Sirota - Is Newt Gingrich really outraged about corruption?

[realFedUp]

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

[MessiahRp]

1. A little bit of irony here. He can show all the outrage he wants...

But he helped usher this Republican reign of power in. So he is rather guilty of helping create this culture of corruption.

Rp

[thebigidea]

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.

[Imagine My Surprise]

3. He's probably about as outraged over Congressional corruption

...as the Pope is over the spread of Catholocism.

[RobertSeattle]

4. Should be a must read

Don't allow Newt to spin this into he being the "good cop".

[Benhurst]

5. He's as outraged as he was

over Clinton doing the dirty deed with Monica, while he was boinking a young member of his staff over on Capitol Hill.

[havocmom]

6. There's a clue in his name. Newts like to hide and sneak about

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

[realFedUp]

7. Who is Newt working for these days? nt

[havocmom]

9. Same as always: Newt. (n/t)

[realFedUp]

12. how does he make money? nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Same person he always did -- himself. nt

[Spinzonner]

8. Upset that he didn't get in on the big action

[erpowers]

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.

[cookiebird]

13. Yeppers, Newt.

Calling him a reptile is a complement. The reptiles are annoyed.

[gratuitous]

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?

[formercia]

15. The same Newt Gingrich on the Defense Policy Board?

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.

[bvar22]

16. He DID make an interesting proposal:

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!

[formercia]

18. He wants to cut it off before the 2006 elections so Dems

can't benefit.

[radio4progressives]

17. K&R

:applause: