Posted on 01/19/2012 9:06:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
In response to the Drudge Report’s scoop about Marianne Gingrich’s interview with ABC News, Bob Walker, a senior Gingrich adviser, tells National Review Online that the campaign will fight back. “It is pretty nasty to use personal tragedy for political exploitation,” he says. “That was a very bitter divorce, and you’re talking about somebody who is still, probably, very bitter.”
Beyond Walker, several sources close to the Gingrich campaign agree on the merits, but predict that Gingrich will likely ignore the story. They tell NRO that the interview is a “retread” of an Esquire magazine article published in 2010, and that Gingrich will not respond to the broadcast, at least in any official capacity.
“He’ll answer questions from voters, he’s not running away from anything, but these are old issues from the divorce,” says one source. “He has addressed these issues before, and there is nothing new here.”
Other sources familiar with ABC’s editorial direction on the segment shrug off the newsflashes, guessing that Matt Drudge, the site’s editor, was playing up a leaked scoop, nothing more. “Marianne Gingrich’s unhappiness with how things ended is something people close to Newt have known for a long time,” says a second source. “The real response from people who know him is disappointment with Marianne for doing this, and sadness about the whole situation.”
A prolonged battle with her over quotes, or with ABC News, is likely not on the horizon. There may be concerns voiced about how certain anecdotes are presented, and about specific claims, but “Gingrich has addressed this time and time again,” says a third source. “He is out there all of the time, in all of these forums, acknowledging that he has made mistakes.”
ABC News wanted Gingrich to come on Nightline to offer a rebuttal of sorts but Gingrich’s advisers declined. “This is a sideshow, a distraction,” the third source says. “Is it helpful? No. But is it a game-changer? No.”
EDITOR’s NOTE: This post has been updated to include new reporting.
Below, Gingrich’s daughters issue a memo to ABC News:
To: ABC News Leadership
From: Kathy Lubbers, Jackie Cushman
Date: January 18, 2012
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.
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.
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– about job creation, lower taxes, and about who can defeat Barack Obama by providing the sharpest contrast to his damaging, extreme liberalism. We are confident this is the conversation the people of South Carolina are interested in having.
Our father is running for President because of his grandchildren – so they can inherit the America he loves. To do that, President Obama must be defeated. And as the only candidate in the race, including Obama, who has actually helped balance the national budget, create jobs, reform welfare, and cut taxes and spending, Newt felt compelled to run – to serve his country and safeguard his grandchildren’s future.
Two of Newt’s three wives still support him politically. We see which posters will be watching the interview of this nasty mouthed ex-wife, and no doubt they will be panting in anticipation of running to FR to amplify what they consider salacious. These are not conservative posters raking this muck, these are agitprops and liars and Ron Paul supporters.
You're talking about the impeachment charges. However, conservatives found the Clinton behavior an issue long before he was impeached and it was indeed and issue even BEFORE he took office. They considered it not just a matter between him and his wife but a matter of public honor.
Some conservatives could care less about personal character; however, many still think it important, preferring to have someone with a record of private faithfulness in higher office.
BTW...there’s a reason we’ve had only one divorced man elected as President (and that one did not divorce his wife...she divorced him). The sanctity of marriage has always been taken seriously in this country. I would hope that would not change.
How Christian of you!
I beleive in redemption.
“It’s amazing how Newts defenders will overlook the beam in his eye and pick apart the specks in his opponents eyes, because he is forgiven. They are all Christians (maybe not nutball Paul) and are living in a state of grace but Newt is the only one who gets a pass for everything in his past.”
Seems to me he’s being held accountable today, isn’t that what this thread is about?
You have NO GUN to ur head, don’t vote for Newt if you don’t want too. But what makes u think ur judegement is far more superior than anyone elses?
Unfortunately, there isn't one now. I'll vote for whoever is the GOP nominee, but I think the "purists" ruined the field. I would have been very happy with a President Daniels or President Barbour but they were too "RINO" go figure. In truth, they are fine conservative leaders.
