Newt Gingrich takes aim at the tea-party crowd
Macon — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, speaking to an audience filled with those who helped propel him to power decades ago, on Friday struck a tea-party pose aimed at a new generation of Georgia Republicans.
In a 35-minute speech largely devoted to Declaration of Independence, Gingrich promised a campaign that emphasized a smaller federal government, an emphasis on 10th amendment empowerment of state governments and a society that can go about its business “without being dictated to by politicians, bureaucrats and judges.”
“This will be the most consequential election since 1860,” Gingrich said – an interesting statement when made anywhere in the South. A Gingrich aide later said no ideological parallel was intended – that he was only addressing the enormity of the result.
The sold-out crowd was enthusiastic but never raucous. Neither of Gingrich’s two primary allies in Georgia – Gov. Nathan Deal and former Gov. Sonny Perdue – were in attendance.
Many in the crowd knew Gingrich first as a congressional back-bencher, then as the architect of the 1994 takeover and his election as leader of the U.S. House. But Gingrich advised them to get past that, too.
“I’m not sure we can elect Speaker Gingrich. But I know we can elect Newt,” he said.
In a nod to the awkward back story of his political career, which includes three marriages and two divorces, Gingrich called for a campaign conducted on a “principal, policy basis – not personality.”
He gave no mention to his GOP rivals, but focused on a September 2012 confrontation with an incumbent Barack Obama. “President Obama is the most successful food stamp president in history. I want to be the most successful paycheck president in history,” Gingrich said.
The GOP presidential candidate said his economic platform would be built around four points:
– “The correct capital gains tax rate is zero.”
– “The correct corporate tax rate is the Irish tax rate of 12.5 percent.”
– “We need to go to 100 percent expensing for all new equipment.” A move that he said would please farmers. Some of whom may live in Iowa.
– Elimination of the “death,” or estate tax.
Gingrich was critical of Obama’s handling of Libya, but made only one point about a world without Osama bin Laden.
Gingrich called for a “real exploration of our relationship with Pakistan,” where bin Laden hid himself for at least six years.
The former U.S. House speaker pointed to the billions of dollars received by Pakistan in U.S. aid. After the slaying of bin Laden, Gingrich said, “I was trying to figure out what the word ‘ally’ meant. I knew what the word ‘sucker’ meant.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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80 comments Add your comment
MrLiberty
May 13th, 2011
9:02 pm
Let’s not foget the complete failure of the so-called Republican Revolution under his leadership. Meanwhile congressman Ron Paul has been leading the true revolution in the republican party. It was his supporters that celebrated the first modern day Tea Party, and he remains the only candidate comitted to the principles of freedom and liberty. Newt talks the talk to gain supporters. Ron Paul walks the walk because he knows it is the moral and right path to walk.
cs
May 13th, 2011
9:29 pm
That pretty much settles it then. A President Newt would destroy what’s left of the country.
Sam in GA
May 13th, 2011
9:34 pm
Were Newt’s first two wives republicans?
fox news hater
May 13th, 2011
9:36 pm
this man is not for america and will only make this country worse..newt lost me with his hypocritcal stance on clinton while he was doing the same thing…hes too hateful and divisive to be a president..my vote will go to president obama..he makes me proud to be a white american
south ga. possum
May 13th, 2011
9:47 pm
The GOP must unite quickly and find the right candidate for 2012 OR face another four years with Obama. Our country can’t survive the latter. This state GOP convention and state chairperson election is so very important this weekend. Our GOP must get to work and get people involved and motivate voters. America is at a very crucial crossroads and we can’t afford anymore mistakes. Let’s listen and pay close attention and select the best candidates and get behind them and “Take Back America.”
Frederick Douglass
May 13th, 2011
9:59 pm
From whom do you suggest we take America back from Mr. possum?
