Newt Hearts Palin as News Trots Out Wife #2

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2012
Posted on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:13:00 AM EST
Tags: Newt Gingrich (all tags)

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Marianne Gingrich, the second of Newt Gingrich's three wives, is ready to unload. ABC News has the interview, which as of now, it plans to air on Nightline Thursday night. Excerpts should be available during the day. They aired a short clip Weds. night with the teaser that she says "there are things voters need to know." The only direct quote is of her saying that Newt looked directly at her and told her "Calista doesn't care what I do." The interviewer asks her what that means, and then cuts out before her answer. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Marianne Gingrich as spoken out before. [More...]

Here's what she told Esquire in 2010. Shorter version here. He asked Wife #2 to marry him while still married to Wife #1. He asked current Wife #3 to marry him while still married to Wife #2. He lied to the public when he said Marianne asked for the divorce, and records back her up.

As for Newt, he's basking in Sarah Palin's semi-endorsement/a>, (more like a hedge-bet) telling Wolf Blitzer:

"She’s one of the people I’d call on for advice....I would ask her to consider taking a major role in the next administration."

Newt is going into damage-control mode. The sooner he's gone the better. His chances in South Carolina aren't great anyway.

Others report conservative opposition to Mitt Romney is beginning to fade. Hopefully he won't pander to Sarah Palin.

For those that think ABC is showing favoritism, Nightline tonight did a tabloid-y story about Mitt Romney having millions of dollars in bank accounts in the Caymans. The accounts have names like Bain Capital Fund VIII. (Apparently the name of Romney's business is Bain Capital.) Romney declared the accounts on his disclosure forms (Nightline showed a copy) so I'm not sure what the big deal is, other than like many wealthy people, he takes advantage of legal tax reduction strategies.

Romney's campaign responds:

ABC is flat wrong. The Romneys' investments in funds established in the Cayman Islands are taxed in the very same way they would be if those funds were established in the United States."

As to the secrecy, of course, it's not true that the Caymans will keep the information secret from the U.S. Government if a proper request is made, and there's a lot of ways to make it. See this 2008 report and its supplement. Between TIEA's (Tax Information Exchange Agreement) with the Caymans, the MLAT treaty and FINCEN, if the U.S. wants the information, it's likely to get it. Here are the IRS FAQs on reporting of foreign bank and financial accounts.

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Newt Hearts Palin as News Trots Out Wife #2 | 20 comments (20 topical)

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Oh, boy (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 11:09:05 AM EST

they just reported on the news that Marianne Gingrich says that Newt wanted an open marriage. This ought to fry some evangelicals brains.

maybe she is going to tell (5.00 / 0) (#19)
by TeresaInPa on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 05:15:23 PM EST

the story about how his face got all shrunken up in his head..... okay okay, I know, it is childish and shallow to remark on the man's face. I was just trying to get in to the spirit of the season. I remember in 2008 how Hillary and Palin had their appearance discussed and mocked endlessly. That's how it works no?

Back on topic. I do not think this will fly. I think his ex will be dismissed as bitter. Sadly, that's the way it is.

I'm definitely (none / 0) (#1)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 04:57:13 AM EST

with you on the sooner Gingrich is gone the better. Of course, he's always good for a laugh because he's a raving lunatic.

I also read yesterday that his wife does not want to be first lady, did not want Newt to run and so that's why he's running up the charge accounts at Tiffany's. He's trying to bribe her with jewelry.

: I think (none / 0) (#4)
by lentinel on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 05:56:00 AM EST

that this is the best we can hope for this election season - a few laughs.
What'll we do without Cain, Gingrich, Trump, Sanitorium....
Romney/Obama should be a snooze-fest.

It is amusing (none / 0) (#2)
by lentinel on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 05:52:32 AM EST

that all these guys, (looking at the photo of Gingrich above) have their mouths in that weird shape - where the upper lip meets the nose and the sides go all the down like a handle-bar mustache. The other examples that come to mind are Spitzer and Weiner.

Strange.

I don't know how they do it.

