Video Of Newt Bashing Reagan Is Bogus

There's a short excerpt of a 1988 C-SPAN video purportedly showing Newt Gingrich bashing Reagan when talking about how Bush, Sr. should run. As I suspected, it's edited to give a false impression. What you don't see is immediately after when Gingrich praises Reaganism and the Reagan platform. If you can't watch it all, it begins at about 2:30 in to confirm it's the same segment. It's the minute or two afterward you also need to hear to understand that Newt wasn't bashing Reagan at all.

He was merely saying, Bush isn't Reagan and the GOP needs something new to sell. He even points out the Reagan landslide, saying Reagan's platform won 48, or whatever states and was inclusive.

The full C-SPAN video, also embedded below.

Comments

[richard mcenroe]

Which is why he was too smart to want to sell it?

[Josh Painter]

Outstanding find, Dan! Now lets make this sucka go viral...

[Alvin]

Excellent research. Keep digging and we will debunk all this foul stinch.

[Molon Labe]

Prepare for Rush-o-lanche

[smokedaddy]

Yes, Rushlaunch on its way!

[juandos]

Thanks for putting this up there Dan... Good job!

[Ragspierre]

Yep. He was essentially saying that G.H.W. could not simply rest on the laurels of the Reagan administration.

We had problems that needed to be effectively addressed, and Bush needed to present that “vision thing” for a Bush administration in the future.

An innocuous no-brainer, really.

[Neo]

That is it ? That statement about going with the new is bad mouthing Reagan ?
Asking "what have you done for me lately or are you going to do for me in the future ?" is bad mouthing {fill in the blank} ?
Oh. Please

[A Stephens]

The internet is awesome. Though I'm sure Dan Rather doesn't really think so. Which is equally awesome. :)

[jack]

The entire video is great. Newt even mentions an Al Gore line to rip Dukakis "The only foreign policy exp he has is negotiating with the govt of NH", which is ironic given that Romney was also a MA gov.

[Done That]

Who ya gonna believe about Newt ... Michael and Nancy Reagan or the Lying Progressives? ... that's a no brainer there, I'm with Newt.

[Winghunter]

Coulter, Kudlow, Tyrell and a mass of other RINO pundits are lining up to smear Gingrich.

Lets tell them all to shove it.

[Jack von Bauer]

Didn't many Republicans run in 2008 trying NOT TO MENTION President George Bush -- no matter how much they ADMIRED him?

[jack]

At the debate tonight Newt should ask "will all the candidates on stage who were Republicans when Reagan was in office step to the front of the stage. All candidates who were not a Republican during Reagan's term remain at your podium". Would be a good visual.

Then ask Romney why he wasn't a Republican, what he disagreed with, what about Reagan wasn't persuasive enough for him to join, why he didn't want to return to the Reagan era, why he used the dem perjorative Reagan-Bush phrase, why he even lumped Reagan and Bush together when they were very different Presidents, etc...?

I think once Romney tried to say he meant the Reagan deficits were what he didn't want to return to. If he says that, Newt can say "Interesting. So now you're spending millions attacking the guy who eliminated the deficit and balanced the budget. Makes perfect sense.

[ljm]

The video is being used to paint Gingrich as anti-Reagan which is unfair, however, it does illustrate well where his strengths are and are not. He hails George Bush's promise of no new taxes yet we know how that turned out. He pushes the war on drugs which by nearly any analysis 20 years later is a failure. Today he suggested a colony on the moon becoming the 51rst state.

His campaign is an odd mixture of demagoguery and pandering; in South Carolina and Florida.

The congresswoman from Illinois says that if she knew how to tell Republicans how to think about things she would drop out of congress and make a lot of money. That is where Newt's strengths lie. Ideas. He has a million of 'em but no central message. Candidates and leaders needs a message. That takes discipline as well as ideas.

[rltsjsm]

At the debate tonight, Mitt Romney should ask Newt, If you were such a wonderful Speaker of the House, then why is it -that 88 of people that worked with you during the Reagan era are supporting me, and only 11 are supporting you?

Another question- Romney can ask Newt, If, as you are always proclaiming you played such an important part in Reagan's administration, why is it that in Reagan's book , he mentions you only ONE TIME, and that mention is a NEGATIVE mention about you. I take Reagan's word over Nancy and Michael, REAGAN KNEW BEST!!!!!

