quote:Gingrich: Celebrating 'God, families and values' while asking for divorce BY JOEL CONNELLY, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF Published 08:40 p.m., Friday, January 20, 2012
Debate viewers should not be surprised that South Carolina Republicans gave Newt Gingrich a standing ovation as he railed against "despicable" ABC News for airing an interview with second ex-wife Marriane on the eve of the Palmetto State's presidential primary.
South Carolina is renowned not only for its red-meat politics, but as political home to randy Republicans.
The late Sen. Strom Thurmond ran as a segregationist candidate for President in 1948, and later railed against civil rights laws as an invitation to illicit race mixing. Six months after his death at 100, a 78-year-old Thurmond offspring came forward -- the product of a liaison between the future senator and his family's black maid.
Or there was then-Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., outraged at President Clinton's relationship to intern Monica Lewinsky, declaring: "I think it would be much better for the country for him to resign."
Sanford went on to become governor of South Carolina. He suddenly disappeared for days -- the staff claimed he was hiking on the Appalachian Trial -- for a liaison in Argentina with a woman whom the married father of four described as his "soulmate." Sanford did not resign, but served out his term.
Gingrich is, of course, particularly egregious and on so many fronts.
In 1999 Newt phoned Marianne, just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, declaring "I want a divorce." He then proceeded to his next speaking engagement, addressing Republican women on the topic, "The Demise of American Culture," decrying the country's estrangement from "God, families and values."
"He could ask me for a divorce on Monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people," Marianne Gingrich told James Grimaldi of The Washington Post.
Still, Gingrich is part of a pattern of public hyprocisy, most -- but not all -- of it on the political right. Preachers of family values practice adultry. Those who warn against miscegenation, adultry and the sins of Sodom practice same. Consider some prominent examples:
-- Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, opponent of any and all legislation to end discrimination against gays, was arrested for lewd conduct in a restroom of the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. The senator said he "did nothing inappropriate" and explained that he takes a "wide stance" using the john.
"Let me be clear: I am not gay and never had been," Craig claimed, wife by his side. The Idaho Statesman later interviewed several men who claimed Biblical knowledge of the senator. Craig served out his term, but did resign as Senate Republican liaison with the 2008 Romney-for-President campaign.
-- Then-Rep. David Vitter, R-La., wanted President Clinton judged on moral grounds, asking of l'affaire Lewinsky: "Is that the level of moral relativity (sic) and vacuousness we have come to?" Sen. Vitter answered his own question when his name surfaced in the D.C. Madam sex scandal, with an apparent predilection for diapers. The senator took a customary way out, confessing he had committed a "serious sin" and had "asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife ..." He was reelected to the Senate in 2010.
-- Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., chaired the House Judiciary Committee as he drew up impeachments charges against Clinton. During the hearings, it was revealed that Hyde had carried on an affair with a married mother of three. Mr. Chairman dismissed it as a "youthful indiscretion." He was 42 years old at the time.
-- Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., another leader in the House impeachment crusade, had to acknowledge siring a child out of wedlock.
-- Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., a fellow impeacher, was set to take over as speaker of the house after fellow Republicans ousted Gingrich in a palace coup late in 1998. Livingston suddenly quit the House -- confessing sexual indiscretions in an emotional speech -- as a way of heading off Hustler's coming expose.
-- Ex-Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., pressed on with his 2008 presidential campaign despite news that wife Elizabeth was ill with incurable cancer. Elizabeth Edwards became a heroine in books and TV interviews.
Behind the scenes, Edwards carried on an affair and sired a child with Rielle Hunter, a campaign videographer. He hit up heiress Bunny Mellon for coverup cash. A longtime Edwards go-fer, Andrew Young, was enlisted to claim he was father of the child. The list goes on, and it goes back.
-- Rep. Bob Bauman, R-Md., sponsored the original Family Protection Act in the House. Bauman was an early leader of the conservative God-family-country movement, a former president of Young Americans for Freedom. Wife Carol was, as well, an early, zealous YAFer.
Bauman's career in Congress imploded after revelation he had propositioned a 17-year-old boy. He did not ask forgiveness, but came out, wrote a book, and took to the lecture circuit with a new male partner.
It's 30 years later. We're witnessing GOP presidential candidates demand that the U.S. Constitution be amended to ban same-sex marriage, that federal money be withdrawn from Planned Parenthood clinics, and that our capital and country embrace a new "pro-family" agenda.
The wake-up call comes from Marianne Gingrich, who suffered one of life's rudest awakenings.
"I found out during our conversations that (the liaison) was occurring in my bedroom in out apartment in Washington," she told the Post. "He always called me at night and always ended with, 'I love you.' Well, she (Callista) was listening."
Oh yes, Gingrich told soon-to-be-jettisoned wife No. 2 where soon to be acquired wife No. 3, Callista, was going to take him:
"In a few years, I'm going to run for President. She's going to help me become President."
Honestly, guys, is any of them even close to being electable? Romney used to fire thousands and thousands of people to make money. Gingrich has more skeletons than anyone can count. It really doesn't matter which one gets nominated, the Obama campaign will murder these guys.
What I'd like even more than that, real change to the underlying system of how we elect our government officials, would unfortunately require Constitutional amendments and possibly a genie with more than three wishes available.
I have to wonder how realistic this expectation is. Right now, we have a 2 party system and nothing is getting done... at all. Imagine a 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc. party system and for anything to get done there'd need to be 60% vote supporting it.
If anything, this race proves just how delusional republicans are. They're voting to keep someone like Santorum on top, someone who has absolutely no chance at all with the moderates.
I am bitter about the republican primary right now. I had a meeting to go to on Friday. Missed it because ALL major arteries in the Chicago area were clogged up due to those candidates campaigning here.
Can't those goddamn politicians leave Chicago well alone?
I really really hoped that Santorum would win against Romney. But since Romney is the clear winner, it's time for me to prepare for the possibility of moving to Canada.
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