Gingrich Goes Nuclear – Palin Joins – Shame on Both
Newt Gingrich accused Mitt Romney of repeatedly disregarding the religious rights of Americans at a campaign stop in Tampa Monday, telling reporters that his opponent had a “lack of concern for religious liberty.”
When it comes to how they handle faith, Gingrich said, Romney and President Barack Obama are cut from the same cloth.
“You want a war on the Catholic Church by Obama? Guess what: Romney refused to allow Catholic hospitals to have conscience in their dealing with certain circumstances,” Gingrich said, apparently referring to the handling of emergency contraception in universal health care laws.
He went on, speaking to a CNN reporter as a pack of press surrounded him: “Romney cut off kosher food to elderly Jews on Medicare. Both of them have the same lack of concern for religious liberty.”
Gingrich escalated the attack in his remarks in an airplane hangar, saying Americans deserve a “government that respects our religions.”
“I’m a little bit tired of being lectured about respecting every … religion on the planet, I would like him to respect our religion,” he said. A campaign spokesman confirmed Gingrich was referring to Romney.
What? I mean seriously – WHAT? The kosher meal crack has already been shown to be a lie. Jennifer Rubin:
His attacks on Mitt Romney have gotten loonier by the day. The latest is that Romney denied kosher meals to Medicare patients while he was governor of Massachusetts. According to the Romney camp, he issued numerous vetoes during his tenure for cost-cutting measures and restored funding for the kosher meals. The New York Post backs up Romney’s account: “The Massachusetts Legislature approved an amendment to restore the $600,000 to finance the kosher meals allowing a ‘most vulnerable segment of our population’ to ‘enjoy a special dignity,’ according to the Jewish Community Council.”
OK – lying – that’s not new with Gingrich, but he usually reserves his lies for talking about himself. Now he is lying about Romney and his record. Rubin handled the kosher meal issue pretty well. I am getting tired of people conflating Massachusetts healthcare with what Romney wanted to do. Romney vetoed efforts by the Democrat legislature to do what Gingrich complains about, and the legislature overrode the veto. There is no credible way to lay that one in Romney’s lap.
But all of that would have been just politics at their ugly usual save for that last crack by the Newtser:
“I’m a little bit tired of being lectured about respecting every … religion on the planet, I would like him to respect our religion,” he said. A campaign spokesman confirmed Gingrich was referring to Romney.
At a minimum that’s a dog whistle. Look, I understand there is a significant group of people out there who do not want to vote for Romney because of his faith - and I am sure that they are upset that their argument has been shot down to the point that virtually all reasonable people feel it illegitimate. But that does not change the facts. Apparently, however, Gingrich is willing to change some other facts in order to get that religious argument back into the debate.
What is worst of all is that in the middle of a very serious war on religion in all its expressions from the government along precisely the lines that Gingrich outlines, he is willing to aim his barbs at others on his team rather than at those that deserve the fire. Newt Gingrich clearly is about nothing but Newt Gingrich.
And He Has Help, from None Other Than…Sarah Palin
Everyone knows Sarah Palin, a noted Gingrich supporter, has a much-visited Facebook page. It looks like any defense of Romney’s Mormonism on Palin’s page is promptly removed. Consider these two screen shots:
See that middle post – with the girl’s picture beside it (we have erased the names for obvious reasons). It reads:
I was told if we defend the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints, we are then banned form your Facebook page. I would hope “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM” is still part of your beliefs, and this is not true. I am a catholic, yet I have researched hte LDS< visited their headquarters in SLC when there on vacation. I have many firends who are members of the LDS, and a family member who converted to the Mormon Religion. I am sick of the bashing of a religion by supposed Conservatives and Republicans. It must end!
Now, take a look at the screenshot below. It is taken from that same place on Palin’s Facebook page about 5 hours later; the comment just quoted is missing. This blog does not provide room for us to reproduce these screenshots full size and maintain readability; just click the picture and it will come up full size.
