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Owner59 -> Vetting Newt Gingrich (12/4/2011 3:56:53 PM)
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I thoughtful article on the next notMitt.
"VOTERS MUST ASSESS every presidential candidate’s character, including his or her propensity to exploit public service for private gain. It’s not always easy to judge. Newt Gingrich, though, comes pre-vetted; he has a long record both in and out of office. And while the former House speaker insists that he never stooped to lobbying per se in his 13-year post-congressional career, he clearly did cash in on his status and connections, whether as a high-priced speechmaker or as an “adviser” to Freddie Mac — the ill-fated “government-sponsored enterprise” (GSE) in housing finance that is now sucking up taxpayer bailout money. All told, Freddie paid Mr. Gingrich a reported $1.6 million.
How forthright will Mr. Gingrich be about this now that he has surged to the front of the GOP pack? So far, not so good. At the Nov. 9 Republican debate, Mr. Gingrich claimed his job at Freddie was speaking truth to power: “I said to them at the time this is a bubble. This is insane.” But former Freddie officials told Bloomberg News they hired Mr. Gingrich in 2006-07 “to build bridges to Capitol Hill Republicans and develop an argument on behalf of the company’s public-private structure that would resonate with conservatives seeking to dismantle it.” Indeed, Mr. Gingrich proclaimed, “I like the GSE model,” on Freddie’s Web site in 2007. He added that “making homeownership more accessible and affordable is a policy goal I believe conservatives should embrace.” He likened Freddie to the Homestead Act and suggested a health-care GSE.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/vetting-newt-gingrich/2011/12/02/gIQAIyKhTO_story.html
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