Newt

[we vs us]

I don't understand why you aren't a writer for one of the MSNBC commentators.  You missed your calling.

As far as "star power"?  Star power is how we wound up with someone with zero leadership skills.  But he sure looks good and sounds good!

Well geez, I appreciate that whole MSNBC thing. . .  I think . . . .

I mean "star power" as in media friendly but also broadly respected within the GOP factions.  They ARE out there.  Christie is one.  Rubio, young as he is, is another.  Mitch Daniels is another.  Even Ryan, who the left loathes, projects well on TV and is being heralded by all parts of the GOP as a major thought leader.  All of these guys took a pass on 2012 and I can't figure out why.  Romney has always been a weak contender, and the rest of the field has also always been weak (you only have to look at how many times one has been up -- and then down -- over the others to see how fluid the field has been).  It's been a great opportunity for someone who is strong in personality and message to come in and sweep the field.  And I still can't figure why those guys stayed on the sidelines this time around.  

IMO, there're two reasons:  1) Obama still has a gajillion dollars behind and a campaign organization that is one of the best in history.  If the GOP "slam dunk"  guys wait till 2016 O will be gone for good and they can have an open field to fight against.  2) the GOP caucus itself is split in such a way that it may not be able to be bridge the two halves effectively, either during an election or during a possible administration, and the star power guys understood that sticking their hands into the shark tank such as it exists now would be nothing but painful. 

[guido911]

That was age and a general rebuke of anyone who had been perceived as participating in the economic collapse. McCain was unfairly characterized as having supported and represented those policies but so was anyone his age. And lots of folks on both sides of the aisle paid for those perceptions. His real failure was in campaigning. "Uhhh...that one....

Leadership is a subjective quality. I obviously think Obama led well during a difficult period of time and that he did so with entrenched opposition and impatient followers a massive majority in the House and a filibuster proof Senate.

You know, leadership can be negative (Newt) which is less than zero if my math serves.

FIFY

[AquaMan]

FIFY

Well, thanks, I think. Its good we have common ground. You could have just added that phrase and the sentence would have been even more accurate.

How are you feeling about Newt, btw? Do you believe he is the one?

[Red Arrow]

Being the only speaker of the house ever convicted on ethics charges when the vote was 395-28 ought to end it right there, but apparently we've decided as a country that we don't care.

Not having a photographic memory, I decided to check up on which of the charges Newt was convicted.


From Wikipedia:

Ethics sanctions
Eighty-four ethics charges were filed against Speaker Gingrich during his term, including claiming tax-exempt status for a college course run for political purposes. Following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee Gingrich was sanctioned US$300,000 on a 395-28 House vote.[66] Gingrich acknowledged in January 1997 that "In my name and over my signature, inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable statements were given to the committee". [67] The House Ethics Committee concluded that inaccurate information supplied to investigators represented "intentional or ... reckless" disregard of House rules.[68] Special Counsel James M. Cole concluded that Gingrich violated federal tax law and had lied to the ethics panel in an effort to force the committee to dismiss the complaint against him. The full committee panel did not agree whether tax law had been violated[69] and left that issue up to the IRS.[70] In 1999, the IRS cleared the organizations connected with the "Renewing American Civilization" courses under investigation for possible tax violations.[71][72]

Leadership challenge
In the summer of 1997 several House Republicans, who saw Gingrich's public image as a liability, attempted to replace him as Speaker. The attempted "coup" began July 9 with a meeting of Republican conference chairman John Boehner of Ohio and Republican leadership chairman Bill Paxon of New York. According to their plan, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, Boehner and Paxon were to present Gingrich with an ultimatum: resign, or be voted out. However, Armey balked at the proposal to make Paxon the new Speaker, and told his chief of staff to warn Gingrich about the attempted coup.[73]
On July 11, Gingrich met with senior Republican leadership to assess the situation. He explained that under no circumstance would he step down. If he was voted out, there would be a new election for Speaker, which would allow for the possibility that Democrats—along with dissenting Republicans—would vote in Dick Gephardt as Speaker. On July 16, Paxon offered to resign his post, feeling that he had not handled the situation correctly, as the only member of the leadership who had been appointed to his position—by Gingrich—instead of elected.[74]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt_Gingrich

Reference [74]:

In a case involving the ethics violations that led the House of Representatives to reprimand former Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997, the Internal Revenue Service has cleared a private foundation close to Mr. Gingrich of breaking tax laws.
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/04/us/irs-clears-foundation-linked-to-gingrich-s-ethics-dispute.html

I saw another reference, which I can not verify but do find plausible, that Newt basically signed something prepared by his lawyers with an error in it. That cost him $300,000.  His public image, earned or not, cost him the Speaker's chair and his seat in the house.

If you/we/I don't want Newt, let's reject him for real causes, not incomplete memories. 

[guido911]

Well, thanks, I think. Its good we have common ground. You could have just added that phrase and the sentence would have been even more accurate.

How are you feeling about Newt, btw? Do you believe he is the one?

Right now, I don't really care too much about an election nearly a year away. Trying to enjoy the CHRISTMAS season.

[Red Arrow]

Well geez, I appreciate that whole MSNBC thing. . .  I think . . . .

