**Update below – Rush “rocked”**
Newt Gingrich’s campaign admitted Wednesday night the former House speaker was inaccurate when he claimed his team offered several witnesses to ABC News to refute statements made by Gingrich’s second wife in a controversial interview aired last week. [...] On Wednesday, however, the campaign conceded the candidate was wrong, both in his debate answer and in his interview with CNN on Tuesday. – TRENDING: Gingrich campaign admits error
I’ve been waiting for Newt Gingrich to step in it and it’s happened.
It’s reminiscent of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Bosnia disaster, which came at a critical time, even though David Plouffe’s caucus strategy would easily outplay Mark Penn’s political malpractice and lack of preparation, credit and blame given fully and without flinching in my new book.
Will it be enough to blow Gingrich out in Florida? It should, because it’s representative of everything about him. But who knows, it’s a wacky year and Republican primary voters haven’t cared so far about anything but satisfying their emotions. It also depends if Mitt Romney or his Super PAC jumps on this, but I’d bet they will, because if I were running his strategy, I’d cranked up the ad machine and get one out post haste.
The revelation that Gingrich lied and tried to disgrace a good reporter, John King, with many in the media playing along, should be instructive to people. It didn’t seem to matter that King is a veteran reporter who had never been challenged before, though I wasn’t one of them, standing up for King’s clear decision to ask Gingrich about the hottest story of the day. Anyone looking at trends across the web, even places like Memeorandum, would have seen the proof. I believed he should have challenged Gingrich when he attacked him, and you can argue about starting with the question on Marianne Gingrich, but it’s King’s call and there’s nothing in his history that even hints he’s unethical, biased to one party or another, or isn’t good at his job.
Oh, if only there was a thought bubble above Pres. Reagan's head...
This latest embarrassment comes after a reader pointed me to Elliott Abrams’ piece yesterday and though I hold Mr. Abrams in particular contempt (see Iran-contra, for which Ronald Reagan deserved to be impeached), when it comes to the Reagan era he’s a source with deep knowledge.
“Measured against the scale and momentum of the Soviet empire’s challenge, the Reagan administration has failed, is failing, and without a dramatic change in strategy will continue to fail. . . . President Reagan is clearly failing.” – Newt Gingrich
Newt is getting carpet-bombed by the conservative chattering class and no one deserves it more. Who would know better about unethical gasbags than Tom Delay? From Politico:
“He’s not really a conservative. I mean, he’ll tell you what you want to hear. He has an uncanny ability, sort of like Clinton, to feel your pain and know his audience and speak to his audience and fire them up. But when he was speaker, he was erratic, undisciplined.” – Drudge, conservative media criticize Newt Gingrich
But have you seen BuzzFeed’s contribution on Newt, complete with art?
Ann Coulter, a Romney gal, delivers the best anti-Newt case there is: Reelect Obama Vote Newt! Mitt Romney’s got humongous general election challenges against Pres. Obama, but there is little doubt that Newt as the nominee would result in a Goldwater type landslide and for good reasons.
Newt Gingrich in the White House would be more dangerous than Sarah Palin.
UPDATE: Listening to Rush Limbaugh’s first hour, a regular habit during election season, this one has been stunning. “It’s happening…” Rush began today, talking about Newt being taken out in Florida; with Gingrich slamming Reagan something he said he didn’t know, being very defensive about it. “We can’t keep up with them starting in March,” Rush Limbaugh said before last break, talking about if the GOP nominee is picked early. This came after he said he was “stunned” at the revelations about Newt on Ronald Reagan. “World rocked about now…” then went to commercial break. … “Snerdly’s chin is on the floor,” Rush continues, after playing a clip of Newt Gingrich saying he was a Rockefeller Republican.
I emailed that Abrams article to a friend of mine who is a Newt fan and I’m awaiting a reply. I will let you know what she says. Of course, this is not scientific by any means but she’s one of those ones that thinks or has thought in the past that Newt was absolutely great and should be given credit for everything that happened in the 90′s. These people conveniently forget everything nutty Gingrich said and did back then.
Delay is wrong. Newt Gingrich is no Bill Clinton. Newt fires up crowds with crazy like “Kenyan muslim socialist” crap and doesn’t make the case for any issues or explain how things work like Clinton is able to do.
Can’t wait to hear what she says…
She’s saying he’s “controversial” and that Newt will criticize either party for the good of the country. So did I miss where Newt is now running against the GOP? She still thinks that Clinton got credit for Newt’s work. I have told her that Newt voted against the things that Clinton did but for some reason that just doesn’t penetrate. I think Newt has the hardcore Bush bots. They are drawn to him for some reason.
hmmm.. newt is trying to act presidential in fl whiel his numbers there are slipping. the gop est is freaked about newt winning- but arent they freaked by mitt as well? i mean good grief the man is tone deaf and damaged badly now with all these mini scandals
“Mini scandals”?
