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DES MOINES, Iowa -- Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich did not back away from his recent comments suggesting young children should be allowed to work.
“Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits for working and have nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday,” Gingrich told more than 500 employees inside the Nationwide Insurance lunchroom.
This response came after one audience member asked the former House speaker to clarify the remarks he made at Harvard University on Nov. 18 when he called child labor laws "truly stupid." He also suggested students take jobs at schools as janitors.
“I really appreciate you raising it,” Gingrich said. “It’s a good example of how hard it is to take the world that works and bring it over to the world that fails.”
Gingrich said he received letters after his comments in Massachusetts complaining that janitorial work was hard and dangerous.
“Fine,” he said in Iowa’s capital city during a two-day swing of the state, “So what if they became assistant janitors and their job was to mop the floor and clean the bathroom and you pay them?”
He also suggested a couple of other possibilities for putting young kids to work: “But what if you paid them part time in the afternoon to sit in the clerical office and greet people that came in. What if you paid them to work as the assistant librarian?” Gingrich said. Adding, “I’d pay them as early as was reasonable and practical.”
“They have no habit of ‘I do this and you give me cash’... unless it's illegal,” he said Thursday in the Hawkeye State.
Hard work pays off and teaches kids important lessons even at an early age according to Gingrich -- pointing out his granddaughter’s recent accomplishment of buying an iPad with all the money she saved over the last eight months.
“I was pretty proud of her,” Gingrich said.
The Speaker finishes his day with two more events in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. He was in Des Moines to sign a pledge to build a border fence between U.S. and Mexico by the end of 2013 if he's elected.
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How dangerous is Grover Norquist?
Sperry: Very dangerous. Here you have a “conservative” who built the Trojan Horse that the enemy is using to infiltrate, sabotage and destroy the U.S. from within. Norquist is helping the U.S. Brotherhood accomplish the “Grand Jihad” spelled out in its founding archives. In fact, he’s helping pull them through the gates. I think it’s fairly plain now that he knows he’s undermining U.S. security, and that he’s doing so in a time of war.
FP: So why is he still accepted in conservative circles?
Sperry: Some Republican leaders are starting to speak out publicly against him, lawmakers like Coburn and Wolf (although Wolf endorsed his protégé Ramadan after Ramadan gave him $4,700 in campaign cash). But others still see him as just a small-government libertarian who wants to widen the GOP tent. Make no mistake: Norquist is not some random deficit hawk eyeing the bloated defense budget for cuts. Nor is he some innocuous misguided Ron Paul dove. He’s something far different, far more pernicious. He’s virulently anti-military, anti-borders, anti-security. He’s a saboteur aiding and abetting groups hostile to U.S. interests. And now that he’s married to a Muslim, I doubt money is the only motivating factor behind his decidedly anti-American behavior.
If by now Republicans can’t smell a rat — a Pied Piper of rats, no less — they have failed miserably in their constitutional duty to “defend the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.” If the Republican Party can’t stop an Islamist Fifth Column within its own ranks, my word, we’re all doomed
what a great analogy. he truly is an evil Pied Piper
I agree, and I'm a republican. At least I think that I'm a republican, but the more I read and see what's coming from the republicans I think that I'm becoming a libritarian. The only true repulican that I see running is Ron Paul, but the media hates him and I think I know why. with all the money that Obama has for his campain and all the money that the other candidates will need to spend will be in the billions, the majority of that money will be spent on television adds. Ron Paul will destroy the current system of the large special interest corperations and so the media won't see all that money. Thats why the media hates Ron Paul.
Newt will enact a legal child prostitution trade. Let's see, what would the GOP'ers label something like that? Oh I think I've got it, the "Child Worker Protection Act"
I have a great idea...have all the do nothing GOPers clean the toilets in their local schools.
Is there no limit to how low they will go??
As an Obama supporter, I can only hope that Newt is the GOP candidate.
PLEASE LET IT BE NEWT!
BRING ON THE NEWT!
I'm SALIVATING FOR SOME NEWT!
Oh, this has me irked.
Maybe the kids don't have anyone around them, Newt, because their adult is working two or three jobs!
