Gingrich: GOP-ers may form third party
By ANDY BARR | 4/3/09 11:01 AM EDT
Newt Gingrich thrashed the GOP for allowing Bush's increased spending and not blocking Obama’s early initiatives. Photo: AP
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is warning fellow Republicans that conservatives may leave the GOP for a third party in 2012.
“If the Republicans can’t break out of being the right wing party of big government, then I think you would see a third party movement in 2012,” Gingrich said Wednesday during a speech at the College of the Ozarks in Missouri, the local television station KY3 reported.
Gingrich thrashed Republicans for allowing increased spending during the Bush administration and for not doing enough to block President Barack Obama’s early initiatives.
“Remember, everything Obama's doing, Bush started last year,” Gingrich said. “If you're going to talk about big spending, the mistakes of the Bush administration last year are fully as bad as the mistakes of Obama's first two, three months.”
The former speaker also attacked the Democratic president on the economic stimulus package and for what he called his “grotesque arrogance” to oust Rick Wagoner as the head of General Motors.
“During the period I was speaker, the U.S. government – for four years – total growth was 2.9 percent a year. Under Bush, it was 6.1 percent. ... This year, I think it will be 36 percent in one year,” Gingrich said. “It is just literally irrational.”
[Note: As if he didn't weant to be confused as advocating an actual third party, Newt also recently said:
Newt: U.S. at greater risk under Obama
By FRED BARBASH | 4/6/09 1:40 PM EDT
In a chat with POLITICO readers, Gingrich called the administration’s response to the North Korean missile launch a “vivid demonstration of weakness in foreign policy.”
The U.S. is at greater risk of terrorist attack because of the Obama administration's actions, Newt Gingrich said Monday.
In a chat with POLITICO readers, Gingrich also called the administration’s response to the North Korean missile launch a “vivid demonstration of weakness in foreign policy.” He said Obama’s proposals for a resumption of nuclear arms limitation talks reflected “a dangerous fantasy that runs an enormous risk. ... Not since Jimmy Carter have we had an administration this out of touch with reality.”
“Dick Cheney is clearly right in saying that between the court decisions about terrorists and the administration actions, the United States is running greater risks of getting attacked than we were under President Bush,” said the former speaker of the House and Georgia congressman.