Newt Gingrich Attacks Nancy Pelosi on Daily Show

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The Cajun Boy

05/20/09 05:15AM

Filed to: Republicans

Newt Gingrich was on the Daily Show last night promoting a book he wrote with his daughter, 5 Principles for a Successful Life, where he essentially called on Nancy Pelosi to resign as House Speaker.

In what was largely a rather chummy two-part interview with Jon Stewart, Gingrich, perhaps the only modern Republican leader who regularly exhibits a capacity for rational, original thought, usually delivered eloquently and in complete sentences, which at the very least makes him one of the few party leaders who doesn't incite genital-punching when he speaks, expressed outrage at Pelosi's recent "utterly irrational" behavior in regards to her attacks on the CIA, saying that she needed to prove her allegations or step down from her position of Speaker of the House, something Gingrich knows a lot about, himself having resigned the post in disgrace in 1999. In her defense he did mention, however, that he is not in favor of "enhanced interrogations" to be used to squeeze the truth out of her. Zing!

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momof3wildkids The Cajun Boy 05/20/09 05:29AM

As someone who stepped down because he lost control of his own party, it is interesting that Newt is calling for Pelosi to do the same. Both of them are such polarizing figures.

While I agree with Newt, I think his time would be better spent focusing on the Republican party serving our county better rather than throwing zingers at a falling star.

oneinsixbillion momof3wildkids 05/20/09 06:19AM

@momof3wildkids: IRONY ALERT

ChillbearLatrigue momof3wildkids 05/20/09 07:32AM

@momof3wildkids: Are you kidding me? Pelosi is a falling star? Other than being embarrassed, what has she lost? Supporters have said that attacking her is just a way to take the heat off of the real culprits, but no one was even looking her way until she decided to get up in front of the American people and lie to them. The torture of detainees was indeed a failure of the government, but it wasn't strictly an administration failure.

Pelosi could have said that she was told about the water-boarding, but was powerless to do anything or alert the American people because she was not cleared to release the information, but that would have made her appear weak. Instead, she denied having ever heard about water-boarding, then said that she heard that they were considering water-boarding and then called the CIA liars after finding out that the water-boarding was already underway when she was briefed. Do I want to see all of the evidence? Absolutely. However, what we currently are seeing indicates deception.

I'm not asking for her execution. I don't think she should go to jail (although that may be because of an ignorance of the law on my part). I don't even think that she should be ousted from Congress until the next election. However, Speaker of the House is a high honor and a powerful position. She need to go.

momof3wildkids ChillbearLatrigue 05/20/09 07:51AM

@ChillbearLatrigue: Chillbear, we both agree that woman has got to go. I do think she has lost something here, although I agree she is a scapegoat. Her obvious lying is a problem for Obama. She was hardly polished during that ill-advised press conference. I think she was in a no win situation either way. If the CIA thought they could get away w/lying to her, she wasn't powerful enough to be reckoned with. If they told her and she lied (the likely scenario), then she is in a world of hurt.

I don't like the thought of our gov't torturing people. However, I am not naive enough to believe that it doesn't exist and has existed in times prior to GWB.

I could care less if she goes to jail. I just want her taken out of power.

Go Like Hell Machine momof3wildkids 05/20/09 08:28AM

@momof3wildkids: I won't disagree that I think Pelosi needs to, at the very least, step down from the Speaker position. I haven't been particularly pleased by her performance there, and agree with Mediahohoho that she's been an obstacle to substantive legislation.

However, this entire debacle seems to have a really narrow and misplaced focus. This debate is about whether Pelosi did or did not lie to the people (not even Congress, actually) about what she knew... I'll be happy to see Pelosi knocked off her perch after the people that actually authorized and encouraged the acts we're talking about are held to account. Until then, Gingrich and the rest are intentionally missing the forest for the trees.

goodbye The Cajun Boy 05/20/09 05:41AM

Liar, adulterer, hypocrite...yeah, I'm going to use Newtie as my moral compass. And if you want charity, ask a banker.

momof3wildkids goodbye 05/20/09 06:10AM

@Sir Winston Thriller: For a second I thought you were describing Bill Clinton :)

goodbye momof3wildkids 05/20/09 06:23AM

@momof3wildkids: No, I was describing Newt Gingrich. You know, the guy who was having an affair while married and probably getting blow jobs, while Bill Clinton was being impeached.

momof3wildkids goodbye 05/20/09 06:30AM

@Sir Winston Thriller: I hear you. I'm 'just saying' that the Republicans haven't cornered the market on liars, adulterers, and hypocrites.

