When the bluster fades, this is Newt Gingrich
I didn’t watch last night’s umpteenth Republican presidential debate. I had a prior commitment with some poker-playing friends, although given the night’s outcome, watching the debate would have been a smarter financial option on my part.
By all accounts, Mitt Romney again took on the role of aggressor against Newt Gingrich, and Gingrich again shrank from the confrontation.
As Politico describes it, Gingrich “simply seemed worn out and off point. Gone was the brawler who could whip up the crowd. And it’s not quite clear where he went… he did not seem to be enjoying the heat of battle as in past debates.”
At one point, Gingrich reportedly tried to rebut a Romney attack by complaining to Mitt that “you’re very quick to draw the widest possible exaggeration,” which is truly priceless considering the source. I’m sorry I missed that moment.
The Washington Post was no more kind in its after-action report, concluding that “Gingrich was just plain off his game … looked less prepared and never really recovered.“
None of that surprises me. A strong showing in this last Florida debate was crucial to Gingrich, whose post-South Carolina momentum has faded in recent days. He needed another strong, aggressive showing and did not produce it, but that is consistent with his history.
At heart, Gingrich is a bully who backs down when confronted. He likes to challenge members of the media in public, safe in the knowledge that their profession does not allow them to return fire. He is well-skilled at creating and then dismantling strawmen. And he is supremely confident when he senses that he has succeeded in intimidating his target.
But when the critical moment comes, he deflates. As speaker, he shrunk from Bill Clinton, to the point that his aides and lieutenants didn’t want to have them in the same room lest a passive Gingrich agree to too much. In these debates, once Romney decided to fight back aggressively, Newt has repeatedly retreated. In the previous debate, he was left speechless and flustered by a pressing Romney, and apparently he still hasn’t recovered his bluster.
When asked last night to discuss his campaign-trail attacks on Romney’s bank accounts in Switzerland and the Caymans, Newt pulled a Pawlenty, explaining that “I’m perfectly happy to say that in an interview on some TV show, but this is a national debate where you have a chance to get the four of us to talk about a whole range of issues.”
To which Romney responded:
“Wouldn’t it be nice if people didn’t make accusations somewhere else that they weren’t willing to defend here?”
If and when the time came, Gingrich would have done the same when pitted against Barack Obama. In baseball, they say that a player is what his numbers say he is.
This is who Gingrich is.
– Jay Bookman
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674 comments Add your comment
Mick
January 27th, 2012
10:31 am
jc
My point is that when ron paul answers a question, he is so completely non poltical and folksy, you just have to laugh. I grade his foregn policy views A+ but on so many other issues, he makes me cringe…
Paul
January 27th, 2012
10:31 am
Granny
That’s about the only way I see to make an issue out of it. But… the block to all this tax reform simplification is, for generations Congress has used the tax code to further political goals, pay back supporters and gain support from key groups. Much of this reform would greatly, greatly reduce all that.
And if there are two things that motivate our Congress, it’s Money and Power.
Road Scholar
January 27th, 2012
10:32 am
Can Senator Rubio be VP? Was he born in this country? Seriously. I had read that he was born elsewhere. Does the VP have to be born in the US also?
ty webb
January 27th, 2012
10:33 am
so if one concedes this “unfairness” cockamamey nonsense, then mitt romney paying what is legally required of him by a tax code which he had nothing to do with crafting, should be held against him?
getalife
January 27th, 2012
10:34 am
Don’t you know by now the liberal media lies about the newt?
Adam
January 27th, 2012
10:35 am
Road Scholar: Apparently the criteria for VP is that you could also qualify for President. That means no previous terms as President, over age 35, and natural born citizen. I happen to think he was born in the US but it would be interesting to see how the right handles birther claims lobbed in THEIR direction.
Road Scholar
January 27th, 2012
10:35 am
getalife: I thought Newt lied enough by himself!
barking frog
January 27th, 2012
10:35 am
Road Scholar, the president must be a natural born citizen, the VP must
qualify to be President. Rubio was born here.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
10:36 am
ty: mitt romney paying what is legally required of him by a tax code which he had nothing to do with crafting, should be held against him?
