Conservatives with Newt

Rick Perry: ‘Newt's the real deal’

2012-02-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

CNN's John King interviewed Gov. Perry just before the Arizona GOP debate:

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 23, 2012)

2012-02-23T23:55:00.000-06:00

“I thought Newt was outstanding last night... I thought Newt, with no pressure on him, hit Obama better than anybody did last night... These are the kinds of things that Newt did last night, and he's so good at it. And he had the courage to use the word ‘infanticide.’... Newt had some absolutely brilliant conservative thoughts on education and on our schools... So Newt, spot on.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Friday Schedule - 2/24/12

2012-02-23T21:35:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker will campaign in Washington State Friday:

Newt will visit the Washington State Capitol
9:45am PST
Location: Washington State Capitol
416 Snider Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98504
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Callista Gingrich will visit Evergreen Christian School
10:00am PST
Evergreen Christian School
1000 Black Lake Boulevard
Olympia, WA 98502
Note: This event is free and open to the public. Mrs. Gingrich will tour the school and read Sweet Land of Liberty to students.

Newt 2012 Rally in Federal Way
12:30pm PST
Best Western Plus Evergreen Inn & Suites
32124 25th Avenue South
Federal Way, WA 98003
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Newt 2012 Rally in Everett
7:00pm PST
Historic Everett Theater
2911 Colby Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

J.D. Hayworth: Newt's ‘solid record of accomplishment’ will win nomination

2012-02-23T19:55:00.001-06:00

The former congressman was interviewed recently on CNN:

- JP

Speaker Gingrich: Getting gasoline to $2.50 gallon ‘totally reasonable’

2012-02-23T17:25:00.000-06:00

Newt spoke to the Newt 2012 debate watch party at The Mint in Scottsdale, Arizona after last night's GOP debate:

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Arizona GOP debate highlight reel

2012-02-23T11:45:00.003-06:00

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day Honorable Mention #60

2012-02-23T08:05:00.003-06:00

“Alive” Edition
*

Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg, at The New York Times:

“The landscape of the Republican presidential campaign — reshuffled yet again since the last time the candidates debated on Jan. 26 — came into sharp view here on stage at the Mesa Arts Center. It was the final scheduled Republican debate on the calendar, but unless a presumptive nominee emerges swiftly, debates could take place throughout the spring as the party’s nominating contest becomes a drawn-out fight for delegates... From the start, it appeared that Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum had a shared goal: turning the night, and the race, into a two-man contest. But Newt Gingrich came alive yet again, not as an angry combatant but as what he described as a ‘cheerful’ alternative, enthusiastically challenging the moderator, John King of CNN, and turning questions to his own purposes.”

W. James Antle, III, at The American Spectator:

“Gingrich came back to life with a strong debate performance. John King must be his favorite moderator. The former speaker was once again able to praise his rivals on the issues where they are most popular with the Republican base and position himself against the media.”

Guy Benson, at Townhall.com:

“Newt Gingrich won the debate, vindicating his team's ‘let Newt be Newt’ strategy... ‘cheerful’ Newt -- eager to agree with his opponents when they were right, politely pushing back only when necessary, and tenacious in his determination to steer most discussions into critiques of President Obama. His first crack at John King's contraception question was the best offering of anyone on the subject. On occasion, Gingrich exhibits a special capacity to make conservatives -- even those who may not support him -- stand up and cheer. One such moment came during that response, when he lambasted the media's propensity to ask questions designed to make Republicans look like social extremists. He noted that Barack Obama never once fielded a tough challenge on his shameful opposition to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois... during his litany of 2008 debates. A brilliant point. Newt also delivered the clearest and most forceful answer on the auto bailouts.”

Hunter Baker, at National Review Online:

“Newt Gingrich won the debate, hands down. These contests are like air to him... He is the kind of professor who will always be popular with students because he is clear, concise, and great at tracing out an argument. The audience were his students. He delivered the material beautifully.”

Dana Loesch, at Big Government:

“Newt Gingrich won tonight’s debate, which he needed to do, but not because he out-maneuvered his opponents. Santorum and Romney were simply too focused on each other, with Paul tag-teaming alongside Romney (ambition makes strange bedfellows). All of this gave Gingrich cover and also gave him the opportunity to be the only candidate that directly and repeatedly went after Barack Obama. He looked like a statesman. His answer on infanticide and shifting the focus from GOP and birth control to Obama and his campaign against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act was the rhetorical feat of the night... Tonight proves Gingrich isn’t out of the game yet.”

Meredith Dake, at Big Journalism:

“Going back to a proven strategy of attacking the media, Newt Gingrich garnered some of the biggest applause by taking the fight back to CNN... And there was much rejoicing.”

Ginger Gibson, at Politico:

“Newt Gingrich didn’t have a game-changing moment in Wednesday night’s Arizona debate. But the former House speaker’s newest approach to the Republican presidential race — staying above the fray, avoiding attacks and focusing on the issues — proved to be a winner for him anyway... Gingrich laughed and smiled during the debate, leaned back in his chair on several occasions and beamed when Romney gave him several pointed looks during his responses to questions... He’s decided to focus on a handful of policy issues, zeroing in on religious liberties and energy. He opened Wednesday’s debate by using a moment meant for an introduction to start hammering his energy position and then later told supporters he will continue that focus.”

Charlie Arlinghaus, of the Josiah Bartlett Center think tank:

“Gingrich looked better than Santorum, which is bad for Santorum. This was the first opportunity to evaluate Santorum as the new potential president and he didn’t look presidential.”

John Hayward, at Human Events:

“It was left to the candidates, particularly Newt Gingrich, to bring up the incumbent and his record. During the contraception exchange, Gingrich acidly observed that ‘nobody in the media during the 2008 campaign asked why Barack Obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide.’ He described the General Motors bailout as boiling down to Obama looting shareholders to reward the very unions whose demands had driven GM to bankruptcy. He continued his ongoing critique of wasteful and inefficient government with dark comedy about the ludicrous difficulty encountered during construction of the border fence, saying bluntly, ‘It is utterly stupid to say the United States government cannot control its border.’ When the candidates were asked to supply a word describing themselves, Gingrich chose ‘cheerful.’ ... Gingrich was indeed of good cheer during most of the evening, dispensing a mixture of specific policy ideas and Big Picture thinking. He was particularly good when discussing the national security implications of American energy independence...”

Erick Erickson, at RedState.com:

“Newt Gingrich won it. He was the only candidate who repeatedly steered the questions toward Barack Obama... He returned to the role of elder statesman.”

Katie Pavlich, at Townhall.com:

“With the pro-life/pro-choice argument being in the news cycle for the past few weeks, Newt Gingrich was right on point tonight when he brought up President Obama's pro-abortion, pro-infanticide voting record that the media ignored during his presidential campaign in 2008. As a state senator, Obama voted against legislation, four times in total, that protects babies who survive abortion procedures. His no vote meant he was in support of legally allowing people to leave baby abortion survivors to die on the operating table instead of giving them care.”

Jay Nordlinger, at National Review Online:

“Newt knows how to campaign: Before this Arizona audience, he says, in essence, ‘The Obama administration should stop picking on Arizona.’ Odd the other candidates don’t do the same.”

Jesse Merkel, at PolicyMic:

“Speaker Gingrich fought like he had nothing to lose. In his opening statement, Gingrich took a direct shot at President Obama, saying that if Gingrich is voted into office that no U.S. president would ever bow to a Saudi King again... He received a nice round of applause from the crowd when he mentioned the Justice Department’s attempt to sue the state of Arizona for its attempt to solve an immense illegal immigration problem. Newt scored big talking about the misconception that every car company was in the red in 2008. He pointed out how Asian and European car companies were doing fine in 2008, because they did not have the UAW to drain them of their money. Gingrich earned massive applause when he mentioned how the UAW refused to accept reasonable cuts in benefits to help keep GM and other American auto companies afloat. Boom! Vintage Newt... Knowing that people prefer Uncle Newt to Angry Newt, he did everything he needed to do tonight to gain in the polls and remain competitive on Super Tuesday.”

Rick Perry, Texas Governor:

“Tonight you saw Newt Gingrich, I think, channeling Ronald Reagan by saying the word that described him best was ‘cheerful.’ He truly is a cheerful warrior.”

Carl Cannon, at RealClearPolitics:

“Bullying the media is still good Republican politics, if done skillfully. In this area, Gingrich, at age 68, still has his fastball... Gingrich responded sharply to a question CNN producers plucked from their online audience about whether the GOP candidates ‘believe in birth control.’ ‘I just want to point out, not once in the 2008 campaign, not once did anybody in the elite media ask why Barack Obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide.’ Romney, by contrast, came across as clumsy at the end of the debate, when King asked the candidates about the biggest ‘misconception’ voters might have of him. Almost as though one could see Romney’s mind racing through this minefield... the former Massachusetts governor launched into his familiar litany of grievances against the president. When King interjected by reminding Romney the question that had been asked, the candidate replied, ‘You know, you get to ask the questions you want; I get to give the answers I want.’ Here, he was borrowing directly from the Gingrich playbook, but Romney came across as someone who was blurting out his handlers’ stage directions. It was artless, and it generated a spoof by one wag on Twitter: Moderator: ‘What’s your favorite color?’ Romney: ‘Hot dogs.’”

- JP

Newt: ‘Wall Street may be at 13,000, but the average American family is not’

2012-02-23T07:15:00.002-06:00

Speaker Gingrich was interviewed by Jeff Hullinger of WXIA-TV in Atlanta just prior to Wednesday night's Arizona debate:

Another excerpt from the interview:

Hullinger: Gas prices are rising quickly. You say they would be $2.50 a gallon under a Gingrich presidency. What is the calculus to this? Explain the math.

Gingrich: In the very first day, I would sign permission for the Keyston Pipeline to be built in the U.S. to bring Canadian oil south and to allow Oklahoma and Arkansas to get to the pipeline reducing the cost by about $6 to $8 dollars a barrel for transportation. Second I would open up offshore. We need to open all of Georgia where there may be some very large gas reserves and take part of that money to modernize the Port of Savannah. I would also open federal land. We own 69 percent of the state of Alaska, that's one and a half times the size of the state of Texas. There are a lot of oil and gas there. I want 100 percent expensing so all equipment is written off. And I would replace EPA with common sense and economic rationality. I believe by the end of the decade, we would be number 1 in the world in oil and gas production -- free of the Middle East.

