Romney presses Gingrich on Freddie Mac fees
Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign is turning the tables on Newt Gingrich, putting the squeeze on the former House Speaker to disclose details of his financial relationship with Freddie Mac.
The Romney camp scheduled a conference call Monday morning to talk to reporters about Gingrich’s work as a “historian” (quote marks supplied by the campaign) for the government-owned mortgage finance giant.
Romney campaign surrogates former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Will Weatherford, Speaker Designate of the Florida House of Representatives, will be on the conference call — with the call code name “Definitely Not a Lobbyist.”
Gingrich has said he never worked as a lobbyist since stepping down as House Speaker in 1999. The question of whether Gingrich was a lobbyist came up during a Republican presidential debate in November. The former House Speaker initially said he was retained by Freddie Mac as a historian but later acknowledged he’d received consulting fees from the financially troubled mortgage giant for providing “strategic advice.”
(Read Sam Youngman’s story for more on what Gingrich has said about payments from Freddie Mac.)
While the Romney press office gave no details on what’s to come in the Monday morning call, Romney gave a preview Sunday in Florida — the next prize in the Republican presidential primary sweepstakes.
Fresh from his stinging loss to Gingrich in Saturday’s South Carolina contest, Romney said the former House Speaker “has not had a record of successful leadership” and called on his rival to release details of his contract with Freddie Mac.
Gingrich rejects “open marriage” question, blames media
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich got the Republican candidates debate in Charleston off to a lively start Thursday night with an angry denial of charges a former wife made in an interview that came two days before the South Carolina primary.
Here’s an excerpt from the debate on CNN:
Ex-wife Marianne Gingrich accused the former House Speaker of week of asking her for an “open marriage” when he was having an affair.
Here’s an excerpt from her interview with ABC’s “Nightline.”
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Front Photo Credit: REUTERS/Jason Reed (Gingrich with wife Callista after the debate in Charleston)
As I recall, in one of the earlier debates, ALL the candidates agreed (even Newt) that adulterous affairs and the way you treat your spouse IS ‘fair game’ and an indicator of your moral character.
The question regarding his behavior during his marriage was FAIR, and certainly would be of interest and importance to people — at least those who believe being able to keep promises, honor your commitments, and not DECEIVE a loved one says something about the person’s general honesty, morality and character.
The MAIN thing this issue says about Newt, though, is that he is a great big hypocrite. He was having his 6-year, covert affair with Callista; and, at the same time, giving speeches about family values and the sanctity of marriage; as well as pushing for articles of Impeachment against Clinton for actions he took to cover up HIS adulterous affair.
Marianne had the chance, during the interview, to hang Newt on the questions the interviewer asked about ETHICS charges. BUT SHE DID NOT. She DEFENDED HIM on those.
Biased people will evidently shut their eyes and ears — giving credence ONLY to news networks/organizations that confirm their own views. Biased people will always find a way to disbelieve anything negative about their own ‘chosen one’.
How are conservatives who do that any different than the ones referred to as “Obama Kool Aid Drinkers”?
Washington Extra – Home alone
When it comes to fixing the housing market in this election year, it’s a battle between the “ineffective” and the “do-nothing.”
President Obama’s relief measures for homeowners facing foreclosure have fallen far short of objectives. Republican candidates, meanwhile, prefer to let the marketplace work its magic. Prices will then hit bottom and begin to recover.
The hands-off approach might not cause too much damage to Republicans in South Carolina. But when the race moves to foreclosure-heavy states such as Florida and Nevada, Republican candidates could find themselves having to explain why they don’t want to help any homeowners.
Obama can’t show much in the way of results, but he can reveal a bit of a heart. And he’ll get another chance to show that in next week’s State of the Union, where he is expected to offer another gesture of support for troubled homeowners.
Here are our top stories from Washington…
Gingrich camp heads off ex-wife interview
The Gingrich campaign launched a preemptive strike as news spread that ABC plans to broadcast a potentially damaging interview with Newt Gingrich’s second ex-wife on Thursday – just two days before Saturday’s crucial South Carolina primary.