Maybe this is the real reason why Newt thinks it's okay to have long term illegals get some sort of amnesty, so their kids can become 8 yr old janitors.
And yes, I agree with others. It's easy to buy an iPad with your allowance from your well off parents.
If stupid had a name, it would be GOP.
He has a point. I was the oldest of five children, my father left and my mother was forced onto welfare. I lived with my family until I was 7, then for reasons of education I went to live with my Aunt and Uncle.
In those years on welfare I saw just what Mr. Gingrich was talking about. It was the rule and not the exception! Most of the mothers were either drunk most of the time or just too lazy to care for their children, much less instill any kind of value system or work ethic in them.
My two sisters never got off of the entitlement wagon and my two brothers worked for short periods of time in menial jobs and then "got injured" and have remained on disability ever since
I recently retired from a job that provided my family and I a good living and now, a decent retirement. The only difference is where we were raised. He is right all most of them need is a good example and practical experience! I'm not talking theory here this is empirical knowledge!
So, because of your anecdotes, let's paint with a broad brush!! Really?!?! Really poor neighborhoods include farming communities and breadbaskets of America. Hmm... How do you reconcile?
Clearly he's not reffering to that group, Rebbie! As you point out and as I experienced in my youth, that is in fact the area of our economy where some of the hardest work, therefore the strongest work ethics, is to be found!
He was clearly reffering to primarily the intercity youth mostly living in government housing, ETC. this demographic represents far and away the largest portion of poor youth!
obama needs to start clamping down on these lazy traitorous commie retardicants immediately. no, theyre not getting yet another vacation, yes they have to do their jobs people voted them in for, not enact self serving laws to bring down safeguards on America. these demons will say and do anything to hold onto their precious position and power, at any expense, life or liberty of free Americans. they need to be exiled to china. there they can espouse their trickle down views and HOPE their built up gold will keep them alive. VOTE ALL REPUBLICAN TRAITORS OUT IN 2012
Man ya gotta love this guy. Gingrich wants to talk about a work ethic. Hilarious. The man has never produced anything in his life other than babies!
He has been at the public trough most of his life. Amazing.
All these guys who draw a government pay check hate the government WOW
Funny you should say he has done nothing. It seems to me he has written several books and produced several movies, how many of us have done that?
While he was in office, it might be noted, he was Speaker of the House during the only times most of us remember, that we had a balanced Federal Budget. Some of us struggle, under this current administration, to remember when we even HAD a budget! According to Artical 1, Section 7, Clause 1 of the Constitution of the United States, the budget is the responsibility of the House! For those who would blame the current Conservative Speaker for the fact that we STILL do not have a budget, the House has sent three budget proposals to the Senate but Reid refuses to even allow them to be brought to the floor!
Guess what? Hitler wrote books too and produced movies!! What has that to do with anything? He posits 'what if' scenarios of long past days. Always talking about Lincoln-Douglass debates and colonialism. Who cares!!! The hungry child who has to eat ketchup packets for dinner doesn't care if 'maybe' the south would've won and kept the slaves as such. As a life time student, I would say that I have written a lot of papers and mini-books and theses. They are all regurgitated information from prior authors, just as Newt has done. As a historian, he doesn't bring anything new to the table. He doesn't have new inventions, cures for hunger, illness etc. He did not balance the budget himself...he did not author it. As a member of the house he only voted for it. I hate that he claims this as if he did it all himself!!! Harry Reid refused to sign it because it only catered to rich. Did not consider everyone who is a citizen of the USA be it black, indian, muslim, poor etc
I never advocated that Reid should "sign" anything! I simply suggested that he should allow the bills and budget proposals, as is the normal function of legislation, to be brought to the floor for discusion and eventually a vote.
If as you and Harry claim they are only partisan, given that the Progressives or at least the Democrats, hold the majoriety position, they would be easily defeated.
If, on the other hand, they are reasonable, affordable, sustainable and long term methods to help relieve our problems, well then Ole Harry could never allow them to see the light of day!
