Your morning jolt: Debate leaves Newt Gingrich moonstruck
Yes, the big hit that Mitt Romney leveled at Newt Gingrich in last night’s GOP presidential debate was about immigration.
But the ridicule of Gingrich’s dreams of establishing a permanent colony on the moon may have been a greater shock to the former U.S. House speaker’s image as a man of grandiose ideas:
From Romney, ridiculing Gingrich’s plan to privatize a lunar settlement: “I spent 25 years in business. If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I’d say, ‘You’re fired.’”
The problem is that Gingrich points to John F. Kennedy’s vow in 1961 to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade as a mark of American optimism and its instinct for exploration.
But in truth, the race to the moon was a Cold War competition. We spent billions of dollars to beat the space-minded Soviets. That was the source of our political will — though we may now prefer to believe otherwise. The question that Gingrich can’t answer is, if we don’t establish a subdivision on the lunar surface, who will we lose to?
***
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is learning the same lesson that Jimmy Carter became subject to in 1981 – the home folks don’t mind you running for president. But losing is another matter. From the Associated Press:
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s White House bid tarnished his image enough that he’s about as popular in his solidly Republican home state as President Barack Obama, a poll published Thursday shows.
Perry’s approval rating after his failed presidential bid has fallen to 40 percent, a 10-point drop from a year ago and slightly less than Obama’s 43 percent statewide approval rating, according to the poll. More than half of the people who responded to a statewide survey don’t want Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history, to run for another term in 2014.
Perry’s campaign for president — during which he made a series of public gaffs and debate flubs that turned him into a national punch line — embarrassed some Texans. Forty-five percent of those polled said the campaign actually hurt the state’s image.
“He should have never been in the race,” said Traci Humphrey, a 33-year-old Republican from Dallas, who wasn’t a poll respondent. “I think it made us look like idiots, how he conducted himself. His overall image is not good for Texas.”
Texans are also finding out that they picked up some of the tab for Perry’s venture. From the Austin American-Statesman:
Texas taxpayers were billed almost $800,000 in travel costs for a security detail to travel with Gov. Rick Perry largely on out-of-state events tied to his presidential campaign from September through November, state figures show.
Most of Perry’s 48 out-of-state destinations were to the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, according to a report released late Thursday by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which provides security when Perry and his wife, Anita, travel.
***
The new progressive group Better Georgia has turned a poll that says most voters would approve of a $100,000 income cap for recipient families of the HOPE scholarship:
Voter support for the measure to place a family income cap on recipients of the scholarship receives strong support from voters of all political backgrounds, including Republicans, Democrats and voters who identify themselves as independents.
The survey shows 61 percent of registered Georgia voters support an income cap and 52 percent support it strongly. Only 26 percent of respondents oppose the plan.
Voters who describe themselves as “very conservative” support an income cap for HOPE Scholarships at 54 percent. Among those “very conservative” voters, 46 percent say they support the proposal strongly.
The highest rate of support, at 72 percent, is among registered voters whose highest level of education is a high school degree. Sixty-five percent of those voters strongly support the measure.
The survey of 806 Georgia voters was conducted Jan. 23-25 and has a 3.5 percent margin
of error, according to the group. Democrats in the Legislature are pressing for the income cap this session, but face very firm Republican opposition that one poll is unlikely to change.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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137 comments Add your comment
double
January 27th, 2012
11:05 am
If you can’t find a job,why do you need a college education?Bring jobs back.Then go to moon.Newt has a vision,when and if we overcome ,then jointly go to moon.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:08 am
@td
yes shes classy{MICHELLE}, not a homewrecking ho like CALISTA…lol…do moms want their daughters to be a ho like CALISTA…not…
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:10 am
@uga1999
u still fantasizing about polaying for UGA?..hehehehehe…
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:10 am
playing
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:12 am
newt “the great debater” looked so foolish last night with his moon colony fiasco…he looked like the guy whose been exposed for the joke that he is..
JF McNamara
January 27th, 2012
11:13 am
I like the cap, but its too low. In a two person working household $100K isn’t that much. Two married school teachers could make $100K, and I don’t think anyone thinks two married teachers are rich.
It should exclude only those who can’t afford out of pocket expenses while living reasonably.
td
January 27th, 2012
11:13 am
double
January 27th, 2012
11:05 am
We will have jobs back as soon as we get rid of Obama and his policies.
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:13 am
td…..agreed.
Look before I leap...