FLAG!
He and other people in lobbying groups dealing with private equity had EVERYTHING to do with crafting the tax code he currently takes advantage of.
getalife
January 27th, 2012
10:37 am
Road Scholar,
Oh no, it is that danged liberal media bias.
In the mind of a con …………..
Road Scholar
January 27th, 2012
10:37 am
Adam: It was not intended to be a birther question, but an honest question. I wish I could remember where I saw the info.
willie lynch
January 27th, 2012
10:38 am
Newton looked so pitiful I almost felt bad for him but…nahhh.
ByteMe
January 27th, 2012
10:38 am
Adam, Jon Stewart did a whole thing on the whole “we’re just paying what the law says we should pay” a few nights ago, pointing out that Bain Capital lobbied to keep the rules in place a few years ago and Romney was running it and Romney then came out on TV and said he didn’t want to see the rules changed.
Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)
January 27th, 2012
10:38 am
Caustic, bitter, grumpy man.
Sad. Ego can take a person a long long way.
getalife
January 27th, 2012
10:40 am
I agree with ron paul about Cuba because of me.
I want to buy Cuban cigars legally.
It is all about me.
ty webb
January 27th, 2012
10:41 am
so, mitt romney is responsible for congressman of both parties not being able to refuse lobbyist’s influence while crafting/extending the tax code?
JOE Cool
January 27th, 2012
10:42 am
Road Scholar
January 27th, 2012
10:32 am
He could be VP just like Prez O and be Prez. Now the one issue comes up just like the birther issue, which is this Natural Born mess because from my understanding, his parents werent citizens at the time of his birth.
Mitt + Newt = MEWT
January 27th, 2012
10:42 am
When bullies grow old and frail their only victims are themselves. Fear and vulnerability paints warped haggardness upon their skin, and they become as ugly on the outside, as they are within.
willie lynch
January 27th, 2012
10:46 am
I thought Newts comments on his wife would bring to the position of First Lady were quite interesting. He listed all of her artistic accomplishments but mentioned nothing of her warmth or kindness. From the look on her face I imagine she was thinking he would have.
Mitt + Newt = MEWT
January 27th, 2012
10:48 am
Bullying is the manifestation of an infantile and primitive need to become the leader of the pack.
Newt the modern day bully believes he is a human being, but he is an animal.
Mick
January 27th, 2012
10:48 am
Rubio has some other problems like his house mortgage is underwater by about 100k and he has an equity line of 130k. This is a guy who is a fiscal conservative and preaches that gospel but personally?? No need to worry because he is writing a book, his con brethren will make sure he is rescued…
St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne
January 27th, 2012
10:49 am
Don’t give up on your man Newt, cons
don’t believe the lamestream media
he’s transformational
and besides, we’re skeered of Newt, yall said so
don’t run out on Newt, cons
Adam
January 27th, 2012
10:54 am
ty: so, mitt romney is responsible for congressman of both parties not being able to refuse lobbyist’s influence while crafting/extending the tax code?
Mitt Romney lobbied. Congressmen accepted campaign donations and gifts. In return, they did Mitt Romney and buddies a solid. It’s a perfectly legitimate business relationship, nothing sinister there, right?
WOODSTOCK MIKE
January 27th, 2012
10:54 am
Sad that Democrats focus on Mitt Romneys tax returns when this administration pisses away hundreds of millions on bogus companies… Here’s another Solyndra, we are at almost a cool billion dollars now in wasted money… You won’t hear a Democrat say a word about this, they would rather focus on rich people paying a higher tax rate…
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/electric-car-firm-received-biden-visit-and-118m-stimulus-funds-files-bankruptcy
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
January 27th, 2012
10:55 am
Mick,
Was Rubio underwater when he took the loan out? I guess you don’t know much about home prices in Florida.
