January 19, 2012

Gingrich gets Perry nod, faces ex-wife allegations

Associated Press

BEAUFORT, S.C. — In an up-and-down kind of campaign day, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich picked up an endorsement Thursday from former rival Rick Perry but also faced new accusations from one of his former wives that he had asked her permission to have an “open marriage” after she learned he was having an affair.

The former House speaker also prepared to release his 2010 income tax returns, certain to bring fresh scrutiny to his campaign.

Two days before the pivotal South Carolina primary, Gingrich’s political and private life were clashing just as new polls showed him rising as he looks to overtake GOP front-runner Mitt Romney in the third state to weigh in on the presidential race. Gingrich has seen his crowds grow in recent days after a strong performance in a debate Monday.

With the second debate of the week looming Thursday night, it was unclear how the new revelations from Marianne Gingrich would play in a state where religious and socially conservative voters hold sway.

Equally uncertain was whether Gingrich would get a boost from Perry’s endorsement, given that the Texas governor had little support in the state, and get conservative voters to coalesce behind his candidacy. Complicating Gingrich’s effort is another conservative, Rick Santorum, who threatens to siphon his support.

“Newt is not perfect but who among us is,” Perry said as he bowed out of the race and called Gingrich a “conservative visionary.”

It was all but certainly intended to counter the interview with Marianne Gingrich, her first since the divorce from Gingrich in 2000, that ABC News was set to broadcast Thursday night.

In excerpts the network released before the broadcast, Marianne Gingrich said that when she learned of Gingrich’s affair with Callista Bisek, a congressional staffer, he asked his wife to share him.

“And I just stared at him and he said, ‘Callista doesn’t care what I do,”’ Gingrich’ second wife said. “He wanted an open marriage and I refused.”

Gingrich brushed off reporters’ questions as he left a campaign event Thursday morning in Bluffton, S.C. In an interview Thursday with NBC’s “Today,” he declined to talk in detail about his ex-wife’s claims.

“I’m not going to say anything bad about Marianne,” Gingrich said, adding that he thought it was wrong for the network to be “intruding into family things that are more than a decade old.”

The television interview with Marianne Gingrich threw a wild card into the race in its final hours.

Its mere existence shines a spotlight on a part of Gingrich’s past that could turn off Republican voters in a state filled with religious and cultural conservatives who may cringe at his two divorces and acknowledged marital infidelities.

Marianne Gingrich has said Gingrich proposed to her before the divorce from his first wife was final in 1981; they were married six months later. Her marriage to Gingrich ended in divorce in 2000, and Gingrich has admitted he’d already taken up with Callista Bisek, a former congressional aide who would become his third wife. The speaker who pilloried President Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky was himself having an affair at the time.

Underscoring the potential threat to his rise, Gingrich’s campaign released a statement from his two daughters from his first marriage — Kathy Lubbers and Jackie Cushman — suggesting that Marianne Gingrich’s comments may be suspect given the emotional toll divorce takes on everyone involved.

“Anyone who has had that experience understands it is a personal tragedy filled with regrets and sometimes differing memories of events,” their statement said.

A CNN/Time South Carolina poll released Wednesday showed Gingrich in second place with support from 23 percent of likely primary voters, having gained 5 percentage points in the past two weeks. Romney led in the poll with 33 percent, but he had slipped some since the last survey. Santorum was third, narrowly ahead of Texas Rep. Ron Paul and well ahead of Perry.

Regardless of the South Carolina outcome, Gingrich was making plans to compete in Florida’s primary on Jan. 31.

Confidence exuded from Gingrich, who rose in Iowa only to be knocked off course after sustaining $3 million in attack ads in Iowa from an outside group that supports Romney. Gingrich posted dismal showings in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

By the time the race turned to South Carolina, he was sharply criticizing Romney as a social moderate who is timid about attacking the nation’s economic troubles. He also raised questions about Romney’s experience as a venture capitalist, while a super PAC that supports Gingrich aggressively attacked Romney as a vicious corporate raider. Gingrich also ripped Romney for standing by as a super PAC run by former top Romney political aides continued to attack him in South Carolina.

