.3 million dollars too late. This is what is known as buyers remorse or in his case, sellers remorse.
As they love to say on Fox "follow the money".
Follow the money to Tiffany's and Freddie Mac, ha he shot himself in the foot with his own gun.
Newt is a re-tread.
Ride with him at your risk.
Really, Obama is a flat tire running on metal rims and spiraling out of control in desperation. His expensive new black campaign bus is grinding a halt and wishing he never heard of the 99 percenters and their circus.
Still in hiding refusing to officially comment on the protests or the insider trading by Nancy Insider Pelosi and or other players.
Leadership at its worst and lowest.
Your interesting visual excersise doesn't mesh with the facts, Tad. Obama is leading in the polls while the GOP's clown car full of losers made fools out of themselves yet again at yesterday's debates.
You might want to save the flat tire analogy for later, though. It describes the GOP's presidential hopes quite nicely.
Ron-374386..Ron,you must listen to Hannity and Oxycontin Rush..The vast majority of Americans think highly of Obama,as a person..It's some of his policies the Ditto Heads don't like..
I'm a historian...I get paid a lot of money.....
"But I can't tell you how much or what it was for." -Newt Gingrich
Me thinks Newty picked the wrong venue for this explanation. No doubt students at Harvard and the Kenedy school, no less, totally bought his yarn. Newt is an example of precisely what is wrong between business and government.
It's too late Newt; you took the money, and we all know it.
Yeah....
"tries to distance himself....."
My first thought was "if you laid out almost TWO MILLION DOLLARS, end to end, from the NEWT GINGRICH GROUP headquarters to FANNYMAE OR FREDDYMAC, would you still be able to trace THE MONEY from one to the other" ????
Uh, it really doesn't matter in that THE GENERAL PUBLIC NOW KNOWS that the SMILEY FACED BEACH BALL is doing LOBBY WORK without registering as such....REALLY BRIGHT MOVE NEWTY.....
Run as far as you want, Newt. You still won't be able to get away from your reputation as a self promoting huckster, peddling your wares (and yourself) at every opportunity; then making one excuse after another when you get called out on it.
Newt --- you just may be the most crooked clown to ever run for president. You a con man, a spin machine, a wordsmith and you flip-flop so much you make Romney look consistent.
I did not take money from that company.
It depends on what the meaning of money is.
He can't get too far from them unless he has real long arms because his hand is still in their back pocket!
Goal! Well played, cottontop!
Newt never took Freddie money for political campaigns - that was Obama who used Freddie money. Guess that makes Obama the crook.
"A group called the center for responsive politics keeps track of which politicians get Fannie and Freddie political contributions. The top three U.S. Senators getting big Fannie and Freddie political bucks were democrats and number two is Senator Barack Obama."
Oh Grinny. Obama accepted legal donations that were properly registered. In contrast, Newt took unspecified amounts of cash for vague purposes and he is not answering questions regarding the money, as well. Given Newt's history of dirty deals, he is under suspicion for influence peddling. On the other hand, the only group questioning Obama's donation is the right wing lunatic fringe. Not even the GOP is bothering Obama about it, Grinny. Give it up.
Your ravings would appear to be irrelevant and pointless, as usual, Grinny! Thanks for playing, though.
Facts are Newt never took money from Freddie to lobby anyone. Obama took money FROM Freddie to help his campaign. Given the bailouts of Freddie and Freddie - with an additional 6 billion requested - it looks like Obama is in Freddie's pocket.
It was a legal contribution, Grinny, registered properly. Obama is in the clear. On the other hand, Newt has yet to demonstrate the same level of honesty in his dealings with Freddie in which he took approximately 10 times as much yet cannot remember what, why, where, and when.
You lose.