Seems to me that if he is making his payments there isn’t a problem.
Normal
January 27th, 2012
10:55 am
USinUK,
I guess this is going on right now, but if you hear of it, please let me know…
Patriotic Millionaire Eric Schoenberg will be on BBC’s ‘World Have Your Say’ Program TV Broadcast tomorrow, Friday at 10 a.m. EST. Eric will be talking about how the world’s wealthiest people can give back to the rest of their society. Bill Gates was featured on the program yesterday along with Chris Kirubi, Kenya’s second richest man, Dr. Robert Kuhn, a wealthy investment banker from New York, and Steven Bell, a hedge fund manager from the UK — reaching an audience of over 300 million people! We are very excited to be a part of this — and I really hope you’ll tune in!
Mitt + Newt = MEWT
January 27th, 2012
10:55 am
The most effective way of dealing with a bully like Newt is to expose him to public ridicule.
Bullies can rebuff rebuke, but they cannot bear being laughed at.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
January 27th, 2012
10:56 am
“Mitt Romney lobbied. Congressmen accepted campaign donations and gifts. In return, they did Mitt Romney and buddies a solid. It’s a perfectly legitimate business relationship, nothing sinister there, right?”
Typical Democrat dillusion…
As if Obama hasn’t done the exact same thing, exactly the same thing…
(ir)Rational
January 27th, 2012
10:56 am
Mick – You’re right, cause NO ONE else in America has a mortgage that is upside down. Yep, that is a REAL issue to beat someone with for political office. Or was he supposed to be clairvoyant when he bought his house and know that the market was going to take a dump on him?
Also, do I detect a hint of derision that someone would try and make money by writing a book? But, isn’t that how Obama made his money? Surely not, cause only a “con” would try and make money by telling their life story.
JOE Cool – To be a natural born citizen, you just have to be born here, no matter where your parents are citizens, unless they’re working for a foreign government here at the time you’re born.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
10:56 am
WOODSTOCK: You won’t hear a Democrat say a word about this
From the SOTU:
Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. (Applause.) I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.
Thulsa Doom
January 27th, 2012
10:56 am
“He likes to challenge members of the media in public, safe in the knowledge that their profession does not allow them to return fire.”
Is this why you despise the man so much Jay? And for the record you count as a partisan member of the media, kinda like a Sean Hannity, so no one has a problem if you challenge him and go round and round. I’m just curious as to why you hate the man so much to the point of cheerleading his competition Romney who would absolutely defeat Obama in a general election.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
10:57 am
WOODSTOCK: As if Obama hasn’t done the exact same thing, exactly the same thing
Tu quoque fallacies will not help you here.
ragnar danneskjold
January 27th, 2012
10:58 am
My greatest concern about Mitt was not the genuineness of his conservatism – he has seemingly flipped the right way on every issue where he has changed his mind – but his willingness/capacity to point out the consistent errors of the Obama administration over the past three years. (Really, has he done anything right? Maybe the surge in Afghanistan, but that took him three months of dithering, same with the rebellion in Libya. Every other initiative was poorly considered, and has inflicted massive injury on the country.)
The coordinated attacks on Gingrich ease my mind on Romney – I now perceive his willingness to crush Obama with the truth (as he did with Gingrich) and to do so in a way that leaves no fingerprints. Mark of a genius-operator, which is consistent with his profile. I now declare myself a Romney-ite.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
10:58 am
(ir)Rational: Or was he supposed to be clairvoyant when he bought his house and know that the market was going to take a dump on him?
Did you see md’s take on this?
Thulsa Doom
January 27th, 2012
10:58 am
“I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China”
I see lots and lots and lots a them wind farms in China! Hell they got so many of them they’re parked right next to the Great Wall.
David Granger
January 27th, 2012
11:00 am
For the second time in his political career, it looks like Newt Gingrich is going to single-handedly revive the re-election prospects of a floundering Democratic president.
