Conservative Musings

Our goal is to have intelligent discussion of the topics of the day. We realize everyone has their opinion and they should be allowed to express it in a discussion forum without calling each other names. We learn from discussion and not from name calling or argument.We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. See details

Showing posts with label Gingrich. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2017

We Hope Trump Reamed Out Those Giving Him His Intel Briefing!

Gingrich: Trump should be 'skeptical' and angry during intel briefing

Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and vocal Donald Trump ally, said Friday that the president-elect should be “both skeptical and frankly pretty angry” when he is briefed on the intelligence community’s new report on suspected Russian attempts to influence the election.

Joining Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway in criticizing the leak of details from the report to the news media prior to Trump’s scheduled briefing, Gingrich described the lead-up as a “mess” and wondered aloud, like Trump has before, if intelligence agencies are playing politics.

“The president applied sanctions to Russia a week before the report,” Gingrich said on Fox News. “The report gets to NBC before it gets to Donald Trump? I mean, what the devil is going on here? To what degree is this a political charade to allow Democrats to blame the Russians rather than Hillary for her defeat?”

“The whole thing is a mess,” he concluded.

Intelligence officials and outside experts have agreed since at least October that Russian hackers were behind cyberattacks on Democratic Party officials before the election. The hacks, which resulted in thousands of private emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign being published on the website WikiLeaks, embarrassed Clinton repeatedly.

Trump, though, has refused to accept the intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russians attempted to disrupt the election through the hacks, despite offering no evidence to the contrary, and he has especially rejected the conclusion that the Russians tried to help elect him specifically.

His resistance to the intelligence has angered his critics and even some Republicans who are dismayed by his friendliness to Russia, considered by most lawmakers to be a major adversary, and what they see as a disrespect of intelligence officials.

Trump agreed to be briefed on the most recent review of the hacking, put together at the direction of President Barack Obama last month. Intelligence officials testified on the report Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Ahead of his briefing, though, Trump has continued to cast doubt on the report’s conclusions, taking aim at the leaks to news organizations in particular.

“How did NBC get ‘an exclusive look into the top secret report he (Obama) was presented?’” Trump tweeted on Thursday. “Who gave them this report and why? Politics!”

Gingrich sided with Trump on that point. He also questioned the merits of airing details of the intelligence in public through the hearing in the Senate.

“I think this whole thing is a total mess and people should be embarrassed about it,” Gingrich said. “It's a sign of how far our understanding of intelligence operations has decayed. We used to run intelligence operations that were truly secret … Nowadays the whole thing is a circus.”

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Democrats In Disarray With Hillary Recount, Jill Stein And Keith Ellison

Gingrich: Jill Stein represents 'nut wing of American politics'

By MADELINE CONWAYShare on Facebook

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich criticized Jill Stein’s push for a partial recount of the presidential election on Tuesday, suggesting that the Green Party candidate “represents sort of the nut wing of American politics.”

Gingrich, a Republican and adviser to Donald Trump, dismissed Stein’s call for a recount in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states that the president-elect won, arguing on Fox News that “there is not a single state in the country, not one, where a recount would allow her to win.”

Gingrich, also noting that the White House has refuted unsubstantiated claims that the election results were compromised, suggested that a “nut fringe” emerges when liberals do poorly in elections. Gingrich also tried to tie Stein’s push to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, which has said its lawyers will attend recount proceedings but says it has found no evidence that the election results are illegitimate.

“When the left loses as badly as they have, at every level from local state legislatures to governors to Congress to the presidency, you begin to get this sort of nut fringe showing up,” Gingrich said. “The fact that Hillary's people are associating with her, I think tells you how desperate and how disoriented Hillary's campaign has become, and the whole thing is a joke.”

Later, Gingrich added that Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison’s status as a frontrunner to be Democratic National Committee chairman also signals that the Democrats are in disarray. Ellison is a favorite of the party’s liberal wing, and several establishment figures have backed him as the Democrats assess how to move forward after Clinton’s stunning loss earlier this month.

“These are things that don’t happen when parties are healthy and when movements are healthy,” Gingrich said. “But the left is in the process right now of sort of spinning out of control and getting goofier and goofier.”

