'Reformer' Gingrich embodies what is wrong with Washington | Washington Examiner
Basking in his big victory in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, Newt Gingrich modestly acknowledged that he was not the main reason for his win: "People completely misunderstand what is going on. It's not that I'm a good debater, it's just that I articulate the deeply held values of the American people." Gingrich is right, of course; he does do a superb job of talking about Americans' most deeply held values. The problem is that Gingrich has not practiced them in his professional life. He exemplifies what is wrong with Washington in both parties -- professional politicians say all the right things, but they keep doing the wrong things.
Gingrich talks incessantly about being a "Reagan conservative" who supports "limited government." That sounds good but the reality is that he cashed $1.6 million worth of checks from Freddie Mac over an eight-year period and gave the government-backed mortgage giant rhetorical fodder to fend off reformers in Congress. The reformers, including President George W. Bush, backed off, and Freddie and Fannie Mae plowed forward -- buying, packaging and reselling hundreds of billions of dollars worth of bad mortgages until the housing bubble burst in 2007. The Great Recession of 2008 followed, and the cost to taxpayers so far is $153 billion and counting. And now Gingrich expects to be taken seriously as a radical reformer of the Washington Establishment?
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2012/01/reformer-gingrich-embodies-what-wrong-washington/2123821#ixzz1kKFHI9wp
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