The myth and fact behind Newt Gingrich’s 1980 divorce
On Friday, Newt Gingrich’s phoenix of a presidential campaign unveiled a new area of its website dedicated to countering the areas of the former U.S. House speaker’s life – personal and professional – likely to become fodder for his rivals.
His criticism of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, one-time support for mandated health insurance, statements on climate change, the 1995 government shutdown, and his extramarital affair during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton are all topics.
Perhaps the oldest piece of unwanted luggage in Gingrich’s career has been the story of his conduct during the dissolution of his first marriage with Jackie Battley.
The campaign includes a link to a column written last May by Gingrich’s daughter, Jackie Gingrich Cushman:
It was the spring of 1980. I was 13 years old, and we were about to leave Fairfax, Va., and drive to Carrollton, Ga., for the summer. My parents told my sister and me that they were getting a divorce as our family of four sat around the kitchen table of our ranch home.
Soon afterward, my mom, sister and I got into our light-blue Chevrolet Impala and drove back to Carrollton.
Later that summer, Mom went to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for surgery to remove a tumor. While she was there, Dad took my sister and me to see her.
Cushman states what didn’t happen, but – perhaps naturally enough — doesn’t say much about what did. The Washington Post this morning expounds on both the myth and the facts:
Most significantly, Battley wasn’t dying at the time of the hospital visit; she is alive today. Nor was the divorce discussion in the hospital “a surprise” to Battley, as many accounts have contended.
Battley, not Gingrich, had requested a divorce months earlier, according to Jackie Gingrich Cushman, the couple’s second daughter. Further, Gingrich did not serve his wife with divorce papers on the day of his visit (unlike a subpoena, divorce papers aren’t typically “served”).
And yet:
According to the first published account of the visit — a story by David Osborne in Mother Jones magazine in November 1984 — Gingrich went to Battley’s room with a yellow legal pad on which he had written a list of items related to the handling of the divorce.
Osborne attributed this anecdote to Lee Howell, Gingrich’s former press secretary, whom he quoted as saying, “He wanted her to sign [the list]. She was still recovering from surgery, still sort of out of it, and he comes in with a yellow sheet of paper, handwritten, and wants her to sign it.”
Here’s a link to that 1984 piece in Mother Jones.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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117 comments Add your comment
td
November 19th, 2011
2:40 pm
Not Newt
November 19th, 2011
1:57 pm
“Give the white man (Bush) 8 years and give the black man (Obama) less.
GIVE ME…….A BREAK”
This has nothing to do with race and has everything to do with PHILOSOPY. After reading your post, do even have the intellectual capability to know what a philosophy is?
Truth be served
November 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
I don’t know how rare it is, but I was served with divorce papers by my ex. It wasn’t because I was hard to find. We worked at the same office building and I was there during the day every weekday. Still, a Fulton County deputy came looking for me and I had to sign for the paperwork. My understanding is only particularly nasty individuals behave this way.
td
November 19th, 2011
2:53 pm
OBAMA needs to teach morals to NEWT.
td
November 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
Truth be served
November 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
Being served by deputies is common procedure.
Atlantan4life
November 19th, 2011
3:16 pm
Give me a break all of you self righteous liberals. I have two names for you; John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton. Its a well known fact!!!
duke
November 19th, 2011
3:21 pm
Mother Jones? Does any sane person take those idiots seriously?
Let's take a chance
November 19th, 2011
3:31 pm
I’m finally glad we have an unbias opinion by someone who has nothing to gain. Unless it the millions his daughter stands to inheirt if Newt don’t end up in prison. I’m sure he has one of those agreements signed with wife # 3 or is 4 so she won’t get it all.
Cain Wreck
November 19th, 2011
3:48 pm
@td November 19th, 2011 2:40 pm – This has nothing to do with race and has everything to do with PHILOSOPY. After reading your post, do even have the intellectual capability to know what a philosophy is?
************************
DO NOT TRY TO INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE BUDDY! It is very obvious what is going on here!
What philosophy did George W. Bush have but to bamboozle YOU AND the american people by putting us into two wars while looking for weapons of mass destruction. HOW DID THAT PHILOSOPHY WORK OUT? Bush’s philosophy ONLY created 1.4 millions jobs in 8 years.
Don’t even try that BS on me Buddy! Give the white man a pass and find everything wrong with Obama!
Don’t try to blurr the lines of right and wrong to get your point across.
PHILOSOPHY my butt!
Minus Clous
November 19th, 2011
4:04 pm
Doug is a fool. Barack Obama stated ” a fetus isn’t a person and has no rights”!!!!!!!!!! Even if its is born alive, now who is the devil? A man that divorced his wives or a man that opposes innocent life?
