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CHARLESTON, S.C. – The audience at a presidential forum here Saturday booed Newt Gingrich for criticizing Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital after Mike Huckabee, the host, told the crowd that candidates would not be allowed to attack each other.
Before the five candidates (Ron Paul was not there) came out one by one for approximately 12 minutes of audience questions, Huckabee explained that they were “not to mention, and not to attack the other candidates.” (The audience, prompted at first by the Huckabee show’s executive producer, clapped and cheered at the directive.)
Gingrich, the third candidate to speak, responded to question about how he could “defend the vilification of companies that are willing to put capital at risk in order to save failing companies” -- a reference to attacks by Gingrich and his super PAC over Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital.
Pushing back on the claim of “vilification,” Gingrich said, “I haven’t done that.”
He began to say he would be visiting the city of Georgetown, which used to be home to a steel mill whose parent company was bought out by Bain in 1993 and went bankrupt in 2001 with more than $500 million in debt according to a Myrtle Beach Sun News account.
“Georgetown has a steel mill. Which was closed. Capital wasn’t put at risk; capital was drained out of that company,” Gingrich said. “Governor Romney ran saying he created 100 thousand jobs in the private sector…”
The audience started booing Gingrich after he said, “Governor Romney.”
Huckabee interrupted Gingrich, saying, “Mr. Speaker, we said we will not allow negative…”
Then Gingrich, retooling, continued, “I’m just trying to answer his question. So let me say it differently.”
“OK,” Huckabee replied.
“I believe that it’s fair to ask the records be clear and that people reveal what happened,” Gingrich said. “But I think to ask questions about a particular company is not the same as attacking capitalism and I don’t see how you can expect us to have a presidential campaign in which an entire sector is avoided."
Several audience members at the forum told NBC News they were displeased at Gingrich’s singling Romney out.
“I think Gingrich lost my respect,” said Janice Shumpert, 57, of West Ashley, who said she was leaning towards Rick Santorum. “It was a bad moment for him. I’m not saying he can’t recover but at this point, I wouldn’t vote for him”
Randy Hinson, 56, of Charleston, said the booing was “appropriate” because “that wasn’t the format.”
“Gingrich actually ruled himself out today for me,” Hinson said. “I guess Romney was at the top for me; I wanted Gingrich, and Gingrich kind of talked himself out of it today.”
Pat Neumann, 58, of Edisto Island, who said she favored Perry, noted the enthusiastic response Huckabee received when he said the forum was to be devoid of negativity.
“We weren’t going to put up with that,” she said of candidate-on-candidate aggression. “It’s going to happen because unfortunately negative campaigning works, and they know it. But people just weren’t going to put up with it today.”
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why is obama bad?
I hear this a lot, I guess because he could not clean up bush 8 year mess in 2 years and could not get those who wanted him a 1 term president to work with him..
If that's how you repubs see it, then I agree with you and am sorry for asking!
Obama 2012!!!!
Hussein could not clean up bush 8 years of mess in 2 years and could not get those who wanted him a 1 term president to work with him.
If that's how you repubs see it, then I agree with you!
no way for him too look good! Jim Crow politics!
hey newt....why dont you give that half a million credit line at tiffanys to michelle bachman....she is WAY better looking than your current HO!!!!....and maybe she or her husband would give you a great ORAL THANK YOU!!!!
#3.4 ... To Chick from GA -- which religion and why?
Let the circular firing squad continue!
^ Whenever we need to be reminded of how the GOP brought about the downfall of the American economy via economic meltdown.....
just look at these clowns and how they conduct themselves.
They are self absorbed, spiteful, hateful and idiotic.
I find it amusing watching Republicans eat thier own.Years of lies and propaganda have a way of doing that I guess
Another Rah Rah Romney convention setup by the corrupt Gaseous Old Pharts. No Romney slanders please. Even if, we hand you an insult in the form of a question.
Tea Partiers,evangelicals,the 1 percenters,homophobes,xenophobes,and just plain dumb folks..... The Republican Party is FUBAR....and...I don't think the general electorate will buy what they are selling in November.
It's time for a public analysis of the advice and counsel Newt delivered to government agencies over nine years at a cost to the taxpayer of $55 million. I suspect a refund might be in order.
Newt admits and even seems proud he worked on Ronnie Reagan's economic plan. When Reagan took office the U.S. was the world's largest creditor. By the time Reagan left the U.S. was the world's largest debtor. Maybe a public examination of Newt's contribution to America's bleak economic future could help folks decide if Newt should be prez or they should hold out for someone with character. To be fair, Newt just changed the direction of the economy and the bleakness didn't gel until Larry Summers, Phil Graam and current sinister figure Timothy Geithner gutted Glass-Steagall at the end of the Clinton administration and stopped the regulation of derivatives which have now grown into an unregulated house of cards worth $240 $trillion-with-a-t just in the U.S.