Romney ended up on the defensive and by Monday night’s debate, Gingrich was back in command. He earned a standing ovation when he labeled Democratic President Barack Obama “the best food stamp president in American history.” The clip became the centerpiece of a television ad that began airing Wednesday as Gingrich worked to cast himself as the Republican with the best chance of beating Obama in the fall, stealing a page from Romney’s playbook.

Said Gingrich senior adviser David Winston: “His taking on Barack Obama showed a toughness and an electability that the electorate is looking for.”

Since then, Romney’s campaign, sensing Gingrich’s rise and working to deflect from its own troubles, has been trying to undercut Gingrich’s claim that he helped President Ronald Reagan create millions of jobs in the 1980s, likening it to “Al Gore taking credit for the Internet.”

Romney also dispatched supporters to make the case that Gingrich is erratic and unreliable. A new Romney Web video features former Republican Rep. Susan Molinari of New York saying Gingrich lacked discipline and labeling his time as speaker “leadership by chaos.”

Gingrich, for his part, has been helped by the fact that Santorum has seemed unable to capitalize on the endorsement of a group of influential Christian conservatives. Those who aren’t backing the former Pennsylvania senator seem to be coming Gingrich’s way.

30 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

liberal_in_right_wing_land on January 19 at 10:26 a.m.
This is the best and most tawdry reality TV show on television right now.
The Jersey Shore could only wish it was this scandalous.
monkeyman on January 19 at 10:43 a.m.
Yes, great entertainment !!!
Reality and fiction all in one, with all the drama.
Scoutster on January 19 at 11:50 a.m.
Are BOTH of Perry’s voters moving to Gingrich?
Loudin on January 19 at 11:59 a.m.
Whatever.
It’s so patently obvious how jealous you are of Newt, aka “The White Chocolate Salamander.”
I mean, here’s this guy sittin’ naked in a bathtub beside a fine 50-sumpin’ politico groupie, both of them enjoying the sunset…”because the time’s right” and such. And yet there you are: Cold, covered in slush, bitter and no post-menopausal badonkadonks on your radar.
No wonder you hate a true Americano hero like G-Richy: Dude is a straight up playa’.
Loudin
Shadedmuse on January 19 at 12:13 p.m.
Newster has a mistress, i’m shocked!!
Rick Goodhair was the only tea-bagger who could of won in November. all the others are flawd, I would of voted for Rick Good hair because
1 he was a Democratic
2 he chaired Al Gores Texas campain in 1988
3 He reminds me of Texas Senator and Vice President of the West Wing John Hoynes who was a DLC Democratic.
Rick Goodhair’s problem was he was trying to hard to be George Bush like he was channeling George Bush and doing a bad job at it. Rick we had a george Bush and we dont want to go back down that road to ruin again, because President Obama i working hard to undue Bush’s Damage, when you have the tea-bagging republicans messing everthything up as you go along.
At least Obama told Steve W Harper he cant lay his pipe in Houston, so he could sell all the oiul over seas. on the world market.
johnclarke on January 19 at 12:45 p.m.
Perry reminds me of Josh Brolin playing George Bush.
MrBloggy on January 19 at 1:11 p.m.
Full rejection of the GWB meme - dumb, macho posing, right wing Texas Gov. who spins the spurs on his cowboy boots every time he signs a death warrant for an execution yet claims a frankly disturbing personal, (if not auditory hallucinatory) relationship w Jesus Christ, and seems to take a goofy, smirking pride in his buffoonery and constant malapropisms and general dumbassery. YEE HAW.
The_Seer on January 19 at 1:36 p.m.
Where are Mitt’s tax returns? It would be very interesting to see thsoe returns, especially from someone paying only 15% (or more likely less) and complaining that rate is too onerous for him and his social class and must be lowered to “restore” this nation to its former glory.
Release the returns, Mitt.
Looking at Mitt’s wife I think it’s safe to say what happened to Jon Benet Ramsey all those years ago.
The_Seer on January 19 at 1:47 p.m.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/opinion/the-1-and-that-15.html?_r=1&hp
Obscene is the best word to describe the system that empowers 1% of the population with enormous wealth while the remainder move toward lives of soul-robbing labor, drudgery and little hope of realization of their potential.
Dazzeetrader11 on January 19 at 1:58 p.m.