Charleston Voice
November 19th, 2011
4:11 pm
Enter your comments here
Charleston Voice
November 19th, 2011
4:13 pm
Any lingering questions you may have about the Newtster can be answered here:
http://chasvoice.blogspot.com/2011/11/real-newt-gingrich-part-1.html
DannyX
November 19th, 2011
4:40 pm
“Doug is a fool. Barack Obama stated ” a fetus isn’t a person and has no rights”!!!!!!!!!! ”
Jesus and God were sitting up in heaven watching America shock and awe the Iraqi people, cheering and high fiving each other over the death of innocent Iraqi lives. KABOOM!
Obama is the anti christ!!! Whatever.
Not Newt
November 19th, 2011
4:44 pm
The Real Newt Gingrich has the greatest toxicity of Georgia’s venomous serpents – the southern copperhead. It will strike the uninformed, sound-byte/catch phrase gawker, and unwary. “It” is the most toxic of any Republican to American liberty. “It” slithers amongst us and is fatal to cuddle and coax. Don’t let your mind be newterized to danger. Run away from “It” when encountered.
James
November 19th, 2011
4:44 pm
Newt is not perfect, but he is by far the most qualified candidate, including President Obama!! He will explain his past activities and short comings to the majority of American voters’ satisfaction, I believe! God help us and America if Obama is re-elected!!!
Not Newt
November 19th, 2011
4:49 pm
@DannyX November 19th, 2011 4:40 pm – Obama is the anti christ!!! Whatever.
***********************************
I heard that your mama was the anti christ because she worships at the Pentecostal Snake Handlers Church in Alabama.
Buckhead Boy
November 19th, 2011
4:51 pm
Newt knows about “philosophy,” although “ideology” is the appropriate word in this context. Its whatever he’s paid to espouse.
As far as “family values” goes, he’s always been a notorious hypocrite. I remember that when he ran against Virginia Shapard one of his nasty little ads claimed that she intended to leave her husband if elected. Regrettably, he was elected; and it was his wife who get left.
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
November 19th, 2011
4:55 pm
I am sure this has been said here before, but its too bad Emperor Nero was not vetted like all these Republican candidates by the state-controlled media. This would have put our country in much better position today.
DannyX
November 19th, 2011
4:57 pm
“God help us and America if Obama is re-elected!!!”
It would have taken an act of God to fix the damage Bush caused if you wanted everything fixed overnight. As of right now things are slowly improving.
It is bad enough that Republicans gave us 8 years of Bush, now Republicans want to twist the knife inside America’s gut with one of the 6 clowns they are now trying to shove down our throats.
Newt is a Hypocrite
November 19th, 2011
4:58 pm
James November 19th, 2011 4:44 He will explain his past activities and short comings to the majority of American voters’ satisfaction, I believe! God help us and America if Obama is re-elected!!!
***************************
Don’t bring God into this situation because he does not hear HYPOCRITES.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Newt is a Snake Charmer
November 19th, 2011
5:01 pm
The Real Newt Gingrich has the greatest toxicity of Georgia’s venomous serpents – the southern copperhead. It will strike the uninformed, sound-byte/catch phrase gawker, and unwary. “It” is the most toxic of any Republican to American liberty. “It” slithers amongst us and is fatal to cuddle and coax. Don’t let your mind be newterized to danger. Run away from “It” when encountered.
clem
November 19th, 2011
5:24 pm
the hermanator thinks the taliban are in libya…..get the hook
Mel
November 19th, 2011
5:32 pm
Doesn’t change a thing. Newt won’t go far in the race.
rakp
November 19th, 2011
5:35 pm
The dude is on his 3rd marriage….if his personal life has been a failure, he would be a disaster if this guy was elected. How the hell did he get this far? He has a smart ass way of answering questions he doesn’t want to answer….i.e. the question on fannie mae during a recent debate. The guy even talked smack about Clinton on his personal issues…..true hypocrit to say the least. Just like one of the previous people on this board said….he should debate one of his ex-wives just to see how long he lasts.
Atlantan
November 19th, 2011
5:40 pm
Tell us about Larry Sinclair………….
roughrider
November 19th, 2011
5:59 pm
Newt needs every dime he can get. When your as ugly as Newt and like the ladies, you need a lot of money.