By the way, how's that Newt co-authored Contract With America with its balanced budget, line item veto and term limits workin' out for ya? Shoulda just called it Republican Lies.
newt is a punk
Wilsonaide, your comments are some if the dumbest on here. So, labor cost in China (basically slave labor with workers threatening mass suicides due to lousy conditions and wages) means we should also be paid a dollar an hour to wprk 12 hour days, six days a week and live in fenced-in factory communities. Wow, that will really increase our economy back to the top of the world. Are you that stupid or just so anti-labor that you would rather see the USA turn into a third world country? And people still vote for conservatives. Since you brought it up, heres two stories about US steel. In the 60s JFK had the unions decrease their demands and averted a steel strike. Right after that, US steel increased the price of steel after agreeing not do. Kennedy forced steel to back down. In the 80s, after the unions again dropped their wages and benefits to keep the industry going, US Steel hired a new CEO for $10 mill a year (an outrageous salary in those days), a servant-stocked mansion, a vacation home on the Great Lakes, private limo, plane, etc. So spare us how labor is the cause of our economic problems. Another conservative lie.
Wait I don't understand all the attention to this.
Want a be Huckabee that is the Flux news preacher who rewrites history for hate and profit. Tells others no negative about the people on stage. They are all his up coming competition, what do you expect!!!
Pages of rants ensue about religions and Ron Paul supporters come out in mass proclaiming him as top choice. People elect supporters which is in play from the right to split the democratic vote gets a lot of attention. MSNBC makes millions from adds. Fox promotes its fair and unbalanced stance. Life goes on and the majority gets screwed.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Wait I don't understand all the attention to this.
Exactly. It was nothing. But some are clearly trying to make it a big deal and use it to attack Newt.
To be fair, Newt was specifically asked about his attacks on Romney and Bain Capital, so I don't think it was out of line for his answer to include Romney's name. In fact the question should have made it fair game. Regardless, to make THIS a news story is frankly ridiculous.
Gingrich is a petty desperate little man. Just wait until all comes out about him.
"Hick Huckabee" has a forum? Really?? America thought that his is still coloring a comic book somewhere in the "Nazis Network Newsroom." AKA. Fox News.
Newt should be booed just for getting out of bed in the morning... The US clearly wants nothing to do with him!
well, I certainly have NO LOVE for Newtie... but he is smart as a whip and as long as he's highlighting the way Romney the Millionaire makes his money.. whcih is FAR different that the way the other 98 % of america make their money ... by geting their hands dirty ...
All empires fall.
The American Corporatocracy is no different.
When is comes to "venture capitalists", yes there comes a time when the profits from scrapping a business are far larger then keeping the business afloat. Sure, the business COULD survive and make a profit. But, that profit wouldn't be nearly as much, as selling off the parts of the company, and bankrupting the debt. This is why the term "vulture capitalist" is VERY appropriate!
you know that the GOP knows they are in trouble when they have to devise NEW rules to CENSOR their own candidates from saying anything other than kum-bah-yah and speaking about themselves in only the most glowing of terms... but you 'aren't allowed " to talk about the past records of ANY OTHER Candidates on stage ??? Really republicans >>>> This is the Kind of Banana Republic you Plan to Unleash on the rest of America... what a total bunch of Cowards ... Not sure what is in the DNA of an elected republican that Demands TAX Gifts to the rrich at the expense of the Poor .. and they are absolutely Proud of their Greedy Positions... thats whats really unfathomable.... but then.. this is Todays GOP we're talking about here.. this isn't the party of reagan anymore .. this is the new Party of Sharon Angle and Christine O'donnell ..I'm laughing because I never thought the republicans were so stupid as to Broadcast in such clear terms how they Hate Americans and are losers thru and through ....
Bain capital bought KB toys with 18 million of their own money and 305 million borrowed money. After taking control they borrowed another 65 million using KB assets as collateral and split it between the Bain capital partners as a special distribution. Later they declared bankruptcy due to company debts exceeding their ability to pay them. 3500 people were fired because Romney and his partners with little skin in the game destroyed a company for profit.
Well Said Larry ... The Country needs to see this as a reduced Equation in a bumper sticker... Bain is nothing more than funds transfer company .. bankrupting and firing along the way ... His version of Capitalism... I guess I could hold up banks and call it capitalism too
Larry: Let's not forget KB toys entered that agreement with full disclosure of what Bain's remuneration would be under any/all circumstances. Why did they sign the contract? Was it to infuse money into their failing company? Was it to expand? I don't know, but they took the risk by signing with Bain, fully knowing the consequences.
If they signed because it was their last chance to keep the company going, then as a business that was a risk they took on. If it was to expand, then again, it was a risk they took on.
Sometimes signing on with a company like Bain gets you out of trouble and sometimes it takes you down the ugliest of roads. Do you think the companies that take this risk are not aware of the risk? Do you think Bain comes in and makes promises and then negates on the promise? Don't you think there are lawyers who read these contracts and explain the risks?
When you buy a house, don't you do due diligence in hopes of getting the best deal for you money? Conversely, don't you think the seller wants to get the most profit possible?
FreedomRingsLoud is my hero!
Why aren't they attacking Obama for his policies? Oh, that's right, because they were GOP policies 10 years ago. Get a clue.
Because doing so would be a violation of the rules set for this particular debate.
Obama is a candidate.
I believe the purpose of the rule was to force the candidates to focus on their own policies WITHOUT comparing themselves to anyone else. It tests the candidate's preparedness to actually solve problems, rather than deflecting to someone else's alleged failure to do so.
Simply put, Gingrich failed that test.