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Gingrich Slammed Pols "Beholden" to Fannie and Freddie -- But Shilled For Freddie Himself
We already knew Newt Gingrich doesn't lack for chutzpah. But this looks like a whole new level...
Back when Congress was debating the bailout package this fall, Gingrich was bravely sounding the alarm about the nefarious influence wielded in Washington by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Here he is talking to Bill O'Reilly on Fox News in late September:
One of the provisions that I wanted to put into any kind of financial package is that no company that gets money from the Treasury in this process be allowed to hire a lobbyist. I mean, what you have today is that the rich in Wall Street and the powerful at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had so many politicians beholden to them that, in fact, nobody was going to check them. And so they got away with things that were absolute bologna, and it's a tragedy.
Gingrich was particularly vocal about some Democratic politicians' ties to Fannie and Freddie:
In Dodd's case, he is the largest single recipient of money from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Barack Obama was No. 2. The fact is that to have Dodd preside over writing this bill, I think, is absolutely disgusting. I am appalled that Harry Reid appointed him to sit in there. But it is the nature of politics up there right now. And I think it's very, very bad for the country.
Now, one of the major reasons that Fannie and Freddie had "so many politicians beholden to them", of course, is that they hired people to work those politicians and to make public arguments that dovetailed with Fannie and Freddie's interests. And one of the people they hired, it turns out, was Gingrich.
The Associated Press reports today that in 2006, Freddie Mac paid the former House Speaker $300,000 to help fight off potential regulation. "Gingrich talked and wrote about what he saw as the benefits of the Freddie Mac business model," says the wire service.
So, in Gingrich world: Democratic politicians getting campaign contributions from Fannie and Freddie -- bad! Republican lobbyists getting paid by Fannie and Freddie to make the case against regulating the mortgage giants: good!
It's nice to be Newt...
Josh
Zachary
FFF
Fat F**king Fraud.
December 8, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Newt is producing as much bilge as he did in the old days. Gets him in the limelight.
December 8, 2008 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Newt is the Gingrich who stole Christmas!
December 8, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Newsweek had him on the cover as the Grinch the year he tried to shut the government down after Bill Clinton didn't invite him to ride up front on Air Force One.
Newt: another voice of maturity from the GOP.
December 8, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can Gingrich just go away and shut up! He's been a bag of illogic since day one.
December 8, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a toad.
December 8, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Everything this guy does is for political and financial personal gains.
Nothing he does is for the good of this country.
December 8, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
This fat toad has to be the biggest hypocrite in Washington, yet every news organization constantly grovels at his feet for his "supreme wisdom" concerning all things political. He's almost like an TV evangelist. When he starts criticizing and demonizing others for this violation or that contradiction, you can bet your next month's paycheck he's done the same or worse. It kills me he's always the first "expert" they turn to regarding ethics violations. My God, it's like getting Manson to comment on Jim Jones. Of course, nothing will ever rise quite to the level of hypocrisy that his condemnation of Clinton's affair did. When he wasn't bragging about "doing whomever" on his desk, or cheating on dying wives, he was hitting on any attractive girl half his age that couldn't get away quick enough. That squag actually hit on a friend of mine once at a function. But the worst part wasn't that he was drunk and doing his best to put his hands all over her. The worst part was, and I swear to God, he actually said "You know, I'm Speaker of the House." She said she couldn't get home fast enough to take a shower.
December 8, 2008 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wouldn't 'hypocrisy' fit more than 'chutzpah?'
December 8, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Newt! There you go again: Our own neo-mini-Nixon.
Bankshotting your words off the reliable and historical ignorance of much of your audience (most of O'Reilly's) you are truly a genius in your own mind. And one man laugh riot.
Just open your mouth- the lies and hypocrisy spill out- and the laughing starts. GIVE IT UP DUDE! You will never go to China, the White House or back to Congress. You are a charlatan and fraud.
Your cubical in the The Daily Show writers stable is waiting.
December 8, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Make divorce illegal....that ought to shut the old double-standard hypocrite up for awhile......
December 8, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chabuka, you beat me to it...I was going to ask whether it wasn't time for the Newster to dump his wife for someone younger.
December 8, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have no idea why anybody ever hires Newt for anything. He is just a slightly more glib version of Dick Morris. I guess he has great talking head representation, maybe the old line firm of Hypocrites R Us?
December 8, 2008 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
In other news, the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, and water is rumored to be wet.
December 8, 2008 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was wondering when this was going to make it to the blogs...AP's story:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081207/the_influence_game_freddie_mac.html
Internal Freddie Mac budget records show $11.7 million was paid to 52 outside lobbyists and consultants in 2006. Power brokers such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were recruited with six-figure contracts. Freddie Mac paid the following amounts to the firms of former Republican lawmakers or ex-GOP staffers in 2006:
--Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York, at Park Strategies, $240,000.
--Rep. Vin Weber of Minnesota, at Clark & Weinstock, $360,297.
--Rep. Susan Molinari of New York, at Washington Group, $300,062.
--Susan Hirschmann at Williams & Jensen, former chief of staff to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, $240,790.
It is unbelievable that the right-wingers have been blaming Dems for the demise of Freddie and Fannie...and Republicans are the ones on the receiving end of all the $$$...HYPOCRITES!
December 8, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
How much blogging do we have to do before the media stops suggesting Newt be taken seriously? I still cringe whenever I see Oliver North or G. Gordon Libby given any platform for anything. The same will go for Bush, Cheney and Rove once they are convicted. In the American tradition, I will give them the benefit of the doubt until it occurs. Meanwhile, I believe those three have a lot of questions to answer. As for Gingrich, North, and Liddy, we already have the answers.
December 8, 2008 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just when you think you've seen the rankest hypocrisy you'll ever see...
December 8, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
If there truly was a "liberal media", this latest example of Gingrich hypocrisy and sleaze would be blaring out on all 3 networks, all over the radio, and getting front page coverage in 300 newspapers.
December 8, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink