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

[gorgol]

Boehner blames Pelosi...and now this??? Did he know Gingrich stabbed him in the back BEFORE or AFTER he blamed Pelosi.....DOES SOMEONE HAVE A SCRIPT...I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THIS "CRAP SANDWICH"...Its a triple decker so far...and growing.

[justsomeguywhocameby]

"Does someone have a script?"
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bitemeredstate]

Great idea, roll Bush under the bus with the Dems to save your political skin and get McCain elected!

[lanshark]

I think that was the plan. The only problem is that I think they thought there would be enough Democratic support to pass it. Then the Republicans were going to run on blaming the Democrats for passing the "crap sandwich".

[JiminNC]

Exactly what position in the congress is Gingrich currently elected to serve? What the hell is he doing there? I look forward to his presidential run.

[robeson]

It's not surprising that Republican Newt Gingrich who once tried to shut down the U.S. government, was now involved with shutting down the U.S. economy.

[noamjunior]

It's interesting that those at the top of the gop party
(ROVE, Cheney, Romney, Gingrich, gelespie-

are bunch of guys who are basically unelectable for national office

[KOisGod]

The republican's

In search for the impossible

One honest man with leadership skills who has an R beside his name.

[RJII]

this how republicans do. wolves turning on eac h other. why would they answer the phone knowing failed has been Newt was on the line?

[ClevelandTom]

No doubt that Newt thinks he is the guy to lead the GOP back to the purity of Reagan conservatism that Bush and McCain have left. And in the process become President.

What Newt fails to recognize is that this country is now in the process of realizing that that ideaology as bankrupt and, further, they are rejecting the "take no prisoners" form of politics that Newt spawned back in the 90's.

We briefly saw cracks in the Republican coalition during the primaries with McCain on one end and Huckaby on the other. McCain papered over the cracks by naming Palin as his running mate. I hope Newt does run in 2012. He will expand those cracks into an outright split.

[clover2]

Next has never been a good iinfluence in politics.

[CassandraPriam]

Pass the popcorn.
I love this movie.
The unraveling of the repugs.

[BUMbO]

Who can afford popcorn since they use all the corn for fuel now instead of for food... money money money makes the Republicans go round...

[nutty4tahoe]

If Newt Gingrich's in there trying to roil the pot you can bet that other pillar of democracy, Tom DeLay, is in there too. This just shows you how weak those spoiled little brats in the House who voted against this thing are, all of them. As much as it stinks, the alternative of no bill is worse. They say they're voting for their constituents or because of Nancy Pelosi.. If they're voting for their constituents then they need to educate those constituents that they're the very ones who'll suffer most. Well, if that mean wady hurt their widdle feelings they need to try to start behaving as if they were grown ups. If they must allow themselves to be led around the nose by Gingrich (and probably DeLay too) then they need to be called out on it and exposed before election day.

[loax]

Aren't Republicans famous for eating their young? Gingrich made an ass of Bohner. How funny is it that Gingrich, who is out of government is behind the scenes pulling the puppet strings. BTW, Gingrich now looks even worse!

[dem09]

I thought the same. He's morphing into Rush Limbaugh.

[DAVESEAN]

First, as I have written previously, the equilibrium of this race seems to be Obama with a slight lead and this will soon begin to lock in. And with early voting starting soon in some states, every day Obama holds a lead means votes in the can.

Second, as best I can tell, no one running for president since 1976 who has held a consistent lead after the first debate has ever lost. Strange things can happen, but McCain will have to surprise many if he comes back at this point.

[longislandlol]

The repubs like the fat cat lifestyle (oh oh I don't want to insult cats ) they like gambling, girls, and guns an g-d---all the while sinnin away all they want--destroying families, lives, countries, wives, --but they think it's ok all the while to take phony ownership of g-d as being a member of their GOP-- GReedy- Ominous- Poops!

[wendynyc]

And he wants to run for President of this country - Republicans cannot come up with a decent crop of candidates - so they rely on extremists like him...