Oh, Newt! Say it isn't so.

[shereads]

Who moved the fainting couch? Where are my smelling salts?

Newt Gingrich Admits To Having Affair While Leading Clinton Probe

March 9, 2007 4:17 p.m. EST

Washington, DC (AHN)-Former Speaker of the House and potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich admitted to having an extramarital affair while spearheading the charge against former President Bill Clinton over his affair with Monica Lewinsky in 1998.

In an interview with Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Gingrich (R-Ga.) acknowledged his own personal infidelities during his time in Congress, but insisted he was not being hypocritical in pursuing Clinton for his indiscretions with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

In discussing Clinton's 1998 House impeachment trial on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, Gingrich insists, "The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge."

"I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept ... perjury in your highest officials," Gingrich said.

hyp·o·crite
Pronunciation:
\?hi-p?-?krit\
function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English ypocrite, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrita, from Greek hypokrit?s actor, hypocrite, from hypokrinesthai
Date:
13th century
1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

~ Merriam-Webster

I'm so confused! If Newt isn't a hypocrite, does that mean Merriam-Webster is not a dictionary?

 

[shereads]

Also from Merriam-Webster:

newt

Pronunciation:
\?nüt, ?nyüt\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, alteration (resulting from misdivision of an ewte) of ewte Date:
15th century
: any of various small salamanders (family Salamandridae) that are usually semiaquatic as adults

Sounds about right.

 

[elsol]

Hey! Hey! Hey!

In defense of Newt... he was doing a woman.

That counts for something nowadays.

 

[3113]

The argument against Clinton & Monica, as I understand it (and I'm still not sure I'm that clear on it) has to do with the fact that he lied about having the affair with her while still in the midst of that little lawsuit about sexual harrassment with Paula Jones.

Unfortunately for this argument, there's no reason in the world why the lawsuit should have ever become a federal matter in the first place. Like Whitewater, It was a court case that was eventually settled and had nothing to do with the government, and why a Federal judge should asked Clinton about an affair with this intern brought to light via illegal wiretaps (or about an old land deal that went bad and lost them money), is all very questionable. But if all that matters is that he lied to a Judge about having sex with Monica, then, yes, he lied to a judge (If getting a blow job is sex, but that's a whole other thread).

It certainly doesn't help Newt's case that he was having an affair at the time--but to be, er, fair, he wasn't asked by a federal judge if he was having an affair. Though I wonder, if he had been, if he would have lied. Now *there* would have been hypocrisy.

 

[Guest]

You know, he really does look like a salamander.

Odd that I've never before noticed the resemblance.

 

[shereads]

You know, he really does look like a salamander.

Odd that I've never before noticed the resemblance.

What's odd is that he does not look like a salamander to me, but does look semi-aquatic.

 

[sophia jane]

The Cnn artice had a really good paragraph at the end-

"Critics are likely to call the lot of them hypocrites, however, noting that religious conservatives make allowances for people they agree with politically, like Gingrich, but not for Giuliani or Clinton."

I think that's the gist of it for me. The conservatives are all fine and dandy with homosexuality, porn, adultery and all kinds of other shit as long as you're a Republican. They say you learned from your mistakes then and that it shows character for you to confess. A Democrat, though, is immoral and his past mistakes are signs of bad character and an indication of a bad leader. That is the hypocrisy to me.
Besides that, it's hard to pull off that whole party of values and family and morality shit when they can't keep their pants on.

 

[Boxlicker101]

The argument against Clinton & Monica, as I understand it (and I'm still not sure I'm that clear on it) has to do with the fact that he lied about having the affair with her while still in the midst of that little lawsuit about sexual harrassment with Paula Jones.

Unfortunately for this argument, there's no reason in the world why the lawsuit should have ever become a federal matter in the first place. Like Whitewater, It was a court case that was eventually settled and had nothing to do with the government, and why a Federal judge should asked Clinton about an affair with this intern brought to light via illegal wiretaps (or about an old land deal that went bad and lost them money), is all very questionable. But if all that matters is that he lied to a Judge about having sex with Monica, then, yes, he lied to a judge (If getting a blow job is sex, but that's a whole other thread).

It certainly doesn't help Newt's case that he was having an affair at the time--but to be, er, fair, he wasn't asked by a federal judge if he was having an affair. Though I wonder, if he had been, if he would have lied. Now *there* would have been hypocrisy.

As a resident of DC, the lawsuit was brought against Clinton in DC, which means it had to be a federal case, even though it happened in Arkansas. Clinton was asked if he had ever had an affair, or words to that effect, with an employee of Arkansas while he was governor, or a federal employee while president. This was a reasonable question, under the circumstances. He said he hadn't, which was later proven to be a lie, amounting to perjury, which is a felony. He was impeached for that.

