Gingrich pushes back against Mandela critics. (surprisingly cool statements, perfect for quoting)

I read yesterday that Newt Gingrich was one of the early Republican supporters of the anti-Apartheid movement. His statements in this article are a perfect rebuttal for tea party types, and it comes from one of their own.

Newt Gingrich is fighting back against conservative critics who attacked the former Speaker of the House and co-host of CNN's “Crossfire” for his praise of Nelson Mandela.

After Mandela passed away Thursday, Gingrich posted a statement, praising him as "one of the greatest leaders of our lifetime."

The right-wing response was overwhelmingly reproachful

SNIP

But Gingrich shot back with a statement Saturday, challenging his critics to ask themselves what they would have done in Mandela's shoes.

"Some of the people who are most opposed to oppression from Washington attack Mandela when he was opposed to oppression in his own country. After years of preaching non-violence, using the political system, making his case as a defendant in court, Mandela resorted to violence against a government that was ruthless and violent in its suppression of free speech," he wrote.

He went on to compare Mandela to the Founding Fathers and the farmers who took up arms at Lexington and Concord in the Revolutionary War. He praised the former South African president for his calls for reconciliation, his Christian faith and his turn from Communism to opening South Africa up to free enterprise. Continued at the link: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/07/gingrich-pushes-back-against-mandela-critics/?hpt=hp_t3

From what I read in another article today, Mandela wasn't a communist but rather joined forces with a leading communist to fight apartheid. At the time he openly said he wasn't a communist. More on that in this article (It's a rebuttal piece that looks at rw claims about Mandela) http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/06/world/africa/nelson-mandela-other-side/index.html