[Read More]

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 22, 2012)

2012-02-22T23:55:00.000-06:00

Sarah Palin, on Facebook:

“Newt's message on energy development was spot-on. Drill now and stop bowing to foreign regimes begging them to do it for us. Then we'll all be ‘cheerful.’”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Thursday Schedule - 2/23/12 (Updated)

2012-02-22T22:15:00.005-06:00

The former Speaker will campaign in Washington State and Idaho Thursday:

Update - Radio: Kevin Miller show on KIDO, Boise
7:45am MST/9:45am EST
Listen live at KIDO Online

Newt 2012 Tri-Cities Rally
11:00am to 12:00pm PST
Red Lion Hotel Columbia Center
1101 North Columbia Center Blvd
Kennewick, WA 99336
This event is free and open to the public

Newt 2012 Spokane Rally
2:00pm to 3:00pm PST
Bing Crosby Theater
901 West Sprague Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
This event is free and open to the public

Update - Radio: David Boze show on KTTH, Seattle
3:15pm PST/6:15pm EST
Listen live at 770AM The Truth Online

Update - Radio: Erick Erickson show on WSB, Atlanta
6:34pm EST
Listen live at News/Talk WSB Online

Update - Radio: Lars Larson show
3:40pm PST / 6:40pm EST (varies)
Find a station near you.

Newt 2012 Coeur d’Alene Rally
7:30pm to 8:30pm MST
Coeur d’Alene Inn
Conference Center
506 W Apple Way
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
This event is free and open to the public

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Rewind: Newt Gingrich's remarkable 2011 speech to the NRA

2012-02-22T14:45:00.002-06:00

Here's Speaker Gingrich addressing the NRA Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum in Pittsburgh, PA, Apr. 29, 2011:

- JP

Gingrich campaign to air energy infomercial in key states

2012-02-22T10:57:00.004-06:00

The Newt 2012 campaign is making ad buys in "key cities" before the march 6 Super Tuesday primaries to air a 28-minute political informercial by the former speaker on how he would lower gasoline prices, create jobs and achieve energy independence:

The campaign said it will announce the air times and locations of the speech in the coming days.

“The answer to Governor Romney’s 30 second attack ads filled with garbage is a 30 minute address filled with substance,” said Gingrich Communications Director Joe DeSantis.

"Newt’s message about lowering gasoline and other energy prices is resonating, and the Obama administration is on defense over their policies hostile to American energy production, which are causing pain at the pump.”

Gingrich’s speech -- titled “$2.50 per Gallon Gasoline, Energy Independence and Jobs" -- is delivered without aid of teleprompter or text, and it's available online here.

[Read More]

Conservatives with Newt posted the Gingrich energy video last Saturday.

- JP

Newt: ‘This administration specializes in avoiding reality’ on national security

2012-02-22T10:35:00.001-06:00

Newt Gingrich was interviewed by Fox News' Bill Hemmer on "America's Newsroom" Wednesday morning:

The former Speaker, as he has been recently, is on message and focused on solutions to the nation's energy, economic and national security challenges.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 21, 2012)

2012-02-21T23:55:00.000-06:00

Stephen Yates & Christian Whiton, at RealClearWorld:

“The eventual Republican nominee should offer a clear alternative to President Obama's foreign policy. Accomplishing this means not only telling the truth about worsening foreign threats, it also means challenging the Washington foreign policy establishment and restoring broken tools of national power. Among the contenders, only Newt Gingrich has the temperament - and the battle scars - to be trusted to wage and win the struggles looming ahead.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Wednesday Schedule - 2/22/12

2012-02-21T22:45:00.002-06:00

The former Speaker will be in Arizona Wednesday:

Newt will interviewed on "America's Newsroom"
8:30am CST/9:30am EST
Fox News

Speaker Gingrich will call in to Bill Cunningham's radio show
11:00am CST/12:00pm EST
WLW, Cincinnati
Listen live online at iHeart.com.

Callista Gingrich will visit Chaparral Elementary School
1:00pm to 2:00pm MST
3380 E. Frye Road
Gilbert, AZ 85295
Note: This event is not open to the public. Mrs. Gingrich will tour school and read Sweet Land of Liberty to students

Newt will participate in the CNN/Arizona GOP Presidential Debate
6:00pm to 8:00pm MST
CNN

Newt and Callista will stop by the Newt 2012 debate watch party
8:30pm to 9:00pm MST
The Mint
7373 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Gingrich: Sarah Palin ‘exactly right’ to link energy to national security

2012-02-21T21:35:00.003-06:00

Sean Hannity interviewed the former Speaker on Fox News Tuesday night, and Gingrich began by praising Sarah Palin for linking the issues of energy policy and national security:

They discussed the president's energy policies, national security and the state of the GOP presidential race. Speaker Gingrich was critical of Romney's "scorched earth" negative ad campaigns against both him and Santorum, saying that they are driving down turnout in the primaries. and he said his own campaign is focused on positive solutions to the nation's problems.

- JP

Rewind: Newt Gingrich Schools Rick Santorum in New Hampshire

2012-02-21T17:25:00.002-06:00

A teaching moment from the Gingrich - Santorum one-on-one debate last November in New Hampshire:

h/t: NewtGrassroots

- JP

Newt speaks to the Oklahoma legislature

2012-02-21T13:05:00.002-06:00

News talk radio station KRMG in Tulsa covered Newt Gingrich's address to a joint session of the Oklahoma Legislature today. The former U.S. House Speaker only spoke to the lawmakers for just over 10 minutes, reports KRMG, "but his message was focused."

He said, "I want to talk about three examples of the change we need."

At the top of the list, he touted a movement started by Gingrich and managed by Texas Givernor Rick Perry to strengthen the 10th amendment and return power and tax money to the states.

It's something Ronald Reagan tried to do 30 years ago and failed. Gingrich says times have changed...

The radio station links to a podcast of Newt's remarks posted here.

Newt: ‘In most of America, a car or a truck is a big deal’

2012-02-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

Newt Gingrich was interviewed by Stan Miller of KWTV in Oklahoma City early Tuesday morning before the former U.S. House Speaker delivered an address to the Oklahoma Legislature:

- JP

Adelson: ‘I might give $10 million or $100 million to Gingrich’

2012-02-21T10:45:00.000-06:00

In an interview with Forbes magazine, Sheldon Adelson says much of what has been written about him and the GOP presidential candidates is wrong. And he adds that he might donate as much as $100 million to the PAC supporting Newt Gingrich:

Sheldon Adelson plays as stubbornly in politics as he does in business. So the criticisms that he’s trying to personally buy the presidential election for Newt Gingrich are met with a roll of the eyes. “Those people are either jealous or professional critics,” Adelson tells me during his first interview since he and his wife began funneling $11 million, with another $10 million injection widely expected, into the former speaker’s super PAC, Winning Our Future. “They like to trash other people. It’s unfair that I’ve been treated unfair—but it doesn’t stop me. I might give $10 million or $100 million to Gingrich.”

[...]

He’s also proud of his hawkish defense of Israel—his wife is Israeli and his young sons carry Israeli passports. Yet those who have categorized his patronage of Gingrich and other Republicans as a one-issue investment have it wrong. The man whose net worth, by Forbes’ calculations, has jumped more ($21.6 billion) during Obama Administration than any American — Mark Zuckerberg included — wants to take the president out for economic reasons.

“What scares me is the continuation of the socialist-style economy we’ve been experiencing for almost four years. That scares me because the redistribution of wealth is the path to more socialism, and to more of the government controlling people’s lives. What scares me is the lack of accountability that people would prefer to experience, just let the government take care of everything and I’ll go fish or I won’t work, etc.”

“U.S. domestic politics is very important to me because I see that the things that made this country great are now being relegated into duplicating that which is making other countries less great. … I’m afraid of the trend where more and more people have the tendency to want to be given instead of wanting to give. People are less willing to share. There are fewer philanthropists being grown and there are greater expectations of the government. I believe that people will come to their senses and not extend the current Administration’s quest to socialize this country. It won’t be a socialist democracy because it won’t be a democracy.”

[...]

“Newspapers said I had two meetings with Romney and Gingrich [on Feb. 3], which is untrue. Most of what is being said about me in this current brouhaha is just not true. I know Romney; I like him. I know Santorum; I like him. … The likelihood is that I’m going to be supportive of whoever the candidate is. I just haven’t decided that yet and will wait to see what happens.”

[Read More]

The Forbes story is part of a larger profile which will appear in the March 12th, 2012 issue of Forbes magazine.

- JP

Chuck Norris: Ready To Join the Faith Dream Team?

2012-02-21T09:45:00.001-06:00

In his latest Townhall.com column, Chuck Norris writes about what it means to be a member of Newt Gingrich's Faith Coalition Dream Team and what you can do to get involved. Here are some excerpts:

You might have seen or read in the news this past week about how Newt deployed his Christian "Faith Leaders Dream Team." I'm honored to be a part of that passionate faith group of national leaders...

[...]

One particular thing that really impressed Gena and me about Newt and Callista Gingrich's genuine Christian faith was their united fight for Christianity before Newt ever ran for president.

[...]

We, patriots and the collective team of Reagan Christian conservatives, join Newt in pledging our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to restore our republic. For the sake of our posterity and the preservation of truth in each of our own communities, we all need to accept this challenge by Ronald Reagan: "You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done."

If you want to join the millions of others of us in Newt's corner, here are seven ways you can do so and to employ your faith to action:

1) Post a link to this column on your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and email it to those you know, particularly those in Arizona, Michigan and Washington (the next states to have primaries, on Feb. 28 and March 3).
2) Sign up to be part of Newt's Faith Coalition...
3) Educate yourself on the Republican presidential candidates by reviewing the American Family Association's online voter guide...
4) Listen to Jim Garlow's interview with Newt... about Newt's Christian faith and passions.
5) Please keep Newt and his team in your daily prayers.
6) Go to newt.org and help finance Newt's campaign.
7) Mostly, don't be missing in action at the polls! Your vote counts!

[Read More]

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 20, 2012)

2012-02-20T23:55:00.000-06:00

Rush Limbaugh:

“And a little political observation here. If -- it's a big ‘if’ -- if, as the polls indicate, Romney loses in Michigan, I think there's a possibility of something happening nobody's talking about -- and that's the reemergence of Newt. Keep a sharp eye. Anything's still possible.”

- JP

New pro-Gingrich PAC ad: ‘Bold Conservative’

2012-02-20T21:15:00.000-06:00

Video courtesy of Winning Our Future

Newt Gingrich's Tuesday Schedule - 2/21/12 (Updated)

2012-02-20T20:25:00.005-06:00

The former Speaker will be in Oklahoma again Tuesday:

TV: CBS This Morning interview
6:00am CST/7:00am EST
CBS News

Radio: Pat Campbell interview
7:35am CST/8:35am EST
KFAQ, Tulsa
Listen live here

Radio: Laura Ingraham interview
8:15am CST/9:15am EST
Find a station here

Newt addresses the Oklahoma State Legislature
10:00am to 10:30am CST
Oklahoma State Capitol
2300 N Lincoln Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK
Note: This event is not open to the public, but may be live streamed at CNN Live

Update: Newt will be interviewed on "Hannity"
8:00pm CST
Fox News

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt talks energy, national security & jobs in Tulsa

2012-02-20T19:35:00.004-06:00

Newt Gingrich campaigned in Tulsa Monday, drawing a crowd of 3,500 to Oral Roberts University's Mabee Center:

The town hall consisted of an opening statement by Gingrich, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Gingrich addressed the crowd, saying President Barack Obama, "is the most dangerous president in U.S. history when it comes to national security. "

2/9/2012 Related Story: GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum Campaigns In Tulsa

The presidential hopeful also spoke about the nature of the economy in America.