[PJF]

So not liking Newt makes you a RINO now? Look at Ann Coulter's latest column. She goes issue by issue and shows that Newt is an even bigger RINO than Romney! With Newt, even if he by some miracle beats Obama, all we're going to get is wacky ideas and the Conservative brand dragged through the mud and hardly anything to show for it. ( But hey maybe he'll repel Obamacare and give illegals amnesty! ) Does no one remember 1995 and how Bill Clinton ran rings around him? Or how about 6 months ago when he was trashing Paul Ryan. The man is a pathetic joke and yelling at reporters on TV doesn't make you the 'true' conservative or fit to be President.

[Ragspierre]

"He hails George Bush's promise of no new taxes yet we know how that turned out."

And that is Gingrich's fault HOW?

"He pushes the war on drugs which by nearly any analysis 20 years later is a failure."

Compared to what? Oh, right...there is nothing to compare it to. Cocaine WAS a serious problem in the day, which is what Newt mentioned.

This is an example of the fallacy of reasoning from results...or hindsight is always 20/20.

[Ragspierre]

"The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive."
--Nancy Reagan

Hmm... Seems like an endorsement as a fellow Conservative to me.

[Ragspierre]

"Bill Clinton ran rings around him?"

Yeah, boy. Bill Clinton MADE Gingrich reform welfare and pass a balanced budget.

Moron.

[Ragspierre]

As Andy McCarthy wrote the other day...

Newt gets it WRT the threat of Islamism.

CAIR HATES him, too. (Along with the RINocracy.)

But, hey, Mittens won the coveted "Mr. Viagra" endorsement of Boob Dole, who was a single-handed Gang of Twelve during the government shut down, giving the victory to Clinton.

[Ragspierre]

"All the members of the Republican Party who have been complicit and collaborative in the destruction of our nation in the past few decades always talking about smaller government while never fighting against the tide of creeping socialism have now come out against Newt Gingrich.

Yesterday, at National Review, Elliot Abrams attacked Newt Gingrich for attacking Ronald Reagan from THE RIGHT."

Yep. Newt was guilty as hell of calling on Reagan not to listen to the squishes in his administration, and pour it on the Soviets.

That, of course is the truth of the matter.

"Let Reagan be Reagan", as we used to say.

[PJF]

Careful with the Moron tag Ragspierre. Yes, 1996 was such a great election cycle for Republicans. Democrats didn't manage to use Newt's own words and actions to paint us all as radical nuts. But I see already you blame Dole for Newt's government shutdown fiasco. And when was the budget balanced?? Last I checked there have been deficits since Eisenhower. So another Newt LIE, just like the one about having several witnesses to refute his second wife during the open marriage answer on Wednesday. Oops.

[tired of the b/s]

"and in turn, Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican Congress to keep that dream alive."

Doesn't sound to me like Reagan turned that torch over to Gingrich exclusively, or that, since Gingrich was sitting at that very table with Mrs. Reagan, and was Speaker at the time, that she was even indicating that President Reagan turned that "torch" over to just Newt.

But some people are willing to grasp at any straw, even if they have to distort what Nancy Reagan actually said to do so.

[Ragspierre]

b/s, your inner idiot is showing.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/01/nancy-reagan-1995-ronnie-turned-that-torch-over-to-newt/

Go to the video, putz.

[Ragspierre]

"Democrats didn't manage to use Reagan's own words and actions to paint us all as radical nuts."

FIFY, PFJ. You are a moron.

"But I see already you blame Dole for Newt's government shutdown fiasco."

Who's government shutdown fiasco...???

Bob Dole, you will remember from George Stephanoupolos’s memoir of his time in Clinton’s White House, totally cut the legs out from under Newt Gingrich and House Republicans during the government shut down. According to the Democrats, they were within twenty-four hours of caving to the House Republicans’ demands, but Bob Dole surprised them all by caving first.
--Erickson

Refute that with citations. Or STFU.

[Dustin]

I don't know how anybody does it... keeping up with Camp Romney's lie after lie after lie, all of which emblazoned uncritically on Drudge's site.

I guess they can't help themselves. They didn't think character counts, which explains their choice.

[HTW]

There's nothing wrong with bashing Reagan, anyway. He wasn't conservative. Gingrich has a far better track record as a true conservative than Ol' Dutch ever did.

Frankly, I am tired of all of these Romney SuperPac-promoted non-issues that are trying to expose Newt as anything but conservative. Yes, he may believe in anthropogenic global warming (but then, so do many Pentagon planners and meteorologists as well as the Chinese government) and have posed with Pelosi.