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Israel Has A Friend In Trump's VP

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump’s VP choice, is best for US, Israel and Immediate World

Share This Post

www.israel-commentary.org
By Sean Savage
The Jewish Press, July 22, 2016
After a selection process that more closely resembled a reality television show than the usual political appointments, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday tweeted that his choice for vice president is Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who beat out flashier contenders such as former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
For the pro-Israel community, Pence is viewed as a strong advocate for the Jewish state who can bolster Trump’s sometimes shaky relationship with Jewish leaders. Although he has taken on a strongly pro-Israel tone in recent months, Trump had previously raised concern in pro-Israel circles by saying he would take a “neutral” approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Pence, an evangelical Christian, has noted that his strong support for Israel is rooted in his faith.
“Let me say emphatically, like the overwhelming majority of my constituents, my Christian faith compels me to cherish the state of Israel,” Pence said in an address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 2009, while he was serving in Congress.
Many analysts believe Pence can boost Trump’s standing among social conservatives and strengthen his campaign in other areas such as executive experience, foreign policy, and navigating the political scene of Washington, DC.
Pence served in the House of Representatives from 2001-13, including on the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he advocated for robust military defense aid for Israel. As governor of Indiana, Pence has continued his steady record of support for Israel. He visited Israel in late 2014 and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Hoosiers have cherished our relationship with the people of Israel for generations. As we look ahead, deepening our ties with the people, businesses, and state of Israel remains a commitment that will empower us as partners. Grounded in our shared values and our hope for the future, today our friendship is highlighted by a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit shared between our two nations,” Pence said in a statement ahead of that 2014 trip.
David Brog, a member of the board of directors at Christians United for Israel, which helped sponsor Pence’s visit to Israel, praised the Indiana governor as one of the Jewish state’s “most steadfast supporters.”
“We have known and worked with Mike Pence for years. His faith and worldview have made him one of Israel’s most steadfast supporters, both in Congress and as governor,” Brog told JNS.org. “He would be yet another powerful pro-Israel voice on Donald Trump’s team.”
In addition to his support for Israel, Pence, like Trump, favors an American foreign policy that is centered on robust military strength. He has repeatedly called for large increases in military spending and has criticized Democrats for not using the term “Islamic extremism” when describing jihadists.
Pence had also been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal. In 2015, he joined 14 other Republican governors in signing a letter to President Barack Obama expressing their opposition to the deal.
Pence’s stance on the nuclear deal contrasts with his potential vice presidential opponent, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who is rumored to be among presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s finalists for the job.
In 2015, Kaine was among a number of Democratic senators who boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress about the nuclear deal. Nevertheless, Kaine defined himself as a “strong pro-Israel Democrat” in an interview with The Forward, and also told the Washington Jewish Week following a visit to Israel in January 2016 that Netanyahu “is a key partner” that the U.S. must work with.
In Indiana, Pence signed into a law a bill that formally opposed the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer called the Indiana measure the “toughest anti-BDS legislation in the nation.”
Elliot Bartky, president of the Jewish American Affairs Committee of Indiana, who worked closely with the Indiana State Assembly and Pence in crafting the anti-BDS legislation, said he feels the governor is an excellent choice by Trump.
“Governor Pence has had a long and distinguished track record advocating for Israel and the Jewish people as a congressman and then governor of Indiana,” Bartky told JNS.org. “We fully expect that if elected vice president, Governor Pence will continue to lead the nation with the type of sorely needed moral clarity and courage on this issue that has typified his career to this point.”
Despite his state’s relatively small Jewish community, Pence has promoted economic ties between Israel and Indiana.
“Israel and Indiana share many concerns that Hoosiers cherish,” Pence said last month at the second annual Indiana-Israel Business Exchange. “As our nation’s strongest and most important ally in the Middle East, Israel is also a key partner in our state’s economic growth.”

Sunday, June 5, 2016

If Liberals Want To Lose This Election, They Should Keep Fighting With Trump Supporters

Gingrich: Protests Will 'Enrage' General Election Voters

(Getty Images)

Sunday, 05 Jun 2016 12:18 PM

0
inShare

Voters will become "enraged" if violent anti-Donald Trump protests continue through the general election campaign, former Speaker Newt Gingrich warned Sunday.

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Gingrich called out protesters involved in the disruptions.

His remarks begin about the 9:24-minute mark.

"When people see the American flag being burned, they don't side with the people burning the American flag," he said.

"This is 1968 all over again. This is the hard left saying if you don't do what we want, we're going to be physically violent. I think the American people will be repulsed by the idea that the hard left gets to dictate to the rest of us."

The violence, he predicted, riles Americans, and "the country will become enraged" if the anti-Trump protests continue into the convention and into the fall.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Does Election History Predict A Trump Victory?