If Newt gets the Republican nomination, it’s all over…President Obama will coast to another fours years.
Mitt + Newt = MEWT
January 27th, 2012
11:00 am
Newt The Machiavellian bully misuses his intelligence to gain success, to tame his grandiosity and to charm his victims.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
11:01 am
Doom: I see lots and lots and lots a them wind farms in China!
Someone have a problem with the word “or”? Perhaps instead, you just don’t like the messenger and will say anything you think will get you ZING points?
Thulsa Doom
January 27th, 2012
11:01 am
“Mark of a genius-operator, which is consistent with his profile. I now declare myself a Romney-ite.”
He’s a smooth operator. Smooooooth operator.
Coast to coast LA to Chicago…. He’s a smooth operator.
(ir)Rational
January 27th, 2012
11:01 am
Adam – Nope, just got here. Can’t find it either. Was it today?
Joe Hussein Mama
January 27th, 2012
11:02 am
W. Lynch — “I thought Newts comments on his wife would bring to the position of First Lady were quite interesting. He listed all of her artistic accomplishments but mentioned nothing of her warmth or kindness. From the look on her face I imagine she was thinking he would have.”
That skank ought to be grateful for anything kind that anyone says about her.
Mick
January 27th, 2012
11:03 am
Guys – I merely mention that mr. fiscal conservative is not a shining example of his politics. Also, he has missed a few payments, maybe all of us should be writing books…
jewcowboy
January 27th, 2012
11:03 am
“Newton looked so pitiful I almost felt bad for him but…nahhh.”
On a conference call for Religious Right supporters Wednesday, Newt compared gay marriage to paganism.
“The effort to create alternatives to marriage between a man and a woman are perfectly natural pagan behaviors, but they are a fundamental violation of our civilization.”
The man can fester in the neck deep shyte of his own hypocrisy, affectation and pretentiousness and I will never feel an ounce of pity for him.
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
January 27th, 2012
11:04 am
C’mon Adam, You are the Zingmeister.
Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)
January 27th, 2012
11:04 am
Nice. Krugman at NYTimes lays out the case why Conservatives are economics challenged. Excellent op/ed piece.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/opinion/krugman-jobs-jobs-and-cars.html?_r=1&hp
Mitt + Newt = MEWT
January 27th, 2012
11:04 am
@David Granger
January 27th, 2012
11:00 am
For the second time in his political career, it looks like Newt Gingrich is going to single-handedly revive the re-election prospects of a floundering Democratic president.
If Newt gets the Republican nomination, it’s all over…President Obama will coast to another fours years.
*************************************************************
That’s RICH.
So Newt will be the reason Obama wins re-election?
What about……..Obama is the best candidate and he has people who still believe in him.
Duh!
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
January 27th, 2012
11:05 am
“Also, he has missed a few payments”
Source? Thank you.
Thulsa Doom
January 27th, 2012
11:05 am
Adam,
Lighten up. I’m just messin with ya and really I’m messing with Obama and his sotu and not really you. I don’t know that China has built a single wind farm. And the reality is that for all his mindless and illogical rhetoric China can produce just about anything cheaper than we can- especially solar panels. Solyndra proves that. We might have better technology but they can reverse engineer very well and when it comes to manufacturing components for wind farms or solar panels quite frankly I don’t see how we can compete with them. With that in mind that part of his speech is just blather.
MiltonMan
January 27th, 2012
11:05 am
Libs infected with Mad Cow Disease this morning??? They are all over themselves about the poor showing that Newtie had last night???
You would think that the clowns would want Newt running vs. their guy. Mitt will give Obozo a better fight than Newt.
Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)
January 27th, 2012
11:06 am
Thulsa, easy cowboy! Simmer down.
(ir)Rational
January 27th, 2012
11:07 am
Mick – So you’re just trying to make something out of nothing? Got it. Thanks for playing though.
Nope
January 27th, 2012
11:08 am
MiltonMan… “Obozo”? Morons like you never cease to amaze me. And I bet you think you are clever. Please. Crawl back under your rock.
md
January 27th, 2012
11:08 am
Romney running mate?