If you liberals want to know why we have smelly scabie infected people calling themselves OWS stinking up our Nations city parks, answer, all the idiot liberals here posting self righteous indignation over the suggestion that children need to learn about "work ethics". OWS is occupied by mostly college aged kids upset that nobody will give them tax payer entitlement money so they do not have to leave Moms basement, and get a job. The Obama's try to tell you how to raise and feed your kids and you libs marvel at their "wisdom". Moochele tells you your kids are to fat and they must eat more carrot and celery sticks, but she takes her kids out for BBQ ribs, and you libs marvel about how caring she is. And NBC puts out a hit blatant hit piece article like this claiming, "Newt wants to bring back child sweat shops", and you liberal lemmings dutifully start spewing the new template, you people are pathetic. Before generation X and 20 nothing became the new norm, children were encouraged to find jobs, lemonade stands, babysitting, paper route, wash cars, here in the Pacific Northwest as kids we picked berries and beans. It instilled self pride, self reliance, taught us to save money, and taught us what it was like to earn our own keep. Instead you liberals want to teach your children to live off the public dole, and to chant and play drums in a park demanding the HAVES to support the DO NOTHINGS, and they see you libs applauding this behavior. And then you wonder why now, not so little Johnny, won't leave the basement and his X-box, and just wants to sit around and play vidoe games. Well there's your answer liberals, you breed em' you feed em', well past their 20's and unemployed and not looking. How dare some heartless Republican suggest instilling good work ethics in children. Don't Republicans understand WORK to a liberal is a 4 letter word, its what OTHER people do to support them......... shocking
Mruseurhead
Your post brought to mind something I read a while back, took a while to find it! I wondered at the time I read it why it was said, seemed out of place with the time line. Seems very fitting for today however! Anyway for what it's worth.
" If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls of those who live under tryanny" Thomas Jefferson
OWS is occupied by mostly college aged kids upset that nobody will give them tax payer entitlement money so they do not have to leave Moms basement, and get a job. That is a lie spread by Fox News. Mruseurhead You may believe it to be the truth, but you are just as bad as Fox News for spreading lies. Why should I consider anything you say to be the truth, R.I.N.O. The country did not fight a civil war just so that 150 years later traitors to what Lincoln believed in could impose slavery all over again. I know it to be a lie because I have seen elderly with walkers in the protests.
In fact all of #63 is a TOTAL lie.
And by the way Fiesty and Phill, on your comments about Newt not explaining where the money came from for his grandaughters Ipad, did Moochele explain to her daughter where the money came from to pay for her "birthday" trip to Spain? No the "Modern day Marie Antoinette" Moochele Obama gets a pass on that question right??? After all it was for the daughter of the Messiah, and so that can't be questioned for that is "golden" right???? Typical liberal HYPOCRISY............
Did Michelle Obama bring it up to media as an example of something, as Newt did?
MR useurhead,
It's too bad that you cannot respect the first lady and call her what you do. She is the epitome of grace, hard work, and beauty in this modern day country. Guess what, more women look like Michelle than they do Giselle Bundchen or Heidi Klum. When a FIRST GRADER weighs 200lbs and has diabetes and heart problems, there is an issue. Also, her kids are not overweight. She advocates treats as a privilege and not a right. I just don't understand you Americans. If some one advocates for kids to get healthier, then she is a socialist who is trying to indoctrinate children and yet 1 in every 3 CHILDREN is obese!!! Who will take care of you in your old age when all the kids succumb to lifestyle-related death???? She advocates...there are no mandates that mothers and fathers need to feed their kids to arm them well for the rest of their lives. I personally think that there should be a mandate but she is only giving recommendations
Rebbie33
"There are no [mandates] for mothers and fathers"
It's a Constitutional Republic, not a socialism! Every form of governance is a balance between good and not so good!
