David Frum Condemns Gingrich; On a 'Suicide Destructive Mission of Revenge'
On the day before the New Hampshire primary, CNN had some choice words for one candidate in particular – Newt Gingrich. The candidate had attacked front runner Mitt Romney for his past in the private sector and his connections to well-funded super PACs that are producing negative attack ads on opponents.
CNN contributor and faux-conservative David Frum slammed Gingrich's attacks on Romney as a "suicide destructive mission of revenge." A CNN viewer might have thought he was referring to a suicide bomber in the Middle East. [Video below. Click here for audio.]
"He's not doing himself any good," Frum scolded Gingrich. "And it's kind of absurd that a man who just said, hey, I got a $5 million check the other day from the third richest man in America will be attacking Mitt Romney for having too many rich friends."
Later on during the 10 a.m. hour of Newsroom, anchor Kyra Phillips cited another smear of Gingrich, this time by the Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan. She had described Gingrich as an "angry little attack muffin," and Phillips actually asked her panel if it was a "fair description".
"Sadly, there's no mention whether it's blueberry, bran, English muffin," Phillips joked. "So what do you think? Is it a fair description?" she asked her "Political Buzz" panel.
A transcript of the segments, which aired on January 9 at 8:06 a.m. and 10:31 a.m. EST respectively, is as follows:
CNN
STARTING POINT
1/9/12
8:06 a.m. EST
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Let me play a little chunk from the debate because there were – it was the weekend of debates this weekend. And this is Newt Gingrich talking to Mitt Romney and really talking a little bit about those super PACs and negative ads. Take a look.
(Video Clip)
NEWT GINGRICH, Republican presidential candidate: I wish you would calmly and directly state it is your former staff running the PAC. It is your millionaire friends giving to the PAC, and you know some of the ads aren't true. Just say that straightforward.
(Applause)
MITT ROMNEY, Republican presidential candidate: Well, of course, it's former staff of mine. And of course they are people who support me. They wouldn't be putting money into a PAC that supports me if they weren't people who support me.
(End Video Clip)
O'BRIEN: How much damage did he do, do you think, in that? Because it got a lot of applause, and I feel like that approach and also the Bain approach is sort of what everybody is focused on right now in trying to attack the frontrunner.
DAVID FRUM, CNN contributor: Well, Gingrich is on sort of a suicide destructive mission of revenge. He's not doing himself any good. And it's kind of absurd that a man who just said, hey, I got a $5 million check the other day from the third richest man in America will be attacking Mitt Romney for having too many rich friends.
(...)
CNN
NEWSROOM
1/9/12
10:31 a.m. EST
PHILLIPS: All right, your "Buzzer Beater", 20 seconds each on this one. Ok, guys so who doesn't love a delicious muffin at breakfast time – unless maybe it's an angry muffin. Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal calling Newt Gingrich an "angry little attack muffin." Sadly, there's no mention whether it's blueberry, bran, English muffin. So what do you think? Is it a fair description? Maria?
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Comments
It must just be me....
Submitted by stage9 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 7:31pm.
I think the news media is seeing something I'm not seeing at home...
They keep calling Gingrich "angry" and he's attacking and getting vengeful -- yet I'm not seeing this "hostile" Gingrich caricature they keep referring to.
I DO see a man defending his record and refuting claims he sees as erroneous and false.
Romney and Paul, saturated the state of Iowa with false attack ads and no one opened their mouths. Gingrich steps up to refute them, and suddenly he's an attack dog?
I think we all know who the favorite is in this race for both establishment Republicans and Liberals alike -- Romney -- and who they fear -- Gingrich.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, when the establishment fears a candidate. That tells me he/she is the RIGHT ONE FOR THE JOB.
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
I guess you have not seen yet...
Submitted by zenman1661 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 8:02pm.
Newt's latest attacks on Romney and his Bain days. It makes Newt sound like an OWS protester.
