Report: Gingrich Stabbed Boehner In Back, Whipped GOP Opposition To Bailout

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was working aggressively behind the scenes to defeat the Wall Street rescue plan minutes before he himself released a public statement in support of the package, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported on Tuesday.

Gingrich was whipping up votes for the opposition, Mitchell said, apparently without the knowledge of the current GOP leader, John Boehner, who was responsible for recruiting enough support from his caucus to help ensure the bill's passage. Ultimately, the GOP was only able to rally roughly a third of its members.

"Newt Gingrich," she said on MSNBC, "I am told reliably by leading Republicans who are close to him, he was whipping against this up until the last minute, when he issued that face-saving statement. Newt Gingrich was telling people in the strongest possible language that this was a terrible deal, not only that it was a terrible deal, it was a disaster, it was the end of democracy as we know, it was socialism -- and then at the last minute [he] comes out with a statement when the vote is already in place."

Indeed, as Mitchell noted, shortly before the bill's failure, Gingrich "reluctantly" came out in favor of its passage: "Therefore, while I am discouraged at the final collapse of the Bush Administration, and frustrated by the Democrats' passion for the taxpayer's money, I would reluctantly and sadly vote for the bailout were I still in office."

The rest of the set of Morning Joe had some interesting takes on the news nugget. Joe Scarborough called Gingrich's backstabbing of John Boehner "undercutting his own."

Mike Barnicle offered his own bit of reportorial insight: "Andrea, I could hug you for saying that, because I was told last night by two or they members of Congress that this was the opening salvo of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign four years hence."

And Mika Brzezinski summed it up succinctly: "Talk about a crap sandwich," a reference to how Boehner described the bailout bill.

Comments

[Durango]

The setting: A woman at home in her living room. The room is lite with candles, Barry White is on the stereo, she is lighting sandelwood incense. She is looking nervous but hopeful.

A knock is heard at the door.

A woman looking remarkably like Nancy Pelosi opens the door. Standing there is a man who resembles John Bohner holding flowers.

The woman looks longingly at him but says: "The flowers are all well and good but where the hell have you been the past 8 years?"

Instantly the mood was ruined.

[Sound-Bitten]

Newt: You can go to the back of the unemployment line and stay there!

[pomawg]

Give until it hurts, if he loses we'll feel real pain. Donate: http://www.barackobama.com

[ecksman]

there is an internal battle being waged within the Republican party. it is a power struggle between mccain and gingrich. mccain is vying for the leadership role in the party while newt shows him that he is still the most influential and powerful person in the republican party.

[Javani]

We could use such a battle in our party. Someone standing up to Wall Street, not for its executives. Obama could hammer McCain, but instead they are both on the same side.

Anyway, the idea that Gingrich caused a no vote is as ridiculous.

[mrqcguy]

Gingrich running for President.­..HAHAHAHA­. This is the guy who was canoodleing with his secretary while his wife lay dying in a hospital bed from cancer all during the time he was impeaching Clinton. What a farce. He could not get elected dog catcher let alone president.

[demtotheend]

Newt Gingrich - Palin is Big Gamble - Palin NOT Ready - Geoge Will
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RAKjJOnVD60

what do you think??????/

[ChristopherLib]

Newt is so trying to sabatoge John McCain's campaign. Boehner is collateral damage, no more than that.

[loria]

That was my thought, but why?

[dejayel]

Why? Newt was removed from the position of Speaker by the GOP "purists". John Boehner became the GOP leader in the House (after Hastert). Newt can't stand being upstaged by anyone.
Remember the "Contract With America"? None of those 10 ever became law; the leadership of Gingrich, Delay, and Armey are all long gone and forgotten by the GOP. This is how Newt became famous: back stabbing his friends, lying about his enemies and impressing the impressionable.

[demtotheend]

check out this video and you will understand the newt stunt
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RAKjJOnVD60

[demtotheend]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RAKjJOnVD60

[demtotheend]

check out this video - maybe the reason old newt is injecting himself - take a look
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RAKjJOnVD60

[Rockerbabe]

Rescue plan!? Whose needs rescueing? A rescue implies one cannot help ones' self; I assure you that the Wall Street Welfare Queens and their wholes in the Treasury have plenty of ill-gotten gains and can bail themselves out of this mess of their own making.
If Congress is going to "RESCUE" anyone, it should be homeowners facing foreclosure, small business people looking for a loan from SBA, kids wanting to go to school and the Gulf Coast citizens in need of assistance after the deadly weather of the last 3 years. Bail or Rescue them; they will use the money to rebuild their communities directly; that will jumpstart the economy much faster than givng money to the worthless rich and their fellow bank robbers.

No Bailout/Rescue, no way, no how!

[loria]

People need to understand that this isn't just a rescue of Wall Street. That is a knee jerk reaction. Read about this. If absolutely nothing is done, we will be feeling it within a short time. Not just t he blogs, but actually research it. Weigh what will happen if there is a rescue versus doing nothing. Then come up with an opinion. Don't just let the opinion of others sway you.

[NTO08]

Newt is right when he says it is a terrible deal...
Not only was Newt causing its defeat, but Barney Frank, Rahm Emmanuel, Nancy Pelousy and others among the Dems did their best to pin this on Repubs and Mack...

No one is blameless for this debacle...

[loria]

The deregulators aren't to blame. The Republicans and McSame have been all for deregulation for years.

Can you tell us if it was such a bad deal why Newt came out for it at the last minute? I smell Republican politics and bs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-stewart/whos-to-blame-for-the-mes_b_130044.html

[loria]

That should have been: the deregulators (Bush, McCain and the Republicans) aren't to blame?

[Masterhook]

Newt knows McCain is a sinking ship, so he has no problem putting and iceberg in its way. Newt wants to fun in 4 years and knows that if McCain was to get in he would not have a shot but If Obama is in he can run and may have a shot if Obama goes down the drain.

[Ohg]

Yeah - but wait until Gin-grinch hears that Bush as sent FEMA to Wall Street. ..........­..........­....
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/09/25/bush-sends-fema-to-wall-street/

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

God, I love it when the Repubes are devouring their own!

Schadenfreude City!

[NTO08]

Unfortunately, the games the Dems played was to blame in part for the debacle...­there is PLENTY of blame to go around, and it doesn't rest on only a few.

[loria]

McCain looked like a fool. There might be plenty of blame to go around but most rests with the Republicans, the culture of greed, the lack of regulation, and the low interest free flowing money. The Republicans and their president created this mess with their policies and ideals. Then when a bi-partisan solution was needed they wanted the Dems to hang the unpopular bail out soley around their necks. The dems wouldn't do it. The market crashed, and while it rebounded with people looking for a bargain today, it will continue to decline.

If the Democrats didn't care about the people they would have just laid this at the feet of the Republicans and told them to work it out and let them know what they had come up with (I realize that's not realistic since they are the party in control), but they and many Republicans took a three page plan given to them by Bush and expanded it by 100 pages which added oversight and a degree of protection for the taxpayers. They added a cap on the CEO golden parachutes. The House Republicans wanted more of the same policies that got us into the mess. The House Republicans aren't the heroes. The wolves came into save the day, but they are still wolves waiting to get fed.