Gingrich Rips RNC For Its Blagojevich Attacks

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sent a rather scathing letter to Mike Duncan on Tuesday, accusing the RNC chairman of engaging in "a destructive distraction" by attempting to tie Barack Obama to Rod Blagojevich. In particular, Gingrich hit the RNC for putting out a web ad that made it seem as if the President-elect was hiding a nefarious chapter of his personal history with the embattled Illinois Governor.

"The RNC should pull the ad down immediately," Gingrich writes.

I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.

The recent web advertisement, "Questions Remain," is a destructive distraction. Clearly, we should insist that all taped communications regarding the Senate seat should be made public. However, that should be a matter of public policy, not an excuse for political attack.

In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming President succeed in meeting them, regardless of his Party.

From now until the inaugural, Republicans should be offering to help the President-elect prepare to take office.

Furthermore, once President Obama takes office, Republicans should be eager to work with him when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him.

This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the "better solutions" party, not just an opposition party. And this is the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.

This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation's troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008.

There has been, it seems, two mindsets within the GOP as to how to revitalize the party in the wake of its '06 and '08 losses: seek political blood against Barack Obama whenever possible, or focus on reaching out to moderates and minorities. In addition to Gingrich, Sen. John McCain -- appearing on "This Week" Sunday -- offered a dig at the RNC for their obsession with Obama's (apparently limited or nonexistent) links to Blagojevich.

A Republican strategist, asked about the Gingrich letter, said he agreed with the former House Majority Leader. But, he added, "I think that Newt wants a change at the RNC, and it is an intervention in the RNC race."

(h/t Ben Smith)

Comments

[JZ735]

Newt, you going all soft on us?

[msblkwidow]

I don't trust Newt as far as I can see him. You're right. He's a snake in the grass. Or, maybe he's been visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Scrooge-live revelation?

[cmonppl]

This RB criminal behavior simply is not about party affiliation - there are bad apples in almost every basket. Gotta wonder what is behind this outburst for NG, tho.

[kwoodberryesq]

Okay who is this guy, bring back Newt...

[JustMyWords]

I think it's a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers.­" We should check the back of his neck, that's how the pod people get you, you know.

But that said, no matter what his motivation may be, at least Newt's doing the right thing. (It may or may not be for the right reasons, but what the heck, if he's doing the right thing, at least he's halfway there.)

[djthedj]

The RNC is just doing what it always has, counting on the massive stupidity of the American people. It usually works because Americans are incredibly stupid but, when they have no jobs, no home, no money, etc... Even the blithering morons start to question the lying, thieving republicans that have done their very best to destroy America. The republicans have been trying to push us into a depression for years because that's where the big fortunes get made. Looks like they've finally done it, now if they can just pull off blaming it all on Obama. Shouldn't be too hard, he is black after all and Americans are incredibly stupid and racist.

[Vieux Charles]

"The RNC is ... counting on the massive stupidity of the American people."

You obviously never read the Zogby poll where 57% of Obama's voters could NOT correctly state which party controlled congress. Oddly, Obama's supporters were only given a choice between Republicans or Democrats. It was a 50/50 shot just by guessing. A classroom full of chimpanzees could have done better.

[hayleylovesyou]

Democratic and Obama voters may partly be historically be lower income and working class, but this voting bracket also contains the highest majority of voters holding masters and doctoral degrees. And as anti-intellectual as you guys like to get about how "educated" people are really "dumb" (degree envy? What is up with that?) - but just saying it over and over doesn't make it true. Or did you miss that class in college? You know, the class where you learn how to make cogent arguements?

Since you're getting into personal attacks, I'll continue. Another class it looks like you missed was statistics, which could point out errors in both the polling procedures of questions like this. What? They called 100 people? 1000? And somehow it is representative of a whole? AND the odds of chimpanzees doing any better than, well, 50%. Which is worse than 57%. Mathematically. Even if only barely. Maybe if you spent more time and effort in school you'd have voted for Obama, too.