But compare voting records! Gingrich = Conservative, and not only that, but he has a record for galvanizing the base and getting conservatives elected. Romney was a damn-near liberal WITHIN THE PAST 12 YEARS!

For god's sake. We are THIS close to being able to nominate the first proven conservative on the Republican ticket since Goldwater, yet some well-meaning people are still "mitt-picking."

[sickofrinos]

I'm going to get my etb card. Ya etb card, gotta get my etb card.
Thanks to rino nation.

[sickofrinos]

Nice Post, Dan.
Thanks

[gary gulrud]

Lying like a two-bit whore about a powerful scoundrel who crossed you has become the American dream. Slander charges cannot be levelled.

Like having an energy stock that pays dividends.

[ljm]

Mrs. Reagan names Newt AND the Republican congress but if Newt wants to take full credit then.

Newt took that torch tripped over a shoe, picked it up again and handed it off to Bob Livingston who carried it 3 feet into an adultery skeleton in his closet. Dennis Hasert picked up the battered torch blew it out and settled into his million dollar office where he worked out secret highway projects from which he profited and heard stories about Mark Foley's penchant for male pages and did nothing.

[Ragspierre]

"...if Newt wants to take full credit".

You just cannot help lying, can you?

Gingrich is directly and solely responsible for Livingston, Hasert, Foley...

how about Castro still being in power (nominally),

the Rwandan genocide,

and the Japanese earthquake? Really...???

Seriously, your hate has made you insane.

[Beamish]

I see Mitt Romney's mercenary "conservative" Tea-stablishment attack puppies in the pet carrier atop his campaign bus are resorting to matting their fur with Michael Moore dogshit video editing tactics.

Saying that George H. W. Bush is not Ronald Reagan is NOT badmouthing Reagan by any means.

Tools.

go here: http://spectator.org/archives/2012/01/24/reagans-young-lieutenant/

That's Newt Gingrich. One of Reagan's key people in the Reagan Revolution.

Hey, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum.... how come the C-SPAN interviewers didn't tap YOU in 1988 to talk about the future of conservatism? ROFLMAO!

[ljm]

Hey rags,

I'm waiting for your critique of the lies in the ethics committee report concerning GOPAC's involvement.

Here's the link again in case you misplaced it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/gingrich/report/part_iii.htm

[Ragspierre]

Hey, ljm, you are a liar, and that is a lie...

C. SUMMARY OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S FACTUAL FINDINGS

The Subcommittee found that in regard to two projects, Mr. Gingrich engaged in activity involving 501(c)(3) organizations that was substantially motivated by partisan, political goals. The Subcommittee also found that Mr. Gingrich provided the Committee with material information about one of those projects that was inaccurate, incomplete, and unreliable.

and

2. Renewing American Civilization

The second project utilizing 501(c)(3) organizations involved a college course taught by Mr. Gingrich called Renewing American Civilization. Mr. Gingrich developed the course as a subset to and tool of a larger political and cultural movement also called Renewing American Civilization. The goal of this movement, as stated by Mr. Gingrich, was the replacement of the "welfare state" with an "opportunity society." A primary means of achieving this goal was the development of the movement's message and the dissemination of that message as widely as possible. Mr. Gingrich intended that a "Republican majority" would be the heart of the movement and that the movement would "professionalize" House Republicans. A method for achieving these goals was to use the movement's message to "attract voters, resources, and candidates." According to Mr. Gingrich, the course was, among other things, a primary and essential means to develop and disseminate the message of the movement.

That is just for starters.

The IRS found the OPPOSITE to be true.

See...????

No. Because you won't see.

Note that you are taking the side of people who persecuted Gingrich for creating and teaching a neutral American history and culture course as being "partisan" and "political".

You really are a piece of hate-twisted work.

Posted by: Ragspierre | Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 02:27 PM

I do this for a living, you stupid phuc.

[Talon's Point]

48 out of 57 states!!!

[ljm]

Focus like a laser, rags. Where are the lies about GOPAC being involved in the college course?

[Ragspierre]

The entire witch-hunt was predicated on lies...

lies told by a guy you cite to with approval. He and the Deemocrats ginned up the whole deal.

I am not at all convinced at this point you are anything more than a troll.

You most certainly have all the attributes.

[Ricky]

Newt defended Reagan at a time when the Democrats and establishment were trashing him. Hey Romney, when did you ever defend a conservative that was under attack, hmmmm?