If he wants to hold true to his “outsider” meme, it won’t be anyone from DC…….my guess would be a governor……..
ty webb
January 27th, 2012
11:09 am
no,it’s not “sinister”, but for arguement’s sake, if it is, then those bought by the lobbyists are just as “sinister”…this includes both parties, and our President Obama…so if the “unfair” tax code and it’s extension, is a disqualifier for romney as a candidate, then it’s also a disqualifier for candidate Obama…I’m not saying you(adam) subscribe to that theory. My original comment on this issue was directed at those that do.
jewcowboy
January 27th, 2012
11:09 am
Thulsa Doom,
“I see lots and lots and lots a them wind farms in China!”
Hopefully you are not be sarcastic:
“China, which added 6.3GW, now has 12.2GW of capacity and the country has identified wind energy as a key growth component in its economic stimulus package. Li Junfeng, the head of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association, said new capacity would almost double again this year.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/03/wind-power-eu
“The country aims to have 100 gigawatts (GW) of on-grid wind power generating capacity by the end of 2015 and to generate 190 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of wind power annually, the China Securities Journal reported, citing a government plan.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/30/us-china-energy-renewable-idUSTRE77T0CM20110830
jewcowboy
January 27th, 2012
11:10 am
“Hopefully you are not be sarcastic”
be=being
Doing too many things at once. Multi-tasking=doing many things poorly.
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
January 27th, 2012
11:11 am
Mick,
Found some sources on my own. Not paying down the principal doesn’t mean he missed his payments unless he made partial payments.
The not paying his student loan at all is problematic for his political future.
Newtpewt
January 27th, 2012
11:11 am
If “Stinkrich” was on any sports team, the number on his jersey would be “0000.”
(ir)Rational
January 27th, 2012
11:11 am
md – You may be right, but I’m personally more interested in him picking the best candidate, not just the one from outside Washington.
Gator Joe
January 27th, 2012
11:12 am
Jay:
Some of your contributors persist in bringing up Solyndra. I’ll see their Solyndra and raise them one Bush/Cheney-Iraq.
Mitt + Newt = MEWT
January 27th, 2012
11:12 am
@Joe Hussein Mama
January 27th, 2012
11:02 am
W. Lynch — “I thought Newts comments on his wife would bring to the position of First Lady were quite interesting. He listed all of her artistic accomplishments but mentioned nothing of her warmth or kindness. From the look on her face I imagine she was thinking he would have.”
That skank ought to be grateful for anything kind that anyone says about her.
********************************************************************************************
Skank ……………………………That’s funnnnnny!
I goggled the word and it says a skank is (usually younger) female, implying trashiness or tackiness, lower-class …
jewcowboy
January 27th, 2012
11:13 am
The Dabancheng wind farm in China’s Xinjiang province:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/07/25/460dab.jpg
“It’s clear that China is taking on renewable energy projects at a fast pace. The country has doubled its installed wind power every year for the past five years and a new study shows the country should keep it up.”
http://ecogeek.org/wind-power/2948-china-could-replace-coal-with-wind
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
January 27th, 2012
11:14 am
Just keep those wind farms away from the Kennedy compound.
BTW – I find one wind turbine pretty cool, I find hundreds to look pretty ugly.
getalife
January 27th, 2012
11:14 am
It’s great we are talking about and investing in green energy.
Thank you President Obama.
Change.
md
January 27th, 2012
11:14 am
“Rubio has some other problems like his house mortgage is underwater by about 100k and he has an equity line of 130k. This is a guy who is a fiscal conservative and preaches that gospel but personally?? No need to worry because he is writing a book, his con brethren will make sure he is rescued…”
The question is “is he paying the bill?”……if the answer is yes, then what difference does it make?
And for Adam…….md is also upside down on his mortgage…….and paying the bill.
Unlike others here, I know what the risks are/were……and I CHOSE to play.
