Would You Trust Newt Gingrich With Your Children?

GOP presidential candidate and disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made it clear last week that he felt child labor laws -- meant to stop children from being exploited -- were, in his words, "truly stupid."

Tonight he repeated his belief that children living in poverty as young as 9 should be forced into becoming school janitors -- to teach them responsibility.

"Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and nobody around them who works," Gingrich said today according to The LA Times. He ought to try telling that to the children of the families at the Goose Hollow Family Shelter and other shelters across the nation that house families who are homeless and include working adults.

Learning responsibility from Newt Gingrich, who committed several ethics violations while in office, is a paradox. But this is what is passing for "serious debate" in the GOP's nomination contest.

Gingrich has long supported economic policies that have increased poverty -- with children being the hardest hit.

Kids living in poverty need strong schools, strong families and strong communities that will help lift them up and give them every advantage to succeed.

What kids don't need is a president who doesn't understand the issues, and lacks both the personal responsibility and integrity to govern.