Like what?
That he’s a rich Cayman fat cat with a Swiss bank account?
Neither of which is illegal and is something the rich, Dem & GOPer alike, do.
If I were a conservative, Coulter’s twisted logic about Romney would convince me even more that he has no core values. I think I would see Coulter’s commentary and condescending and certainly wouldn’t make me want to vote for Mitt. The GOP created a monster called Coulter and now they are going to have to live with the consequences just like they created a monster called Newt.
I’m going to disagree with you on one thing re: Ann Coulter. She created herself out of one of the most masterful self-promotion plans ever witnessed, especially for a chick. Let me tell you how hard it is to do what she’s done, though she’s fallen an awfully long way from her syndication glory days. She’s an entrepreneurial genius. Her speaking fees used to be sky high, which isn’t an easy feat, trust me.
An article I wrote in 2006, which was posted on Yahoo! News
“Her speaking fees used to be sky high”
Hehehe…sez it all don’t it.
i hope this comes up tonight- mitt is sending out mailers attacking newt’s “mental stability.” yikes. newt is many things but hel he aint mentally unstable. he just needs to cut the frontrunner act potus crap crap NOW. newt would relish in taking down mitt on this attac deemed low all around today
Rush is ranting about the “mental stability” as I write this…
oh im sure newt is prayin for the to pop up tonight. the flyers are abhorrent- implying mental illness is a sick thing
Art~ I am not sure Newt is mentaly stable. There is a tendency towards mania. He is a narcissist for sure even though that has been dropped from the PDR as a personality disorder because it is so prevelent in our culture.
Meh Lake Lady, as willing as I am to go for the verbal flame thrower, just ask Ms. Marsh, I am very reticent to play arm-chair psychiatrist. Unless you can tick off the symptoms off the most recent DSM-IV, I would give that stuff a miss.
That Mitt is suggesting that Newt is mentally ill reeks of flop-sweat and desperation with his political team. Nasty stuff, and very likely to boomerang as voters already are looking for a reason to dislike Willard.
I have no real clue to how all the moving parts work in the Sunshine state, especially since the deck is stacked with so many wild cards. But I can see rural, white, evangelical voters flocking to Newt just so they stick it to the smarmy, plastic, weather-vane that is Willard Mitt Romney.
I’m with Madam Mayor, because his narcissism is way past just regular political self-involvement, bordering on psychosis.
DSM-IV-TR 301.81
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
It is also a requirement of DSM-IV that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfies a set of general personality disorder criteria.
A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.
Narcissistic personality disorder
Last reviewed: November 14, 2010.
Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition in which people have an inflated sense of self-importance and an extreme preoccupation with themselves.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The causes of this disorder are unknown. An overly sensitive personality and parenting problems may affect the development of this disorder.
Symptoms
A person with narcissistic personality disorder may:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, narcissistic personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment
Psychotherapy (for example, talk therapy) may help the affected person relate to other people in a more positive and compassionate way.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outcome depends on the severity of the disorder.
Complications
Have at it Taylor, Lake Lady. Submit your report ( ten pages, with references) by the end of February.
Rush, the Oxycontin junkie* is ranting about mental stability?? Wow, just wow.
*Taking Oxy to the point of deafness at least qualifies Rush as a substance abuser, and his plea bargain did include treatment for Oxy addiction; so no need to reach for a DSM-IV.
Hmm…if Newt doesnt make it in Florida, it won’t be because he supposedly lied to poor Jon King. The main point of that dustup was the appropriateness and timing of the question King posed. Taylor, it is also very curious that you pull out the “gasbag” Tom Delay, a convicted felon, as a credible witness against Newt. It ain’t Newt heading to jail.
Conservatives like Dudge quoted him. I also wrote: Who would know better about unethical gasbags than Tom Delay?
No, Newt made it about King, who was doing his job. The story was the biggest thing that day & he was correct in asking the question. Don’t like it, then don’t behave in a manner that makes your “family values” prattle & “sanctity of marriage” marketing hypocritical.
The reason it’s dangerous –see updated about Rush Limbaugh above– is that it CONFIRMS the perception of Gingrich. That’s what’s a killer.
I’m running low on popcorn; better dash over to Costco and stock up…
Just to be on the safe side Tpaz, I would not have “Reagan” be part of any drinking game that goes with your Orville Redenbacher. Granted, Costco can supply the ginormous size of hard liquor that such a game would entail, but pity your poor head, and your poor liver.
I’ll take conservative sips.
It’s make or break tonight for the Newtster.
Hehehehe. He’s a consummate liar. He’ll put his foot in it some how.
Wonder it “we put the media on notice” that he wanted his minions free to gibber and squeal? I LOVE the royal WE.