TaxPayer
January 27th, 2012
11:17 am
Mitt and Newt vied for the Pinball Wizard championship once again last night. I think they’re both violating the Fair Use rules. — The Who
Tom G
January 27th, 2012
11:19 am
Jay, apparently you do not care much for Newt, that is obvious. But you really do not like anyone who opposes your hero, the annointed one(Barrack Hussein Obama), right?
Gator Joe
January 27th, 2012
11:20 am
Jewishcowboy @ 11:13:
You’re wasting your time trying to educate the group your posts are aimed at. If it isn’t coming from Fox then they won’t accept it. Facts and the truth are “foreign” for these bigoted, narrow minded, brain-washed people.
md
January 27th, 2012
11:20 am
Calling BS on Adam’s lobbying claims……..did I miss the tax reform bill proposed by the dems when they had all the numbers during the first 2 years??
jewcowboy
January 27th, 2012
11:20 am
“I find hundreds to look pretty ugly.”
I find the shortening of 24,000 lives annually, fly ash spills, coal seam fires, mercury exposure and topsoil destruction a lot more ugly.
http://www.lungusa.org/assets/documents/healthy-air/toxic-air-report.pdf
getalife
January 27th, 2012
11:20 am
He shifted away from solar because we got our azzes kicked by China and India and moved to natural gas because the gop are on board.
This is a investment opportunity for those with money.
Quagmire
January 27th, 2012
11:20 am
@Thulsa Doom – Don’t quote the Beautiful Sade. She doesn’t like Neo-Cons. Plus, she wasn’t born in this country……………..according to the applesauce possee(birthers)
Stevie Ray
January 27th, 2012
11:21 am
GATORJOE,
You are correct to point out Bush/Cheney which can’t be denied. However, the record will reflect that BO is just as guilty in the cronyism department….you know, using our tax dollars to repay key financial donors. Do your really think one party has it over the other in the corruption respect? Suggest you look into where exactly $16 billion of stimulus cash for green tech crap went in terms of BO bundlers, former colleagues, and others aware of the value of these grants and loans…tip of the iceberg.
They are all the same….will say anything to get our votes but they all spend 30% of their time raising money that is repaid at our expense…
TaxPayer
January 27th, 2012
11:21 am
Aren’t the Republicans also looking at eliminating that mortgage interest deduction on primary residences as well as other residences in order to help fund their tax cuts. May as well. It’s not like that home ownership idea is working out for a lot of people anyway.
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
January 27th, 2012
11:21 am
I am all for Solar energy but it is just not viable at the moment. I think the discussion should be whether these loans should be given to Solar Companies that are essentially just manufacturing solar panels when there really isn’t any demand at the moment.
The only people who can get Solar are well off people using those terrible tax credits that everyone thinks is so unfair.
The money might be better served going toward R&D making Solar more cost efficient. Perhaps through college grants or NASA?
(ir)Rational
January 27th, 2012
11:22 am
md and Adam – I’m upside down on mine, although, if I were $100,000 upside down, I might just walk away. But only because the mortgage is only for about $120,000. Yeah, I’m paying it. Every month. I was late once, but then Mrs. (ir)Rational (actually then she was just my fiance) took over organizing the bills and I haven’t been late since. I pay it no matter what else I don’t pay that month (which usually means no fun, no gas to go see the family, and cheap food).
As far as Rubio goes, everybody has financial problems at some point in their life. The way I see it, the left would have a much harder time attacking Romney for being out of touch if he had Rubio (or someone like him) at his side. He is the son of immigrants. Worked his way up in life. And is going through the same type of financial problems that the rest of us are going through. Seems to me, he connects with a large part of the American public.
barking frog
January 27th, 2012
11:23 am
Newt’s moon colony may be where he intends to take his
portion of the Republican Party.
getalife
January 27th, 2012
11:25 am
Our economy is trending in the RIGHT direction so the cons lie about heading off the cliff.