Even though we disagree on almost everything political, you do write well.

[RecycleMichael]

If you/we/I don't want Newt, let's reject him for real causes, not incomplete memories. 

Glad there is someone out there defending Newt. That gives the rest of us a chance to keep going.

Newt Gingrich was the most polarizing Congressman of the 1990s. Beyond that, he completely turned off his own party and they were willing to do anything to get rid of him. Remeber, the vote was 395 to 28. Many of the 28 who voted against were quoted saying they weren't happy with the dollar amount of his retribution.

The republicans were in charge of the house and still this was an unprecedented smack to Gingrich. He was the first Speaker in the 208 year history of the House to be disciplined for ethical wrondoing. After he resigned as Speaker, Gingrich said of his fellow republicans, "I'm willing to lead, but I'm not willing to preside over people who are cannibals."

Senator Tom Coburn said this about Newt, "He's the last person I'd vote for for president of the United States."

Who are the ones with incomplete memories?

[AquaMan]

Right now, I don't really care too much about an election nearly a year away. Trying to enjoy the CHRISTMAS season.

I'm such a backslider. Missed both parades, but did manage to buy a tree, get an eye examination, and get new I-phones for the family. And some vodka to go with the egg nog.

[Red Arrow]

Glad there is someone out there defending Newt. That gives the rest of us a chance to keep going.

Keep going.  Just go on legitimate gripes.

[we vs us]

An interesting poll came out this weekend, pitting Romney and Gingrich against one another in some of the upcoming primary states.  Romney's slipped a lot in some cases, and Gingrich is giving him a run for his money.  I can't tell you whether that has to do with Gingrich's pluses or Romney's minuses, but either way it's looking like Gingrich at the very least be competitive. 

Another interesting data point:  as a snapshot of this slice of the election season, Obama beats both Romney and Gingrich in some pretty red states -- South Carolina and Florida.  Obama beats the pants off of Gingrich, and edges Romney.  Obviously it's way too far way to use this as gospel, but it does put an interesting spin on who might be more electable in the general vs the primary.  This points towards the conventional wisdom.  Romney would be the general candidate most likely to give Obama a good run; Gingrich is decidedly not that guy. 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/elections/

[heironymouspasparagus]

An interesting poll came out this weekend, pitting Romney and Gingrich against one another in some of the upcoming primary states.  Romney's slipped a lot in some cases, and Gingrich is giving him a run for his money.  I can't tell you whether that has to do with Gingrich's pluses or Romney's minuses, but either way it's looking like Gingrich at the very least be competitive. 

Another interesting data point:  as a snapshot of this slice of the election season, Obama beats both Romney and Gingrich in some pretty red states -- South Carolina and Florida.  Obama beats the pants off of Gingrich, and edges Romney.  Obviously it's way too far way to use this as gospel, but it does put an interesting spin on who might be more electable in the general vs the primary.  This points towards the conventional wisdom.  Romney would be the general candidate most likely to give Obama a good run; Gingrich is decidedly not that guy. 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/elections/

Thank God!!

There may be hope for us yet.

[guido911]

Just read that Gary Busey is holding off on endorsing Newt.

[Gaspar]

Just read that Gary Busey is holding off on endorsing Newt.

. .{Biting my nails in anxious anticipation}. .

[Townsend]

He might as well film himself romantically with a chicken because this Southern Fried is done.


Newt Gingrich: 'CNN is less biased than Fox'

In what some might consider an act of GOP political suicide, Newt Gingrich slammed Fox News earlier this week, saying that the cable news channel has favored Mitt Romney throughout the 2012 Republican race—and that CNN has been the more "fair-and-balanced" network this cycle.

"I think Fox has been for Romney all the way through," Gingrich said during a meeting with tea party leaders in Delaware on Wednesday, according RealClearPolitics.com, which said it was granted access to the private event. "In our experience, Callista and I both believe CNN is less biased than Fox this year. We are more likely to get neutral coverage out of CNN than we are of Fox, and we're more likely to get distortion out of Fox. That's just a fact."

The former House Speaker blasted the Roger Ailes-led network, blaming Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of Fox News-owner News Corp., for the bias.

"I assume it's because Murdoch at some point said, 'I want Romney,' and so 'fair and balanced' became 'Romney,'" Gingrich said. "And there's no question that Fox had a lot to do with stopping my campaign because such a high percentage of our base watches Fox."

"This is nothing other than Newt auditioning for a windfall of a gig at CNN—that's the kind of man he is," a spokeswoman for Fox News responded in a statement to Yahoo News. "Not to mention, he's still bitter about the fact that we terminated his contributor contract." (Gingrich was dropped by Fox last year shortly before he announced his presidential bid.)

Gingrich added that he will attend the White House Correspondents' Association dinner later this month—as a guest of CNN.

"The only press events I go to are interesting dinners when the wife insists on it, so we're going to go to the White House Correspondents' dinner because she wants to. And we're actually going to go to CNN's table, not Fox."

[Conan71]

Chumming for a gig at CNN to help get him out of $4.5 mil of campaign debt?  Faux must have turned down his show proposal, eh Townsend?