POLITICS

This Little-Known Election Fact About Christmas Predicts That Trump Will Win Election In 2016

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has consistently remained at the top of the polls and continues to dominate going into the Christmas season.

As of the second week of December, Trump lead the GOP race with more than 30 percent of voters — double the number of Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson, who all hover around 15 percent, according to an average of national polls from Real Clear Politics.

Many people think this is a clear sign that Trump will be the party’s nominee with only a few months to go before the primaries begin — and there’s a good chance they’re right.

In all but two out of the last 10 primary elections, the candidate who led at Christmastime did, in fact, go on to win the GOP nomination.

Newsmax gathered the following review of the past 10 presidential elections, including a recap of who was winning the Republican primary fight around Christmas.

Note: * denotes the candidate who went on to secure the nomination.

1. 2012 — On Christmas Day 2011, Newt Gingrich was leading the polls, but the eventual Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, was closing in. Romney would soon take over, surging to more than 50 percent in the polls through the winter and spring, while Gingrich faltered, eventually finishing second with 19 percent.

Newt Gingrich 27.8
*Mitt Romney 24.4
Rand Paul 12.6
Rick Perry 6.6
Michele Bachmann 6.4
Rick Santorum 3.6

2. 2008 — On Dec. 25, 2007, eventual GOP nominee John McCain was in third place, trailing Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee. Giuliani drifted in the new year, while McCain and Huckabee surged. Eventually, however, it was McCain’s surge that prevailed. Then-Sen. Barack Obama, who defeated McCain in the general election, was also behind Hillary Clinton in Democrat polls on Christmas Day. He was at 25 percent, while Hillary was at 43 percent.

Rudy Giuliani 20.8
Mike Huckabee 17.8
*John McCain 15.5
Mitt Romney 15.0
Fred Thompson 11.5
Rand Paul 4.0

3. 2004 — President George W. Bush ran virtually unopposed for the Republican nomination, and defeated Democrat Sen. John Kerry in the general election.

4. 2000 — Then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush took an early lead in the primaries and maintained it to win the Republican nomination. A nationwide Gallup poll sh owed the following numbers on Dec. 21, 1999:

*George W. Bush 60
John McCain 17
Steve Forbes 9
Alan Keyes 4

5. 1996 — Bob Dole was the early front-runner in the Republican primary and stayed on top throughout. After winning the GOP nomination, he lost the general election to Bill Clinton. Polling below is an average from January to June 1995.

*Bob Dole 50.3
Phil Gramm 11.4
Pat Buchanan 6.3

6. 1992 — President George H. W. Bush stayed on top of the polls throughout the race, winning the Republican nomination but losing the general election to Democrat and then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. The numbers below come from an average of polling from July to December 1991, according to The New York Times.

*George H. W. Bush 72.0
Pat Buchanan 15.0
David Duke 3.5

7. 1988 — Vice President Bush led early in the polls from January to June 1987 and held on to that lead through Christmastime, securing the Republican nomination and going on to win the presidency.

*George H. W. Bush 35.9
Bob Dole 20.7
Jack Kemp 7.4
Pat Robertson 4.3
Al Haig 4.2
Howard Baker 2.1

8. 1984 — President Ronald Reagan ran for his second term essentially unopposed in the primaries and handily won re-election.

9. 1980 — Reagan led the primary race early in this election, and an average of polls conducted from January to June 1979 show he had a big lead. He remained on top, winning the Republican nomination and the general election.

*Ronald Reagan 28.8
Gerald Ford 17.0
Howard Baker 9.6
John Connally 8.0
Charles Percy 1.0
Bob Dole 0.8
James R. Thompson 0.6
George H. W. Bush 0.6

10. 1976 — According to The New York Times, an average of polls conducted January through June of 1975 showed President Gerald Ford, who inherited the presidency when Nixon resigned, would go on to win the Republican nomination and the general election, remaining on top throughout the contest.

*Gerald Ford 38.3
Ronald Reagan 19.7
Barry Goldwater 10.0
Nelson Rockefeller 6.7
Howard Baker 5.0

Do you think Trump will continue the historic trend, or, like the two most recent elections, will another candidate be able to surge into first place? Like and share this on Facebook and Twitter and let us know what you think.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

If Paul Ryan Does Not Become Speaker, Should Republicans Propose An Outsider?

GOP 'READY FOR A REVOLUTION,' SURVEY REVEALS

2 of 3 say new House speaker should come from outside Congress

Published: 13 hours ago

BOB UNRUH

House Speaker John Boehner is retiring because of pressure from conservatives in Congress. His heir apparent, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, decided he wouldn’t run for the position, likely for the same reason. Former GOP vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan says he really doesn’t want the job, but would take it with conditions. There’s been talk that Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell should step aside, too.