"We can change things. We don't have to stay trapped in a decaying culture and economic decline," Gingrich said.

Gingrich wants every young person to have a Social Security savings account in which they can contribute, so they can have a financially secure future.

Gingrich said to a cheering crowd, "my goal is to shrink Obama's government to fit the revenue, not to raise your taxes to make it work.

"Basing my whole campaign on a system similar to the UPS box tracking program. Hold government accountable for every dollar."

[Read More]

The former speaker is holding another campaign event in Oklahoma City tonight.

- JP

New pro-Gingrich PAC ad: ‘Prosperity’

2012-02-20T18:55:00.000-06:00

Video courtesy of Winning Our Future

Rewind: Dennis Miller says Gingrich-Palin is the ticket

2012-02-20T07:03:00.003-06:00

Let's set the wayback machine for "The O'Reilly Factor," May 6, 2009:

h/t: Free Republic

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Monday Schedule - 2/20/12

2012-02-20T05:35:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker is campaigning in Oklahoma today:

Newt will speak at Oral Roberts University
2:00pm CST
The Mabee Center
7777 South Lewis Avenue
Tulsa, OK
Note: This event is free and open to the public. It will be streamed live here.

Speaker Gingrich will hold an Oklahoma City Townhall
7:00pm CST
Jim Thorpe Association & Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame  
4040 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 19, 2012)

2012-02-19T23:55:00.000-06:00

Chuck Norton, at Political Arena:

“Reminder: If you are afraid to debate Newt Gingrich, you are not going to debate Obama.”

- JP

Quote of the Day Honorable Mention #59

2012-02-19T19:35:00.000-06:00

“Leader” Edition
*

Chuck Norris, at Creators Syndicate:

“How can the ‘alternative to Romney’ also be a Romney supporter? Newt and Santorum are good Christian men, both of whom are passionate to fight the war on religion (specifically Christianity) being unleashed by the Obama administration. They are also avid supporters of Israel. However, in light of the potential global clash outside our country with regimes like Iran and Syria, and the ongoing domestic assault within our country from the Obama administration, we believe America needs the best of the best veterans of political war to lead us forward. We truly believe Newt’s experience, leadership, knowledge, wisdom, faith and even humility to learn from his failures (personal and public) can return America to her glory days. And he is the best man on the battlefield who is able to outwit, outplay and outlast Obama and his billion-dollar campaign machine.”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“Supporters of Rick Santorum are on Day 3 or 4 of the type of distortion and character assassination which was unleashed on Newt beginning in mid-December...”

Larry Perrault, at Texas GOP Vote:

“I like Rick Santorum... I don’t fear anything from Santorum AS President. But I do fear that the Obama campaign would batter him... However this is an extraordinary time that particularly calls for extraordinary capability. And it’s there in Newt Gingrich... NO other candidate has Gingrich’s experience and skill with change in government, and none have his awareness of American history and what is required to restore it. Only Gingrich has proposed the necessary changes in our tax and entitlement systems. And only he looks over contemporary legal conventions and proposes that judicial authority is out of historical balance. We conservatives have long complained of presumptuous judicial activism. We shouldn’t continue to hang our hopes on filling the judiciary with more modest judges. The executive and legislative branches must hold the judiciary to constitutional account.”

Judson Phillips, founder, Tea Party Nation:

“It is time for Newt to go on campaigning... Newt is the last standing conservative. Romney is the Republican liberal. Santorum is the big government social conservative. Paul is the libertarian.”

PolitiJim, at Rants for Reasonable People:

“Like others, I have taken it as ‘gospel’ that Newt Gingrich was for TARP and Rick Santorum was against it. The former Pennsylvanian stated it as fact, and our major conservative voices from AceOfSpades to Rush have also. I don’t know if it was Newt’s desire to embody Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment, or what, but I never heard him acknowledge or deny either statement. It now turns out that there are at least two TV interviews, a National Press Club speech and two op-ed pieces that seem to (again) contradict the assertions of a certain sainted former Senator.”

Kevin Bohn, at CNN:

“In a move that could again dramatically shake up the Republican primary race, billionaire and major Republican donor Sheldon Adelson is expected to donate an additional $10 million to the super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, Winning Our Future, a source with knowledge of the donation told CNN. That contribution is expected soon, before the end of the month, the source said.”

Kevin Tharp, at American Thinker:

“The question was, should Republicans buck public opposition and completely change Medicare? Gingrich's answer was a criticism not of the change, but how it should be implemented. Not because it wasn't the right thing to do, but because politicians should get the public behind it first... So was Gingrich right? Of course he was. The plan didn't pass. The duly elected representatives of the people in the U.S. Senate voted no. In a surprise development on December 15, 2011, Ryan teamed up with Democrat Senator Ron Wyden to produce a bipartisan budget plan. This new plan includes a Medicare premium support plan with an immediate voluntary option as well as the option to stay in the old system. So Paul Ryan has now come to agree with Newt Gingrich about how Medicare reform should be implemented. No one should be surprised. Gingrich helped reform welfare during a Democrat presidency. He knows how to reform the whole entitlement leviathan.”

Sarah Palin, when asked if she was saying that Newt is the toughest fighter in the race:

“You know that is what I’m saying today. I’m saying that David because Newt has learned through that school of hard knocks... and I think that would bode well for what it is that we need in terms of fighting that Obama machine that we’ll be up against.”

Caroline Moses, at WSMV-TV:

“Newt Gingrich told Channel 4 News Thursday that he plans to visit Nashville in the next few weeks but did not give an exact date. Gingrich said when he visits, he plans to announce several big endorsements from local politicians. Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson has already endorsed the former Speaker of the House. The GOP candidate told Channel 4 reporter Caroline Moses that he has already raised a substantial amount of money in Tennessee and has several big conservative donors in the state. Gingrich said he believes he has a good chance of winning the state's March 6 primary due to his pro-life, pro-gun and pro-jobs initiatives.”

Herman Cain, at a Cobb County rally Saturday:

“I’ve known Speaker Gingrich since the early 1990s, but in South Carolina, when I saw him in the debate do his smack down of the media, I said, ‘That’s my man. You go Newt.’ That media smack down is what bold leadership is all about. That’s one of the reasons we don’t need namby-pamby in the White House. We don’t need a custodian in the White House.”

Arlette Saenz and Michael Falcone, at ABC News:

“Texas Gov. Rick Perry will appear with Newt Gingrich for the first time at the CNN debate in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 22, a spokesperson for Perry confirmed to ABC News. Perry will appear in the spin room with Gingrich after the debate. There are no other events planned, at this time. Perry endorsed Gingrich when he dropped out of the race on Jan. 19... Perry made calls to his network of donors last week asking for them to pledge their financial support to Gingrich. The Texas governor also sent out an email on behalf of the Gingrich campaign urging supporters to donate to Gingrich’s campaign.”

Shawna Shepherd, at CNN:

“Newt Gingrich is campaigning in Michigan next week on the hopes that negative sparring between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum will yield much-needed delegates before Super Tuesday.”

KOCO-TV, in Oklahoma City:

“The Oklahoma Republican party said Friday, that Newt Gingrich will make a campaign stop in Oklahoma. The former House speaker will visit the Sooner State on Monday. He is scheduled to make two stops. The first stop is in Tulsa, the second stop is in Oklahoma City. Gingrich should arrive in Tulsa for a 2 p.m. visit to the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University. He's then scheduled to visit the Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City at 6:30 p.m.”

Steve Gill, at The Gill Report:

“Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was on the Steve Gill Show and commented on the President’s Affordable Care Act legislation that forces Catholics and other religious organizations to proved contraception and the morning after pill to their employees.”

Grace Wyler, at left-of-center Business Insider:

“Gingrich's trip to California [was] about more than just money — the state is the lynchpin in his campaign's revamped delegate strategy, which focuses on targeting conservative strongholds and... districts across the country... In a move that signals California's importance to Gingrich's comeback, the campaign has dispatched Adam Waldeck, the operative behind Newt's South Carolina surprise, to lead field operations in the Golden State... Changes in California's delegate rules, from a winner-take-all state to one that is (mostly) winner-take-all by Congressional district, provide an opening for Gingrich, Waldeck said. The change allows Gingrich to target specific Congressional districts — specifically those that are rich with conservatives and evangelicals — and largely bypass the expensive media strategy that campaigns typically employ in California, he added.”

- JP

Gingrich: $2.50 gasoline only inconceivable to Washington establishment

2012-02-19T15:30:00.002-06:00

Newt was interviewed this morning on "Fox News Sunday" by Chris Wallace:

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Sunday Schedule - 2/19/12

2012-02-19T05:35:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for this Sunday:

Newt will be interviewed on "Fox News Sunday"
Check Fox News local air times.

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 18, 2012)

2012-02-18T23:55:00.004-06:00

Herman Cain, to a standing ovation at a county precinct meeting:

“You know, I knew I had some friends in Forsyth County, but we’re here because we believe Newt Gingrich should be the next president of the United States in America. And contrary to what the mainstream, lame-stream, lapdog media want you to believe, he can pull it out.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich: Plain talk about American energy

2012-02-18T18:55:00.000-06:00

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Video: Newt Kicks Off Georgia Campaign Swing in Fayette County

2012-02-18T13:00:00.001-06:00

WSB-TV's report on the former Speaker's Peachtree City rally:

Video courtesy of Newt.org

C-SPAN has video of the full event here.