January 27th, 2012
11:13 am
“I know there was an income cap in the beginning but it was done away with because it looked to much like an entitlement program”
Otherwise known as welfare for the rich and well-heeled.
td
January 27th, 2012
11:17 am
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:12 am
newt “the great debater” looked so foolish last night with his moon colony fiasco…he looked like the guy whose been exposed for the joke that he is..
Of coarse a person with no life experience to understand the benefits the space program has had on this nation Billy would believe the way you believe.. .
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:20 am
uga1999..11:13
but at least shes not a ho…
taco supreme
January 27th, 2012
11:21 am
Instead of capping Hope, why don’t we cap the values of automobiles owned by the recipients of any form of state subsidies in Georgia. That should be something easy enough to check – just cross reference with the DMV. I’m sick and tired, as I’m sure a lot of you are, of seeing illegal aliens load their carts of groceries, that we paid for, into their tricked out Cadillac Escalades. If they can afford some of the most expensive cars on the road, they can afford groceries.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:21 am
td
i dont need to be lectured by a downlo white gay racist who craves black penis…
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:22 am
OSAMA……You don’t know that.
td
January 27th, 2012
11:22 am
Look before I leap…
January 27th, 2012
11:13 am
“I know there was an income cap in the beginning but it was done away with because it looked to much like an entitlement program”
Otherwise known as welfare for the rich and well-heeled.
Otherwise known as a program to reward hard work, taking responsibility and doing things the right way instead of a program giving a hand out to the people that only wants to do the minimum.
Add a SAT/ACT score for any grant and raise the GPA requirement to a 3.2 in only core classes and then we will only have the truly deserving getting rewarded for hard work.
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:22 am
GALLOWAY…..please ban OSAMA AKA THE MAN for his last post. It has been reported.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:23 am
@taco
yeah everybody on welfare drives caddys…another racist comment, but let me guess, youre not racist are you
Ol' Timer
January 27th, 2012
11:23 am
Newt’s condos on the moon idea is a conspiracy to deal with the Social Security problem by relocating seniors to Luna del Rey!
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:24 am
…GALLOWAY….please ban UGA for his racist post about the FIRST LADY
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:25 am
OSAMA….there was nothing racist about my post you fool!
td
January 27th, 2012
11:25 am
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:21 am
td
i dont need to be lectured by a downlo white gay racist who craves black penis
You are really showing your intellectual capability today Billy. Keep up the good work and everyone will know just how inexperienced and sad your life really is.
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:26 am
td….i know right!!! hahahaha
Ga Values...Ron Paul for Peace & Prosperity
January 27th, 2012
11:28 am
I worked hard & saved enough money for our daughter to go to Emory or UVa. She went to UGA against our wished on HOPE & the honors program. She will use the money to buy a house.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:29 am
td
nope youre the sad one…everyday u print outright lies , like the one where u said OBAMA sexually harassed his male classmates while in college..youre just a pathetic angry white male who thinks the world owes you something because youre white…sorry but those times are long gone..
td
January 27th, 2012
11:30 am
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:25 am
OSAMA….there was nothing racist about my post you fool!
This person is the same one that uses Billy May Here, Darvocet Spending and many other screen ids on these boards. He is young, has life experience and is a basic troll. Kyle has banned him from his site for making inflammatory remarks to posters.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:31 am
wow
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:32 am
i’m UGA 1999, i fantasize about playing football at UGA but i wasnt good enough…now i just jock sniff…mmmmm, mmmm good
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:34 am
td
kyle banned me because i said “the white men who called OBAMA soft looked like marshmallows…pale and soft…then i told that pot belly fool that the average black man is tougher than the average white man and then he banned me”…he hates the truth
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:36 am
Td….just dont reply to him.
td
January 27th, 2012
11:36 am
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:29 am
td
nope youre the sad one…everyday u print outright lies , like the one where u said OBAMA sexually harassed his male classmates while in college..youre just a pathetic angry white male who thinks the world owes you something because youre white…sorry but those times are long gone..