These screenshots were sent to us by loyal reader Chanelle Jones, who emailed us. We’ll let her tell her own story:
Some one [ed. note: on the Facebook page] said that Romney was a Mormon that vowed to destroy America … which comment is still available BTW – I can find it if you want … she said a couple other things that were pretty nasty towards our religion and Romney. My brother left a comment asking that the offensive comment be removed and remember to keep Church and State seperate. His comment was deleted and then he was banned. He emailed me, frustrated, and out of couriosity I checked it out. I then left a comment pointing out that Sarah was censoring her comments and violating freedom of speech. I asked that she remember what our nation was founded on … freedom of religion … and also asked to have the offensive comments removed. One reader left a comment of “Wow … censorship?” His and my comments were then deleted and I was banned. BUT the same vile comment {and now many others} were left for all to see. I really wish I could have seen it coming and took a screen shot of it. That’s why when I saw the comment today I did and then watched it.
Well, that pretty much speaks for itself. Sarah Palin is a private citizen and entitled to handle her Facebook page as she sees fit, but she is an influential private citizen and by defending Gingrich in this fashion, she paints him with the same bigoted brush she has painted herself.
Newt Gingrich and, sadly, Sarah Palin have just disqualified themselves from serious consideration for high office.
ADDENDUM – 5 HOURS AFTER INITIAL PUBLICATION
The Wall Street Journal gives us more on Gingrich’s statements:
“He has no understanding of the importance of conscience or the importance of religious liberty in this country,” said Mr. Gingrich of Mr. Romney, who is a Mormon. “I will make religious liberty your right, to go with God with no government interference.”
Now wait just a doggone minute. I thought Newt Gingrich was an historian. And yet saying that Mitt Romney, a Mormon, “has no understanding of the importance of conscience or the importance of religious liberty in this country,” may be one of the most historically ignorant statements made in this cycle. A good deal of the religious liberty law that has been written or decided in this nation is a direct result of Mormons and their early practices. I don’t think there is a religion in this nation that has more direct experience with religious liberty than the Mormons.
This nation now stands by silently while Islamic men practice polygamy in major urban centers. Can you imagine what a different nation this would be if the same had been true for the Mormons practice? The settling of the west and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad would be very different and less consequential stories than they actually are. Some historian.
And then, the “importance of conscience.” Well, Newt Gingrich followed his own conscience into serial adultery – ’nuff said.
Should Florida come out as the polls predict and Romney wins, we will be able to consider Gingrich’s downward spiral into this sort of ignorant pathetic tripe pitiable, but humorous. But for the next few hours at least it’s just wrong, nasty and ugly.
Lowell adds . . .
As to John’s comments above I’ll just note that in 2008 Mitt Romney shared the Canterbury Medal for religious freedom with Elie Wiesel and a few others.
The Canterbury Medal is the Becket Fund’s highest honor. It recognizes courage in the defense of religious liberty and is named for Canterbury Cathedral, where Thomas à Becket was martyred by the knights of King Henry II for his own defense of religious freedom. The Canterbury Medal is thus given annually to one “who has resolutely and publicly refused to render to Caesar that which is God’s.”
Gingrich’s criticism of Romney is absurd and embarrassing. A “lack of concern for religious liberty?” Oh, please.
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Posted in Candidate Qualifications, News Media Bias, Religious Bigotry, Religious Freedom | 9 Comments » | 
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Retrocon on 30 Jan 2012 at 9:47 pm #
It is mystifying why Sean Hannity keeps propping up Sarah Palin as a legitimate political commentator. In South Carolina, Palin urged voters to vote for Gingrich. Her reasons? To keep the nomination process going, to keep the vetting process going, to not let one candidate wrap it up too soon. I’ve listened to Palin enough to know when she’s blowing smoke, and I knew at the time this had nothing to do with not letting one candidate wrap it up too soon. For one thing, if her candidate was winning, say Newt had surprised everyone in New Hampshire, she would be praising Newt’s stunning victory and pushing for everyone to wrap it up in SC so we could get on with the real campaign against Obama without a protracted Republican battle.
But after Gingrich surged and won in SC I wrote on another blog to call Palin’s bluff. I said that since Gingrich had won in SC and was surging quickly to the lead in the Florida polls, would Palin stand by her reasoning and call for Florida voters to get behind Santorum or Paul or Romney in order for the vetting process to continue? Gingrich had all the momentum. Would she maintain her position that no one should be wrapping it up too soon? Of course not.
Now, the Florida voters should vote for Gingrich in order to “rage against the machine.”