Fondly,

Elizabeth Edwards

uncivilly obedient momof3wildkids 05/20/09 06:48AM

@momof3wildkids: Elizabeth Edwards only has two kids.

CountryClubRepublican The Cajun Boy 05/20/09 09:28AM

People miss the point: Pelosi is calling for prosecution of people who formulated the policy of enhanced interrogations, which she now says is "torture", yet she consented to those same procedures, which would make her guilty of the very crimes she is calling to prosecute!

Now she is calling the Democratically-controlled CIA liars when they have documented evidence they briefed her on the techniques?

She also claims she could do nothing to object. Hmmm, I'm a leader in the Congress....I could, oh, I don't know, INTRODUCE A BILL BANNING THE TECHNIQUES?

Mediahohoho CountryClubRepublican 05/20/09 09:47AM

@CountryClubRepublican: My understanding is that the torture stopped in 2005, so then, yeah, she would have been all but powerless. I have no problem with your first paragraph, though. As I said earlier, I'm not so partisan that I want to spare anyone on either side of the aisle who approved, tacitly or not, torture, from George W on down.

CountryClubRepublican Mediahohoho 05/20/09 10:16AM

@Mediahohoho: "My understanding is that the torture stopped in 2005, so then, yeah, she would have been all but powerless."

Pelosi was house minority leader from 2003 to 2007. She could have introduced a bill banning waterboarding, but didn't. If fact, in 2008, such a bill was passed by Congress (Obama missed the vote).

Mediahohoho CountryClubRepublican 05/20/09 10:24AM

@CountryClubRepublican: Fine, whatever. I refuse to be put in the position of defending this horrible hag. But, much as I loathe her, this is the sideshow. Center ring is Dick Cheney walking around a free man when he should be in leg irons.

dola Mediahohoho 05/20/09 11:15AM

@Mediahohoho: Where's the RAF when you need them? Or Batman?

Mediahohoho The Cajun Boy 05/20/09 07:46AM

The thing I don't get about this is that I have heard Republicans say many times — especially during the Iran-Contra scandal; think Ollie North — that it is a national security prerogative for Republican administrations to lie to Congress. The Bush administration's utter contempt for any kind of congressional oversight, and the 2001 - 2007 Republican congress's (and AG's office under Mukasey) easy acquiescence to its stonewalling, is a huge part of what made government a sham under the Bush administration. I'm fairly sure that Republicans take it as an article of faith that the CIA has a right to lie to congress. And now we're expected to believe that in this case they didn't? Please.

Which is not to excuse Pelosi. She, Jane Harman and a bunch of other Democrats knew about our torturing. They should be forced to testify under oath about what they were told and by whom.

And Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld should go to fucking jail.

goodbye Mediahohoho 05/20/09 07:55AM

@Mediahohoho:Jail is too, too good for them.

momof3wildkids Mediahohoho 05/20/09 08:03AM

@Mediahohoho: I think the difference may be that she lied in a press conference to the American people. She is a liability to the Obama administration and a cancer to Democratic party right now. Her usefulness is now over.

Obama will disembowel this woman and she won't even know what hit her, to paraphrase a Gawker commenter from yesterday.

In looking at your post above, you indicate that the CIA lied to Congress on one hand and that Pelosi and Harmon knew about the torturing on the other. I am sure that the CIA hasn't been completely forthcoming regarding a lot of national security issues, but Panetta is calling her out.

Mediahohoho momof3wildkids 05/20/09 08:14AM

@momof3wildkids: I don't care why she goes, but she — Hoyer and Harman — should go. I have felt all along that the biggest obstacle to the change Obama says he wants to bring about are the professional politicians in Congress.

As for Pelosi lying in a press conference, I am pretty sure the American people pretty much expect that now, hence us having the government that we deserve, and have for as long as I've been alive.

One final thought: I look at Panetta and think: Goddammit, I voted against Hillary.

htotheomo momof3wildkids 05/20/09 08:23AM

@momof3wildkids: The disemboweling notion was mine! Thanks!

Also, N. Panetta didn't really call her out in his released statement. That's kind of been put to bed.