If I am not mistaken I provided a link to my source data and the whole intent of the post was to just prove how you libs have a double standard. You libs posted any link to any story you could find on Herman and convicted him on unsubstantiated web rumors so what is the difference? The post I made are not the only accounts on the internet about Obama being on the “downlo” or a drug user so under the libs arguments about Herman then they must be true since there is more then one. Se how the game works my young padawan.
double
January 27th, 2012
11:39 am
TD just likes Mistletoe parasites’that is the high up ones”if you have fallen on hard times,then you are a leech,Well there is more of us than the high ups,and we will re-elect President Obama,without the state of Georgia.Vote OBAMA lets give him the popular vote in this state.Vote for Newt in primary.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:42 am
td
see more lies printed by you…i think u want the president to be gay because youre probaly a closeted rightwing homosexual yourself…like the toe tapping senator in the airport bathroom …
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:43 am
UGA1999 i’m the best waterboy UGA ever had…I LOVE WASHING jockstraps, lol
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:43 am
Double….please tell me which swing states you feel Obama is going to win this year.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:44 am
uga1999
go HERSCHEL GO…LOL
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:45 am
UGA1999
OBAMAS not a swinger, thats NEWTIE and his wife whose into that stuff
taco supreme
January 27th, 2012
11:45 am
@ bi@tch
If you look around, in the real world, it’s tax return time, and you may notice that the car dealers, who cater to the Hispanic community, have lots that are overflowing with the traditional Hispanic rides – suv’s, p/u’s, van’s. This is because the illegal aliens, who pay no income taxes, acquire tax id numbers solely to apply for and recieve the Earned Income Tax Credit. Not only are they not entitled to it, they also falsify the info on the forms to reflect the maximum claims – what the hey, they get away with breaking all of the other laws. They are ripping you off for billions annually, just with the Earned Income Tax Credits, alone. What do you think all of these Hispanic Income Tax Preparation businesses are doing? And, all of the Presidential candidates, both parties, are tripping over themselves to pander for the Hispanic’s votes, and you are paying for it.
td
January 27th, 2012
11:47 am
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:34 am
I am sure that is all you said. If I remember there was also something about a body part in your post as well.
It should teach you a viable life lesson that you win a debate with well reasoned thought and intelligence and not with name calling but after reading your post this morning I can see you can not learn from your mistakes. Sad, very sad. I guess you chose to be a padawan forever and not truly graduate to adulthood.
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:48 am
td….they cannot stand when we post facts. IT IS GREAT!!!!
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:49 am
td11:47
more ramblings from the rightwing lunatic fringe…by the way hows your “research” going…hehehehee
Carol
January 27th, 2012
11:50 am
td
I know there was an income cap in the beginning but it was done away with because it looked to much like an entitlement program and we conservatives wanted to reward the best and brightest regardless of class.
++++++++
The purpose wasn’t just to reward the best and brightest. It was to assist the best and brightest who otherwise might not have the means to a higher education. Sorry, but some folks with money realized that they wouldn’t have to spend money on private schools and college if the cap was lifted.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:51 am
uga1999
yeah like the fact that you’re a pathetic racist that hates having a black president.? sorry jock sniffer i aint buying your lies
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:53 am
the rightwing wanna return to the days of yesteryear, when white was always right and blacks were afraid to speak out…those days are gone…long gone..
td
January 27th, 2012
11:54 am
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:36 am
Td….just dont reply to him.
Showing the true character and intelligence level of Obama fanatics is a worthy cause and could persuade some of these middle of the road voters what a horrible mistake it would be to cast a vote for a person that is supported by such low character people. Every vote counts, unless you are voting for Obama in Georgia and then your vote will not be counted.
taco supreme
January 27th, 2012
11:56 am
Georgian’s are shelling out billions annually to subsidize the giant corporate chicken farmers’, and they own the governor.
double
January 27th, 2012
11:56 am
TD you tell me which swing states will not go for Obama.From some of the above post,you know more about swinging than others.
UGA 1999
January 27th, 2012
11:56 am
Td….Amen, they prove that every day. It is only the lower class government moochers that are voting for him.
I have said all along that the only ones that would vote for Obama are the ones that either look like him or feel that they will get something free from him. Be damned to our country as a unit.
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
11:59 am
td
ooooh such mean words from a GAY BLACK PORN resarcher…
OSAMA aka the man who made DUBYA his bi@tch
January 27th, 2012
12:00 pm
researcher
td
January 27th, 2012
12:00 pm
Looks like Herman was right about how the African American field bosses are only concerned with keeping the African American masses on the liberal plantation. This is the real reason the left and the media went after Herman and made up all those lies.
January 27, 2012
CBC chairman: African Americans would ‘march on the White House’ if Obama wasn’t black
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/24/cbc-chairman-african-americans-would-march-on-the-white-house-if-obama-wasnt-black/#ixzz1kg8×5evJ