Personally, I don't believe that perjury under those circumstances would rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" but that's just my opinion. I believe a majority of the Senate agreed with it, though.

If Gingrich had an affair with a woman, even while the Speaker, it's nobody's business except that of the people involved, because it wasn't illegal. I'm assuming that last part, by the way. I don't know that much about the laws in the place where it happened, but some states have laws against adultery.

 

[JamesSD]

My extremely low opinion of Newt remains unchanged. Worst of the breed in my mind. Maybe he'll sleep better at night having cleared his dirty concience a little.

Mostly I'm surprised his party has let him back in, at least to some degree. Let's face it, he has less of a shot of winning the Preisdency in '08 than Al Gore does. His career paid the price for what he did and said during the Lewinsky affair and after, so in my mind he's done, a non-entitity destined to languish as a historical footnote next to the likes of Dan Quayle.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Doesn't anyone feel bad for the woman Newt was doing? She must be very sick. Or is it a case of she likes the Right-Wing Republican Dick

 

[rgraham666]

Doesn't anyone feel bad for the woman Newt was doing? She must be very sick. Or is it a case of she likes the Right-Wing Republican Dick

Some people do.

 

[3113]

Some people do.

Well, Cheney's wife certainly does

 

[Boxlicker101]

Doesn't anyone feel bad for the woman Newt was doing? She must be very sick. Or is it a case of she likes the Right-Wing Republican Dick

Maybe it was Ann Coulter.

 

[Guest]

Maybe it was Ann Coulter.

BWAH!!!!!

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Maybe it was Ann Coulter.

Now that is REALLY fuck sick, BL

 

[shereads]

Well, Cheney's wife certainly does

Cheney's wife is the author of a lesbian romance novel, and Cheney's daughter is a lesbian. (Although you dare not call her a lesbian if you are a Democratic political candidate; it will be taken as an insult, and an apology demanded.) I don't know what it is about Dick Cheney that inspires the women closest to him to become lesbians, but I suspect it has something to do with his vampirism.

 

[shereads]

As a resident of DC, the lawsuit was brought against Clinton in DC, which means it had to be a federal case, even though it happened in Arkansas. Clinton was asked if he had ever had an affair, or words to that effect, with an employee of Arkansas while he was governor, or a federal employee while president. This was a reasonable question, under the circumstances. He said he hadn't, which was later proven to be a lie, amounting to perjury, which is a felony. He was impeached for that.

Personally, I don't believe that perjury under those circumstances would rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" but that's just my opinion. I believe a majority of the Senate agreed with it, though.

If Gingrich had an affair with a woman, even while the Speaker, it's nobody's business except that of the people involved, because it wasn't illegal. I'm assuming that last part, by the way. I don't know that much about the laws in the place where it happened, but some states have laws against adultery.

Whatever. Hypocrisy is still hypocrisy, no matter how it's disclaimed in the fine print.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Cheney's wife is the author of a lesbian romance novel, and Cheney's daughter is a lesbian. (Although you dare not call her a lesbian if you are a Democratic political candidate; it will be taken as an insult, and an apology demanded.) I don't know what it is about Dick Cheney that inspires the women closest to him to become lesbians, but I suspect it has something to do with his vampirism.

A Chaney Vampire Boner... now there's a story there someplace.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxlicker101
As a resident of DC, the lawsuit was brought against Clinton in DC, which means it had to be a federal case, even though it happened in Arkansas. Clinton was asked if he had ever had an affair, or words to that effect, with an employee of Arkansas while he was governor, or a federal employee while president. This was a reasonable question, under the circumstances. He said he hadn't, which was later proven to be a lie, amounting to perjury, which is a felony. He was impeached for that.

Personally, I don't believe that perjury under those circumstances would rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" but that's just my opinion. I believe a majority of the Senate agreed with it, though.

If Gingrich had an affair with a woman, even while the Speaker, it's nobody's business except that of the people involved, because it wasn't illegal. I'm assuming that last part, by the way. I don't know that much about the laws in the place where it happened, but some states have laws against adultery.

Whatever. Hypocrisy is still hypocrisy, no matter how it's disclaimed in the fine print.

That's true, but politics is built on hypocrisy. The main goal of all politicians is to get elected and reelected. They will tell any lie they need to in order to accomplish that goal, and pander to pressure groups, even though they are personally opposed to what the group stands for. Closeted gays will vote against gay rights. Politicians will take bribes while publicly condemning corruption. Politicians are no dam good, none of them.

 

[only_more_so]

Whatever. Hypocrisy is still hypocrisy, no matter how it's disclaimed in the fine print.

It is only hypocrisy if he complained about the affair rather than the perjury. This is especially true for those who write and enforce the laws. An affair is not illegal, but lying under oath is, and that is what Clinton was prosecuted for, even if the media kept making it about the affair instead of the perjury.