[sadcitizen]

TheYou obviously never read the Zogby poll where 57% of Obama's voters could NOT correctly state which party controlled congress. Oddly, Obama's supporters were only given a choice between Republicans or Democrats. It was a 50/50 shot just by guessing. A classroom full of chimpanzees could have done better.
RNC is ... counting on the massive stupidity of the American people." Zogby refused to submit the same test to republican­s.Scewed perspective maybe?

[pir anha]

i've seen that poll, and it asked incredibly badly stated or purposely skewed questions.

here's the question about congress:
200. Before this past election, which political party controlled both houses of congress?
-- it's not entirely clear which election the question is talking about (the poll was conducted on nov 4 IIRC). 2006? 2008?

here's a sampling of others:
202. Which candidate said they could see Russia from their house?
-- correct answer: none. tina fey said it in her character of sarah palin.

203. Which candidate had to quit a previous political campaign because they were found to have plagiarized a speech?
-- biden didn't plagiarize; he had credited neil kinnock for the same words in all his stump speeches but during one debate.

209. Which candidate said their policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket?
-- obama did not say that; it's distorting the actual quote. what obama actually said is that he is in favour of a cap-and-trade system. and guess what? mccain was as well.

211. Which candidate started their political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground?
-- bizarroland distortion. obama announces his run for state senate at the hyde park ramada Inn on september 19, 1995. around that time he also attended a number of neighbourhood coffees for meet-and-greet. one of those coffees was at ayers' house, and it was actually a fund raiser for obama's predecessor's congressional run.

continued.­..

[pir anha]

{part 2}

it goes on and on like this. what the poll really tested was voters' familiarity with talking points, not with actual facts, and it did not show what ziegler (the right-winger who commissioned the poll) has stated it shows. if i had answered the poll truthfully, i would have been counted as a dumb obama supporter, but in fact i was very well informed, including about the ridiculous lies.

zogby himself said about this poll: “This was not Zogby International’s finest hour. Something, somehow, fell through the cracks.”

all that said, i think the majority of americans are stunningly uninformed about their politics. but this poll is a piece of garbage and shows no such thing about obama voters in specific.

[texun]

It looks like the RNC intends to wage the same kind of war vs. Obama that it did vs. Clinton: take no prisoners, even before inauguration. If Democrats were doing the same thing, the RNC and its toadies would be decrying "a lack of patriotism and of respect for the office." The RNC would rather weaken America than accept its stunning losses in recent years. They do not constitute a "loyal" opposition, and haven't for years.

[learnsomething]

All long as the Repubs continue to smear and attack our Democratic presidents, we will have the America that we have right now, where everyone is suffering except the rich.

[LeaderofMen]

There is no possible way on this Earth that Gingrich stated any of that for any altruistic reason. He has something up his sleeve and we best be on watch with a laser sight, recording media, a parabolic mic, and X-ray scanners.

[learnsomething]

I am glad Newt did the right thing, and rebuked this latest attempt of the GOP to sabotage another Democratic Adm.

The Republicans try to sabotage every Democratic Adm. This has to stop, NOW!

[Sparty1]

Old opportunistic Newt is at it again. Didn't he make a big show about the Republican congressmen being for the bailout only to go behind the Boehner's back and tell them not to vote for the bailout?

He can't be trusted.

[pfoster3]

I never thought I would, but I would have to agree with Gingrich on this one......R­NC, take advice from a a bleeding liberal Democrat: stay focused on what's important! It's the economy/war stupid!

Pamela Payne Foster, author of "Is there a balm in black America?"

[dm10003]

it's like his mood and direction follows the stock market.

[Garrett123]

This coming from the King of partisan politics.
He is a viper in the bushes.

[TommyObama]

A viper who just got done writing ad copy for the RNC, most likely.

[AlwaysFairDem]

Newt...let them go ahead and smear...we will definetely be going to own the Senate too in a couple of years. Thanks but no thanks for your rebuke!

[Donnat]

What's HE up to?