Well, Seer, they could go get jobs. Or go to school so they can ascend to a different level. They people hold themselves back. Hard work and schooling results in good things…not all the time but most.
Facts are that unless go go to a very good school, do well and camp out on Wall St or something akin, you won’t make millions. It all depends on what you want for your life.
The unions won’t get that for you. YOU must go get your “fair share” but YOU determine your lot in life. I did. It worked….not as well as I’d hoped but who gets everything. There more to life than money you jealous whiner. Remember…class warfare and envy will get you nothing but a bad approach to life….anger, sloth, envy and so on. Seriously…people can move up if they’re willing to get school, defer rewards and pay some prices.
What I wanna know is why anyone would say Clarkie’s one of the better “posters” on here!!!!
The_Seer on January 19 at 2:43 p.m.
dazed: Social mobility in the U.S. is essentially non-existant. More and more you will be defined by the income bracket your parents inhabited.
Go to google and research “caste” systems and get back to me about your myth of the American Dream.
johnclarke on January 19 at 2:48 p.m.
What I wanna know is why anyone would say Clarkie’s one of the better “posters” on here!!!!
Most likely the ability to make sense, if only occasionally.
How is that factory in Poland Daisy? Two onions in your Gibson today ?
Diana on January 19 at 2:53 p.m.
The ex-Mrs. Gingrich doesn’t understand patriotism, obviously.
dataxman on January 19 at 3:29 p.m.
Romney is not qualified because he is rich and didn’t make his money by building anything. He invested and gave speeches.
Gingrich is not qualified because he is a cheating man-whore who wanted a open marriage
Perry wasn’t qualified because he is a hick Southern Governor who talks with a funny accent
What is funny is this describes Bill Clinton to a T and there isn’t a liberal around that wouldn’t vote for him to be President again…
nslopeofw on January 19 at 3:34 p.m.
Remember how all the democrat’s thought Slick Willy getting a BJ in the oval office was nothing? Wanna bet they think Newt’s transgressions are a huge scandal?
I’m still guessing Newt hasn’t lied under oath like ole Willy.
God i don’t want to vote for Mitt. But i will if its between him and Barry Soetoro. I got to go against the man that has flushed us down the toilet in so many ways.
johnclarke on January 19 at 5:58 p.m.
slope, your posts seem even more off bubble than normal..
First, Bill Clinton was probably the best President in the last quarter century,(possibly half a century) and I think everyone understands he did something stupid. I would like to point out that Newt was conducting an affair while trying to nail Clinton to the cross.
Personally, I don’t really care about what people do with their private lives. If the President can keep the economy rolling and our enemies at bay, you can pay for his lap dances out of my taxes. Newt Gingrich is a lifetime slime and hypocrite and also resigned in disgrace. Take that off the table, and I still would not vote for him.
greenlibertarian on January 19 at 5:59 p.m.
It’s the hypocrisy, stupid.
While Gingrich was chastising Clinton for getting a BJ in the oval office (and lying about it) from a VERY willing groupie and intern, Gingrich was schtupping his subordinate in his family matrimonial bed no less.
Absent the press finds a dead girl or a live boy in Willard’s bed, he’ll be the nominee.
Absent the same for Barack HUSSEIN Obama, he’ll be re-elected.
misjustice on January 19 at 6:04 p.m.
I didn’t care about Bill getting a BJ but I did care about him lyin’ about it. He should have looked straight into the camera and said, “yeah, it happened; so?” I would have had more respect for him.
I don’t care, either, who the bucket of guts Getrich got to play with his ding-dong; it’s the hypocrisy that irks me about the “family values” GOPers. The bucket of guts Getrich was bangin’ a Congressional intern, Callista, at the same time he was leading the impeachment process against Bill for, well, havin’ sex with an intern. Pot, meet kettle!
I hope that the bucket of guts Getrich gets the GOP nomination, frankly!
; )
Dazzeetrader11 on January 19 at 6:17 p.m.
“”The_Seer on January 19 at 2:43 p.m.
dazed: Social mobility in the U.S. is essentially non-existant. More and more you will be defined by the income bracket your parents inhabited.
Go to google and research “caste” systems and get back to me about your myth of the American Dream.”
Not just a pig, a lazy pig too., No wonder you’re a union socialist. You’ll get nothing done…nothing..you’ve gone as far as your union will let you. Nice…how does it feel to have a life that’s over.???