The Goobernator
May 13th, 2011
10:14 pm
Keep talkin’ Newt! Guess you forgot the rule that first candidate out of the gate becomes tiresome, tedious and annoying before the serious contenders even bother to say “I’m in!”
no teabagging
May 13th, 2011
10:19 pm
Open Letter to Newt the Hypocrite:
http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/opinion/domestically-distrubed/2360-an-open-letter-to-newt-gingrich
Robert
May 13th, 2011
10:20 pm
Take America back from Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the Democrats, the freeloaders, the too lazy to work, the welfare queens, the illegals,
the moochers and on and on and on.
liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
10:25 pm
@robert
dude u sound like that fat junkie RUSH LIMBAUGH….to bad AMERICA is getting darker and darker….i bet that your worse nightmare
liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
10:29 pm
@frederick
opussum is just another insecure white guy that hates that a strong confident black man is in the whitehouse…..penis envy drives the reublican hatred of OBAMA
liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
10:30 pm
AMERICA IS getting less and less white……….I LOOOOOOOOOVE IT
Bin Laden
May 13th, 2011
10:31 pm
why dont yall elect another dumb republican…….hey DUBYA…
jdaboss
May 13th, 2011
10:35 pm
>Take America back from Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the Democrats, the freeloaders, the too lazy to work, the welfare queens, the illegals,
the moochers and on and on and on
Hey Robert. Too bad this isnt the 1980’s and your scary demagoguery doesnt work anymore.. “2 Lazy to work, welfare queens, illegals, and moochers”?!?1 THESE are the people who youre most worried about with all the problems with this country? Yea, keep clinging to those bibles and guns while america elects REAL leaders. Not the unelectable nutjobs FoxNews keeps trying to shove down people’s throats.. Be prepared to be disappointed in 2012.
Bin Laden
May 13th, 2011
10:37 pm
ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!
Herman Cain
May 13th, 2011
10:38 pm
i’m going to roll back big librul programs like the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT of 1964….we coloreds was doing ok being denied voting rights…and we liked sitting in the back of the bus…SCREW YOU JFK and LBJ
Frederick Douglass
May 13th, 2011
10:45 pm
Okay so you take America back from all of the undesirables you just named Robert, and turn it over to, oh, I don’t know, the Nathan Deals who steal, and funnel the proceeds to their families, or Sonny Perdue, who abused his office for personal gain? If I remember right, the country was in pretty bad shape at least four years ago, why no sense of urgency to “take it back” then? I’ve noticed that these “country taker backers”, work harder stealing, than they ever did doing real work.
Liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
10:54 pm
mj
Frederick Douglass
May 13th, 2011
10:56 pm
Robert, and possum:
The Vidalia onion crop is coming in down in south Georgia. Since y’all are so upset about the illegals, why aren’t y’all out pulling onions? Doing manual labor is as good a place as any to start taking the country back amigos.
Liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
10:57 pm
@frederick
it must be sad to be a insecure white man these days…the average white man fear black men…can u blame them ,look at how blacks dominate in sports…Obama makes them feel inadequate…
Liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
10:57 pm
they only hate illegals after the crops are in..
Frederick Douglass
May 13th, 2011
11:10 pm
“they only hate illegals after the crops are in..”
Or, after the bricks are laid, the toilets are cleaned, the roofing is done, the chickens are plucked, hell, they’ll probably expect illegals to do the heavy lifting when they “take their country back”, if there’s any dirty work involved in that.
.liberalefty
May 13th, 2011
11:19 pm
@frederick
now EVERY conservative say they going to vote for HERMAN CAIN…yeah right…i cant wait for CAIN to denounce the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT…that s@mbo will refute the evils of JIM CROW and they still wont nominate him
Newt Gingrich takes aim at the tea-party crowd | Conservative GA
May 14th, 2011
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Bill Jackson
May 14th, 2011
12:58 am
This country is being divided by racist comments coming from the likes of Obama, the democratic party and labor thugs. People seem to forget that it was a republican that freed the slaves and a democratic party which enslaved them again with Johnson’s great society. Americans are in danger of being enslaved for life by the federal goverment. Wake up before it’s too late and take control of your own lives.