Rebbie33, whats that all about?? I never said anything about the "First Ladies" appearance. I have a beautiful redhead woman at home(and no its not fiesty, she's not exactly conservative but not over the top liberal like fiesty is, I have better taste than that), and never spent much time dwelling on Michelles looks or the other ladies you mentioned. If asked tho I would agree that Michelle Obama seems to be a very lovely lady, appearance wise. But I agree with Tedcrawford, she should stick with watching her own families diet, and stay out of the rest of our kitchens. I find it rather hypocritical for someone to tell others to eat carrot sticks, all the while taking herself and kids out to their favorite BBQ rib joint. But that is the problem with nanny state liberal anything. When Obamas healthcare kicks in, the powers that be will move in to take over every aspect of our lives. And everything deemed by the "nanny state" as unhealthy, will be taxed or outlawed. But of course as a liberal you would applaud the "all knowing" Government having this much power over you life. I as a "conservative" and a believer in our Nations Constitution, find this over reaching power of the Government, invasive and more importantly UNCONSTITUTIONAL. But besides all that, my reference to the "first daughters" taxpayer paid birthday trip to Spain, was a response to a post on page one by someone name phillantrapist or something like that, posted underneath Fiestys post, suggesting Gingrichs grandaughters Ipad was paid for "illegally". Just like the trip to Spain was paid illegally by taxpayers money.
"When Obamas healthcare kicks in, the powers that be will move in to take over every aspect of our lives. And everything deemed by the "nanny state" as unhealthy, will be taxed or outlawed."
Except that's not true in any way, shape, or form. Please give the page and line number of the part of HCR where it 'outlaws' anything unhealthy.
"But besides all that, my reference to the "first daughters" taxpayer paid birthday trip to Spain,"
And except for security (which has to be paid for, regardless) the Obamas paid for the trip to Spain themselves. So give it up already.
Mruseurhead thinks the salary Obama draws as pay still belongs to the tax payers, and he has a say in how it is spent. What he advocates is not conservatism but unreasonable hate because the GOP doesn't control the white house.
Instead of a Nanny State as you call it you want a 1 religion state, Mruserhead, the one religion being yours of course. You want a state that can press poor children into semibondage. And you want don't want women to have control of their bodies. By comparison to what you want I prefer the Nanny state you so despise.
Adults, young , middle aged, and old can not find work but Newt wants little kids to be given jobs so they can learn a work ethic? The only job a child should have is school, and the pay for that is learning. Newt fancies himself an intellect but he is as anti-intellectual as the rest of the right wing conservative block. They deny science, they rewrite history, they disdain academia. This all serves there purpose which is to create a two tiered society, a small rich aristocracy with all the wealth and power, and a large servent class to work for them. It is no wander that Newt wants poor little children to start work early in life, he wants them to be well indoctrinated to their place and status.
Great, put somemore adults out of work to save money.
In my area, we have co-op programs, so teenagers learn job skills and responsibility.
ALL JOBS FOR KIDS ARE GONE. I'm 45 and I can remember that when I wanted something like a new bike or the new atari games (space invades) or a boogie board with chuchill fins, my dad would say GET A JOB, I did. and there was your usual kid jobs. Now here comes the part that is very controversial. No more riding your bike around the nieborhood after school delivering papers or pushing the lawn mower around and making 10 to 15 bucks per house, that went to the illegals. No more baging groceries and carring them out to peoples cars, That became a union with benefits. The same goes to the high school check out girl. Simply there are no more kid starter jobs.
Newt instead of abolishing child rights how about putting the poor children's parents to work. But I guess that would not be good for business if they had to pay a living wage. You could pay the little eight years olds with candy or better yet, how about just pimp the little tots out and bring in the big bucks. All the pedophiles out there Newt would just love it. How's that for a work ethic? They'd get off of welfare. sarc/
If he, and we can overcome the redistributionists that might happen sista!
Yeah sistagirl I am sure Barney Frank would pay for that!!!!
All of the anti-work people on here crack me up. I guess we have to look back more than 1 generation at the working class who delivered papers, sold door-to-door or even picked vegetables in the summer. These kids don't have a chance with leeches like this for parents. Heck the parents probably didnt get their first jobs till mama and daddy kicked them out of the house at 28 or 30. I was happy to have my jobs when I was 12. I didnt get that 'allowance' everyone thinks is the norm now. Leeches.
the liberals say they stand behind the "working man" but they really stand behind the "NEVER working" man.
If children want to work, and their parents are okay with it, that's one thing. Compelling the children of the poor to work is another thing entirely. Watch who you call leeches when you live in a glass house Oh No or people just might throw stones at you.
Why so much outrage over one point of view from Gingrich? Why not show some outrage over...