- JP

Gingrich: No Israeli PM can risk a second Holocaust

2012-02-18T10:55:00.001-06:00

Thursday, Newt and Callista Gingrich hosted a Republican Jewish Luncheon at La Gondola Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California:

Video courtesy of Shaulina Productions

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 17, 2012)

2012-02-17T23:55:00.000-06:00

Gary Gross, at Examiner.com:

“Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are afraid of getting bested by the best debater in the GOP field... Real men fight battles. Instead of fighting, these ‘gentlemen’ chose to run and hide. In hiding, these candidates showed they don't have the fortitude it takes to be the leader of the free world. If they can't stand up to a candidate, why think that they'll stand up to Putin, Ahmadinejad or Chavez?”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Saturday Schedule - 2/18/12

2012-02-17T22:35:00.000-06:00

The former Speaker campaigns in Georgia Saturday:

Newt and Herman Cain at a Forsyth County Precinct Meeting
10:00am to 10:45am EST
South Forsyth High School
Performing Arts Theatre
585 Peachtree Parkway
Cumming, GA 30041
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Newt and Herman Cain at a Gwinnett County Precinct Meeting
11:30am to 12:15pm EST
Collins Hill High School
School Theatre
50 Taylor Road
Suwanee, GA
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Callista Gingrich at the Atlanta Young Republican Club
12:00pm to 1:30pm EST
Peachtree Presbyterian Church
John Bailey Room # 2202
3434 Roswell Road, NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Newt and Herman Cain at a Cobb County Rally
3:00pm to 4:00pm EST
Marriott Atlanta Northwest
Salon B-E
200 Interstate North Parkway, SE
Atlanta, GA 30339
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt 2012 Ad: ‘Latinos with Newt’

2012-02-17T13:45:00.004-06:00

The Gingrich campaign has a new campaign ad targeting conservative Hispanic voters in Arizona:

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Gingrich: ‘It is impossible to think coherently about Obama's foreign policy’

2012-02-17T11:00:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week, the former speaker sat down with The Hoover Institution's Peter Robinson for an Uncommon Knowledge interview.

h/t: Ricochet

- JP

Newt Gingrich & The Republican Revolution of 1994

2012-02-17T08:45:00.006-06:00

This 1995 documentary chronicles the 1994 Republican Revolution led by Newt Gingrich, who led his party to take control of the U.S. House for the first time in 40 years, and the Contract With America, the ambitious reform agenda they worked to enact in their first 100 days in Congress. Fascinating to watch not only Newt and his team as they work to honor their pledge to their constituents, but the Democrats as they fought reform tooth and nail at every turn. Here's an excerpt:

The full video is here.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 16, 2012)

2012-02-16T23:55:00.000-06:00

John Nolte, at Big Journalism:

“Smith’s JournOlist specialty is creating distractions to keep Republicans off-message... Go take a look at Buzzfeed Politics... You’ll see that little has changed and that this story, ‘Shopping With the Gingriches’ is PURE Ben Smith. It’s a story meant only to build on the nonsense-narrative surrounding Newt’s line of credit at Tiffany’s. It’s bait for the MSM to create a talking point and feed that narrative. And not just any nonsense-narrative, but one that fulfills Barack Obama’s reelection game plan based on class warfare. Nothing in that story is about policy, history, vision, or news. It’s a hit-piece disguised as human interest, and I’ll say it again: it is pure Ben Smith.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Friday Schedule - 2/17/12

2012-02-16T22:50:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker will be back home in Georgia Friday, February 17:

TV: Newt's daughters, Jackie and Kathy, interviewed on "Fox & Friends"
7:50am EST/6:50am CST
Fox News

Newt at 2012 VIP Donor Reception
6:30pm to 7:30pm EST
Main Terminal
7 Falcon Drive
Peachtree City, GA
Note: Contact ccantrell-at-newt.org for more information to attend

Newt speaks at a Peachtree City Rally
7:30pm to 8:30pm EST
Hanger B4
500 Aviation Drive
Peachtree City, GA
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Meet Newt's ‘Faith Leaders Dream Team’

2012-02-16T19:45:00.001-06:00

The Gingrich Faith Leaders Coalition is the former Speaker's official advisory coalition on issues pertaining to life, marriage, and religious liberty.

Flanking Newt, from left to right, the team members are George Barna, Matt Stever, Beverly LaHaye, Tim LaHaye, Don Wildmon, JC Watts, Jim Garlow and Chuck Norris. Their testimonials for Newt Gingrich are here.

- JP

Newt launches petition for lower gasoline prices

2012-02-16T15:05:00.002-06:00

Newt Gingrich launched a petition on Facebook Thursday demanding president Obama to take steps to lower gasoline prices:

"We the undersigned petition President Obama to act immediately to lower gasoline, diesel, and other energy prices and reduce our dependence on overseas energy sources from unstable countries by enacting Newt Gingrich’s plan to lower gas prices to $2.50 per gallon, including the immediate authorization of the Keystone XL pipeline and aggressive development of more North American oil and natural gas."

With oil prices edging over $100 per barrel and pump prices for gasoline over $4.00 a gallon in California, the former speaker has seized on an issue that has great potential to resonate with voters. The Hill reports:

Already more than 280,000 Facebook users have "liked" Gingrich's energy petition, and more than 50,000 have discussed the proposal on the social network.

You can sign the petition here.

- JP

Speaker Gingrich on the Conservative Intellectual Tradition in America

2012-02-16T07:35:00.000-06:00

Newt Gingrich delivers a lecture to The Citadel Professor Mallory Factor's American History Seminar:

Video courtesy of The Citadel Experience

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 15, 2012)

2012-02-15T23:55:00.000-06:00

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“Indeed, why are we even talking about a not-Romney? If nothing else, the past weeks since South Carolina have shown Romney to be a profoundly weak frontrunner, someone who has even establishment types worried. Maybe Romney should be the one dropping out if he does poorly in Michican and on Super Tuesday. Then we can have a battle of the two conservatives. Until then, hang in there Newt.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Thursday Schedule - 2/16/12

2012-02-15T23:05:00.000-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Thursday, February 16:

Newt will hold an Asian-American Leadership Forum
10:00 am to 11:00 am PST
Korea Times
4525 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Callista Gingrich will visit Little Oaks School
10:00 am to 11:30 am PST
101 North Skyline Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91361

Newt and Callista will host a Republican Jewish Luncheon
12:15 pm to 1:30 pm PST
La Gondola Restaurant
9025 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Speaker Gingrich: ‘No government can come between man & God’

2012-02-15T22:25:00.002-06:00

Newt was Greta's guest for an interview "On the Record" on Fox News Wednesday night:

- JP

Newt goes ‘On the Record’ tonight about latest Obama moves

2012-02-15T19:35:00.002-06:00

From Fox News Insider:

"From the 2013 budget proposal to the contraception controversy, GOP candidate Newt Gingrich isn’t holding back on what he thinks of the president’s most recent decisions. Don’t miss his interview with Greta Van Susteren tonight at 10p/1a ET on On the Record."

That's 9PM Central time, with a repeat at Midnight.

- JP

In Georgia, Romney Super PAC's claim about Newt goes up in smoke

2012-02-15T09:35:00.001-06:00

Though Rick Santorum is now taking his turn as the perceived front-runner in the GOP presidential race, a pro-Mitt Romney super PAC is still attacking Newt Gingrich. The the PAC continues its efforts to smear Gingrich with disingenuous political ad, even in the former Speaker's home state of Georgia, which will hold its presidential primary in just a few weeks. Politifact Georgia has been evaluating the latest ads to air in The Peach State:

One that we’ve seen -- scheduled to hit the airwaves Wednesday -- takes aim at former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who represented portions of Atlanta’s western suburbs for 20 years in Congress.

"He co-sponsored a bill with Nancy Pelosi that would have given $60 million a year to a U.N. program supporting China’s brutal one-child policy," says the voice in the ad paid for by Restore Our Future. The super PAC is run by supporters of Republican hopeful Mitt Romney.

There’s nothing that makes conservatives see more red than a reference to Pelosi, the liberal California congresswoman and House minority leader. Or talking about China for that matter.

The ad that will soon be on your TV screens in Georgia is different than what Restore Our Future aired in Florida and South Carolina before their primaries. Our colleagues at PolitiFact Florida looked into this claim and rated it a Pants On Fire.

We wondered: Did the group get its facts right this time?

[...]

The bill did propose money for the United Nations Population Fund. But Section 1102, Part C, of the bill prohibits using any of the funds for "the performance of involuntary sterilization or abortion or to coerce any person to accept family planning." That is the exact opposite of the language in Restore Our Future’s ad about Gingrich.

As we mentioned, PolitiFact Florida rated this claim Pants On Fire.

The language is the same in this ad. And the facts haven’t changed. Pants On Fire.

[Read More]

Romney and his surrogates just can't tell the truth, and his polls numbers are beginning to suffer as a consquence.

- JP

Newt Gingrich: $2 gallon gasoline and energy independence

2012-02-15T06:45:00.001-06:00

In his Wednesday column for Human Events, former Speaker Gingrich makes the case that $2.50 a gallon gas is not a pipeline dream. It’s a goal which can be achieved, he argues, if the right policies are put into place:

America needs three goals in energy:

• Independence from dictatorships so no American President ever again bows to a Saudi king.

• Enough energy that Iranian efforts to disrupt the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz have no impact on America.

• Enough production to bring down the cost of gasoline for American motorists.

All three goals can be achieved with an all-of-the- above American energy plan.

During the four years I was speaker, the average price for a gallon of gasoline was $1.13. When President Obama took office in January 2009, the average price nationwide was $1.89 a gallon. Three years into the Obama presidency, the average is $3.47 a gallon.

Today, prices like those we enjoyed three years ago seem like a fantasy—and under the president’s current policies, they are. But these were prices Americans paid in the relatively recent past. Many Americans used to pay just $35 to fill up the very same cars that are today costing them over $60.

While some of the increase in gas prices comes from growing demand, the demand pressures on price can and should be offset by increasing domestic supplies. Yet the Obama administration’s ideological refusal to expand American energy production continues to block the development of resources which could lower prices dramatically. As we saw most recently with the administration’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the president is more interested in playing favorites with environmental extremists rather than embracing the “all-of-the-above” strategy that could achieve energy independence and help all Americans now.

The fact that Americans must cope with ballooning gas prices and energy vulnerability while living in a country with some of the richest untapped energy resources on the planet is an absurdity that can only be accomplished by bad government. By unleashing the American people from regulations and bureaucracy designed to promote the agenda of radical environmentalists, we can tap our enormous oil and natural gas supplies to drive fuel prices down.

[Read More]

The price of gasoline, like any other commodity is ultimately determined by the laws of supply and demand. The former Speaker argues that American's supply of recoverable crude oil has been grossly underestimated in years past, but today it is known to be sufficient to last us for over 250 years at current rates of consumption. It's long past time to drill here, drill now, and save money.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 14, 2012)

2012-02-14T23:55:00.000-06:00

Randy Evans, at Newsmax:

“In 1994, there was only one person who consistently believed Republicans could weather the storms and capture control of the Congress for the first time in four decades; in 2012, he is a candidate for president.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich at the World Ag Expo

2012-02-14T23:00:00.001-06:00

Newt Gingrich made a campaign stop at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California Tuesday:

Video courtesy of KGPE-TV

- JP

Rick Perry: Newt is a ‘clear change agent’

2012-02-14T16:55:00.001-06:00

Gov. Perry was interviewed in Austin by Shannon Bream of Fox News:

- JP

Newt Gingrich speaks in packed Pasadena ballroom

2012-02-14T10:35:00.001-06:00

Newt Gingrich spoke in a ballroom full of people at Pasadena's Green Hotel Monday evening, promising to take steps to to drive down the price of gasoline at the pump and to change the culture in the nation's capitol:

The former House Speaker from Georgia mocked liberals and earned cheers when he laid out plans for a scaled-back federal government that would foster vigorous job growth.

