When Newt Gets Cranky, Really Cranky and then . . . Goes Nuclear

Ahhh.  The Day of Reckoning is upon us.  Again. The clown cars come out, circle the ballot box and we all . . . wait the results with bated breath.  But until all those votes are counted, we have Uncle Newt’s latest reincarnation:

The Anti-Capitalist!

It’s amazing to watch the GOP race.  We ‘ve had stars rise and flame out before they streak across sky.  But Newt Gingrich took the super-nova route after Iowa’s humiliating results.  Still, the latest attack on Mitt Romney for making money, lots of money, while heading Bain Capital is really off the charts for Republicans.  Any Republican. Here’s what Newt said to a group of reporters in Manchester, NH:

“You have to ask the question, is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of people and then walk off with the money?”

Okay.  I can certainly appreciate that statement.  But I’m a Democrat Wandering the Wilderness.   Better yet, back in the 90s, my husband and I had a run-in with a corporate raiding mission that took down a 100+ year-old company in Philadelphia.  A lot of wreckage left behind with displaced workers and economic ripples to the wider community.  It’s called ‘creative’ capitalism, which is a nice, almost fuzzy phrase that takes the sting out—for those that create the mess, and then walk away, pockets a-jingle.

But Uncle Newt?   He’s a champion of capitalism, even the ugly, crony kind.  I’m not sure how Gingrich squares this attack on Romney, particularly with the latest reveal that, back in the day, Gingrich himself was involved with leveraged buyouts.

Upon leaving Congress in 1999, the former Speaker joined private equity firm Forstmann Little & Co. as a member of its advisory board.

It is unclear how long Gingrich served on the advisory board, or how much he was paid. The campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Hummm.  Wonder if the firm hired him as a historian?  Inquiring minds want to know. Btw, in the CNN Money piece, Forstmann, Little & Co is cited as one of the original leveraged buyout firms.

To steal from Rick Perry–Oops!

Gingrich’s attacks were signaled earlier, of course, when he publicly vowed a blood feud, retribution for the carpet-bombing Mitt Romney’s Super-Pac delivered in the run up to the Iowa caucus.  Hell hath no fury like a foiled presidential candidate.  Especially when the candidate in question has such a high regard of himself [often referred to as hubris] and for whom hypocrisy is second nature.  We’ve seen this side of Newt Gingrich before when he righteously carried the impeachment standard against Bill Clinton, all the while carrying on his own illicit affair.

But considering how the entire Republican establishment has worked with such diligence, sworn absolute allegiance in making Barack Obama a one-term president, this strategy seems short-sighted, flawed.  Unless, of course, party politics takes a back seat to personal vendettas.

Gingrich has not gone uncritiqued by the party faithful.  Some of the responses I’ve picked up in columns and online are: disgraceful, disgusting, unhelpful and my favorite—he sounds like an Occupier [you know those people who need to take a bath and get a job].

Gingrich’s daughter, Jackie Cushman, attempted to defend her father’s bomb throwing when pressed with the question—won’t this undermine the GOPs’ conservative message [ya think?]:

I think the process that we’re going through — the whole primary process — the whole point is to figure out who is the best candidate to beat President Barack Obama.

That must be the official line from Gringrich’s campaign people because the prickly candidate said much the same thing.

Gingrich yesterday defended his new attacking posture, saying it is better for Republican voters to know the truth now and to force Romney to aggressively back his record.

“If somebody is going to crumble, they better crumble before the nomination,’’ Gingrich said.

So, it’s for the good of the party?  Tear Mitt Romney a new one and voters will come to their senses, see what they’re missing in not voting for Newt.

Good try but no cigar.  Although as Minx mentioned last night, Newt Gingrich has one solid fan, Todd Palin.  Someone [a small-minded person, no doubt] suggested that Todd’s endorsement was in exchange for Alaska’s Independence.  I cannot verify that.

True, I’m merely a spectator [a biased one at that] to the ongoing fracas.  But what I see in Newt Gingrich is pettiness, a hair-trigger temper and envy, none of which is becoming in a presidential candidate.  Still, I can almost feel sympathy for Uncle Newt—Mitt Romney appears untouchable, unflappable.  He’s handsome, calm, in good shape and from all reports, far richer.  It really isn’t fair.

Here’s the thing: I’m guessing Gordon Gekko would be downright stunned and heartbroken by these blistering attacks.

Greed is not good?  Predatory capitalism should be shunned?

Newt, we hardly knew ye.

New Hampshire will decide now.