Pelosi with her hand in the till,
Weiner with his pants down and a camera in his hand,
Biden telling paralyzed people to stand up,
Michelle Obama eating fried chicken while telling us to eat our veggies,
Barney Frank busted for having a gay brothel in his house,
Tim Geitner who forgot how to pay his taxes while he runs the country's finances,
and Obama getting 2/3 of all Wall Street's donations while he berates them every day.
the list is endless....and I didn't even bring Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters into it. LOL
Leona: you just cut and paste this from another article! This piece is about Gingrich, just like the last piece was about Cain. It is NOT about all those people whom we mentioned. Stop deflecting...
You are obsessing on non-issues in order to deflect from Obama and the Dems abysmal politics.
Where is your outrage toward the Dems?
Don't you ever ask or wonder ....... where are the articles on the REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS?!
Liberal media exists in an alternate universe where important and outrageous issues don't count and the really small or idiotic non-issues are magnified.
You don't seem to mind. It must be the kool aid.
Leona, If you watch PBS newshour, I will watch fox news. You will be more informed, and I will have more free time, since I can multitask through fox soundbites, but real debate by experts requires concentration to comprehend.
hey primate,
I actually watch PBS, among other networks like Cnn, not that you really care. You relish the opportunity to bash Fox news for the Liberal Lying sake of it.
I watch all points of view, which is a lot more than can be said about Liberals.
I did not write anything to you to indicate that I am a liberal. I am not sure exactly what I was lying about, either. But you are observant. I care about many things, you so not fall into that category. I will go drink my kool ade now. You can knock back several shots and fall into a warm stupor.
For those of you who think Newt was referring to College students taking Janitor jobs, no child labor laws would need to be relaxed for that. Current law allows for children to work (with some restrictions) starting at the age of 14. Younger than that, children can work as babysitters and newspaper delivery people. I know this, because that is what my kids did until the age of 14. Then they switched to fast food, as that was what was available. They continued to work while in college. Now for the History lesson, which Newt would know if he really did know history. There had been a movement in the US since around 1914 or so to limit child labor in this country. But in 1938 during the Depression a law was finally passed. The reason that law was passed was to stop adults from having to compete with a child's low wages. There were no jobs at that time. (sound familiar?) and employers were busy taking advantage and pushing wages lower and lower. And because people were so desperate, adults were forced to accept whatever they could get, and children were working for even less in order to help families survive. Because wages were so low, no one could afford goods and services which drove prices ever lower and wages were then pushed further down. Downward death spiral in the economy. So laws were passed to get kids out of the work force and back to school. Minimum wage laws were passed to make employers pay workers a living wage. This helped the country recover from the Depression. But Gingrich and many fellow Republicans would like to go back to the good old days when you had the educated wealthy ruling class and the unwashed, uneducated underclass of workers.. think of third world nations around the globe. That is what they want for this country. What is truly sad is that this guy is supported by so many people that are among the ones who will suffer the most if this agenda and others supported by the GOP pass. They are destroying the middle class in this country. People need to wake up and start really paying attention.
Terrie: "But Gingrich and many fellow Republicans would like to go back to the good old days when you had the educated wealthy ruling class and the unwashed, uneducated underclass ......"
You must have just crawled out from under that big old LIBERAL rock!
Newt Gingrich has worked with the likes of Al Sharpton to reform education for the good of the poor in the worst neighborhoods in the country.
Get your liberal lying facts straight and stop the propaganda. The liberal lemmings are not smart enough to spot lies when they see them !
The right just does not know how much the left awaits a debate between any of the repugs especially between the Newtster or Mr becki-becki stan stan........the best chance the repugs have as I stated before as ole Flip-Flop Mittens....who would govern from the right half the time and the left on the other half
Be careful what you wish for....... LOL
He got to be kidding. Why he does not think about to raise the salary across the board for the 99% parents so the parents have money to raise the children.
Why does he want to create a poor next generation, children labor, the next 99% generation?
If the parents have money, their children are supposed to be attending school and to study. Why he would suggest that kind of suppressed suggestion to suppress the 99% children?
Can he suggest to raise the tax of the rich? Can he suggest something to close the gap of the rich and poor, such as the gap between 1% and 99%?