Maybe you should allow Romney to speak for himself...
Submitted by stage9 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:33pm.
and you tell ME if he's being an OWS protester by calling him out.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC087120FC7B1DA3&feature=plcp
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
None of the you tube clips in your link pertains
Submitted by zenman1661 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:28pm.
to this topic. And anyone who accuses a venture capitalist of "some of the companies that Bain took over, where they apparently looted the companies, left people unemployed, and walked off with millions of dollars" sounds like the anti-capitalist crap those OWS protestors were spouting.
This just proves that Newt is a pure Washington insider with no clue how businesses operate.
The reason why he jumped in the polls is because he was the latest Not-Romney. The reason he fell is because of him being Is-Newt.
I hate to disagree but...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 8:16pm.
I do see the angry, sometimes spiteful Gingrich that has been spoken of in the press, and this is not a recent development. I've been watching Gingrich for much of his career, and he does appear to have a side of him that comes across as irritable, angry, and spiteful at times, when he's crossed or when he thinks he's been done wrong by someone or something. I'm not saying that he shouldn't defend himself if he thinks something incorrect or untrue has been said about him...of course he should. But it's the way that he responds, and often retaliates, when this happens. While I like many of Gingrich's ideas and positions, I worry that the tendency that he has to lash out angrily and sometimes impulsively, would be very problematic for him and for the country, if he were to become president.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
I could not agree with you more, PS
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 8:35pm.
Newt comes off looking and sounding petty...and very unPresidential.
I have really tried to support...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:01pm.
Gingrich in this whole thing because he holds more conservative positions (more or less) than most of the other candidates. But, the same reservations (along with his continued behavior along these lines) that I have always had about him, are the same reasons why I just can't support him now. If he were to get the nomination, I would of course support him, but in lieu of that, I can't.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
I can't deal with another patsy nominee...
Submitted by stage9 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:32pm.
ala McCain....and let's stop kidding ourselves, we all know who the nominee will be -- the power machine won't allow any other with so much at stake.
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
I don't relish our choices, or lack thereof, either...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:57pm.
Do I think that Romney will likely be the nominee? Yes. Am I excited about that fact? No. Do I think that many of the Republican electorate (and I include myself in this group) will have to hold their noses in November and pull the lever, again, for another candidate that they're not thrilled with and feel that they have to settle for? Yes. But, that is far more acceptable to me than having to suffer through four more years of President Disaster.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Gingrich has flipped
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:45pm.
and flopped and flipped again during his career but has generally [albeit not in all cases] executed his political gymnastics more adroitly and spaced them over a longer period of time than has Romney, whose high-profile somersaults have come in bunches.
Newt is clearly the deepest and most imaginative thinker--the proverbial sharpest knife in the drawer--but his seeming insistence that everyone acknowledge same and genuflect to his intellect can be off--putting, as is his historical penchant for condescension and ridicule, followed by whining petulance if the tactic is turned against him.
Finally, when the modern era of political incivility in the US Congress is the topic for future scholarship, the role of Gingrich in its inception and early evolution cannot be overstated. He mellowed later in his speakership, although, it must be noted, to the dismay of many of his supporters.
Jer
I agree that Gingrich is...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 10:12pm.
the deepest and most imaginative thinker of the current crop of candidates...I think that's correct, hands down. However, he can also be the most annoyingly arrogant, petulant and spiteful as well, and I think unless he were to undergo a complete change in personality and character between now and when he would take office if he were elected, he would be a mess as president because of his personal demons in this regard. It takes more than deep, creative and imaginative thinking to be a successful president..It takes the ability to get people to support and follow you in what you want to do...It takes the ability to inspire and lead, and based on what I have seen in this election cycle, along with his history in office previously, I just don't believe that Gingrich has these qualities.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Newt is clearly the deepest
Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:26pm.
Were you looking in the mirror when you wrote that?
;-)
Yes, bk, I was...