That was w.
willard spews this lie and says our President did noit address our deficit.
Another lie.
Basically, willard has a major problem with the truth.
barking frog
January 27th, 2012
11:26 am
Ron Paul seems so organized, honest, and factual and
then..KABOOM..idiocy from nowhere.
Granny Godzilla
January 27th, 2012
11:26 am
Ener1 hearts them some Mitch Daniels……Read and learn.
Welcome to the Occupation
January 27th, 2012
11:27 am
A little poetic interlude for this Friday morning.
Which current American political party/candidate for the presidency do you think this poem might best apply to?
Step forward: we hear
That you are a good man.
You cannot be bought, but the lightning
Which strikes the house, also
Cannot be bought.
You hold to what you said.
But what did you say?
You are honest, you say your opinion.
Which opinion?
You are brave.
Against whom?
You are wise.
For whom?
You do not consider your personal advantages.
Whose advantages do you consider then?
You are a good friend.
Are you also a good friend of the good people?
Hear us then: we know.
You are our enemy. This is why we shall
Now put you in front of a wall. But in consideration
of your merits and good qualities
We shall put you in front of a good wall and shoot you
With a good bullet from a good gun and bury you
With a good shovel in the good earth.
Brecht
Thulsa Doom
January 27th, 2012
11:27 am
Finn McCool,
Let me help out Mr. Krugman aka he who continues to defend Obama’s failed Keynesian policies
“The Times last Sunday laid out the facts. Although Apple is now America’s biggest U.S. corporation as measured by market value, it employs only 43,000 people in the United States, a tenth as many as General Motors employed when it was the largest American firm.”
43,000 jobs is 43,000 jobs Mr. Krugman.
“Apple does, however, indirectly employ around 700,000 people in its various suppliers. Unfortunately, almost none of those people are in America.”
Well of course Mr. Krugman. Or Apple could make the entire I-phone here instead of overseas and the cost would only be something crazy like $1600. And if they did that nobody would be employed for them- not the 700,000 overseas or the 43,000 here.
Then Mr. Krugman talks about clustering, the success of German exporting, etc. Lemme help you out there Mr. Krugman. In economics we are in fact familiar with clustering. Kinda like the clustering we see in Silicon valley, or closer to home the carpet industry in dalton, ga. or the historic mfg base of the U.S. in the midwestern cities. And China clusters also with the industrial heartland of Manchuria.
Mr. Krugman than goes on to extoll Germany’s great export economy some more. Mr. Krugman sir did you forget that Germany is the world’s leader in solar and wind power technology? And that it is heavily “subsidized” which is a point of great debate right now in Germany. Forgot about subsidized German steel too did you???
Its a shame when a former Nobel prize winner in economics has reduced himself to such drivel that someone with a mere bachelor’s degree can destroy his simpleton points in a matter of moments.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
January 27th, 2012
11:27 am
@ADAM
“WOODSTOCK: As if Obama hasn’t done the exact same thing, exactly the same thing
Tu quoque fallacies will not help you here.”
Are you really implying that Obama hasn’t taken care of people who took care of him? Wow…
Stevie Ray
January 27th, 2012
11:27 am
ADAM,
Perhaps I misunderstood. Are you suggesting that BO and democrats in particular have less culpability taking advantage of the corrupt system to their benefit? BO’s cronyism, bulls&iting for votes and the insider trading are the only bi-partisan events on the DC scene today…Why do you suppose your pal hasn’t delivered on say…for example an encompassing immigration policy as promised? Did you know he didn’t invite a single border governor to his “summitt”? He did however invite Eva Longoria….Look into Goldman Sachs and the comings and goings of appointees between BO’s watch….Look up where most of the stimulus for green crap was doled out to….Be real.
getalife
January 27th, 2012
11:28 am
Lets fact check every willard lie last night in the debate.
willard just can’t tell the truth. Period.
