Who is Newton Leroy McPherson Gingrich?

After publishing a blog, "Who is Willard Mitt Romney?", an email wondered why I was picking on Willard and giving Newton a free ride. Well, first of all, I do not call it "picking on, " I call it examining and questioning. Secondly, since Newton has so much baggage, I thought it unseemly to pile on. After all Newt does have thin skin and might start crying -- the Republican thing to do this year.


To tell the truth, after his campaign staff quit on him when he took his family on a Greek cruise, I thought his chances of being nominated were about the same as Sarah Palin's chance of being named President of Princeton University. But, then in December, Newt, The Arrogant,  informed Jake Tapper of ABC News, "I'm going to be the nominee."  Thereafter, strange as it may seem,  he kicked Romney's ass in South Carolina, and now we have to pay him some attention.


What about that name thing? He and Mitt both seem to be unhappy with the names their parents bestowed upon them. I presume Newt was named after Sir Issaac Newton, but I have always wondered why he would choose to be called Newt rather than use his second name as does Romney. Most of us know newts as amphibian salamanders, parts of which were ingredients in the witches' brew in Shakespeare's Macbeth. ("eye of newt and toe of frog.") Choosing to identify oneself with a salamander seems a little strange to me, but, at least, a newt is not exactly a reptile.


But I digress; here are some bits of information about Newton Leroy Gingrich:


1. Newton Leroy McPherson was born in 1943 in Harrisburg, PA, and his parents divorced shortly thereafter. Newt claims he was not responsible for that divorce, and I am willing to take him at his word on that.


2. Newton Leroy soon ended up with his mother and a step father in Georgia where he learned that black American children should be working as janitors instead of the adults who need those jobs.


3. In 1974 his campaign staff observed a sexual indiscretion or two (Mojo,12/5/2011), but not to worry, the New Newt is contrite and regrets his past sins.


4. In the 90's Newt and other congressmen  fashioned the Republican "Contract With America," but some Americans had the temerity to question Newt's commitment to contracts.


5. During the Clinton administration, Speaker Gingrich orchestrated a government shutdown because he was upset at being asked to sit at the back of Air Force One on the flight back from Yitzak Rabin's funeral.


6. According to his aides he presented his first wife with divorce papers in the hospital while she was recovering from cancer surgery.


7. But, on the other hand, Newt did not ask his first wife for an "open marriage" as he did his second wife , Marrianne.


8. Then, at the epitome of his hypocrisy, he was calling for the impeachment of President Clinton while he was carrying on an affair with a congressional aide, Callista, who eventually became his third wife.


9. In 1997 The House of Representatives penalized Newton Leroy with a $ 300,000 fine for ethics violations and Mr. Gingrich resigned in disgrace.


10. Just as in the case of Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich's flip-flops on major issues are numerous, but they both ask us to disregard their position changes resulting from their personal evolution -- sorry, they are not permitted to use that word. The truth of the matter is that Karl Rove has poisoned the Republican well, and now,  as a result, every politician seeking the Republican nomination has to kiss the asses of the ultra-conservative oligarchs, the Koch Brothers and their minions.


11. Newt's hubris or arrogance is legendary. Even the conservative columnist George Will spoke of Newt's "vanity and rapacity' as characterizing that which makes Washington, "repulsive."


12. However, Newt has balls. He would have us think of him as a Washington "outsider." He has been paid (I refuse to use the word "earned") millions of dollars for lobbying on behalf of Freddie Mac, although he never registered as a lobbyist. He maintains he was not a lobbyist, but a consultant and adviser. Considering Freddie Mac's role in the housing debacle, remind me not to hire Newt as a consultant or an adviser.


13.Now that we can view his tax returns for 2010, we learn that Newt and Callista donated. 2.65 of their income to charity -- an amount which according to the IRS is below the average donation level of taxpayers in their income level. Mitt Romney, after he was embarrassed into releasing his last tax return, donated more than 15%.  A large portion of the Gingrich's donations were to the Catholic Basilica in Washington; most of the Romney's donations went to the Mormon Church. Final tally: Mormons, 15: Catholics, 2.6.


14. Contrary to Republican custom (cf. Nixon, Reagan,  etc. etc.), Newt does not dye his gray hair.


15. At one point Newton Leroy considered himself a Teddy Roosevelt Republican; now he is claiming to be a Ronald Reagan Republican. I guess it is hard to be against President Obama if you are a Teddy Roosevelt Republican..


16. Newt was an ardent admirer of Richard Nixon who advised him to be "entertaining and controversial." He took that advice to heart.


17. Just like Nixon's Vice-president, Spiro Agnew was fond of doing, Newt attacks the "elite media." Spiro, by the way, was forced to resign in 1973 because he was charged with accepting bribes of more than $100,000.


18. If elected, Newt's tax plan which calls for a flat 15% tax rate would give the Gingrichs a $540,000 tax break (calculated on his last revealed tax returns). It's good to be the king, oops, I meant, president!


19. According to Forbes (by no means a part of the "liberal press"), the Gingrichs dodged "tens of thousands of dollars in Medicare payroll taxes" by classifying most of Newt's income from his two companies as profits and dividends, thus avoiding the payroll tax -- an IRS no-no!

20. What happened to the pledge Newt made in Iowa? You know, the one,  the pledge to run a positive campaign, devoid of negative attacks? I guess that wasn't much fun.


21 . Unlike Mitt Romney, Newt does not have money tucked away in the Cayman Islands or Swiss Banks, and he has fired his tax accountant  for not thinking of that.


And that's just part of the story of Newton Leroy McPherson Gingrich.  Surprisingly, much like his mentor, Richard Nixon, he seems to be rising from the ashes and is making a serious run at the Republican nomination for President of the United states .


Former president, Dwight Eisenhower,  must be asking God to erase "Republican" from his resume.