To all the readers, this is why Obama is loved by the do nothings and why America will eventually fail. No ambition and laziness with your hand out. Lazy people get what they ask for. They just don’t get what they want.
Well here it is. Nice…Seer, I rose…and mightily too. Kids who work, get an education…and work more will be successful. YOU, however are a goner. Brings up another topic…how does one measure success in life? Key question.
Vote Newt. His ex-wife’s a liar and bitter. I know this much, nothing will change with Obama. He’s a flaming socialist who thinks like Seer.
pmbrown49 on January 19 at 6:55 p.m.
Social mobility? (Eyes rolling)
You make your own “dust” in life, so-to-speak, through hard work and determination. A good education will be a huge asset in getting that done along the way.
I am reminded of a joke/story a friend sent me recently. The GOP doesn’t have all the answers for sure, but some of their core philosophy isn’t bad:
––––––––––––––––
I recently asked my neighbors’ little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up. She said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, ‘If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?
She replied, ‘I’d give food and houses to all the homeless people.’
Her parents beamed with pride.
‘Wow…what a worthy goal.’ I told her, ‘But you don’t have to wait until you’re President to do that! You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and trim my hedge, and I’ll pay you $50. Then I’ll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.’
She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, ‘Why doesn’t the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50? ’
I said, ‘Welcome to the Republican Party.’
Her parents still aren’t speaking to me.
jddavis on January 19 at 7:02 p.m.
MisJ, you’re pretty close! Clinton wasn’t impeached for having sex with an intern, he was impeached for lying under oath. Just so happens that he was lying under oath about having (not) sex with an intern.
As far as I know, Newt hasn’t lied about his escapade(s).
Spokalou on January 19 at 7:05 p.m.
Hey Calista. Who’s Newt shtupping now? Your term as “wife” might be about to expire. Or are you okay with the “open marriage” thing? Perhaps you are - at least you were when you were the mistress.
Shadedmuse on January 19 at 7:28 p.m.
Newton and Mitton you will never be President of the U.S!!!!!!
Obama will be a two term president because the Repugnant-tea-bagger party is a joke.
MrBloggy on January 19 at 7:57 p.m.
Clinton: Sexy, sax playin’ charismatic cheater. America loves his swerve and groove.
Gingrich: Creepy, economics professor at a state college preying on the menopausal wives of other faculty members. America hates creeps.
Obama: A moral compass as true as the Northern Star. America loves strong, powerful, faithful men.
Dazzeetrader11 on January 19 at 8:44 p.m.
Newt and Romney had a great debate result. Glad Newt took on King and cleaned his clock. Sure Newt cheated…many have. I don’t like that. Anybody but Obama…sad to say that too.
He’s a mess.
nslopeofw on January 19 at 9:14 p.m.
Mrbloggy-
you may be right about the first two, but the third one made me laugh HARD! Obama may be faithful, and i applaud him on that, and as prez he is powerful, but he is not strong. Weak, willowy backbone, always looking to see which way the wind is blowing. The one and only time he was strong, he forced a bill that 75% of the country didnt want.
1 termer O
Diana on January 19 at 9:18 p.m.
“The one and only time he was strong, he forced a bill that 75% of the country didn’t and still doesn’t understand”.
Fixed. You’re welcome.
Oh, and he didn’t “force” it either. After six months of debate, Congress passed it. Fair and square.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 19 at 9:37 p.m.
I have to say, First Lady Callista Gingrich seems a lot cooler now that I know she’s a swanger who doesn’t mind “sharing” her husband. Not everybody is willing to be up front about that in public.
nslopeofw on January 19 at 10:19 p.m.
Diana-
Do you understand it? What i understand about it says its not a good fix. We need to fix it, not start over.
MrBloggy on January 19 at 11:26 p.m.
Ask the following destructive creeps how weak Obama is.
Osama Bin Laden
Muammar Ghadafi
I mean, if the dead could talk, that is.
Obama brings it. Hard, fast and lethal.
And, he’s a faithful husband. He’s like the best of the matinee movie idols from the 30s and 40s.
Second term is in the bag. No magic underwear wearing mortician is going to take down the world’s number one killer of terrorism.
No way. No how.