The strongest applause of the night came when Gingrich decried what he called “President Obama’s war on the Catholic Church.” The president recently eliminated a part of his health care plan that would have forced religious groups to provide health insurance covering contraception services.

Gingrich also blasted the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for a recent decision finding a 43-foot cross displayed at a public park was an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion. Gingrich slammed what he called a “bigoted, anti-religious court.”

Gingrich spoke at the Green Hotel for the second time this campaign season, invited by members of Pasadena’s Tea Party group, the Pasadena Patriots.

Gingrich arrived on his campaign bus at 5:05 p.m. and went directly to a reception for those who paid $500 a ticket. He emerged 10 minutes later to a standing ovation. Before calling for tax cuts and more domestic oil exploration, Gingrich said, “Everything I’m about to talk to you about is doable, but not with the current Washington establishment.”

He blamed President Obama, but added, “Frankly, some of the Republicans are not very helpful, either.”

[Read More]

During the question and answer period following his speech, the former Speaker of the House declined to join the "birthers," a group which claims that President Obama is not an American citizen. Attorney Orly Taitz, who has filed a lawsuit challenging President Obama's eligibility for the office he holds, asked Gingrich when someone would do something about Obama's eligibility.

“That’s a project you should pursue,” the GOP presidential candidate responded. With a record high deficit and other problems plaguing the economy, he added, “I have enough issues to debate Obama about.”

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 13, 2012)

2012-02-13T23:55:00.000-06:00

PolitiJim, at Rants for Reasonable People:

“Dear Speaker Gingrich... I am not only for you, I am with you.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Tuesday Schedule - 2/14/12

2012-02-13T22:00:00.000-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Tuesday, February 14:

At Tulare World Ag Expo
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm PST
Tulare World Ag Expo
4450 South Laspina Street
Tulare, CA 93274

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt Gingrich: Cap & Trade a ‘socialistic effort’ to control the economy

2012-02-13T16:55:00.002-06:00

Speaker Gingrich was recently interviewed by Raymond Arroyo for Catholic network EWTN:

Video courtesy of The Right Scoop

- JP

Newt: Romney has ‘marginalized himself’ with waves of negative ads

2012-02-13T14:05:00.004-06:00

The former Speaker sat down with CBN's David Brody for an interview at CPAC Friday:

Video courtesy of The Brody File

- JP

Gingrich: Obama ‘relentlessly hostile’ to traditional religion

2012-02-13T12:45:00.000-06:00

Speaker Gingrich was interviewed by Newsmax TV following his CPAC address Friday:

Newt Gingrich blasted President Barack Obama’s policy reversal on coverage of birth control and the morning-after pill saying the new policy “may actually be worse” than the rules that caused the controversy in the first place.

Liberal Catholics have sided with conservatives in opposing the Obama administration’s plan to require faith-based organizations to offer insurance policies that cover procedures the Catholic church finds morally unacceptable. So on Friday the president announced he would instead require all insurance companies to cover the pills and procedures, which include sterilization, free-of-charge and without co-pays.

“I think average Americans deeply resent the Obama administration trying to impose rules on religious institutions,” said Gingrich.

[...]

Gingrich told Newsmax on Friday that he doubts whether the new policy represents a significant concession.

“It’s a clever maneuver which may actually be worse, not better,” said Gingrich, who added he intends to carefully explore the details of the new proposal. “A number of leading Catholic intellectuals believe this is worse. It’s certainly worse as a matter of conscience.”

Gingrich said, “I don’t believe President Obama cares anything about what Catholics think,” pointing out that as an Illinois state senator Obama opposed a bill that would have banned partial-birth abortion.

“He has been relentlessly hostile to traditional religions,” charged Gingrich, who is a convert to Catholicism. “I think that his administration doesn’t share any of the values, and they proved that.

“They might temporarily maneuver for the purpose of getting through an election, but I think everybody ought to look at that and say to yourself, ‘What do you think he’ll do the week after the election?’” he added.

[Read More]

- JP

Newt 2012 Web Video: ‘The Decision’

2012-02-13T08:25:00.002-06:00

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 12, 2012)

2012-02-12T23:55:00.002-06:00

Craig Schneider, at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

“Three-quarters of Georgia’s likely GOP primary voters are evangelical Christians and half are “very conservative” — and they heavily favor Newt Gingrich, according to a Mason-Dixon Poll conducted for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Monday Schedule - 2/13/12

2012-02-12T20:35:00.004-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Monday, February 13:

Hispanic Leadership Event
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm PST
Cielito Lindo Restaurant
1612 Santa Anita Avenue
South El Monte, CA 91733

Newt 2012 Reception
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm PST
Castle Green Hotel
Romanesque Room
50 E. Green Street
Pasadena, CA

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Quote of the Day Honorable Mention #58

2012-02-12T13:15:00.005-06:00

“Hero” Edition
*

Lloyd Marcus, at American Thinker:

“Newt is brilliant at articulating conservatism and experienced at successfully implementing conservative ideas. But most of all, Newt understands that the biggest, most destructive threat to America as we know it is Barack Hussein Obama... Newt is fearlessly eager to aggressively address America's problem which is Obama. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are good, decent men. However, I do not believe that Romney has the stomach to say and do what needs to be done to defeat Obama. While I will enthusiastically support whichever of our candidates winning the Republican nomination, I disagree with Paul's foreign policy ideas. I really like Santorum. However, I am not confident that he can raise the funds necessary to override Obama's billion-dollar campaign. Also, right or wrong, like it or not, a presidential candidate has to have ‘it,’ a special charisma... Newt Gingrich has ‘it.’ Again, I admit, he ‘ain't’ perfect. But Newt does not wish to end America as we know it. Obama does and will! Brother and sister patriot Americans... America desperately needs a hero. I believe that that person is Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum.”

Robert Butler, at The Presidency:

“Georgia Right to Life endorsed today Newt Gingrich for President of the United States, calling his election ‘essential’ to protecting ‘the most helpless members of our human family.’”

Justin, at Justin.fm:

“So let me get this straight: Santorum our ‘Man-on-dog’ candidate is the ‘real Conservative’ according to Rush and Levin. But one of the leading Reagan Revolutionaries, Newt Gingrich, isn't? Santorum who proudly defends his billion dollars in earmarks in the Conservative, but the chief architect of the 1994 Republican revolution that took control of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, isn't? This primary process has been a roller coaster ride to be sure. However, when Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh start spouting preposterous pontifications the time has come to sound the alarm. Furthermore, it is time to hold these men and others to account for their absurdities... I submit to you that neither Levin nor Limbaugh have been accurate about Speaker Gingrich's record. Furthermore, neither has taken a critical look at Senator Santorum's record. If they have they've kept their findings quiet, as they have not spoken of them on the air.”

Slate V:

“Slate's Dave Weigel examines a series of conservative-themed documentaries hosted by Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista.”

Charles Miller, president of NexGen Space LLC:

“Lost in the laughter over the past two weeks has been GOP presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's core point about America's future in space. We shouldn't just explore space, we should develop and even settle it, using the same enterprise-friendly approaches that helped open the West and the skies. As a former NASA executive, it is clear to me that most commentators don't understand this is now possible, let alone necessary... Gingrich's core point is that we must change how and why we do space by leveraging the power of free enterprise. Whatever misgivings you might have about Gingrich, in this case he is right.”

Mark Whittington, at Yahoo.com:

“The Houston Chronicle is reporting Texas Gov. Rick Perry is quietly fundraising for Newt Gingrich, the man he endorsed for president when he dropped out of the race.”

Lisa, at America is Conservative:

“Newt Gingrich addressed an excited crowd [Friday] at CPAC as he outlined his several bold ideas that he wants to implement as President. The crowd was clearly enthusiastic and supportive. He went through a list of promises that he has made throughout his campaign: abolish White House czars, approve the pipeline, put the US embassy of Israel in Jerusalem, reinstate the Mexico City policy to no longer fund abortions overseas, revers acts of religious bigotry implemented by the Obama administration, and so on. He said, ‘America works when Americans are working.’ ‘This is not about fairness...this is about maximizeing economic growth.’ ‘My intention is to shrink spending down to the level of revenue.’ Bottom line, big changes, bold changes. That was his mantra. And the crowd ate it up.”

Grace Wyler, at Business Insider:

“Newt Gingrich was on fire at CPAC [Friday] afternoon, proving once again that the former House Speaker is political Teflon.”

The Blogmocracy:

“If Santorum Rocked the place, Gingrich Tore it up. He got the crowd cheering by the end of his 20 minutes. CPAC was one of the organizations that Gingrich actually helped to found, as one of the few conservatives in Washington D.C. There are a lot of folks who are counting Newt out once again. I am not one of them. While I will concede that he has been hurt from Florida on, one of the things Mitt and or Santorum needed to do to put him away was to have this thing won by Super Tuesday, which sees a huge amount of delegates being awarded in States which are in the Gingrich Wheelhouse. That is not going to happen.”

Dan Riehl, at Big Government:

“Gingrich Eschews Rhetoric for Substance in CPAC Address”

Andrew Zarowny, at Right Pundits:

“Newt Gingrich really did wow the crowd at CPAC [Friday]. He began going anti-Establishment, pointing out examples from the past 50 years of GOP politics where the Inside-The-Beltway and Wall Street bunch opposed the principles and ideals of the Conservative grassroots of the Republican Party. He then launched into a concise, focused messaged laying out his plans for restoring the American economy and getting the federal government off the backs of the citizens. An enthusiastic audience cheered many times, giving Newt several standing ovations... I did not watch Romney′s speech, but I did catch Santorum′s. While he spoke of being bold, Santorum is anything but bold and exciting. The crowd did give him a very warm reception, but in contrast to Newt, Santprum′s speech was a tad flat. Almost subdued.”

Gary Gross, at Examiner.com:

“In a rousing speech at CPAC, Gingrich rallied the GOP faithful while serving notice to the DC Establishment of both parties that he didn't care about their assessment of things. Instead, Gingrich talked about America the possible.”

