Newt Gingrich confronted by College Student about Affair
February 23, 2011
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was confronted Tuesday night by a college student asking about his extramarital affair during the 1990s.
"You adamantly oppose gay rights... but you've also been married three times and admitted to having an affair with your current wife while you were still married to your second," Isabel Friedman, president of the Penn Democrats, asked Gingrich after a speech at the University of Pennsylvania, according to Politico. "As a successful politician who's considering running for president, who would set the bar for moral conduct and be the voice of the American people, how do you reconcile this hypocritical interpretation of the religious values that you so vigorously defend?"
Revelations of Gingrich's infidelity triggered intense scrutiny, especially considering his own role in the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, though some have suggested that the Speaker of the House and the President had then bonded over their indiscretions. Despite prior candor on the matter, however, Gingrich held his ground on Tuesday.
"I'll bet almost everybody here can gather the thrust of your question," he said. "I appreciate the delicacy and generosity in the way it was framed.... I hope you feel better about yourself.
Gingrich, who has been floated as a potential 2012 presidential candidate, then offered an explanation similar to the ones he's given before.
"I've had a life which, on occasion, has had problems," Gingrich said. "I believe in a forgiving God, and the American people will have to decide whether that their primary concern. If the primary concern of the American people is my past, my candidacy would be irrelevant. If the primary concern of the American people is the future... that's a debate I'll be happy to have with your candidate or any other candidate if I decide to run."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 40 | March 8, 2011 10:48 PM
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I wish he would have answered the question.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 23, 2011 10:16 PM
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Yeah, he didn't answer the question.
He gave the typical b.s. answer about his life, god, etc.
The media needs to ask him lots of tough follow up questions if he runs.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 23, 2011 10:21 PM
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Make no mistake, Mr. Gingrich, your past makes us want you to have to do with our future.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 23, 2011 10:22 PM
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"The media needs to ask him lots of tough follow up questions if he runs."
If the media actually did their job, Newt wouldn't even be considered a candidate to run and a student like Friedman wouldn't have to ask.
The media just lets that pumpkin-headed shithead sit there like an elder statesman to lie and pass judgment on others.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 23, 2011 10:43 PM
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The girl who asked this question is awesome
by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 24, 2011 9:23 PM
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Of course, it is the traditional "non-answer answer" (see "All the President's Men")- attack the questioner and make yourself just one little grain of sand in this vast beach of humanity where everyone makes a mistake or two , and then hide behind a "forgiving god" , and wahtever you do, DO NOT answer the question. what slime.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 24, 2011 9:53 PM
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He's a pervert. He used to make a daily exhibition of himself getting blowjobs in his car in the Capitol parking lot. It just makes me so angry that he's given any kind of prestigious platform from which to speak. The Weekly World News is the caliber of exposure he deserves.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 24, 2011 10:00 PM
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The same can be said of Sen. John McCain. As a Navy officer, he dated a junior officer on his staff while still married. The fact that he was dating her while she served on his staff would get someone kicked out. Not McCain. The fact that he was married and dating another woman could have gotten another officer kicked out. Not John McCain.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 24, 2011 10:01 PM
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This is old news about Newt Gingrich. He was having an affair while his wife was dying in the hospital.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 24, 2011 10:07 PM
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Dicks don't change their spots.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 24, 2011 10:20 PM
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Just more dredging up of the past. Move on, there's nothing to see here.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 25, 2011 12:12 AM
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The adulterer calling the homosexual a sinner. That's really slick, but apparently his ticket to the Kingdom has also been revoked.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 25, 2011 12:49 AM
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"I wish he would have answered the question."%0D %0D That's the Republican way of answering. She's obviously a plant in the audience, or she would have said, "As a failed politician with questionable moral values...".
by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 25, 2011 12:51 AM
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Good for this girl. Someone needs to call these people out on their bullshit.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 25, 2011 12:55 AM
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The fact that so many of the contenders for the Republican nomination (Gingrich, Giuliani, Trump etc) have been married multiple times and committed adultery, tells you a lot about the GOP.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 25, 2011 1:07 AM
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The "Jesus died for my sins, I'm already forgiven" thing is very attractive. For one thing, it holds the truth that if a person realizes their error, holding on to guilt is crippling and completely unnecessary. On the other hand, this meme also attracts disingenuous, hypocritical liars and sociopaths like Neo-Cons who use it as a constant get out of jail free card, with no intention of changing their ways.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 25, 2011 1:40 AM
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True, R16. I think Sen. Vitter did the same thing when he was caught cheating with prostitutes.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 25, 2011 2:06 AM
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[quote]This is old news about Newt Gingrich. He was having an affair while his wife was dying in the hospital.