Sparks
November 19th, 2011
5:59 pm
Yeah, lets stone him…crucify him, after all, he’s divorced, a Conservative, problem solver, intelligent and loves American and the Capitalist system the skyrocketed this country to the strongest nation on earth in an historically short time…and don’t let any of the facts get in the way either, let’s not let anyone get in the way of the ordained one’s quest to destroy our economy and rebuild it in the Socialist model.
clem
November 19th, 2011
6:07 pm
sinclair looks like your average tper
lugnut
November 19th, 2011
6:29 pm
Desiree Rogers. How does one such as her exit the White House so suddenly and end up as a highly paid CEO. By the way, it was immediately after she left that the Obama’s started taking seperate planes to vacations and seperate vacations. Just saying – I think I see smoke.
clem
November 19th, 2011
6:50 pm
she was responsible for gatecrash….bet your lugnut has higher iq than you
honested
November 19th, 2011
6:59 pm
With the facts before us, I hope you can all forgive newt and nominate him for the post to which he aspires.
He is, after all, the true definition of republican in the 21st Century.
Obama 2012!!
chg
November 19th, 2011
7:02 pm
I love how the only time a person’s personal life matters is if the person is a conservative. Democrats didn’t care about Bill Clinton’s personal flaws and he was accuse of rape and multiple affairs.
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:09 pm
DannyX (a relative of Malcolm?):
“It would have taken an act of God to fix the damage Bush caused if you wanted everything fixed overnight.”
Mr. Obama is now into his fourth year, not overnight.
How many years would you allow him before you pull the plug? (Why does performance never matter to statist secular libs?)
[Answer: Never, because then you'd have to admit you're wrong.]
Party before country. Patriots none.
clem
November 19th, 2011
7:13 pm
and no cooperation from conservatives and a filibuster crazy republican senate….how long did it take to get us out of the great depression….housing bubble and financial system near collapse….
clem
November 19th, 2011
7:21 pm
Changes in wealth after 2007
Household net worth fell from 2007 to 2009 by a total of $17.5 trillion or 25.5%. This was the equivalent loss of one year of GDP.[5] By the fourth quarter of 2010, the household net worth had recovered by a growth of 1.3 percent to a total of $56.8 trillion. An additional growth of 15.7 percent is needed just to bring the value to where it was before the recession started in December 2007.[2]
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:22 pm
clem (kadiddlehopper?)
Do you not realize Mr. Obama held all 3 branches of government for 2 years?
During that time, he got everything he wanted including ObamaCare, which explains why the economy has FAILED.
Democrats luuuuuv failed economies because they can consolidate their power over the hapless lemmings who proudly chant “Obama 2012″.
Why not suspend the (rest of the) Constitution and pronounce Obama President for Life?
Fidel!
DannyX
November 19th, 2011
7:25 pm
“Mr. Obama is now into his fourth year, not overnight.”
Obama hasn’t even completed 3 years! You are making things up, or horrible at math!
clem is right on the mark. Sen McConnell was pretty blunt when he said his “single most important” goal is to make Barack Obama a one-term president.
Despite that fact things are slowly improving from the Bush Great Recession.
What have the Republicans done besides become more unpopular than the Democrats?
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:27 pm
Let me ask you Obama supporters something:
Do you enjoy the fact that many of your friends and neighbors are unemployed and/or are losing their homes? Do you revel in their misery? Do you see it as a problem that must be fixed or rather as an accomplishment that should be lauded and heralded?
This is a serious question and I’d like a serious answer.
clem
November 19th, 2011
7:28 pm
i loved red skeltonl…..but it was your side, congress held by conservs from 1996 to jan of 2007 complicated by W…..yea, obama messed up going for healthcare and spent too much political capital there….his folks have admitted they did not accurate predict the depth of the near depression….
need i remind you of mitch mcconnells now famous statement…..so much for country before party….or is it in eyes of beholder
Kapoonka
November 19th, 2011
7:28 pm
Everything Newt does now and has done in the past has been for personal financial gain. He is the typical Republican fat cat…thinks he is teflon, and knows he is as corrupt as they come. How long before Deal gets indicted? Newt is just a prototype of the typical redneck, good ol’ boy Georgia politician. It’s all so cliche now..enough is enough. Newt couldn’t lead this country under any circumstances. He gets fatter and fatter, and he is just an embarrassment to a party trying to find anyone to run against President Obama. Yeah I hope it’s Newt too…a guaranteed victory for Obama.
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:29 pm
Well Malcolm,
You are a genius. You got me there–by 2 months. So you were off by nearly 3 years and I was off by 2 months. You win by a technicality–but not really.
Your president is a socialist. No better than Fidel Castro. 1958 Chevys. Crumbling buildings. Viva Fidel, I mean Obama.
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:31 pm
You’ve answered my question.
You people enjoy, no love, the misery of your fellow man.
Congratulations.