He should suggest the universal health care to which he can raise the tax to the wealthy corporates and the rich, not the small business, for small business they hire very few people than the corporates.
He should suggest to control the cost of health care. Has he known that the health care cost is just rising in a rocket speed?
We should never have children labor and we should stop the children labor but providing welfare care for those poor children by the government to which it is going to close the gap between the 1% and 99%.
Billie,
You are confused. Gingrich is saying that the poorest kids need role models to teach them a work ethic. The kids need to have small jobs when they are young as a means of learning a work ethic. He suggested working in the library as an example. Most of us grew up doing small jobs around our homes ( rake leaves, ironing etc). Some of us received "allowance."
There is a saying that carries the message here. "Do not tell kids what to do. You need to show them."
No statistics exist to support Gingrich's claim that today's generation lacks a work ethic, any more than those in the past from similar economic circumstances.
If Gingrich showed kids how to live, they would all be forced to resign due to ethics violations and cheat on multiple wives while publicly chastising others for doing the same.
Suggestion: Find a candidate who is not a complete hypocrite and has a life history that reflects his positions. Those exist, on both sides of the aisle.
primate,
Obama said "there will be NO lobbyists in my White House" and "I will work to unite the Parties" , while ushering lobbyists through the back door and doing more to divide the Parties than any one before him.
Considering who Obama is, anyone would have a better record on the issue of who is a HYPOCRITE.
If you feel Obama is a hypocrite, then do not vote for him. I do find it interesting that you have no data to support your contentions. I did not mention Obama, because the article is about Newt Gingrich. I think that one look no farther than Mr. Gingrich to find a person who has done more to divide parties than President Obama. He orchestrated an open-ended and taxpayer funded effort to end the career of Bill Clinton. When evidence in his business dealings produced no effect, the investigation shifted to his personal life. Newt did not just facilitate lobbyists, he was one.
Besides, Obama did not send people into the Watergate hotel to steal documents from the opposing party. I could continue, but it is beside the point.
Find a conservative person with ethics (that is supposed to be the right's strong suite, after all) and nominate that person. Why waste your time defending someone with numerous proven ethics violations and a reprehensible personal history?
This is only a good idea for other people's kids. Newt's grandson will never be forced to work in the fields!
"Work in the fields" ? Who said that?
You Dems are ridiculousand as always making something out of nothing. Newt is now your newest whipping boy because he is edging up in the polls. What is sad is you libs have to stoop to these levels because Obama can't win on the merits of his Presidency. These little hit pieces you and your liberal media hacks throw out there is simply a pathetic attempt to try and bolster your own candidates failed policies. Nobody except liberals believe the BS you people are slinging about Newt trying to bring back child sweat shops with his simple statement about the need to re-enforce work ethics. You people are embarrassing yourselves with this drivel.
Newt Gingrich thinks Upton Sinclair's The Jungle constitutes a good first draft for a business plan.
Newt, Newt, Newt - relaxing child labor laws won't do much for adults who are unemployed.
I can't believe how brazen these people are with their greed. It's even harder to believe that people will buy into this crap. But they do.
Could it be Mike that he is attempting to address the needs of the future generations here? What I'm seeing today is people saying do something for me NOW! I don't care if it increases the debt or the deficit! I don't care if it drives businesses off shore or out of business, I need it NOW!! We might consider that it is, in fact, the future generations that will have to pay.
I don't know your age, nor do I care, but if you are middle age, these kids will be the ones responsible for driving the economy when you are retired and no longer a positive factor, It will behove you to have a workforce possesing a strong work ethic and a pratical understanding of how the economy works!
Speaker Gingrich has probably lost touch with the inner city, given his $60k speeches and million dollar history lessons. It's likely that he may be suggesting something that we may want to pay attention to, but more likely this is Newt the Hoot and he is throwing out whatever idea comes into his head. No question a smart guy, but ideas must have some practical basis and a way to implement them. In his case, apparently it will be up to someone else to figure it out.
And when they relax those child labor laws why don't they also lower the voting age giving those children the right to vote so they can make sure those with moronic ideas such as this don't become President.
Ann Coulter seriously wants to raise the voting age back to 21. Youth tends to vote liberal, coincidence?