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“Newt Gingrich Is a Disgusting Person” Open Thread

Posted: November 21, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: #Occupy and We are the 99 percent!, 2012 presidential campaign, Republican presidential politics, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: , , , , |15 Comments

On Morning Joe today, Mika Brzezinski and Columbia Economics Professor Jeffrey Sachs reacted to Newt Gingrich’s advice to Occupy protesters “Go get a job right after you take a bath.” I’m not a fan of Brzezinski, but I have to applaud her today. And can we please see a lot more of Jeffrey Sachs and a lot less of John Heilemann and Mark Halperin?

From Raw Story:

“That was about the most arrogant and unself-aware, and those are probably the only words I could use to think for any Republican politician in this field could say,” Brzezinski said. “Someone needs a bath, and I don’t think it’s people on Occupy Wall Street.”

Sachs summed up Gingrich’s comments in one word.

“Disgusting,” he said. “Absolutely disgusting. No sense of any meaning in all of this. Absolutely revolting actually. And especially when what they’re protesting against is the incredible abuse of power the criminality on Wall Street, it’s shocking.”

Sachs added: “For a guy who has slipped millions of dollars from Fannie Mac to quote, ‘be a historian,’ months after he left the Congress, it’s especially disgusting. But this man is a disgusting person.”

Wow! Tell it like is, Professor! Every time Newt Gingrich gets back into the spotlight, he quickly demonstrates what a total a$$hole he is. Tomorrow night there will be another Republican debate, and for now Newt is the front-runner. I’m betting he’ll say or do something so repulsive it will even turn off Republican audiences.

15 Comments on ““Newt Gingrich Is a Disgusting Person” Open Thread”

  1. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    November 21, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    Jeffrey Sachs in the NYT Magazine, Nov. 12:

    OCCUPY WALL STREET and its allied movements around the country are more than a walk in the park. They are most likely the start of a new era in America. Historians have noted that American politics moves in long swings. We are at the end of the 30-year Reagan era, a period that has culminated in soaring income for the top 1 percent and crushing unemployment or income stagnation for much of the rest. The overarching challenge of the coming years is to restore prosperity and power for the 99 percent.

    Thirty years ago, a newly elected Ronald Reagan made a fateful judgment: “Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” Taxes for the rich were slashed, as were outlays on public services and investments as a share of national income. Only the military and a few big transfer programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits were exempted from the squeeze….

    Following our recent financial calamity, a third progressive era is likely to be in the making. This one should aim for three things. The first is a revival of crucial public services, especially education, training, public investment and environmental protection. The second is the end of a climate of impunity that encouraged nearly every Wall Street firm to commit financial fraud. The third is to re-establish the supremacy of people votes over dollar votes in Washington.

    Sachs argues that the young people in the Occupy movement “have started America on a path to renewal.” I sure hope he’s right.

  2. Adrienne in CA's avatar Adrienne in CA says:
    November 21, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    Perfect example of how elevated the discussion can become when the annoying Joe Scarborogh isn’t entralling himself with the sound of his own voice.

  3. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    November 21, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    Gingrich calls CBO a “reactionary socialist institution.” He is apparently ignorant of the fact that conservatives are reactionaries. Radicals tend toward socialism. Reactionary socialism is a an oxymoron.

    http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/11/21/gingrich_calls_the_cbo_a_reactionary_socialist_institution.html

  4. minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
    November 21, 2011 at 8:48 pm

    Add Rush to the disgusting list: Rush Limbaugh Says First Lady Was Booed Partly Because NASCAR Fans Hate Her ‘Uppityism’ – ABC News

    Someone may have linked to this already.

    Wow, I have been living in a vacuum this weekend, no internet or cable…and then I see things like this:

    The Supercommittee Fails—and That’s Good for Obama | Mother JonesDavid Corn wrote this…

    The failure of the supercommittee ain’t so bad for the president.

    And then there is this:
    Norquist: GOP Won’t Be ‘Fooled’ Into Raising Taxes | Video Cafe

    Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) told CNN Monday that Democrats had offered $1.3 trillion in cuts and $1.3 trillion in new revenue over ten years and Republicans on the committee refused.

    “But unfortunately, this thing about the Bush tax cuts and the pledge to Grover Norquist keeps coming up,” Kerry said. “Grover Norquist has been the 13th member of this committee without being there. I can’t tell you how many times we hear about ‘the pledge, the pledge.'”

  5. dakinikat's avatar dakinikat says:
    November 21, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    Speaking of police state:

    Army schedules Dec. 16 pretrial hearing for PFC Bradley Manning

    http://www.bradleymanning.org/news/army-schedules-dec-16-pretrial-hearing-for-pfc-bradley-manning

  6. dakinikat's avatar dakinikat says:
    November 21, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    Gingrich’s Latest Social Security Scheme: Privatize The Program Then Bail Out Bad Investors

    Newt’s pushing for a ponzi scheme

    2012 GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich today released his latest big idea: a return to Bush-style Social Security privatization. Gingrich has been quite vocal in his support for privatized Social Security accounts, but today marked the first time that he laid out specifics as to how he would gut one of the most successful programs in American history.

    First, Gingrich explains that he would let workers opt into private accounts, just like Bush’s suggested system. Gingrich points to two models that inspired him to suggest this approach: privatized retirement accounts in both Chile and Galveston, Texas. He added the caveat that, should private accounts fail to deliver the same return as minimum Social Security benefits, the government would step in and make investors whole again:

  7. Fannie's avatar Fannie says:
    November 21, 2011 at 10:12 pm
  8. Fannie's avatar Fannie says:
    November 21, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    Check it out.

  9. Pat Johnson's avatar Pat Johnson says:
    November 21, 2011 at 10:55 pm

    Newt’s emergence as the leading candidate just shows how deeply the GOP loathes Mittens.

    Loathe him enough to even consider dragging Newt up from the bottom of the heap as Cain, Perry, and Bachmann imploded all over the screen.

    Loathed enough that they took to “sending singing” telegrams to Chris Christie.

    Loathed him so bad that they secretly hope for Trump to re enter the race.

    Loathed to the point that should Newt suggest we consider burning the family pet for warmth, they might even look to Rick Santorum as an alternative.

    Newt’s “star status” is owed to Mitt Romney capturing the nomination because no matter how bad Newt may be, they loathe Willard far too much to ever want to support him in the general.

    A lying, corrupt, superficial blowhard is easier to take within the GOP circle than a Mitt Romney candidacy any day of the week.

    And Calista herself is a piece of work.

    • bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
      November 21, 2011 at 11:20 pm

      Yeah, Calista is strange. Dak and I were talking about that the other day. She’s so incredibly stiff, and she seems to be “wear the pants” in that relationship too.

  10. Woman Voter's avatar Woman Voter says:
    November 22, 2011 at 11:18 pm

    BB,

    Thanks for doing this post, as it so upset me to hear Newt Gingrich the un-registered lobbyist talking down to Occupy Wall Street people. Scott Olsen (injured veteran) was employed, but traveled each night to OccupySF because he wanted the issues talked about, addressed and especially the vets who are denied benefits and who don’t want the never ending wars to stop.

    Newt Gingrich is the type of neocon that wears a flag pin, but doesn’t fight for our veterans to get health care, get jobs or get the respect that every human being deserves…no surprise that the suicide rates are still alarmingly high.

    I am glad the Occupy Wall Street movement is bring forth the issues that lobbyists…ooops historians (he is only fooling himself) like Newt Gingrich silenced for far too long.

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