[PJF]

Oh Ragspierre you're a hoot. I guess you forgot this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nydailynews_newt.jpg Republican efforts during the '95 shutdown were hampered because Newt couldn't keep his damn yap shut. A problem he has to this day btw.

I get it, your frustrated with most Republicans, I too wish they'd fight more and take it to the libtards and I'm not the happiest with Romney. But Newt's using your emotions and the lie he's an 'outsider' to play you for a sucker.

@Dustin. Newt has character?? That's a good joke!

@HTW. Funny you should mention Goldwater, since Newt would probably lose as badly as Goldwater did. At least Goldwater blazed the trail for Regan. Newt is only going to blaze a trail to nowhere.

Yes let's look at Newt's record the last 12 years:
Believes in man made global warming, supported a cap & trade like plan to 'fix' it.
Has an amnesty plan.
Supported an ObamaCare like individual insurance mandate until recently.
Trashed Plan Ryan's reform plan, took it back, trashed it again, and now supposedly supports it.
Spent his time making millions to secure crony capitalist favors for companies like Freddie Mac. ( very non washington insider activities ;) )
Weak on pro-life matters until recently.
and that's just off the top of my head I sure if you're willing to pay me I could come up with at least 90 pages worth.

[Cover Me, Porkins]

Somebody phone Limbaugh and tell him to extend and revise remarks from earlier today about what Gingrich said about Reagan.

Generally, though, I'm struck by the focus on hard drug abuse as a central social problem. By no means was Gingrich singly mistaken -- read any conservative commentary from the day, and you will find similar graveness -- but hindsight makes it no less curious.

[Ragspierre]

"I guess you forgot this:"

No, you moron, I remember that lie very, very well.

Not surprised in the least you would republish it.

Which makes you a lying moron.

[Ricky]

Where was Romney?

"Now, those of you who were not paying attention back then -- or who were too young to pay attention -- don't doubt me, it was vicious. And Reagan did not have a media on his side. It was the three networks and CNN and the newspapers. There was no talk radio. There were no blogs, of course. There wasn't the Internet. There was no alternative media. Reagan had National Review. That was his lone ally in the media, William Buckley's National Review. That was it. And early on in the Reagan years, does the name David Stockman ring a bell? David Stockman, the first budget director for Reagan, within the first year goes rogue and says Reaganomics won't work, can't work, it was bad.

It was a total back stab. That's where the name "trickle down" actually got created I think, and became standard vernacular in the popular lexicon. That, and supply-side. And I remember the stories about Reagan taking Stockman to the woodshed. That's a quote from the story. That's how it was described, to get his mind right. But that unleashed a torrent from Tip O'Neill, from every Democrat, I mean all these people. Reagan lied, Bush was right, it is voodoo economics, oh, this is horrible. We were in a great recession at the time here. The Democrats loved what Stockman did, and the guy who self-appointed himself to stop all this was Newt. And that's where I first heard of him.

Newt Gingrich and Bob Walker and a couple of others that were members of what was called the Conservative Opportunity Society, I don't know that it had been named as such yet, but it was a bunch of young, relatively new members of the House on the Republican side who were conservatives. They had special orders every night. Once the House had finished its official business, as long as somebody shows up on the floor of the House to speak, the cameras on C-SPAN stay on. It didn't matter that nobody else was in the House chamber. They stayed on until the last person left the floor. And Newt and his guys were in there five hours a night. They were rotating, each of them would speak for an hour. They would yield to each other. They would interrupt themselves for questions and so forth. But the cameras only were focused on the well. You never knew that there was no audience there, except there was never any applause. You never knew that the House chamber was empty, unless you knew what the special orders were.

And this went on for years. And it's where I heard of Newt Gingrich. And Newt had appointed himself the personal defender of Ronald Reagan and had appointed himself the singular person with his buddies to counter all of what he thought were the lies of the day being spouted by the media and the Democrats."
Rush Limbaugh

[gary gulrud]

The good thing about all this is this is Romney's last turn at the dais.

The well is poisoned and twice losers are finished.

[cheap ugg boots]

Wow!! I can’t believe it took me so long to find you! THANKYOU!

[Gokula]

IPHe said that bush alelwod pouring water over someone but did not condone torture.

[Jesus]

You know, I'm lnieang towards Huck as well. Being in Ky I'll have absolutely no say on the issue, but oh well.

[Rina]

Have you thhguot about adding some social bookmarking buttons to these blogs. At least for twitter.

[Phyllis]

It is my great pleasure to visit your website and to enjoy your excellent post here. I like that very much.