John Hayward, at Human Events:

“No one can say they don’t know what Newt Gingrich will do after his inauguration. He’s got big plans, and he laid them all out in his CPAC address... Some relish proposal-packed speeches like this, while others say it’s too wonkish for ‘independent voter’ consumption, and Gingrich is biting off more than any President could chew. Where Rick Santorum offered a focused table of contents for his proposed Administration, and Mitt Romney spent half of his speech talking about his biography, Gingrich is already working on the footnotes and appendix. But is his exhaustive list of proposals really too much for one Administration? Barack Obama hasn’t been shy about swinging executive power like a wrecking ball. Why can’t it be used constructively? For Newt Gingrich, the historic election ahead will be a choice between those who cleave to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers, versus Barack Obama and the Saul Alinsky radicals. He calls for hitting the ‘reset button’ and rebuilding America, instead of managing its decay. None of the Establishments talk like that.”

Maggie, at Maggie's Notebook:

“Newt Gingrich’s speech at CPAC lays out his plan. You have not heard this kind of detail from any of the candidates, at any time, anywhere. Tell me, if you are conservative, what you find fault in, in these words. I believe he is capable of doing everything he promises if we have a Conservative Senate.”

Warner Todd Huston, at Wizbang:

“Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich came to the stage to raucous applause... Newt went into the same litany of policies and ‘bold solutions to get America working again today’ that he’s talked about on the stump many times and places. But the interesting thing is that Newt drew hearty applause throughout his speech. Gingrich may not have introduced anything new into his comments before the faithful, but his performance was very well received. So, what about the three? How did they fare before the crowd? Newt was a crowd pleaser with laughs and much applause. Santorum didn’t give the crowd many opportunities for applause, but they gave him standing ovations on his opening and closing. The crowd clearly wanted to love him. Mitt, on the other hand, was politely received and that is about it. And, let’s face it, this is about how these three candidates are being received by the whole of the GOP. Everyone wants to love Rick but often have some trouble warming to him, everyone loves Newt for a speech and he always gets a crowd on their feet — but where it goes form there we don’t know — and Mitt is given the ‘yeah whatever’ from them, especially if they are conservatives.”

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 11, 2012)

2012-02-11T23:55:00.001-06:00

Lawrence Sinclair, at Sinclair News:

“Gingrich is not going to go quietly into the night, no matter what the Romney and Santorum campaigns might want.”

- JP

Newt: ‘I don't fear anybody’

2012-02-11T11:55:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker was interviewed by The Washington Times following his CPAC speech Friday:

Video courtesy of The Washington Times

Perry email seeks contributions for Gingrich campaign

2012-02-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

According to the Houston Chronicle, Gov. Rick Perry has sent out email appeals to supporters who backed his recent presidential bid to raise money for the man he endorsed for the GOP White House nomination, Newt Gingrich:

The email, which describes Gingrich as "a bold Reagan conservative who will repeal Obamacare," says in part:

“There’s nothing more important than defeating President Obama and repealing Obamacare, which threatens the tenth amendment and the fiscal future of our country. That’s why I’ve endorsed Newt Gingrich for President.

“I know that Newt will provide a clear contrast to Obama, win in November, and undo Obama’s big government. Will you show your support for defeating Obamacare with a contribution of $25 or more today?”

[Read More]

Perry recently participated in a conference call with major donors to his own campaign, asking them to provide financial backing for Gingrich's run.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 10, 2012)

2012-02-10T23:55:00.000-06:00

Ed Morrissey, Santorum supporter:

“Gingrich speech gets conservatives cheering... Clearly, Gingrich understood the stakes involved, and the crowd responded with a great deal of enthusiasm... Was this a game changer? He certainly seemed to win the enthusiasm and entertainment battle between the three candidates, although Santorum did well and Romney was at least enthusiastically received. I suspect, though, that this will be the speech that gets the most discussion over the next 24 hours here at CPAC.”

- JP

Meet Newt's Conservative Dream Team

2012-02-10T22:25:00.002-06:00

JOIN THE CONSERVATIVE DREAM TEAM

Washington, D.C. – As the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) continues today in Washington, DC, Speaker Newt Gingrich unveiled his battle plan for 2012 – rallying fearless conservatives around his candidacy like Governor Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Senator Fred Thompson, Michael Reagan, Linda Upmeyer, J.C. Watts, Kellyanne Conway, Chuck Norris and others as he takes on the Saul Alinsky radicalism of the Obama Administration.

Here's what some members of his Conservative Dream Team are saying about Newt Gingrich:

"I have no question Newt Gingrich has the heart of a conservative reformer, the ability to rally and captivate the conservative movement, the courage to tell those Washington interests to take a hike if it’s what is in the best interests of the country."
-Governor Rick Perry

"It is time for conservatives and Republicans to refocus their attention on the ultimate mission of defeating President Obama. I believe Speaker Gingrich is the bold leader we need to accomplish this mission."
-Herman Cain

“Newt exemplifies the conservative principles my father championed.
Strong national defense, lower taxes and smaller government.”
-Michael Reagan

“We need someone who has the courage and ability to communicate the truth to the American people. Someone who will explain the hard choices that we must make if we are to give our children and grandchildren the same opportunities our forefathers bestowed on us and avoid the fate that other great nations have suffered throughout history. I believe that person is Newt Gingrich. And that is why I strongly support him.”
-Fred Thompson

"Newt Gingrich presents the best chance for this country to defeat Barack Obama, and he is the only candidate who will lead the country with solutions that strengthen the economy as well as fight back the damage done by the current administration."
-Kellyanne Conway

“My wife, Gena, and I sincerely believe former Speaker Newt Gingrich is the answer and deserves our endorsement and vote…We believe Newt’s experience, leadership, knowledge, wisdom, faith and even humility to learn from his failures (personal and public) can return America to her glory days. And he is the best man left on the battlefield who is able to outwit, outplay and outlast Obama and his campaign machine.”
-Chuck Norris

“When you consider where we are today, and you think about the good, old days of balanced budgets, entitlement reform, and paying down our National debt, getting tax relief; as a Republican majority, Newt Gingrich was the Speaker, we haven't seen things like that in the last thirteen years. I am looking for somebody that will be willing to do the heavy lifting to get us to where we all want to be as a nation, and I think Newt fits that profile.”
-Congressman J.C. Watts

“Newt Gingrich has the solutions and ideas we need to restore this country to the greatness that it was founded upon, and I’m proud to stand with him in this fight.”
-Iowa House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer

As posted at Newt.org

- JP

Video: Newt Gingrich's Full CPAC 2012 Speech

2012-02-10T18:10:00.000-06:00

video platform
video management
video solutions
video player

Video courtesy of ABC News

- JP

In CPAC speech, Newt will take on establishment of both parties

2012-02-10T11:00:00.001-06:00

Tony Lee's column at Human Events today offers up some tidbits released by the Gingrich campaign of Newt's CPAC address. Expect the former Speaker to return to those issues and solutions which scored best with conservatives in his stump speeches and debate performances. Most of them are familiar, including his proposed optional 15% flat tax, 12.5% corporate tax, reforming the federal bureaucracy and balancing the nation's budget. Here are some of the other themes Newt will touch on:

...Replace the failed NASA bureaucracy with a new "Wright Brothers" model of free enterprise. To succeed we must have entrepreneurial risk taking for a bold new generation of achievements in space.

...Through existing powers, we will restore the proper role of the judicial branch to correct, limit, or replace judges who violate the Constitution.

[...]

...An American energy policy designed to bring gasoline down to $2 a gallon through drill here, drill now, pay less policies so no American President ever again bows to a Saudi king.

[Read More]

He is scheduled to speak at 4:10pm EST/3:10pm CST.

- JP

Quote of the Day Honorable Mention #57

2012-02-10T08:45:00.001-06:00

“Spirit” Edition
*

Nancy, at Liberty Watch:

“The country needs a President who will represent the people and not a certain political party. We need a President who will be honest with us and tell us the truth no matter how harsh so that we can find solutions to the problems that are bankrupting the country financially and morally. We need a President who will fight LIKE HELL for America and to defend the Republic! I don’t see this fight in Romney – the guy can’t even call Obama a liar. Paul would save our financial system only so we could face destruction from our enemies in the Middle East. Santorum has no use for the tea party and seems committed to maintaining the status quo. Newt with all of his imperfections is I believe, what makes him the perfect person to lead the way in restoring our Republic and in restoring American Exceptionalism and be the next President of the United States. Newt Gingrich has the spirit, the passion, the conviction and the fight the next President must have for the coming turbulent times.”

Vin Weber, (R-MN) former U.S. Congressman:

“He has a sense of history. He has an understanding of the issues and he's shown himself... to be able to manage and construct a system that operates efficiently. He's not just rhetorical. He's not just philosophical. He's also highly practical. I think he'd make a great President, actually.”

Jena McGregor, at The Washington Post:

“Newt Gingrich gets a lot of credit for his smarts... But intelligence alone is not enough to attract followers. What inspires Gingrich’s supporters is not just his ideas but the way he wraps them in narratives about the past and the future. Gingrich peppers his remarks with historical references, makes grand statements about where the country is headed, and launches into didactic but accessible explanations of everything from foreign policy to the deficit. He talks like someone who believes he can change the world—and he apparently does—causing those who support him to feel they are part of something of significance, something much bigger than themselves.”

Susan Duclos, at Wake up America:

“Seems ironic that Mitt Romney is going after Newt Gingrich using ethics charges that he was exonerated from by using questionable ethics of his own.”

Michael Reagan, at Townhall.com:

“I am somewhat mystified -- and dismayed -- by the spectacle of a lot of so-called conservatives who weren't around in the 1980s dropping Ronald Reagan's name to promote themselves while they go about slandering Newt Gingrich who, like my dad, was there in the '80s and '90s and also helped him elect more Republicans than anyone else in recent memory... Newt fights. Real Republicans need fighters, not mealy-mouthed compromisers who shrink away from any form of combat. He may stray away from what many of his GOP colleagues consider proper Republican behavior. But Newt is ready and able to take the fight to Obama, and he will win that fight unless the compromisers have their way.”

Meryl Yourish, at The Green Room:

“The only reason the liberal media is jumping all over the Gingrich-Adelson relationship is because Adelson is a Jew who is supporting a conservative Republican...”

Michael Henkins, at Flopping Aces:

“Romney supporters are always sure to let you know how much more money Romney has then his opponents. What is amazing is this one statistic. With all the resources Romney has to gather in funds there is one statistic he loses to Gingrich... Of what the OpenSecrets.org defines as ‘Small Individual Contributions’ Gingrich took in $6,260,961 compared to Romney’s $5,232,273. Not a huge lead that Gingrich has over Romney at first look. What is significant is the percentage of the total amount that these contributions are relative to the total amount of money raised by each candidate. For Gingrich Small Individual Contributions make up 49% of the total rose. For Romney, only 9%.”

Greg Krajewski, at Damage Report:

“Newt is the last Speaker of the House to actually get anything done of note, that being passing a balanced budget and entitlement reforms. Throw in over 23 books written, and starting four companies on his own since leaving the Speakership, and you are looking at someone who is VERY qualified to be President.”

