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GOP angst: Gingrich's rise could be their downfall (CNN hit piece with contribution from John King)
CNN ^ | 01/24/2012 | Dana Bash (CNN Chief National Correspondent John King contributed to this report)

Posted on 01/24/2012 2:13:03 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Washington (CNN) -- Newt Gingrich might have led Republicans to their first House majority in 40 years in the 1990s, but the prospect of the former House Speaker becoming their presidential nominee is producing significant GOP angst.

"If he's the nominee, it's a disaster. There is no way to sugar-coat it," said one GOP congressional strategist describing the tension after Gingrich won South Carolina.

"There is a reason most people who know him best aren't supporting him," said a former House colleague still serving in Congress.

Asked why he had endorsed opponent Mitt Romney if he had served with Gingrich for so long, a House Republican replied with a smile, "Because I served with Gingrich for so long."

Those GOP congressional sources and many others spoke on condition of anonymity because they believe Gingrich, who is running against the "Republican establishment," will only turn the criticism into his advantage.

"The less they talk to the better," said one of the GOP sources concerned about Gingrich, "it only feeds into his narrative that the establishment is out to get him."

Gingrich's spokesman R.C. Hammond scoffed at the criticism, noting that the candidate himself said during CNN's debate last week what he regrets most in this campaign is wasting time attacking anyone besides President Barack Obama.

Veteran Republican leadership aide Ron Bonjean said on the record what most of his colleagues would only tell CNN privately.

"Most people on Capitol Hill and in Washington are very nervous about a Gingrich candidacy," he said. "It sends a shiver down a lot of Republican spines."

"You can actually feel the nervousness from Republicans around town that Gingrich could actually bring the craziness back of his speakership from the 1990s. It's everywhere."

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gingrich; gop; newt
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To: SeekAndFind

Guess CNN must listen to Rush. This is exactly what Rush said the other day - but he was thrilled about it.


21 posted on 01/24/2012 2:29:08 PM PST by I still care (I miss my friends, bagels, and the NYC skyline - but not the taxes. I love the South.)
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To: Da Coyote

E=MC^2 -CO2


22 posted on 01/24/2012 2:29:51 PM PST by jpsb
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To: SeekAndFind

“”You can actually feel the nervousness from Republicans around town that Gingrich could actually bring the craziness back of his speakership from the 1990s. It’s everywhere.”

Yeah.. That ‘crazy’ Newt.

Those ‘crazy’ ideas he had like..

balancing the budget and creating a surplus

Cut taxes and giving money back to the people.

Holding Republicans accountable..

Yeah.. ‘crazy’ things like that.

Can’t have that... no sir..


23 posted on 01/24/2012 2:30:29 PM PST by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s amazing how state-controlled media can campaign for people they like and against people they don’t, but it’s the campaign contributions of actual citizens that are suspect.


24 posted on 01/24/2012 2:31:06 PM PST by Joe the Pimpernel (Too many lawmakers, too many laws, too many lawyers.)
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To: SeekAndFind
"Most people on Capitol Hill and in Washington are very nervous about a Gingrich candidacy," he said. "It sends a shiver down a lot of Republican spines."

Oh how Reaganesque. : D

GOOD!

It's about damn time they start feeling the pressure from their ways!

25 posted on 01/24/2012 2:32:04 PM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: digger48

I feel sorry for King, being married to Skeletor.


26 posted on 01/24/2012 2:32:55 PM PST by Cyber Liberty ("If the past sits in judgment on the present, the future will be lost." --Winston Churchill)
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To: SeekAndFind
one GOP congressional strategist

I had no idea the GOP congress even had a strategy let alone anyone who would own up to being responsible for a strategy.

I been blaming that Bozo Boner and one of those so-called Republican leaders names Mitch something, I get those Mitch guys confused.

27 posted on 01/24/2012 2:33:03 PM PST by Biblebelter
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To: WXRGina

Yeah, I saw that too ... then again, all these “people” could be just made-up fictions, invented by CNN to smear the one candidate that Team Obama can’t intimidate.