Kapoonka
November 19th, 2011
7:33 pm
@RGB…what would be different if Cain/Palin had won? Do you really believe everything would be perfect and there would be no housing mess or unemployment issues? Does President Obama make you feel as if he has a hidden agenda? Do you think he cares anything at all about his personal wealth? I am one of the unemployed who STILL has faith as I know all of what is going on can’t be directly attributed to him. He deserves another term so when everything turns around he gets the credit he deserves.
clem
November 19th, 2011
7:36 pm
no i hate what is happening to country…both repubs and dems have made many mistakes along the way….but what is apparent is the repubs beholding to nordquest and tpers…..i agree with the tpers on limiting the growth of govt and believe there is so much fat and fraud in federal govt….their rounding errots generate millions….but i also believe the nordquest crowd is truly protecting the top 1-3% in this country and by golly, these folks have done pretty well…..so let’s have a small increase in top bracket marginal rates, reduce loopholes in corporate tax code (that are not supported by honest cost/benefit) and reduce corporate tax a little….we need entitlemen reform consisting of either cutting or slowing growth (there is not justification for growth in medical costs not associated with population growth…we need to unleash our best cost accountants to review price escaltion in medical field
just some random thoughts while waiting for the ducks v usc
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:42 pm
You people live in world that might have been.
What if Liberace had come back from the grave and won?
Sane people judge presidents on their performance (along with other factors, but I won’t go there.)
Is there a single aspect of the economy that is better under Obama? After spending many trillions of dollars that we do not have, nothing significant is better but many things are worse.
If you are unemployed you better pray hard that he is no reelected because he is sucking the very life out of American businesspeople.
I don’t care about Obama’s personal wealth and I don’t think his agenda is hidden–at least not from me. It’s crystal clear. That you do not see it worries me.
I believe in people and believe that individual families are better equipped to make decisions about government. After 2 years and 10 months (not quite overnight is it Malcolm?), we should be seeing progress if any were to come. The opposite is true–the needle is not swinging back the other way.
Mr. Obama is purposely ruining the nation. Even an inept person chosen randomly from the telephone directory would have figured this thing out IF he had wanted to.
Harvard-educated Obama doesn’t.
RGB
November 19th, 2011
7:45 pm
I assume you are referring to Grover Norquist (though I cannot really tell by your posting).
Mr. Norquist is an unelected private American citizen. Kind of like Sarah Palin.
You people will go around 500 times to avoid affixing blame to those who are elected and who are responsible just to avoid blaming the One who can never be blamed (in your mind).
Why not blame everything on people who are dead? They cannot respond and your criticism will be no less valid than it already is.
barney strickland
November 19th, 2011
7:50 pm
Who cares? Just give the people what they want….. seven debates in imitation of the Abraham Lincoln/Stephen Douglas debates of the 1850’s. Seven debates…. each 3 hours long… no moderators….no teleprompters….. 2 nominees…. one from each party…. the president…. and the republican nominee …. Personally, I hope it’s Newt…… That’s all I want….. I pray- is that too much to ask? This format will allow for a full and comprehensive discourse and exchange of competing philosophies and ideas for leading our government…… May the best man win!! This format was Newt’s idea…. If the president is the intellectual giant we are led to believe he is…. He should have NO PROBLEM dispatching the pesky upstart from Georgia…… What do you guys think? If Obama agrees, I’ll never bring up Bill Ayers or Anthony Rezko ever again!! I swear!
clem
November 19th, 2011
7:51 pm
better add some fact checkers who can buzz in and point out the bs
clem
November 19th, 2011
8:01 pm
rgb what part of you held congress from mid 90s to 2007 and had w from 2001 do you not understand……
and since i don’t believe in what norquist stands for, i sure don’t care whether i spell his name correctly or not(should be nerdquest)…..the fact you could not tell who i was referring to tells me a lot about you…da
secrest out
Hot Dog
November 19th, 2011
8:08 pm
Hey RGB, You really sound like a TRUE IDIOT!
You are truly a SICK person if you choose someone like Newt the PIG who has the morals of an ALLY CAT over our president. Newt is just like the rest of the TEAPUBLICANS…Liars, cheaters, child molesters and has the greatest claim on family values.
Even the bible tells us that if you can’t lead in your own home, what makes you think you can lead a nation?
My prediction is this…Newt will cheat on his 3rd wife for someone younger. , Lets see how you are gonna feel when the next report will be, Newt has committed adultery on tramp # 3 and tramp # 4 is waiting in the wings to marry him!
Just remember, you read it here first!
What a shame!
ONCE A LOSER, ALWAYS A LOSER!
wesley litlle
November 19th, 2011
8:14 pm
jackie is there anyone in your fam thats not a pig swine or a gingrich