Gingrich’s daughters (from his first marriage) Kathy Lubbers and Jackie Cushman came to their father’s defense in a letter released by his presidential campaign.
“The failure of a marriage is a terrible and emotional experience for everyone involved. Anyone who has had that experience understands it is a personal tragedy filled with regrets, and sometimes differing memories of events,” the daughters said in the letter addressed to ABC News Leadership.
“We will not say anything negative about our father’s ex-wife. He has said before, privately and publicly, that he regrets any pain he may have caused in the past to people he loves,” the letter said.
The daughters also said the former House Speaker intends to stay on message, suggesting one thing he will not be talking about in South Carolina is the ABC interview.
“ABC News or other campaigns may want to talk about the past, just days before an important primary election. But Newt is going to talk to the people of South Carolina about the future… We are confident this is the conversation the people of South Carolina are interested in having,” they said.
Gingrich, who’s married, has been divorced twice and admitted to cheating on his first two wives, including while he led the charge to impeach former President Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky affair.
Gingrich addressed the issue earlier in the campaign. A renewed spotlight on his past domestic troubles could not have come at a worse time.
This is a man in love with himself. If he is sleeping around personally, why not politically? Toledofan, divorce is a lot more common these days, it’s true, but that hasn’t changed it into a character asset! What happens if you vote for him because he said,”X”; and he does Y? What if he does something that you absolutely hate and never dreamed he would do based on the promises he made to you during the election? You can’t divorce him for four years! Personally, I wish politicians’ sexual exploits were left out of the mix.
Huntsman’s face still on Republican “Mt Rushmore” sand sculpture
The city of Myrtle Beach went all out for Monday’s Republican debate, even getting sand sculpture artists to build a mini Mount Rushmore of Republican presidential candidates out of sand.
The only problem?
The 1,175,100-pound horseshoe-shaped sand sculpture has the face of Jon Huntsman smack in the middle. His decision to pull out of the race came after the Myrtle Beach area Chamber of Commerce unveiled the sculpture.
Apparently there were no plans to pour water on his image or erase him from the sculpture. After he formally pulled out of the race and endorsed frontrunner Mitt Romney, Huntsman’s face was still there with a big toothy grin smiling at all who walked by.
Photo credit: Nick Carey Photo credit: REUTERS/Eric Thayer
Colbert bumps Huntsman in South Carolina
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman finished a disappointing third on Tuesday in the presidential primary in New Hampshire, despite focusing his campaign on the state and attending some 150 events there. But things are, arguably, worse for him in South Carolina, where a new poll ahead of the state’s Jan. 21 primary put him behind comedian and late-night talk show host, Stephen Colbert.
The survey, by the Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling, had Colbert in sixth place, with just 5 percent support, in South Carolina’s primary, behind Mitt Romney (27 percent), Newt Gingrich (23 percent), Rick Santorum (18 percent), Ron Paul (8 percent) and Rick Perry (7 percent). But he was ahead of Huntsman’s 4 percent and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer (1 percent).
It is not completely surprising that Huntsman would trail Colbert, who is from South Carolina and had even offered to sponsor the state’s primary. The Emmy- and Peabody-winning comedian also has name recognition because of his popular Comedy Central Show, the Colbert Report.
“Even if Huntsman finishes second in New Hampshire tonight it doesn’t speak well for his prospects down the line that he’s running behind Stephen Colbert,” Public Policy Polling said in a blog posted on Tuesday before the primary.
Colbert’s key, the company said, would have been to attract Democratic voters to the South Carolina primary, which is open. Thirty-four percent of Democrats who planned to vote in the GOP contest supported Colbert, compared with 15 percent for Romney.
Huntsman recently appeared on Colbert’s show and joked about whether it would boost his fortunes, a phenomenon Colbert calls the “Colbert bump.” He joked about getting such a bump in South Carolina when he was asked about the poll on Fox News.
I don’t see how Romney can overcome the effects of the Youtube video “King of Bain”. Surely it will be the nail in Romney’s campaign run. I can’t see any thinking American opting to take a such a risky chance with a guy that could really end America’s reign as the great country that it is. I think he’s toast now.
