Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Sirota - Is Newt Gingrich really outraged about corruption?

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU
 
realFedUp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:14 AM
Original message
Sirota - Is Newt Gingrich really outraged about corruption?
http://www.workingforchange.com/blog/

Sirotablog
David Sirota
Real-world wisdom from outside the beltway.
1.5.06

Is Newt Gingrich really outraged about corruption?

Really, I must say, the media never ceases to set the bar ever lower these days. Case in point is the pooh-poohing of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R), as he feigns outrage at the GOP for its corruption scandals. How anyone at all could view this as anything other than the most rank and shameless form of revisionist history by a guy desperate to clean his record for a run for president is absolutely beyond comprehension.
As just one of the many examples of the coverage of Gingrich these days, take the Washington Post breathlessly reporting on a speech the former House Speaker gave yesterday. "The dire alarm the former speaker sounded, calling the scandal 'central to the survival of the United States' and 'a serious, profound challenge"'to our system of government." The Post continued, noting Gingrich said, "The Abramoff scandal has to be seen as part of a much larger and deeper problem... a system of corruption." The article ends with Gingrich claiming that Republicans under his tutelage "arrived here as a reform party" and that he is lamenting the GOP's corrupt ways - as if he had nothing to do with them. This is all, mind you, being swallowed whole throughout the media without one ounce of context.

So let's just take a little walk down memory lane - a walk that would take reporters all of 5 seconds on Yahoo to find when they report on people like Gingrich who are supposedly outraged about the corruption. Is Newt Gingrich really outraged? Or was Newt Gingrich the very man who actually created this culture of corruption to begin with? Let's take a look:

GINGRICH STARTED THE K STREET PROJECT: "Starting in the mid-1990s, some Republicans, including then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and DeLay, have advocated tracking the political affiliation of lobbyists, as part of an effort to place more conservatives on K Street."

continued
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
MessiahRp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:17 AM
Response to Original message
1. A little bit of irony here. He can show all the outrage he wants...
Edited on Thu Jan-05-06 11:18 AM by MessiahRp
But he helped usher this Republican reign of power in. So he is rather guilty of helping create this culture of corruption.

Rp
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
thebigidea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:18 AM
Response to Original message
2. Andrea Mitchell was whoring it up bigtime yesterday
casting him as a "reformer."

Tweety got all coy and cutesty, hinted at shennanigans, but went right along with her in not mentioning his bit of scandal.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Imagine My Surprise Donating Member (938 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:19 AM
Response to Original message
3. He's probably about as outraged over Congressional corruption
...as the Pope is over the spread of Catholocism.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
RobertSeattle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:23 AM
Response to Original message
4. Should be a must read
Don't allow Newt to spin this into he being the "good cop".

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Benhurst Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:24 AM
Response to Original message
5. He's as outraged as he was
Edited on Thu Jan-05-06 11:36 AM by Benhurst
over Clinton doing the dirty deed with Monica, while he was boinking a young member of his staff over on Capitol Hill.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
havocmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:33 AM
Response to Original message
6. There's a clue in his name. Newts like to hide and sneak about
Edited on Thu Jan-05-06 11:35 AM by havocmom
for their own purposes. They are not a highly developed species. They are not known for altruism. They shy away from light and open exposure.

Lets work on getting as much light on the reptile in fancy suits as possible. We need to help raise the collective awareness of this man's real nature. Plenty of lurkers here for an education.

Newt told wife A he was dumping her for new model while wife A was in a hospital bed recovering from a mastectomy. Wife B was also pitched for a different female, she should have know he was a bounder, so not as much sympathy for her, still, shows how he cheats.

Newt ran classes for pols, teaching them truth does not matter as much as repetition of the same lie by a whole cadre of people. Gee, doesn't THAT sound like part of the reason we are in the mess we are in NOW?

Newt fumed on Air Force One because Clinton did not invite him up to the Presidential cabin for drinks and chat while Clinton was busy working of remarks for the overseas state funeral he was kind enough to give some Congressional leaders (regardless of party) a lift to. Newt is a VERY small man with a VERY exaggerated ego and need for personal attention. (Might explain why he goes through women too;) )

While in Congress, I believe Newt's home district got the biggest amount of pork of any district. That is OK for a congressman, his job is to do right by his constituents. But it shows a sort sighted greed and failure to grasp the Big Picture we need in a national leader. And make no mistake about it, the Newt wants to be the guy in the Presidential Cabin on Air Force One. He thinks he has what it takes to be our national leader. He thinks all it takes is the ability to turn every event into a win for Newt. He has yet to demonstrate any tendency to think and act for the better good of all.

Expose the little reptile. Shine LOTS of light on him. Force him back under his rock.

edit: typo
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
realFedUp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:33 AM
Response to Original message
7. Who is Newt working for these days? nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
havocmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:37 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. Same as always: Newt. (n/t)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
realFedUp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 01:33 PM
Response to Reply #9
12. how does he make money? nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
RaleighNCDUer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:43 AM
Response to Reply #7
11. Same person he always did -- himself. nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Spinzonner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:35 AM
Response to Original message
8. Upset that he didn't get in on the big action
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
erpowers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 11:41 AM
Response to Original message
10. Not At All
I was thinking yesterday that it is funny that scandals in Washington makes everyone a liberals and they all of a sudden want campaign finance reform.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cookiebird Donating Member (135 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 01:46 PM
Response to Original message
13. Yeppers, Newt.
Calling him a reptile is a complement. The reptiles are annoyed.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
gratuitous Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 01:56 PM
Response to Original message
14. Newt is shocked, shocked! to find corruption in DC
Just as Capt. Reynaud was shocked to find gambling going on at Rick's in Casablanca.

Why would anyone put this disgraced, scandal-ridden vermin on the air, much less be interested in anything he thinks about corruption, which he practiced so deftly while he had his grubby little mitts on the levers of power?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
formercia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 01:56 PM
Response to Original message
15. The same Newt Gingrich on the Defense Policy Board?
Edited on Thu Jan-05-06 01:58 PM by formercia
right in the nest of cockaroaches that came up with the plan to invade Iraq? Yeah, right Newt.

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1203

He's just pissed because they were acting stupid and got caught.

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
bvar22 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 01:59 PM
Response to Original message
16. He DID make an interesting proposal:
Edited on Thu Jan-05-06 02:39 PM by bvar22
Newt said he supported a plan to OUTLAW Corporate (special interest) lobbying in WashDC. He said that the reps should at least be forced to go home to collect their money from local reps.

I don't believe that this would actually stop the bribe money from finding its way into our reps pockets, but it would force them to actually take care of business in DC instead of attending the never ending special interest "fund raising" that dominates DC 24/7. It would also allow for closer observation by the people these guys are supposed to represent.

I found this proposal interesting.
I find Newt nauseating.


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.


In EVERY case, "Barriers to Trade" and "Restrictions on Corporations" were created to protect something valuable!


Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
formercia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 02:21 PM
Response to Reply #16
18. He wants to cut it off before the 2006 elections so Dems
can't benefit.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
radio4progressives Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-05-06 02:16 PM
Response to Original message
17. K&R
:applause:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Tue Apr 30th 2024, 07:06 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC