Gingrich makes states' rights appeal to Deep South voters

Chicago Tribune ^ | February 29, 2012 | Michael Finnegan

[Cincinatus' Wife]

With his presidential aspirations riding on support in the Deep South, NewtGingrich opened his final one-week dash to the crucial Georgia primary on Wednesday with a states' rights plea laden with racial symbolism.

His setting was the chamber of Georgia’s House of Representatives. From the rostrum, Gingrich told lawmakers that he would fight for a “very strong” states'-rights platform at the RepublicanParty’s national convention this summer in Tampa,Fla.

“I want to return power back home to an extraordinary degree,” said Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker who represented Georgia in Congress for 20 years.

For generations, politicians in the South used states' rights to justify racial segregation and, in the 19th century, slavery.

Gingrich, whose labeling of PresidentObama as a “food stamp president” was the centerpiece of his TV advertising last month in the South Carolina primary, steered clear of any overt discussion of race on Monday. But in public remarks, he often follows his “food stamp” line about the nation’s first black president by lamenting poverty and despair among African Americans.

In his speech on the Georgia House floor, Gingrich gave one example of why the U.S. government needs to shift power to the states: A bureaucratic tangle of 185 offices dealing with federal assistance to low-income Americans.

“I’d like to block-grant that into one office and send you the money and say you need to figure out how you’re going to cope with helping people in Georgia who need help,” Gingrich told the lawmakers, who reacted with a round of applause.

Gingrich has named Texas Gov.Rick Perry to lead a “Tenth Amendment project” to review state’s-rights issues in anticipation of drafting the party platform.

“Gov. Perry will be looking to you for lots of ideas that we can take both to the national convention and write into law,”....

[central_va]

For generations, politicians in the South used states' rights to justify racial segregation and, in the 19th century, slavery.

The Free Republic Lincoln Coven would agree with the Chicago Trib.

[Rome2000]

There are lots of places abroad where Americans can shelter whatever wealth they have and live comfortably.

Until the collapse happens and the Founders vision of a Republic is restored, smart money is on setting up a safe haven in the great plains or abroad elsewhere on this continent.

[ForGod'sSake]

Until the collapse happens and the Founders vision of a Republic is restored...

Run away and hope somebody else fixes it? Doesn't sound like much of a plan to me but it may be illustrative of why we're in the mess we're in.

[Rome2000]

Only fix is to take away the idiots right to vote.

Good luck with that sans another Revolution.

[ForGod'sSake]

Good luck with that sans another Revolution.

NOW you're talkin'! But revolutions don't happen without at least a few revolutionaries; at least from my observations. Revolutions can take many forms; they don't necessarily have to be bloody, fight to the death affairs. The "sexual revolution" for example, but I digress. What about what the pundits called the "Reagan Revolution"? Or the "Gingrich Revolution"(of '94) for that matter???

Maybe we conservatives need our own community organizer. Or at least a standard bearer; a cause that most of us can agree to get behind. That of course is in addition to holding down a job, maintaining a family, supporting our churches and communities, etc. Something many libtards aren't burdened with. Part of the problem is, we're an independent lot not prone to following a pied piper. Not at all bad but it doesn't lend itself to ease of organization. Something that will likely be necessary if we are to prevail.