Amy Gardner, at The Concord Monitor:

“In a meeting room at the Palazzo hotel in Las Vegas over the past week, Newt Gingrich mapped out a detailed strategy that would keep him in the presidential race all the way to the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., in August. The crux of the former House speaker's new plan is math: a complex analysis of each state's delegates, how they're awarded and how many, reasonably, Gingrich can expect to win. He will focus heavily on upcoming Southern states, where he expects his Georgia roots and conservative rhetoric to play well. And he will step up his attacks on his leading rival, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, for being too liberal to take on President Obama in the fall... Gingrich also has three surrogates who will begin campaigning heavily this month: former senator and presidential contender Fred Thompson of Tennessee, former congressman J.C. Watts of Oklahoma and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. All three have significant followings among conservative voters, particularly evangelicals, whose votes could be crucial in the South. ”

Deroy Murdock, at National Review Online:

“Newt Gingrich used his Sunshine State effort to showcase his voluntary 15 percent flat tax — 2012’s smartest idea yet, both strategically and substantively... And, if implemented, Gingrich’s prescription would reinvigorate America’s feeble economy.”

Mel Steely, Gingrich biographer:

“Bitterness isn’t the right word. What I sense is frustration. Romney has so much money and has hounded him for months. We used to talk, before this primary started, about what a pipe dream it was to stay positive like he did at the beginning. He tried to do that during the debates. He really did. But he got unloaded on. It forced him to change his perspective. What he is doing now is more political than personal. He told me, right at the very beginning, that staying in until the convention was part of the decision. Dropping out now would help his financial status somewhat, but it would not achieve anything that he set out to do with this campaign. He feels like he has a chance to influence the platform and pick up delegates, to go into a brokered convention where anything can happen. He knows that Republican history is replete with brokered conventions.”

Paul Scicchitano, at Newsmax:

“Declaring that he is in the race for the long haul, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich floated the possibility Tuesday night that Republicans may have the first ‘open convention’ since 1940.”

Jeffrey Lord, at The American Spectator:

“The week that the nation is celebrating Ronald Reagan's 101st birthday... Rick Santorum has selected that exact moment to present himself as the anti-Reagan? With the nation still recalling the tragedy that was the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle 26 Januarys ago, Rick Santorum sides with… Barack Obama and Mr. Obama-Lite Mitt Romney? But says he's the most ‘authentic conservative’? Well. As the former president might say... Former NASA executive Charles Miller... not only praised Gingrich's vision, he outlined ways to return to space while well acknowledging the nation's current financial problems. In short, Mr. Miller, like Gingrich, embraced not only Reagan's vision but used another quality of Reagan's -- imagination -- to answer the unimaginative negativity that is now surprisingly advocated by Santorum and Romney... Stop, Senator. Stop. If you really wish to sit at the Resolute desk, a literal, physical reminder of the human dream of exploration -- be resolute. Show some imagination. Vision. Don't play Herbert Hoover. The City on a Shining Hill is the place to reach for the stars. Not a place to be mocked by a radio commercial or a dopey Op-Ed that signals a crabbed, timid, fainthearted, decidedly un-conservative and un-American state of mind.”

Peter Ferrara, at The American Spectator:

“Everything about Romney screams ‘Country Club Republican.’ This is not a man who will inspire the conservative grassroots to come out in maximum force, carrying Republicans with him to victory in the Senate, as Reagan -- and later Gingrich -- did.”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“Santorum cannot be considered the designated not-Romney until he proves he can win or at least do very well in big states with binding primaries where everyone competes. In other words, let’s see how Santorum does on Super Tuesday. Then we can talk. As for Newt, he’s still hurting from the almost $30 million in negative ads run against him in about a 45 day period starting in December in Iowa, as well as the conservative media and political establishment pile on... Romney has been slowed by Santorum, giving Newt some breathing room as Romney of necessity will have to turn at least some attention to stopping Santorum. Newt needs to prove himself on Super Tuesday. As for Romney, his completely over-the-top attacks on Newt hurt Newt, but... A lot of people are disgusted with the way Romney has run his campaign, and it forced powerful voices like Sarah Palin and Mark Levin to speak out against the smears. I’m not sure Romney can carpet bomb Santorum successfully the way he carpet bombed Newt — the Republican electorate will not stand for it again. Romney will have to find a more subtle way to take down Santorum. Maybe Romney should start thinking outside the box, and convince people whey they should vote for him not just against others.”

- JP

At CPAC, Oliver North endorses Newt Gingrich

2012-02-10T06:05:00.005-06:00

Fox News military analyst Col. Oliver North (USMC, Ret.), asked by The Daily Caller which GOP presidential candidate he would like to see as commander in chief, replied that he has pledged his support to his longtime friend Newt Gingrich:

North told TheDC at the Conservative Political Action Conference that “two years ago, when [Gingrich] suggested he might run, he asked for my support. I pledged I would do it,” he said. (RELATED: More interviews from CPAC)

“It’s time for us to hire a commander in chief who doesn’t feel necessary to run around the world apologizing for America,” said North.

“I’m deeply concerned that if we don’t hire a new commander in chief… we can indeed end up in very, very serious jeopardy in this country,” he added.

[Read More]

h/t: Coloradans With Newt

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 9, 2012)

2012-02-09T23:55:00.000-06:00

Jim Hoft at Big Government:

“Obama’s #Occupy army threatened to disrupt and physically assault conservative speakers at the CPAC convention this week in Washington DC. Andrew Breitbart and Newt Gingrich are two conservatives who they will be targeting at the event.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Friday Schedule

2012-02-09T22:35:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Friday, February 10:

Newt speaks at CPAC 2012
4:10pm EST/3:10pm CST
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
2660 Woodley Road, NW
Washington, DC
TV: C-SPAN

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Perry: Newt Gingrich is the ‘purest’ conservative presidential candidate

2012-02-09T18:30:00.002-06:00

In this Newsmax TV interview, Gov. Rick Perry was asked which presidential candidate Texans will support in the Lone Star State’s GOP primary:

“I’ve endorsed Newt, so I hope that has some impact. We’re looking for the most conservative candidate. Texans by and large are a conservative lot,” he says.

“But any of our candidates are going to be better than Obama. My goal is to send the most conservative person to Washington D.C., that understands how to balance the budget, and Newt Gingrich has done that.

“I think Newt by any measure, from the standpoint of fiscal conservatism, being able to actually operate in that shark tank in Washington, is the most capable individual. He’s balanced a number of budgets before.

“Mitt’s been a very successful businessman, but the idea that you can transform your experiences as a private sector businessman into working in Washington doesn’t necessarily translate.

“I know for a fact that Newt knows how to work there. He is committed to blowing the place up, from a figurative standpoint, and to really put policies into place tax-wise, regulatory-wise.”

Perry says Gingrich is also a “big believer” in the Tenth Amendment, which provides that powers not granted to the federal government nor prohibited to the states by the Constitution should belong to the states or the people.

“You don’t see any of the other candidates out there talking about the Tenth Amendment and empowering the states and devolving power out of Washington, except Newt Gingrich.”

Perry says Gingrich is also the candidate with the best chance of defeating President Obama in November.

[...]

“I think Newt is the right person to go in and draw this bright contrast, on budgetary issues, on foreign policy, obviously on values, of all the candidates. I think he is the purest one. Mitt has a difficult time standing up and talking about doing away with Obamacare when Romneycare was the blueprint and the reason we got it.”

[Read More]

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 8, 2012)

2012-02-08T23:55:00.000-06:00

Don Surber at the Charleston Daily Mail:

“Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are nice guys and all — hard workers, inventive and funny, but for all his baggage, Newt Gingrich hits the right notes on the campaign trail.”

- JP

ARG Poll: Newt Gingrich ahead in Oklahoma

2012-02-08T13:15:00.002-06:00

A new poll of Sooner State Republicans released Wednesday shows Newt Gingrich leading the GOP presidential field in Oklahoma, just weeks before the March 6 Super Tuesday primaries:

Thirty-four percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would back the former House speaker, while 31% said they would vote for Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney, according to the American Research Group survey.

Rick Santorum, who pulled an upset Tuesday night with his three-state victory, came in [third] with 16% and Texas Rep. Ron Paul took fourth place with 10%.

[...]

As for tea party support, Gingrich took a wide lead over his opponents. The poll shows Gingrich with a 46%-26% advantage over Romney among those who support the conservative grassroots movement, while Santorum followed behind with 15% and Paul at 7%.

[Read More]

The Gingrich campaign's strategy is to aggressively focus on the Southern states and the battleground state of Ohio.

View full survey results at the ARG website.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 7, 2012)

2012-02-07T23:55:00.001-06:00

Tim Graham at NewsBusters:

“Hypocrisy knows no bounds on the airwaves of National Public Radio, as their Minnesota-based star Garrison Keillor led off his latest edition of ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ by mocking the GOP frontrunners as ‘the Mormon running against the polygamist.’ This is a rich dig coming from Keillor, since he has been married three times – just as many times as Newt Gingrich.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Wednesday Schedule - 2/8/12 (Updated)

2012-02-07T21:05:00.001-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Wednesday, February 8:

Update - Radio: Call-in to Martha Zoller's show
9:15am EST/8:15am CST
WXKT, Gainesville, GA
Listen live on Bulldog 103.7 Online

Tour of Jergens, Inc. and remarks to employees
10:30am EST
15700 S. Waterloo Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
Open to Jergens employees only.

Update - Radio: Call-in to Rusty Humphries' show
4:35pm EST/3:35pm CST
Talk Radio Network
Listen live on iHeartRadio, via WGST in Atlanta, GA

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Perry urges his bundlers to back Newt Gingrich's campaign

2012-02-07T19:55:00.001-06:00

During a conference call with the former House Speaker late last week, Rick Perry directly asked dozens of his biggest fundraisers to put their money behind Newt Gingrich's campaign, The Daily's Dan Hirschhorn reported Tuesday:

More than 50 of Perry's former "bundlers" — who take checks from big-money donors to campaigns — joined the Friday conference call, according to people who participated. It was both the first time Perry has directly asked a large group of supporters to join him in backing Gingrich, and the first time Gingrich joined in the fundraising ask.

"He said that Speaker Gingrich is the person to support in this race because he'll make fundamental changes consistent with how Gov. Perry feels," one person who was on the call said.

Though some of the Texas governor's former fundraisers have jumped to Mitt Romney's team, Perry told his former backers that he's sticking with the Gingrich. "He said he's all in for Newt," The Daily's source said.

