Newt Gingrich: I Crossed The Line (Bain Criticism)

politico.com ^ | Jan. 11, 2012 | Jonathan Allen

[truthkeeper]

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Newt Gingrich signaled Wednesday that he believes his criticism of Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital is a mistake — and that he’s created an impression that he was echoing Democratic rhetoric.

Gingrich conceded the problem when pressed by a Rick Santorum supporter at a book-signing here Wednesday.

“I’m here to implore one thing of you. I think you’ve missed the target on the way you’re addressing Romney’s weaknesses. I want to beg you to redirect and go after his obvious disingenuous about his conservatism and lay off the corporatist versus the free market. I think it’s nuanced,” Dean Glossop, an Army Reservist from Inman, S.C., said.

[LuvFreeRepublic]

It is a hit-piece and conservative have been played for fools this whole primary. Game, set, match by GOP. And how did the last election go with the GOP calling the shots? Our focus should have been on who has the best policies to turn this country around, and the strength and experience to make it happen. Unfortunately this missed opportunity will cost us our country.

[af_vet_rr]

Once again, Rick Perry is the only candidate standing by his statements

Does that mean he still believes we don't have a heart if we don't agree with him on in-state tuition for the criminal immigrants?

I did notice that he took down the Romney ringtone off his campaign website, the one that has Romney talking about liking to be able to fire people. Why'd he do that if he stands by what he said?

[Boston Blackie]

I am leaning towards Santorum, but I realize that even W beats all of these guys by a mile.

That is sad commentary, sad but very true.

[dfwgator]

More and more this whole lot is looking like “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”

[JediJones]

If bilking the pensioners and the taxpayers to line your own pockets doesn't qualify as "vulture" capitalism then I don't know what does...

Reuters reports in "Special report: Romney's steel skeleton in the Bain closet" that Romney's Bain Capital took a $44 million government bailout in 2002 from the federal U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp after they determined that Bain had underfunded its steel mill's pension by $44 million. Workers were denied the severance pay and health insurance they’d been promised, and their pension benefits were cut by as much as $400 a month. Nevertheless, Bain profited on the deal, receiving $12 million on its $8 million initial investment and at least $4.5 million in consulting fees.

[1010RD]

Spot on. The heats only going to get hotter on Romney. If he can’t turn this around now, he needs to start losing and fast.

[lonestar]

Why'd he do that if he stands by what he said?

Do you REALLY think Perry even knows how to put on a ringtone?...much less had anything to do with it?

Anyway, you are about 2 or 3 months behind...you're still hung on "heartless."

In your "heartless" you know Perry is right!

[org.whodat]

Wrong,

[Durus]

I lie then followed by lies now. Why do some republicans fall for every attack media makes against other Republicans?

[JediJones]

Yes, the “leopards” known as the mainstream media and the liberal left can’t change their “spots” of smearing any popular or powerful conservative with falsehoods and lies...

Robert Bork
Clarence Thomas
Rush Limbaugh
Newt Gingrich
Ken Starr
Linda Tripp
Bill O’Reilly
Sarah Palin

[LuvFreeRepublic]

On Twitter, Rush's comments about Romney's excuse: just like GM. Romney proved Newt's premise that it is crony capitalism and that Romney is just like Obama DUH!! Romney is stupid and Obama & co and the media will destroy him. He is not smart enough to fight on their level. The really sad part, conservatives have been played for fools by the media and GOP establishment AGAIN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nzo4skMh7Jc

[truthkeeper]

Newt shot himself in the foot with these remarks, IMHO. Pretty hard to walk it back now.

[dforest]

Here is some good advice for Newt. He should have made a Newt Gingrich truth telling movie about the extreme danger in another term for Obama.

That would have been a real win and would have elevated Newt in a way people are looking for.

[JediJones]

So according to you, Mitt Romney is now the only Republican who can beat Obama this year? Who are you, George Snuffalupagus or Karl “Lapdog” Rover?

Santorum - behind Newt in NH
Huntsman - behind Newt in IA
Paul - yeah, right

[ez]

Robert Bork
Clarence Thomas
Rush Limbaugh
Newt Gingrich
Ken Starr
Linda Tripp
Bill O’Reilly
Sarah Palin

One of these thing is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong...

HINT Ted Baxter.

[JediJones]

What about when you can’t remember that third thing you were going to say?

Oops.

[Palladin]

Why does Newt always remind me of the sly and cynical Sidney Greenstreet?:

[altura]

What kind of decoration did you get?

I’m jealous. I never get any.

[Utmost Certainty]

If bilking the pensioners and the taxpayers to line your own pockets doesn't qualify as "vulture" capitalism then I don't know what does...

Exactly. Even ZeroHedge doesn't defend Romney's record as a 'capitalist':

"Lately, Bain founder and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has found himself in a spirited defense of the private equity industry, doing all he can to spin decades of data which confirm, without failure, that PE Leveraged Buy Outs are nothing but "efficiency maximizing" transactions whose only goal is the "maximization" of EBITDA in the pursuit of dividend recap deals, IPOs or outright sales, while loading up the company with untenable amounts of leverage. All this with a 3-5 year investment horizon, which ignores the long-term viability of a company and seeks to streamline (read fire as many as possible) operations as quickly as possible in the goal of maximizing short-term returns. We wish him luck in his endeavor."

Shame we have so many wannabe Capitalistas here at FR and elsewhere, who adamantly defend this kind of shuck and jive financial paper shuffling as exemplary acts of free-market enterprise.

The Paulinstneans can recognize Romney for what he is, but apparently we're not allowed to; I'd say that reflects a severe deficiency on our side.

[1010RD]

That was dumb and I don’t think Romney missed a ‘teaching moment’. He said what he believes, although at the very end he does come out for shrinking government. Campaign gaffe due to exhaustion or...?