Those are certainly two compelling endorsements of why we should vote for Gingrich! And what a great way for the Republicans to nominate their candidate — by dragging out the vetting process of OUR candidate and by setting up a segment of “conservative” Republicans in opposition to the nebulous “establishment” Republicans, a group Palin can identify only as “those who want to preserve the status quo”. Add to this that Palin only criticizes Romney or anyone critical of Gingrich, but never Gingrich for his whoppers, and it’s easy to see she is not a serious political commentator.
Doug King on 30 Jan 2012 at 9:50 pm #
I doubt Sarah Palin is personally managing her Facebook page, but she should take responsibility for its content nonetheless. I expected more dignity from her, given all the mud she’s been dragged through. Unfortunately, she is not alone. The anti-Mormon comments remind me of Huckabee’s 2008 presidential website.
As I understand it, Palin, Gingrich, Perry, Cain and Bachman all worked very hard courting the Tea Party movement. When the Tea Party first launched in 2009, I attended a rally here in Seattle. I was impressed. The focus was strictly responsible fiscal policy, and the anger stemmed from bailouts and reckless spending. Cultural issues such as abortion and religion were taboo topics. The movement attracted discontented Republicans, Independents, and even some Democrats. Later, when liberal black Congressmen accused the Tea Party rally in DC of racism, I rolled my eyes for lack of evidence.
But now, seeing Tea Partiers play the religion card makes me wonder. This guerrilla warfare against Romney’s faith peals back the facade of the Tea Party and reveals something ugly.
When did the Tea Party join the culture wars? And why? Is it by coincidence or design that so many national Tea Party favorites happen to be frustrated southerners? (Is it just my perception, or is there a pronounced pattern of southern politicians dragging religion and culture into the fight when the contest gets tough?) Are these people hijacking the Tea Party movement, or do they represent it?
What’s up with people endorsing Gingrich? | on 31 Jan 2012 at 12:36 am #
[...] http://www.article6blog.com/2012/01/30/gingrich-goes-nuclear-shame-on-gingrich/ [...]
31 January 2012 | MormonVoices on 31 Jan 2012 at 7:56 am #
[...] http://www.article6blog.com/2012/01/30/gingrich-goes-nuclear-shame-on-gingrich/ [...]
JLF9999 on 31 Jan 2012 at 8:38 am #
I support what Doug says above. I too was initially a Tea Party supporter for the same reasons he articulates. There were no social issues allowed until the Libertairians, Constitutionalists and hard core religious right took the movement over. It should be said there are a great many LDS people activly involved in Libertarianism and the Tea Party even though Mormons have been made to feel less acceptable in recent months. Mormon members have to have put our religion aside in some cases although the majority of Tea Party folks are not as ardent Mormon haters as the religious bigots. I am surprised Palin has not come out in support of the Mormons but her hard core religious denomination has a history of Mormon bashing from the pulpit so that may never happen. (I suggest anyone who sounds like a high school drop out has no business representing the nation in any leadership position.)
Sarah Palin is an Anti-Mormon? « Federal Way Conservative on 31 Jan 2012 at 11:29 am #
[...] The evidence, however, is that she is such a person. When you take the time to delete comments that are critical of blatantly bigoted comments from your Facebook page, you have crossed a line that will take many years to cross back. [...]
CarlH on 31 Jan 2012 at 6:06 pm #
Well, it’s now document that “the Kosher Meal crack” turned into the latest Newt campaign robocall. And that was enough to make none other than Jonah Goldberg blanch:
Mona Charen’s own recoil is posted here:
Betting On Weird | Article VI Blog | John Schroeder on 02 Feb 2012 at 7:25 am #
[...] but is not playing generally – might even be backfiring with moderates and independents. Gingrich misplayed it in Florida and got trounced. Sanotrum’s surrogates played it and he had no traction at all. (Note to Santorum – [...]
raising5ducklings on 02 Feb 2012 at 9:24 pm #
Hey, I thought the Palin thing was interesting. So I went to her FB page and posted a question referencing this article, asking what people thought. In less than 10 minutes, my comment was removed and I was banned from commenting. I have screenshots from before and after, if you want more. I also got a screenshot of another poster at the same time making malicious comments about the LDS church. His comments were on for at least a half hour w/out censorship.
WOW. Can’t say I have any respect left for her at this point.