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:32pm.
but only up to and through the phrase "sharpest knife in the drawer".
By the way, I looked pretty damn good. Except that I need a haircut.
Jer
Grinning...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:36pm.
;-D
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Hey Jer, follow up
Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:39pm.
Cause of death: subdural hematoma due to a fall.
Well, bk...
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:49pm.
that takes care of any causal relationship issue.
Jer
I disagree...
Submitted by stage9 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:29pm.
I wonder why he hasn't come out swinging earlier!
Romney's record is EASILY refutable!
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC087120FC7B1DA3&feature=plcp
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
Well, then you should vote for an establishment republican....
Submitted by stage9 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 9:28pm.
like Romney then. If you want a patsy fr President Obama or Romney is a good fit for you. I frankly, am tired of wimpy establishment Republicans who allow liberal radicals to walk all over them.
I'll take a Gingrich or a Chris Christie any day though they aren't as Conservative as I prefer.
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
I'm with you on Christie...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 10:12pm.
but not on Gingrich. Unfortunately, Christie isn't running.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
I've never seen any "impulsive" behavior out of him...
Submitted by krendler on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:19pm.
The responses I've seen are always well thought out and, quite often, extremely effective and cutting. He does it without shouting or grandstanding or swearing. He simply calls 'em how he sees 'em, instead of using the trite political-speak and catch phrases that comes out of guys like Obama and Romney constantly.
Gingrich is the only candidate in the field who's going to give it back to the press with both barrels when the general election comes. He knows the score, recognizing that it's insanity to treat the media as an unbiased, neutral observer or to try to gain their favor. See McCain.
Romney is getting a free pass now. Wait until he becomes The Racist Attacking Obama. It will make what the MSM did to Bill Clinton during the 08 primary (that would be "racist Bill Clinton") look mild in comparison.
I have...a number of times, and...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:49pm.
sometimes, those impulsive moments are priceless and have left me cheering, like when he has gone back at the press or someone else who has asked a stupid or gotcha question.
But, there have been repeated instances of him coming back with a knee jerk, anger fueled response when put on the spot or pushed on something. I just believe he has a tendency because of his disposition, regardless of the situation or who he is talking to, to say what he thinks, without considering how wise it may or may not be. Part of me applauds Gingrich for being so willing to say what he thinks, but sometimes a little personal censorship is necessary in certain circumstances. I worry that as president, he will be in a situation with another world leader, or whatever, and he'll become angry, annoyed, frustrated, take your pick, and out will come some statement that would be better left unsaid, at least in public. The "if you don't like what I think or what I say, that's tough" attitude that Gingrich has, can be charming and refreshing only up to a point....After that, it can be and has become destructive. I don't particularly want a president with a loose cannon for a mouth.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Sounds like Romney is your man...
Submitted by krendler on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 12:13am.
...like Obama, he speaks rather eloquently, while saying absolutely nothing.
Boilerplate catch phrase after boilerplate catch phrase.
...and please give us some *examples* of the "number of times" when you think Gingrich lost his cool.
krendler...Did you miss what I said in my earlier post?
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 12:48am.
Apparently you did...
"Do I think that Romney will likely be the nominee? Yes. Am I excited about that fact? No. Do I think that many of the Republican electorate (and I include myself in this group) will have to hold their noses in November and pull the lever, again, for another candidate that they're not thrilled with and feel that they have to settle for? Yes. But, that is far more acceptable to me than having to suffer through four more years of President Disaster."
I'm not thrilled with any of the candidates this time, Romney included. But as time goes by, and this election has begun to take shape, like it or not, it looks to me that Romney may well be the candidate to end up with the nomination, and who would be the best able to beat Obama. I don't like compromising like this, and I didn't support Romney in '08, and have not sent any of the candidates any money as yet this time...I'm waiting. Do I wish that we had a wonderful conservative candidate that had wide support and who I thought would have the support of our party and enough of the independents to beat Obama? Of course, but it doesn't appear that that is the case. I'm a principled voter, but I'm also a realist, and I'd rather have a candidate that I can live with that can beat Obama, than ultimately support a candidate who it is clear has no chance to beat him. Like it or not, that is what I believe we are faced with.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Disagree
Submitted by BeanMan on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 8:02am.