El Kabong
May 14th, 2011
3:18 am
For a long time, American politics has been defined by a Left/Right dynamic. It was Liberals versus Conservatives on a variety of issues. Pro-Life versus Pro-Choice, Tax Cuts vs. More Spending, Pro-War vs Peaceniks, Environmental Protections vs. Economic Growth, Pro-Union vs. Union-Free, Gay Marriage vs. Family Values, School Choice vs. Public Schools, Regulation vs. Free Markets.
The new dynamic, however, has moved past the old Left Right paradigm. We now live in an era defined by increasing Corporate influence and authority over the individual. These two “interest groups” – I can barely suppress snorting derisively over that phrase – have been on a headlong collision course for decades, which came to a head with the financial collapse and bailouts. Where there is massive concentrations of wealth and influence, there will be abuse of power. The Individual has been supplanted in the political process nearly entirely by corporate money, legislative influence, campaign contributions, even free speech rights.
This may not be a brilliant insight, but it is surely an overlooked one. It is now an Individual vs. Corporate debate – and the Humans are losing.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/09/you-vs-corporations/
Gingrich and his ilk are aware of validity of the above statement concerning the state of “governance” in the US today but chooses to ignore it to remain part of the rotting system. Just like the Tea party and Ron Paul. If you have an R or a D next to your name you are the tools of the problem.
Lou
May 14th, 2011
3:28 am
Republicans are setting themselves up for defeat if Newt is their candidate. Obama won’t even have to campaign. Newt has shown that he has no morals. Any man who would lie to and cheat on TWO wives and probably cheat on this third one when he gets the opportunity will not hesitate to lie to and cheat the American people. No candidate is perfect but Newt is so far from it that it is laughable. Only a person with an ego as big as his flaws, such as Newt, could possibly imagine that he could be president. Truly, his announcement of his candidacy for president comes off as a sick joke.
Sick of Republicans
May 14th, 2011
6:08 am
Well when he has a wife about 20 or 25 years younger than him and makes good arm candy, he probably will wait awhile to move on to number 4 who will probably be about 30 years younger than him. He is scum – and anyone who would vote for him has to be drinking some brand of kool aid never heard of. If my parents, who never voted for a democrat in their life, were still living, they would appalled that this guy would even think he is a leader and probably vote democrat for the first time in their life.
khc
May 14th, 2011
6:09 am
yea ireland is doing so well now….what an idiot newt is on economic issues….newt implies states can renege on all contracts and wipe slate clean….wish i could do that
Westdawg
May 14th, 2011
6:10 am
There’s an old saying that comes to mind when watching Gingrich speak:
“You can’t teach an old dog a new trick”
He is a loser from the past and no matter who he’s skewering in his speeches,he’s yesterday’s news.
DanDeacon
May 14th, 2011
6:38 am
You can tell who the real radical, racial and uneducated are in this comment column……liberalefty. And Lou, let’s talk about the cheaters like Clinton who did what he did inside our own white house. I guess you’ve forgiven him though.
liberalefty….your comments depict that of a sour, impotent old man or woman that’s got an inferiority complex. Why not go get some help from one of your Barack Hussein’s free psychologist. It may help you a little…although it would seem to be a task for any psychologist based on your laughable comments. Supporting a president, that ignores illegal immigration in an attempt to rob votes from them while continuing to endanger our country by failing to protect our borders from terrorist and the illegals that take our jobs, social security, welfare, food stamps and other resources without having paid any taxes or earned their citizenship, is not only unwise and uneduated, it makes the supporter an impotent fool. I won’t go into how Barrack Hussein has impoverished your / our children and their children by wasteful & irresponsible spending – more than any president in the history of our country. Continue your support and continue to show your true colors because with your comments it shows why you support him – to keep leaching off the responsible. WAKE UP CALL…..2012 Barrack Hussein will searching for a new residence. That’s when free loaders like you will have to decide if you want to eat or if you want to continue reaching out your little hand for something that will no longer be coming to you and will require you to become a man like the rest of us and to be responsible, get a job and go to work. Can you man up liberalefty? From your comments,it seems like you might remain impotent and still whining.