All that matters little to voters, however, according to a new WND/Clout poll by Clout Research, a national opinion research firm in Columbus, Ohio.

Its telephone survey Oct. 15-19 found a startling two-thirds of likely GOP voters believe the new House speaker should be someone from outside Congress.

And Republicans were joined in that position by independent voters.

The poll found 63.6 percent of the GOP voters would like an outsider to take the reins in the House, and 73.9 percent of independents agreed.

Overall, 65.5 of the respondents, including nearly 40 percent of Democrats, favored bringing in an outsider, as the Constitution allows.

Fritz Wenzel, chief of Clout Research, told WND an outsider candidate could be someone such as former Vice President Dick Cheney or former Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The poll shows “the party rank-and-file is ready for a revolution,” he said.

“After two landmark midterm elections back to back that dramatically changed the U.S. House complexion, making it more conservative, and after they have won very little for all their work, Republican voters appear willing to double down on change,” he said.

Wenzel said Boehner and McCarthy represented “anything but change, and members of the GOP conference who have cheered their exit from the speakership scene are likely feeling the heat from their supporters back home.”

Ryan has said several times he doesn’t want the job, but he has been heavily recruited. In his latest statement, he said he would take the position with certain conditions, including unified support from GOP factions.

“Does Rep. Paul Ryan bridge this gap between establishment and opposition?” Wenzel said. “It’s yet unclear, but our survey findings do show that he will not be able to ignore the grass roots Republicans who are hungering for substantive changes to be made.”

He said conservatives “have proven they will not go away – they have endured insult and inaction on their agenda for five years – and it appears we are at a key crossroads for the future of the party.”

“Any electorate who appears willing to hand their party’s presidential nomination to Donald Trump is clearly looking for a serious diversion from business as usual in Washington, and these findings indicate that that must be a top priority of the next speaker – or the GOP insurrection will continue.”

The poll’s candidate-preference results aligned closely with other major polls, with 33 percent picking Donald Trump for the GOP nomination, 24 percent Dr. Ben Carson, 10 percent Sen. Marco Rubio, 9 percent Carly Fiorina, 8.9 percent Sen. Ted Cruz and 7.9 percent Gov. Jeb Bush.

The desire for an outsider is reflected in voters’ views of leaders in Congress.

Nearly 80 percent said their performance is only fair or poor. That figure was almost 90 percent for independents, 80 percent for Republicans. Only 55 percent of the Democratic Party gave the House leadership those ratings – most other Democrats had no opinion.

Regarding McConnell, 78 percent of respondents gave him an “only fair” or “poor” rating, while for Boehner, the criticism topped 70 percent.

Offered a choice between one of the “so-called Republican establishment” or “one of the conservatives who have opposed” Boehner, 52 percent called for a conservative replacement.

Wenzel pointed out the 19 percent positive job performance ratings for the GOP leaders,.

“Just as Donald Trump has confounded establishment types by leading Republican presidential preference polls, nearly twice as many GOPers nationwide said they would prefer a member of the opposition faction of the Republican Party to replace John Boehner as speaker of the House when he soon retires,” he said.

“While 28 percent of Republicans said they would prefer another Boehner-like establishment leader, 52 percent said they would rather have a new leader who represents the opposition faction of the House.”

See the results:

Question 4: Thinking about Republican leaders in Congress, would you say that, overall, they are doing an excellent job, a good job, only a fair job, or a poor job?

Question 5: Thinking specifically about the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, would you say that, overall, he is doing an excellent job, a good job, only a fair job, or a poor job?

Question 6: Thinking about U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner, would you say that, overall, he is doing an excellent job, a good job, only a fair job, or a poor job?

Question 7: Since Speaker of the House John Boehner has said he will soon retire, in your opinion, should he be replaced by one of his top assistants who have been part of the so-called Republican establishment, or by one of the conservatives who have opposed him and helped force his retirement?

Question 8: The Speaker of the House does not have to be an elected member of Congress … which means Republicans could replace John Boehner with an outsider – someone like former Vice President Dick Cheney or former Speaker Newt Gingrich, or even a business executive, who might bring a new perspective to the job. Would you favor Republicans choosing a new speaker from within their own ranks or would you favor someone who is an outsider?

Question 17: If you were voting today in your state’s primary or caucus election for the Republican nomination for president … for whom would you vote?

Click here for reuse options!