Newt's Secret Weapon: Newt, Inc.
Including this that involves Obamacare:
A longtime domestic-policy entrepreneur, he founded his Center for Health Transformation in 2003. The group now includes big drug makers such as AstraZeneca PLC and top insurers, such as BlueCross BlueShield Association, who pay as much as $200,000 in membership fees. In return, they get access to Mr. Gingrich, interaction with other group members, and marketing and research support.
Looks like there's more breaking on this even as we speak. As I was getting that link for you, saw that several news reports had been posted in the last hour or so, including:
Gingrich Under Fire for Business Deals:
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich told CBS News this week that he expects the controversy over his work for Freddie Mac to blow over quickly. Now, however, the former House speaker is now under the microscope for advancing other causes seemingly anathema to the Tea Party vein of conservatism -- including a health insurance mandate and corporate influence peddling.
The think tank, which offered its clients special access to Gingrich, advocated a form of the individual mandate -- a requirement that "anyone who earns more than $50,000 a year must purchase health insurance or post a bond." The individual mandate in President Obama's health care overhaul is at the heart of conservative opposition to the law.
I got to say, I just don’t get it. We are conservatives! We believe in capitalism. Did Newt do anything illegal, unethical, or out of step w/ capitalism? Is he profiting from being speaker? Yes. Is that a problem as long as it’s not illegal?
I have to step into his shoes. If I had been a past Speaker, & corporations were willing to pay me big money for my ideas & knowledge of how the system works, would I have turned them down? NO! Conservative org.’s have long been working on solutions to the healthcare problem. Some of the proposed solutions have been bad. It’s part of the process.
These corp.’s got special access to Newt. And? He was a private citizen! Had he received those consulting fees for his access while he was speaker, then you’ve got a case, but that’s not the case.
By the way, you do realize that both Romney w/ Romneycare, & Newt got their healthcare ideas in conjunction w/ The Heritage Foundation, maybe the most prestigious CONSERVATIVE think tank around.