The Centrist
May 14th, 2011
6:58 am
Bill Jackson. Please name two Southern Republicans that voted to end slavery or two Southern Democrats that voted for the Civil Rights or Voting acts.
The Centrist
May 14th, 2011
7:00 am
DanDeacon. What do Reagan, GWB and BHO have in common? They all favored the same immigration legislation reform.
Rightwing
May 14th, 2011
7:05 am
“The GOP must unite quickly and find the right candidate for 2012 OR face another four years with Obama. Our country can’t survive the latter.”
Dear Tard,
We managed to somehow survive W’s reign for 8 years, and Obama is simply Bush 2.0 on 90% of what he does… How do you explain this little contradiction in tard speak? Or are you one of the Tards that has wiped the years of 2000-2008 from your memory?
Rightwing
May 14th, 2011
7:06 am
” I won’t go into how Barrack Hussein has impoverished your / our children and their children by wasteful & irresponsible spending – more than any president in the history of our country.”
By all means… please do. Quantify your tard comments… please.
The Centrist
May 14th, 2011
7:08 am
Ask around. How many folks that you know have every paid capital gains or estate taxes or anyone in their extended family who ever has? Paying taxes on dividends or penalties for early withdrawal from the 401K’s do not count. This is a red herring.
Not So Casual Observer
May 14th, 2011
7:12 am
Wonderful to see the Lefties in such a tizzy over Newt Gingrich and his announced candidacy.
The Left posts demonstrate pure panic that an educated (with an open college history) man clearly presents the issues while their “chosen one” has no intellect or ability to lead – only an ability to speak well enough to fool those who only vote their race or their ignorance.
Newt will not be elected but he will present clear, precise solutions to the problem of an ever expanding federal government that panders to the uneducated, non-producing, “give-me-more” crowd.
Those on the Left are so stunted they do not even recognize the pathetic state of the school system and the 50 year march to create mindless zombies who will blindly vote for Democrats because they have no skills to provide for themselves.
Marcel
May 14th, 2011
7:21 am
Great, Newt! Let’s focus on reducing the freebies for the destitute, the homeless, and those workers on the edge of starvation, and focus our efforts on reducing the taxes for the multi-millionaires.
Sounds like a winning formula to me.
DanDeacon
May 14th, 2011
7:29 am
the centrist…….I’ll help you out with an answer. All 30 Republicans voted in favor of the 13th Amendment April 4, 1864 – over 147 years ago. That’s a good reason why blacks should support Republicans and not Democrats. Such hypocritcal thinking to support Democrats, isn’t it?
Why are we still discussing slavery – something that happened 147 years ago and is irrelevent today – except to blacks that have racial hatred still in their hearts and have been brainwashed by the likes of impotent activists like Jesse Jackson, Malcom X, Sharpton, et. , and instead cling to the past in an attempt to dominate and control? 147 years ago people……it’s time to move on.
Jim Pierce
May 14th, 2011
8:00 am
I’d vote for Newt in a heartbeat. Common sense solutions, and the know-how to get things done.
DanDeacon
May 14th, 2011
8:08 am
Your comments would be so laughable but for to demean a group of people such as the retarded by using the word “tard” is inexcusable and is no laughing matter. Is this the kind of thinking and intelligence Barrack Hussein followers have? It shows your lack of concern, compassion and understanding. If you know of someone who has or if you had a retarded child, you’d refrain from using that word. Now fall on your knees and ask God for his forgiveness for demeaning those people.