I also see the angry Newt. I like Newt but he is a government solutions man. His first instinct is to find a government solution to something that will never have a government solution. I believe his ego is only exceeded by that of Obama himself. I'm tired of people with over extended egos. It is always about them. No one has identified what the "lies" were, just that there were many of them. Newt will vote for Obama or stay home before he votes for any of the Rs because of his massive ego.
I will vote for the "R" and I will support my candidate but I'm afraid it isn't Newt. I don't trust him. He said sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi was dumb, he didn't say that the reason he was sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi was dumb, just that sitting on the couch with her was dumb.
The Tea Party will be the difference but I don't believe it will be in the national election, they will get more and more elected to the Senate and House and that will make more of a difference than what R we have in the White House.
Since government is coercion, politics is largely the exercise of deception regarding the intended use of coercion - George Orwell
LOL
Submitted by paulnashtn on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 8:31pm.
If I had a 31/2 million dollar ad campaign run against me and about 20% of it flat out false and another major portion of it out of context and/or very misleading .... I think I would be a tad P.O.'d and strike back
The MSM and Romney camps seem to be able to dish it out and unable to take it
Dear Mr. Frum:
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 8:45pm.
Gingrich did NOT attack Romney for having too many rich friends. He attacked him for not refuting what Gingrich says are lies from those friends.
I wish you would calmly and directly state it is your former staff running the PAC. It is your millionaire friends giving to the PAC, and you know some of the ads aren't true. Just say that straightforward.
Frum is one of the elite who presume to tell the rest of us what politicians really mean when they say things; and it's usually not what they said.
Gingrich must have been using "code words" and the "dog whistle" tactic.
What a twerp
Submitted by boilermaker on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 8:47pm.
Gingrich only wants to get rid of the attack ads because they make him look bad, but should he go on to be the candidate I have a hunch he'll have a whole load of attack ads streaming in from the right. We'll see how his consistency holds up.
...then good for Gingrich!!
Submitted by krendler on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 12:15am.
His only mistake was not attacking from the get-go, as everyone else attacked him.
It's Gingrich's fault
Submitted by rinohunter on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 12:06am.
He can blame himself. Also it would be nice if all the so called 'conservatives' would stop attacking the front runner from the left by crying about how in the 90's someone somewhere got fired.
Newt has never stated
Submitted by tombaker on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 4:32am.
Newt has never stated anything in the Ads that he thought wrong or not correct. Since its been weeks now, it sure seem Newt is upset that someone point out Newt's history. Its also clear that Newt is defenseless to having his record shown.
Plus Newt self destructed himself, he fell in the national polls without any of these ads being shown or even repeated by Networks.
Fox news has certainly not shown the ads, but Newt is probably still on a retainer.
In spite of support from Hannity and Rush...Newt is crashing
Submitted by cbeyer on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 12:33pm.
Rush and Hannity...supposed purveyors of free enterprice have had only tepid remarks regarding Newt tarring Romney for his years at Bain Capital. As some have noted before me Newt is starting to sound like and OWS protester.
When Newt decided to run, I was ambivalent but when he revealed his true colors by calling the Ryan debt reduction program right wing extremism....he lost me.
Newt has a way of self destructing. He did so as the majority leader; He is a meglomaniac, arrogant person striving for the position as leader of the free world. Although he claims to be a true conservative, his views on immigration, cap and trade (cozy couch ad with Pelosi) and past support of socialized medicine betray him.
Hannity has Newt on one of his shows on a near daily basis. Both he and Rush have lost a lot of crediblity with me for picking their candidate (between the lines....not officially).