If Newt had sought ex-communication for Clinton, and argued the case on moral and religious grounds, then he would have been a hypocrit because in that case lying is the lesser sin. Well, I suppose they are sins of the same order since Clinton's testimony was given under oath, so he broke his oath and his wedding vows. Actually, I'm guessing about the wedding vows, since Clinton might have crossed his fingers at the "forsaking all others" part of the vows.

BTW the article you originally posted gives a decided slant to the phrasing of what Newt claimed about potential hypocrisy. He was pursing Clinton for perjury and not for the affair. The affair was merely what the perjury was about.

 

[shereads]

A Chaney Vampire Boner... now there's a story there someplace.

MY EYES! THE PAIN! MAKE IT STOP!

 

[Huckleman2000]

It is only hypocrisy if he complained about the affair rather than the perjury. This is especially true for those who write and enforce the laws. An affair is not illegal, but lying under oath is, and that is what Clinton was prosecuted for, even if the media kept making it about the affair instead of the perjury. [blah blah snip]

I refer you once again to the initial post, to wit:

1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

Your semantic posturing would be valid if we were discussing what crime Clinton was accused of in the narrow definition of the impeachment, but since we are instead discussing the broad expanse of Newt's hypocrisy, of which this is just one example, save your fingers.

 

[only_more_so]

I refer you once again to the initial post, to wit:

Your semantic posturing would be valid if we were discussing what crime Clinton was accused of in the narrow definition of the impeachment, but since we are instead discussing the broad expanse of Newt's hypocrisy, of which this is just one example, save your fingers.

That is exactly what Newt was refering to, and that is exactly what the original article evaded. How about another set of definitions from a different dictionary:

Hypocrite:
1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.​

Newt's stated beliefs on the pertinent issue are that Perjury is wrong, especially from someone sworn to uphold and protect the laws of the country. He acted on those beliefs and hasn't been shown to not live by that belief, ergo not a hypocrite on the issue.

EDIT: removed cheap shot.

 

[Huckleman2000]

post deleted

 

[shereads]

That's true, but politics is built on hypocrisy. The main goal of all politicians is to get elected and reelected. They will tell any lie they need to in order to accomplish that goal, and pander to pressure groups, even though they are personally opposed to what the group stands for. Closeted gays will vote against gay rights. Politicians will take bribes while publicly condemning corruption. Politicians are no dam good, none of them.

Choosing to participate in government isn't automatically a sign of corruption. Howard Dean, for example, ran for governor of Vermont because he was part of a local grass-roots movement to protect a bike path - and found the process so frustrating, he thought his state would benefit from a chief executive who wasn't beholden to anyone.

What motivates people to seek public office, and what they have to do to get there and stay there, are often dramatically different. Except for a few downright evil ones whose names rhyme with Rick Rainy, most are probably okay guys who've been transformed by the system into Good and Evil Twins. The Evil Twin is responsible for filling the campaign coffers, which doesn't leave much time for governing.

Paul Wellstone was a selfless, compassionate man who already had all the money he wanted, and chose to represent small farmers and other voters who couldn't afford to buy their own politician. After his death, even right-wingers who had hated Wellstone were suddenly his biggest fans. Virtue is so rare, nobody wanted to pass up the chance to bask in its glow.

Corruption is spawned by private funding of elections, which creates a vicious competition for the favor of big-money donors. People who seek public office for the right reasons - a sense of duty and desire to get some important things accomplished - first have to get elected.

All the good ideas and democratic ideals in the world won't pay for a single TV commercial, and you're going to need at least two: one to announce that you exist, and another to fight the smear campaign that your opponent's backers have mounted.

Without some financial backers of your own, you'll be out of the game before anyone knows you were trying to get in. If you seem like a promising candidate, you'll probably attract the notice of backers who could use someone like you in the governor's mansion. Florida Real Estate Developers? Jackpot! Elderly Social Security Widows for Fair Government? Ha. Good luck with that.

The answer to corruption in politics is to separate politiicans from the need to raise money. That will never happen. Limiting individual campaign contributions is meaningless as long as PACS are allowed to spend tens of millions on commercials that smear the opposition's candidate, and legislation to prohibit PACS never gets past the free speech issue. Public funding of political campaigns makes sense if you want politicians who aren't beholden to campaign donors, but when voters are asked to support public funding, they react as if they've been asked to pay more taxes! And they are. If most people were willing to share the cost of solving such problems, corruption wouldn't have become so deeply ingrained to begin with.

So we pull our uncorruptible politicians from the tiny pool of honest multi-millionaires with lots of friends and no skeletons in their closets for their opponents to use against them. Like Paul Wellstone. And...and...and who? As far as I can tell, there aren't any more of him.