Newt "I Did No Lobbying" Gingrich pitched consulting clients to Florida lawmakers (2006)

[seafan]

But, Gingrich flatly insists that he "never lobbied" after he left office.

This man is a well-practiced liar.



November 29, 2011 via NPR:

BLUFFTON, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich says he didn't need to be a lobbyist after his congressional career because he was paid so handsomely merely to give speeches.

The former House speaker has raked in millions of dollars at his network of for-profit consulting firms, think tanks and speaking engagements. During a meeting with South Carolina voters at a shopping center Tuesday, he confronted a suggestion that he sought to turn his tenure as the House's top Republican into a role of for-hire powerbroker.

"I did no lobbying of any kind — period," Gingrich said. "I'm going to be really direct, OK? I was charging $60,000 a speech. And the number of speeches was going up, not down. Normally, celebrities leave and they gradually sell fewer speeches every year. We were selling more."

The legal definition of lobbying is fairly narrow, encompassing only those who directly contact members of Congress or executive branch officials in an attempt to influence them. Many ex-lawmakers decline to do that kind of work, but instead offer their advice to groups that do lobby, as Gingrich did in the case of Freddie Mac.

.....

Audio: Gingrich pitched consulting clients to Florida lawmakers (2006)

By Alex Leary
November 30, 2011

Newt Gingrich specifically urged the Florida Legislature to consider projects initiated by clients of his Center for Health Transformation, an audio recording of the 2006 meeting shows.

The audio raises more questions about Gingrich's claims to have never engaged in lobbying. The 2006 health "summit" was noted in a New York Times story tonight. The Buzz tracked down the audio, which was archived on the Florida House website.

"We urge you look to look at a Travelocity model of buying drugs with real-time information, building with what you've already done with My Florida Rx," Gingrich told a packed audience in the Florida House chamber. "And we've worked with MedImpact to design a model that we think will take 40 percent out of the cost of buying drugs." (audio excerpt here)

Later, Gingrich said he would "commend" the lawmakers (and adds that he directly asked then-House Speaker Allan Bense) to consider a diabetes project another client, Novo Nordisk, and was doing with Georgia. (audio excerpt here)

.....

The complete audio of Gingrich's speech, which includes a glowing shout-out to speaker-in-waiting Marco Rubio, is here.

And, today:


Fla poll: Gingrich 41%, Romney 17, Cain 13

November 30, 2011

A Nov. 29 InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research poll )MoE +/- 4 percent of registered Florida Republicans for the Times-Union finds Newt Gingrich leading Mitt Romney in Florida by more than two-to-one, with 41 percent support to Romney's 17 percent. Businessman Herman Cain had 13 percent support, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry had 7 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul 4 percent, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann 3 percent, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum 1 percent.

The bigger and more blatant the liar, the more Republicans in Florida support the candidate.



The moral rot of this party is beyond comprehension.

[limpyhobbler]

1. not Newt's fault - he does not have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. n/t

[Major Hogwash]

2. Pathological is what the psychologists call it. The inability to care about telling the truth.

Many psychopaths are pathological liars.
Gingrich is one, for sure.