I am sorry, but I just had to say this. (none / 0) (#3)
by Gerald USN Ret on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 05:54:32 AM EST

(drum roll)

And now from behind DOOR NUMBER 2, we have ...

(sound of cymbals clanging!!)

given the state of the SC race (none / 0) (#5)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:10:12 AM EST

that is making the gutter look like a good neighborhood already . . .
I have no idea what she will say but unless way worse than anything we have heard before regarding Mary Ann it could be a glancing blow at best.
I think the remark about the new wife can be dismissed as sour grapes from and x wife by those who are prone to do so.
I am very eager to hear what she has to say. but I really think it could be lost in the swamp of SC politics. the air is so thick with dirt being slung in every direction and people are expecting every dirty political trick that can be pulled out of a hat.
I hope I am wrong. I hope she blows him out of the water. but honestly I have my doubts ans suspect many people who support Newt have already factored in almost anything I can imagine her saying.

as I said. I hope I am wrong.

as for Newts chances not being that great (none / 0) (#6)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:19:34 AM EST

Romneys lead has been more that cut in half is just a couple of days and yesterday I was reading everywhere that Romneys internal polls had them worried. that they brought campaign ads back that they had shelved featuring Newts former co workers and hastily arranged a conference call with same.

also in a place like SC I would not underestimate the value of Palins backing. I was also reading yesterday that Newt doesnt have to win to do well enough to go on to FL. they polls there have Romney up there now but now long ago Newt had a large lead and the pudit guys seem to think he could regain that.

I guess a lot could depend on wife Mary Ann


I don't see (none / 0) (#7)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:53:26 AM EST

Newt doing that well in Fl but I could be wrong. Certainly stranger things have happened.


: not long ago he was (none / 0) (#9)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:57:11 AM EST

about 20 points ahead before all the inevitability stuff started.

Unless #2... (none / 0) (#8)
by ScottW714 on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:53:43 AM EST

...has pictures of him burning a body, it's not going to matter what she says. The timing is ridiculously suspicious, it's very old news, and his kids with her are on his side.

Republicans only seem to freak out when their candidates start drifting left. Their high standards only apply to democratic candidates as demonstrated by wife/lover/sexual harassment victim #_.

I see Mitt is tied up in some pseudo-scandal with the Marriott and billings.

It looks like the Mad Dog actually won Iowa by 19 votes.

And the Super-PACs have pulled out all the stops.

Should be a good couple days of entertainment.

No - (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by jbindc on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 09:03:04 AM EST

It's his daughters from his first marriage.


they will still have an effect (none / 0) (#12)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 09:24:42 AM EST

and if needed there will be plenty of supporters to muddy the water


: Not saying that (none / 0) (#15)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 09:39:42 AM EST

Marianne is going to do a whole lot of damage since i don't know what she's going to say but his daughters really don't help him much. We've been through this a ton of times down here in GA and everybody ignores his daughters because they know they will lie for Newt.

OK (none / 0) (#13)
by ScottW714 on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 09:31:07 AM EST

Newt was on the Today Show and he most certainly implied, maybe even stated, that his kids with her were on his side.

So my error was from the candidates mouth.


: And... (none / 0) (#14)
by ScottW714 on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 09:32:01 AM EST

...he said son and daughter, not daughters.

: No biggie (none / 0) (#18)
by jbindc on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 03:27:58 PM EST

And I can't even imagine publicly defending my father from such tawdry stories - all to feed his ego (since he won't really ever be president).

Daughters that highly benefit if Daddy wins (none / 0) (#17)
by Militarytracy on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 11:24:04 AM EST

sad to say (none / 0) (#10)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 08:57:30 AM EST

I agree


Newt is far from done, according to polls (none / 0) (#20)
by cymro on Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 09:03:41 PM EST

This statement seems to be completely contrary to the evidence of the latest polls -- see this summary on the Real Clear Politics site. The last three published polls show Gingrich beating Romney in SC.

In any case, I'm not sure why anyone would argue "The sooner he's gone the better," unless they are a Romney supporter. IMO, the opposite is true. The longer the Republicans spend arguing amongst themselves, the better it is for Democrats.