DanDeacon
May 14th, 2011
8:11 am
Prior comment is for “rightwing”s comments made earlier.
mike
May 14th, 2011
8:16 am
I like when they put ole Newt on the news. I suppose there will always be goobers who believe his ideas. It is also nice to see Deal down there after he has banned the local media who exposed him paying his relatives for no work. I guess the Georgia State Patrol will become a law agency of intimidation under Deal. Does anybody in that party have any ethics at all?
BitterEXdemocrackkk
May 14th, 2011
8:17 am
Um, does Newt advocate the abolition of our most EVIL FORCE against us, the Federal Reserve Bank? What about an AUDIT back to its ‘founding’ in 1913? Can we get Newt’s clarification on this
now please? thanks…
(ditto Herman Cain!)
Dave
May 14th, 2011
8:27 am
Since Newt left office he has one million sound bites out there of the crazy things he said while being a pundit and writing books. I watched him go on Fox while we had two wars going on in Afghanistan and Iraq and say we needed to blow up a missile test of a long range missile for North Korea. He he went on to explain he thought North Korea might send one of their ships to Baltimore harbor and blow up a nuclear dirty bomb and mess up Washington DC. He is a neocon and all the crazy thing he said over the years will never go away. He has suffered from over exposure where the more you hear him the crazier he becomes. I find it very curious how family values for candidates gets ignored completely in making them electable this guy is an embarrassment in that regard.
NB Forrest
May 14th, 2011
8:33 am
Nice try Galloway….take aim at tea party reads on surface he is against the tea party…oh contraire!
Jim Pierce
May 14th, 2011
8:42 am
Dave: You had a President Clinton having oral sex in the White house… that’s not an embarassment tho right?
usmcbuzzcut
May 14th, 2011
8:56 am
The real lazy “welfare queens” are all of these fat, lazy, white suburban types in N Atlanta that are too lazy to walk anywhere, have to get in their huge SUV to drive from their cul-de-sac mcmansion just to pick up a six pack of beer. Meanwhile their unhealthy lifestyles result in fat kids fed fast food and i end up footing the bill with higher insurance premiums at work. I agree, let’s send every white repub down to work on a S Ga farm this summer and learn the value of real work vs spending all day sitting on thier bottom whining and complaining.
amy
May 14th, 2011
9:02 am
Not So Casual Observer
You are hilarious, but scary
jconservative
May 14th, 2011
9:21 am
“Take America back from… the freeloaders, the too lazy to work, the welfare queens, the illegals,
the moochers and on and on and on.”
Interesting statement. Typical statement. Lot of truth to it statement.
Republicans controlled Congress and the White House for 2001 – 2006 and never got a bill out of committee to end any of the above.
Since 1953 the Republicans have owned the White House 36 of the 58 years. So it is not just the Democrats.
The last presuident to grant amnesty to millions of illegals was a Republican, Reagan. So it is just not the Democrats.
The last president to sign a reduction in federal welfare spending was a Democrat, Clinton. Sp it is just not the Republicans.
See special interests for your culprit.
Of interest, and typical, is Food Stamps, now called the SNAP program. Here are the top users by state. This is percentage of the state receiving assistance:
Highest 18% and over)
Miss 20.9%
Tenn 20.3%
New Mex 20.1%
Ore 19.8%
La 19.5%
W Vir 19.2%
Ky 18.8%
Ala 18.4%
Maine 18.4%
Mich 18.4%
S Car 18.4%
Others of interest…..
GA 17.7%
Calif 9.7%
Lowest……………….
New Jer 8.3%
New Hamp 8.5%
Colo 8.8%
(Source US Dept of Agriculture
as of 12/31/2010)
Of course, this is only a small part of the government spending pie.
I would submit that for this program the culprit is not just liberals or Democrats but also the agricultural interests protecting a 70 billion dollar a year government mandated market. The agricultural interests in the US are not going to quietly give up $70 billion in guaranteed sales.
So the Repulicans from the agricultural states are going to vote to keep this program alive as they have since 1961. It is all documented in the House and Senate votes.