- JP

Newt: ‘No government can come between you and God’

2012-02-07T19:15:00.002-06:00

Video courtesy of Cincinnati.com

- JP

Speaker Gingrich's statement on 9th Circuit Court & Prop. 8

2012-02-07T17:30:00.002-06:00

The very liberal Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned California’s Proposition 8 today. From his campaign's Newt 2012 website, here is Newt Gingrich's statement on the decision:

With today’s decision on marriage by the Ninth Circuit, and the likely appeal to the Supreme Court, more and more Americans are being exposed to the radical overreach of federal judges and their continued assault on the Judeo-Christian foundations of the United States.

I was drawn back into public life by the Ninth Circuit’s 2002 decision that held that the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance were unconstitutional. Today’s decision is one more example that the American people cannot rest until we restore the proper rule of the judicial branch and bring judges and the Courts back under the Constitution.

The Constitution of the United States begins with “We the People”; it does not begin with “We the Judges”. Federal judges need to take heed of that fact.

Federal judges are substituting their own political views for the constitutional right of the people to make judgments about the definition of marriage.

The country has been here before. In 1856, the Supreme Court thought it could settle the issue of slavery once and for all and impose a judicial solution on the country. In 1973, the issue was abortion and once again a Supreme Court thought that it could impose a judicial solution on the country once and for all.

Judicial solutions don’t solve contentious social issues once and for all.

Should the Supreme Court fail to heed the disastrous lessons if its own history and attempt to impose its will on the marriage debate in this country by affirming today’s Ninth Circuit decision, it will bear the burden of igniting a constitutional crisis of the first order.

The political branches of the federal government, as well as the political branches of the several States, will surely not passively accept the dictates of the federal judiciary on this issue. An interventionist approach by the Court on marriage will lead to a crisis of legitimacy for the federal judiciary from which it may take generations to recover.

- JP

Politics & Chili: Speaker Gingrich in Cincinnati

2012-02-07T16:20:00.001-06:00

Video courtesy of Irish Central

Newt Gingrich is campaigning in Ohio in the first of two days he will spend in the state, hoping to persuade undecided Republican voters to give him their support between now and the state's March 6 primary:

Gingrich joked that there's no "Federal Department of Happiness," only a right to pursue happiness. "There's no guarantee of happiness," he said.

He told the crowd that he could never equal Romney in money, but that with their help, he could equal or better Romney in people and votes.

The former House speaker talked about how the people give power to government, and not the other way around. He criticized the Obama administration for perceived actions against religious institutions, which Gingrich called "un-American."

Gingrich will campaign in Cleveland Wednesday.

- JP

Newt to speak at California GOP state convention

2012-02-07T12:25:00.000-06:00

Newt Gingrich will keynote a luncheon at the California Republican Party’s convention later this month in Burlingame:

Gingrich will keynote the lunch on Saturday, Feb. 25, just a few days before the Feb. 28 primaries in Arizona and Michigan. California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro said he expects Gingrich might also do a fundraiser in California before returning to the Arizona battleground.

“Newt’s desire to come here was clear all along, and I think it’s a good thing for California politics that he wants to make sure that his campaign lasts enough for Californians to have a say,” Del Beccaro said, referring to the Golden State’s very late June 5 primary. “This sends a clear signal to me that he’s at least planning for that.”

The former Speaker is also scheduled to participate in a “Making California Count” public event in Pasadena next Monday, Feb. 13, as part of TeaPAC’s town hall series.

- JP

Coach knows best: Newt gets endorsement from Dan Reeves

2012-02-07T11:20:00.001-06:00

Dan Reeves, who played in two Super Bowls, was an assistant coach in three more, and was Head Coach in another four, endorsed Newt Gingrich for President Monday, saying the former Speaker “knows what needs to be done to get the country on the right track”:

“He is the most experienced candidate and the one who can take out Obama,” Reeves, who coached the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, said of Gingrich.

“Newt’s tough and you have got to be tough for a job like that – just like a football coach,” Reeves added. “You will get second guessed a lot, but you have to know what you are doing and do what’s best for the country.”

Reeves, who was born and raised in Georgia, was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2003. He had previously coached the New York Giants and Denver Broncos. Reeves is now an NFL analyst for the Westwood One radio network.

- JP

Gingrich: Egypt holding 19 Americans ‘to appease their radicals’

2012-02-07T09:35:00.001-06:00

Newt Gingrich was interviewed on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning:

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 6, 2012)

2012-02-06T23:55:00.001-06:00

Chuck Norris:

“If it’s true that you can always tell one’s positions by the enemies they have, and I believe it is, then Newt is exactly where he needs to be, battling the trifecta of tyranny: Mitt’s treasuries, the MSM and the GOP elite.”

- JP

Newt 2012 Ad - ‘Romney on Guns: In His Own Words’

2012-02-06T23:15:00.001-06:00

The Gingrich campaign has launched a new website, RomneyGuns.com. That's where you'll find this new ad, "Romney on Guns: In His Own Words":

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Tuesday Schedule - 2/7/12 (Updated)

2012-02-06T22:35:00.004-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Tuesday, February 7:

TV: Fox & Friends interview
8:30am EST/7:30am EST
Fox News

Radio: Davis & Emmer call in
8:50am EST/7:50am CST
Newstalk AM1130, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Listen live on iHeartRadio.

Radio: Scott Hennen show call in
9:05am ET/8:05am CT
KNOX-AM, Grand Forks, ND
Listen live on ScottHennen.com.

Newt 2012 Rally in Cincinnati
9:30am to 10:30am EST
Location: Price Hill Chili Restaurant
4920 Glenway Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45238
Free and open to the public.

Update - Radio: Mike Rosen show call in
11:05am MST/12:05pm CST/1:05pm EST
KOA, Denver, CO
Listen live on iHeartRadio.

Newt 2012 Meet and Greet in Dayton
2:30pm to 3:30pm EST
Location: Memorial Hall
125 E. 1st Street
Dayton, OH 45402
Free and open to the public.

Update - Radio: John Williams Show
5:10pm EST/4:10pm CST
KCCO, Minneapolis, MN
Listen live on WCCO Online.

Newt 2012 Meet and Greet in Columbus
6:30pm EST to 7:30pm EST
Location: North Bank Pavillion
311 West Long St.
Columbus, OH 43215
Free and open to the public.

Update - TV: Wolf Blitzer interview
8:00pm EST/7:00pm CST
CNN

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

First Bleg

2012-02-06T20:35:00.002-06:00

Conservative with Newt needs your help to continue doing what we do. Since we're not affiliated with the Speaker's campaign, we have no source of income other than your editor's modest Socialist Security check. We won't rattle the tip jar often, but when we do, you'll know that finances have become mission critical here. While we certainly welcome large contributions, even $5 donations will be greatly appreciated. We want Conservatives with Newt to continue to be a top "go-to" Newt blog. Please click on the "Make a donation" button in the sidebar on the right of your screen to contribute via PayPal!

Thanks,

- JP

Video: Newt Gingrich previews his first day as president

2012-02-06T16:35:00.001-06:00

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Newt talks change & energy at Colorado rally

2012-02-06T15:15:00.002-06:00

Newt Gingrich spoke at a Colorado rally today, saying that he, not Mitt Romney, is the candidate who can deliver the very big change the country needs. The former Speaker of the House also devoted a significant portion of his remarks to energy, a key issue in a state which has considerable carbon and renewable energy resources.

"Gov. Romney doesn't represent profound change," Gingrich told the crowd of about 200 at the Marriott Denver West in Golden. "He's not a bad person, per se, but he's not a person who goes in there with force and will and fundamentally changes things, and we're in a situation when we need fundamental change."

Gingrich, joined by his wife Callista, is making his first stops in Colorado in advance of tomorrow's GOP caucus. He will speak at 2 p.m. [MST] at the Colorado Energy Summit at Colorado School of Mines before heading to Minnesota, which also holds its caucus tomorrow. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is scheduled to speak at the summit at 3 p.m.

In a preview of his afternoon speech, Gingrich said he plans to stress the need for an "American energy strategy to maximize American energy." The goal, he said to huge applause, is that "never again shall an American president bow to a Saudi king." If elected, one of his first acts will be to approve the Keystone pipeline, he said.

Gingrich also criticized Obama's social policies, calling him the "food stamp president" and saying that if he's elected, he will convert the "safety net" to a "springboard."

"If you prefer a paycheck to a food stamps, join us," Gingrich said.

[Read More]

ElectAd has a video of the rally posted.

- JP

Michael Reagan: Newt Gingrich is the Reagan Conservative in the race

2012-02-06T11:45:00.003-06:00

Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 5, 2012)

2012-02-05T23:55:00.000-06:00

Mark America:

“It’s time to rethink this a bit and realize that if money is everything in 2012, then the GOP is going to get beaten badly. Only a candidate who can take the fight to Obama with a small relative budget is capable of beating him, and right now, by any guess available, that candidate is still Newt Gingrich.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Monday Schedule - 2/6/12 (Updated)

2012-02-05T22:05:00.011-06:00

The former Speaker's schedule for Monday, February 6:

Colorado Grassroots Rally
11:30am MST (Doors open at 10:30am)
Marriott Denver West
1717 Denver West Boulevard
Golden, Colorado 80401
Free and open to the public.

2012 Colorado Energy Summit
2:00pm MST/3:00pm CST
Green Center
Colorado School of Mines
924 16th St.
Golden, CO 80401
Reserve a free ticket here.
Video: CNN Live

Update - Radio: Sean Hannity
5:00pm EST/4:00pm CST
WABC, New York
Listen live online at WABC Live Online.

Update - Radio: Caplis & Silverman
3:30pm MST/4:30pm CST
KHOW, Denver
Listen live on iHeartRadio.

Minnesota Grassroots Rally
7:30 pm CST
Ramada Hotel Bloomington
Mall of America
2300 American Blvd
E Bloomington, MN 55425
Free and open to the public, but please RSVP
to Minnesota@newt.org or call 612-568-NEWT.

Check Newt Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Gingrich: We've had ‘very good’ fundraising meetings & calls recently

2012-02-05T14:05:00.000-06:00

Speaker Gingrich spoke with Bob Schieffer on CBS' Face The Nation Sunday morning:

- JP

Newt: ‘I'm trying to draw people into politics, not carpet bomb them out of it’

2012-02-05T10:45:00.003-06:00

Speaker Gingrich Gingrich spoke with David Gregory on NBC's Meet The Press Sunday morning:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Quote of the Day (February 4, 2012)

2012-02-04T23:55:00.002-06:00

Jim Hoft, at Gateway Pundit:

“Ann Coulter continued to embarrass herself tonight after the Nevada Caucuses. The former conservative darling said she hoped the primaries ended soon so Republicans could unite as a party – Then she bashed Newt Gingrich and the tea party and insisted that Mitt Romney is a conservative despite the myriad of evidence that proves otherwise.”

- JP