28 posted on 01/24/2012 2:33:28 PM PST by canuck_conservative
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To: SeekAndFind
Gingrich could actually bring the craziness back of his speakership from the 1990s

That Contract with America thing was just nuts. We just got our trotters in the trough, after waiting half a century for "our turn" and the Newter started up that nonsense. Boy did we show him.

29 posted on 01/24/2012 2:33:28 PM PST by AndyJackson
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Those GOP congressional sources and many others spoke on condition of anonymity because

they believe Gingrich, who is running against the "Republican establishment," will only turn the criticism into his advantage.

they are abject cowards.

There, I fixed it.


30 posted on 01/24/2012 2:36:40 PM PST by Yankee (ANNOY THE RNC AND THE MEDIA: NOMINATE NEWT GINGRICH!)
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To: SeekAndFind

The MSM and political left, in all forms (as well as RINOS, Establishment Republicans, and Elitist Republicans) will get nastier and nastier against Newt, and the total left will, profoundly, attack the final ‘12 GOP POTUS candidate, no matter who this is. What’s new about this?


31 posted on 01/24/2012 2:37:51 PM PST by johnthebaptistmoore (If leftist legislation that's already in place really can't be ended by non-leftists, then what?)
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To: BradtotheBone
Well, isn’t that the case?

LOL. No kidding Dick Tracy. See my post #18.

32 posted on 01/24/2012 2:38:14 PM PST by InterceptPoint (TIN)
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To: SeekAndFind
“If Gingrich does win, veteran GOP strategists tell CNN to expect pressure on Senate Minority Leaders Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders to call key GOP donors and ask them not to contribute to Gingrich’s campaign”

This just proves what I keep saying: the b@stards who think of themselves as elite would rather lose the election than lose their power. OMG, Allow the unwashed, ignorant voters to decide for themselves who should be president?

If we don't elect Newt and cleanse the GOP of these establishment Liberals, then we need to stop voting Republican.

33 posted on 01/24/2012 2:42:51 PM PST by womanvet (Lesser of 2 evils is Romney, but No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency)
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To: SeekAndFind

Why quote all these anonymous sources, when there are plenty of people who will publicly state the same thing? If someone was saying something bad about Obama, you’d know their name, their employer’s name, their spouse’s name, their medical history, 3 rebuttals from Democrat operatives and speculation as to whether or not the person might be a racist.


34 posted on 01/24/2012 2:49:18 PM PST by Question Liberal Authority (I also think that Obama should be defeated.)
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To: SeekAndFind
"The less they talk to the better," said one of the GOP sources concerned about Gingrich, "it only feeds into his narrative that the establishment is out to get him."

He said, as he continued to figure out ways to "get him."

35 posted on 01/24/2012 2:50:40 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: Pit1
This is the ruling class in action. Crosses party lines.
36 posted on 01/24/2012 2:56:41 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: SeekAndFind

I can tell John King contributed. I can see tear drops.


37 posted on 01/24/2012 2:59:37 PM PST by albie
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To: SeekAndFind

First we get Newt elected, then we go after every single one of those corrupt and spineless elites, cowards all.


38 posted on 01/24/2012 3:20:31 PM PST by Gator113 (~Just livin' life, my way~..... GO NEWT GO.....!)
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To: Gator113
We can start getting rid of some of them in this election. We need to make sure Newt's coattails are conservative.
39 posted on 01/24/2012 3:22:54 PM PST by Amntn
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To: canuck_conservative
Yeah, I saw that too ... then again, all these “people” could be just made-up fictions, invented by CNN to smear the one candidate that Team Obama can’t intimidate.

Yep. The first thing I thought was 'those are fake sources.' It was an automatic reaction to that kind of "reporting."

40 posted on 01/24/2012 3:45:35 PM PST by WXRGina (Further up and further in!)
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