Meaning the RINO Cabal of the McCaineack’s and their ilk....
It shows how out of touch they are thinking an endorsement from McCain would be a plus. Heck, I almost voted for Obama because of McCain ( I sure a lot of other repub/independents did!)
Meaning the RINO Cabal of the McCaineack’s and their ilk....
It shows how out of touch they are thinking an endorsement from McCain would be a plus. Heck, I almost voted for Obama because of McCain ( I sure a lot of other repub/independents did!)
I don't know about Barbour now after his pardons.
I think Newt will have a contrite, yet adequate slam tonight.
Should Jane Fonda be in charge of Veterans' Affairs because she's now a christian? Don't think so. Better for her to be silent and be grateful that she is redeemed.
Not relevant as she has never asked for forgiveness for her activities and has not changed anything about her life, oh and then the whole issue of no experience.
"We do agree that our country must take action to address climate change," he said, sitting on a sofa with Pelosi in front of the U.S. Capitol. The former House speaker recently said that the ad was "the dumbest thing I've done in recent years." - Newt
GINGRICH on Fannie Mae: Well, I'm not sure of the exact amount, but the reports are it's about $1.6 million. We were trying to work that out. I just don't have the numbers in the campaign because I'm no longer at Gingrich Group.
It was only from Freddie Mac. We never got anything from Fannie Mae. It was over a number of years. I think it started in 1999 and ran up into I think 2007 or 2008. So you'd have to -- we're trying to pull that together. And I think that we'll have that information probably by tomorrow. But we've asked the people at the Center for Transformation who run Gingrich Group to pull all that together. But it's money paid out over a period of time.
Gingrich Group has had as many as 30 employees at any one time. We've had offices in Atlanta, where the headquarters are, in Washington and in St. Louis, Missouri. It has -- with the Center for Health Transformation, it acquired a very large number of members. And I think that the Freddie Mac payments were actually a relatively small percentage of the total income of Gingrich Group over the last 10 or 11 years.
Gingrich on health mandates. - “I just wanna make one point that’s historical. In 1993, in fighting HillaryCare, virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less-dangerous future than what Hillary was trying to do. The Heritage Foundation was a major advocate of it.
After HillaryCare disappeared it became more and more obvious that mandates have all sorts of problems built into them. People gradually tried to find other techniques. I frankly was floundering, trying to find a way to make sure that people who could afford it were paying their hospital bills while still leaving an out so libertarians to not buy insurance. And that’s what we’re wrestling with.
It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional. But, it started as a conservative effort to stop HillaryCare in the 1990s.”
Gingrich on the Ryan plan -"Remember, we all got mad at Obama because he ran over us when we said don't do it. Well, the Republicans ought to follow the same ground rule. If you can't convince the American people it's a good idea, maybe it's not a good idea. So let me start there."
Caliste will hang on for dear life. Newt won’t have a chance to get away from that one.
The local radio host pointed out the similarity between the appearance of Cindy McCain and Caliste Gingrich, today. They are the same type, purposefully groomed to look older than than their years, to avoid the trophy wife criticism, but that is what they are. Unfortunately, Gingrich is subject to these types of fatal attraction relationships, where the man is more the victim than the victimizer.
It's fine to make large mistakes and then be redeemed.
But not so fine to seek out high profile positions afterwards.
Thank you for your substantial Gingrich post. I had not seen it before (some of us don’t get to read every single FR thread).
:: It’s amazing how Newts defenders will overlook the beam in his eye and pick apart the specks in his opponents eyes, because he is forgiven. ::
That’s how forgiveness works. Christ’s death on the cross came at the expense of removing that beam (adultery) from Newt’s eye and piercing His very flesh with it; it went with Christ.
That is the “absolute” part of absolution.
As far as Ryan goes. Why would he call the bill "social engineering"? Even Sarah Palin backed it. Where's Gingrich's plan for reducing Gov't on a large scale. I've seen him propose an agency to "incentivize energy" and a new Gov't adoption bureaucracy.
He's all over the map.
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