He will lose.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 27th, 2012
11:28 am
MEWT — “I goggled the word and it says a skank is (usually younger) female, implying trashiness or tackiness, lower-class …”
Well, Callista is significantly younger than Newt. And as far as trashy or tacky goes, she’s certainly got that wrapped up, seeing how she hopped in the sack with married-guy Newt, got him to dump his wife, convert to Catholicism and now apparently expects to become First Lady.
Calling her a skank is mild criticism, IMO.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
January 27th, 2012
11:29 am
“Our economy is trending in the RIGHT direction so the cons lie about heading off the cliff.”
GDP numbers came out today worse than expected but this guy above lives in the Democrat fantasy world where everything is just find and dandy!! LOL
yuzeyurbrane
January 27th, 2012
11:29 am
On point. I am an Obama supporter and understand that some hope Newt wins the Repub nomination because he would be easier to defeat. But Newt is such a dangerous demagogue that I prefer, for the sake of the country, that Romney dispatch him quickly. Let’s not take chances with his sort.
Thulsa Doom
January 27th, 2012
11:29 am
Quagmire,
Oh lawdy. I would just hate it if the birthers came after Sade next.
(ir)Rational
January 27th, 2012
11:29 am
barking frog – I proposed yesterday that we could possibly save a good deal of money by sending all politicians to that colony. Unfortunately, considering how good they are at screwing people, they would probably reproduce so quickly we would have to expand the colony to encapsulate the entire moon. So I guess it could be economically unfeasible…oh well, nice to dream.
Welcome to the Occupation
January 27th, 2012
11:30 am
You know I’ve been struck by something eerie in my recollection of Mitch Daniels’s face speaking to us in the TV after the SOTU the other night, which has hung in my mind for some reason. I think I know what it was:
it was the makeup. It was all wrong and made him look too powdered up, like in an old movie. Like if you’d stuck plastic fangs in his mouth and gave him a long collar he could have risen up and started speaking in a Dracula accent as part of some late-night farce. He looked strange.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
11:30 am
Doom: And the reality is that for all his mindless and illogical rhetoric China can produce just about anything cheaper than we can- especially solar panels.
We know why that is. It’s because they use slave labor. The fact that they get paid means little if they live in a walled city just to work their whole lives. We CAN compete with that without stooping to that same level. We just need some good old fashioned American innovation to figure it out.
getalife
January 27th, 2012
11:31 am
Moving corrupt congress to the moon sounds good but way too expensive.
willard got that one right.
barking frog
January 27th, 2012
11:31 am
(ir)Rational, Ron Paul echoed your sentiments last night
but doesn’t seem to include himself.
TaxPayer
January 27th, 2012
11:31 am
How do you think he does it? — Rick
I don’t know! – Ron
What makes him so good! — Mitt
He’s a Pinball Wizard!!!… — Chorus
I play be sense of smell… — Newt
Adam
January 27th, 2012
11:31 am
(ir)Rational: It was a few days ago I think. He said stuff about how people need to have 6 months of salary saved up before making a commitment to get a loan of any kind, including a 30 year mortgage. Something about how choices determine everything….
barking frog
January 27th, 2012
11:32 am
getalife, we could afford Arizona and the fence around it.
Butch Cassidy
January 27th, 2012
11:33 am
I’m just curious as to how President Newt was planning to get funding for a moon base out of a GOP Congress that DEMANDS fiscal responsibility. Las time I checked, building on the moon fell kind of on the “pricey” side.
Adam
January 27th, 2012
11:33 am
ty: It’s not the paying of legal taxes that people on the left object to, it’s the idea that it should be legal. The right thinks those at the top should have less of a tax rate (effective) because they “produce” more. The left thinks this is not right because more of the burden ultimately ends up on those who can least afford it and hampers any upward mobility.
Stevie Ray
January 27th, 2012
11:33 am
Did anyone see the last question relative to who’s wife would make best first lady?
I’m glad I wasn’t that dope Newt at that particular time….I’m scratching my head over whether any first lady had been soiled by prior husbands ???