So said Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in last night's Republican debate. Speaker Gingrich is not being straight forward on his influence peddling, instead he has gone legalistic on us. He does Bill Clinton proud. Consulting is not lobbying and fellatio is not sex. Gingrich may win his argument with the American Trial Lawyers Association but he loses it with the voters. Gingrich's position on abortion is not as clear as he would like you to think either. He did indeed endorse pro-choice Dede Scozzafava in a New York special congressional election. Also aiding Ms Scozzafava in that race was NARAL as documented in this Daily Kos post at that time. Before you agree with Hot Air and professor Jacobson at Legal Insurrection that Bachman got her facts wrong when she questioned the former Speaker's position view these two videos. Is Gingrich pro-choice? No but its hard to make the case he has been consistently pro-life. Let's just say that his position is "evolving".
“It’s the fact that we know that he cashed paychecks from Freddie Mac. That is the best evidence that you can have: over $1.6 million. … The evidence is that Speaker Gingrich took $1.6 million. You don’t need to be within the technical definition of being a lobbyist to still be influence-peddling with senior Republicans in Washington, D.C., to get them to do your bidding.”
Gingrich: Abortion “has diverted Republican energies and it has led the Republican party into a very dangerous period of focusing on what divides us rather than what unites us.” [Washington Post, 1/22/1990]
Gingrich backed taxpayer-funded abortions: "House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday supported the availability of federally-financed abortions for poor women who are victims of rape or incest and expressed opposition to organized school prayer, positions that are at odds with many conservatives in his party.” Gingrich said, “I think you should have funding in the case of rape or incest or life of the mother.” [Chicago Tribune, 4/10/1995]
Gingrich “urged” Congress to accept language in an abortion bill that did not ban abortions under federal employee health plans:
“Speaker Newt Gingrich yesterday urged his House colleagues to accept less-restrictive Senate language on abortion funding for federal employees, warning against a stance that could not attract a ‘majoritarian’ coalition. The Senate on Saturday voted 50-44 to ban coverage of abortions under federal employee health plans except in cases of rape or incest or when pregnancy endangers the mother's life.” [Washington Times, 8/7/1995]
Gingrich on Abortion: “if you take the most extreme position on the right, you’re going to get hurt”:
In 1989 Gingrich said, “I think the abortion issue over the next six or eight months is going to shake out in this country into a common-sense position. If you take the most extreme position on the right, you're going to be hurt. If you take the most extreme position on the left, you're going to be hurt.” [Press conference, 11/8/1989]
Some one needs to speak sense to the Courts. Tell me why at a high school football game a player can throw a "Hail Mary pass" but you can't say a "Hail Mary" before the game begins? We need to stop these liberal judges.
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