She was recovering from cancer surgery when he served her divorce papers. She wasn't dying and is still living but a shitty and awful thing to do to say the least.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 25, 2011 2:15 AM
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"This is old news about Newt Gingrich."
Are you part of Newt's PR team? It is very much still relevant today if Newt is going to run for office and preach moral values.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 25, 2011 2:19 AM
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He did say "thrust" though.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 25, 2011 2:22 AM
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Why is it always women who confront the bullies?
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 25, 2011 2:25 AM
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Last year someone posted a link to his website after he made some silly pronouncement and we posted there, blasting him for five or six days. They kept erasing the posts at the end of each day but he really found out that people aren't going to forget his adultry.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 25, 2011 2:32 AM
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The fact that so many of the contenders for the Republican nomination (Gingrich, Giuliani, Trump etc) have been married multiple times and committed adultery, tells you a lot about the GOP.
R15, in all fairness, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, J.F Kennedy, Bill Clinton etc. committed adultery tells you a lot about the Democrat Party history.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 25, 2011 2:36 AM
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Yes, R22. It was amazing that he had the nerve to criticize gay marriage as being a threat to the sanctity of marriage considering his own track record.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 25, 2011 2:37 AM
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R23, the difference is that they didn't pretend they were the party of traditional values
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 25, 2011 2:40 AM
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[quote]in all fairness, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, J.F Kennedy, Bill Clinton etc. committed adultery tells you a lot about the Democrat Party history.%0D %0D %0D LOL Do you honestly think we'll let you claim "fairness" when it's the Republican tramps who campaign with a platform of "FAMILY VALUES"!!!%0D %0D Your "fairness" is a bunch of bullcrap, just like all the crap from the Republican party.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 25, 2011 2:46 AM
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in all fairness, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, J.F Kennedy, Bill Clinton etc. committed adultery tells you a lot about the Democrat Party history."
Yeah sure, but when your platform is touting "family values" and moral superiority, it makes you a liar and a hypocrite you lowlife Republican.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 25, 2011 3:01 AM
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Whatever became of Candace? She was so hot. Instead of that whore Megan McCain the talk shows should invite Candace.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 25, 2011 3:13 AM
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R23, let me understand you people once and for all: Why do you all keep pulling this shit where you're either stupid or knowingly playing stupid?
You know damned well that most of us could not give a shit if any of these people have affairs or get married a million times. It is the H Y P O C R I S Y with which we ALWAYS take issue, so stop this bullshit where you mention people who do not attempt to legislate "family values" in the same breath as every fucking Republican who does. OK? Enough is enough. Either you finally get it through your thick head or you don't.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 25, 2011 3:20 AM
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R23, it's not just that Republicans shout "family values" and "defense of marriage" while happily fucking away behind their spouse's back, although that's a big part of it.
Another issue is that politicians with a history of cheating and closeting seek to vilify citizens based on consensual adult sexual conduct. Their own behavior suggests that they do it only because they want a scapegoat which will help them manipulate voters and win elections. As a member of a group they're attempting to scapegoat for their own cynical ends, I choose to speak out about it, and I don't think your brand of "fairness" about a long-dead president fucking around has any merit at all.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 25, 2011 3:31 AM
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Jesus forgives anything so long as you're Republican.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 25, 2011 3:34 AM
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And it's the Democratic party, not the Democrat party, Mr. "In all fairness."%0D %0D "I hope you feel better about yourself" is the height of passive-aggressive smarm.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 25, 2011 3:37 AM
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Exactly, R30 and R31.
Until Gingrich and his ilk agree that they have no right to oppose gay marriage as being a threat to traditional values, we will continue to bring up their hypocritical behavior.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 25, 2011 3:44 AM
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I know I'd feel better about myself if I had the balls to do it.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 25, 2011 3:49 AM
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I hope he gets confronted about marriage every time he opens his lying mouth.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | March 8, 2011 7:42 PM
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A friend of mine was at Tulane while Gingrich was there working on his doctorate, and he said Newt was the biggest pot head on campus. The boy was stoned 24/7.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | March 8, 2011 8:23 PM
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I worry a lot about the cruddy, self-centered things I've done in my life. I'm sort of amazed that someone can so completely ignore them and sail on into the next episode without any apparent regret.%0D %0D (Amazed doesn't mean that I approve...)
by Anonymous | reply 40 | March 8, 2011 10:48 PM
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