As someone who would absolutely love to see Newt Gingrich take on Obama in the general election next year (he is the epitome of the regional candidate), I have seriously begun to worry about Newtie’s hubris. I mean, its always been there, it’s just that no one cared when he was polling in the single digits. Now that he is the semi-official “Not Romney” (hey, Santorum hasn’t had his shot yet) and surged to the lead in several polls, I have concerns that he’s starting to feel just a bit too good about himself.
Already, Newt has expressed that he is the inevitable nominee after just a couple of weeks as the newest alternative to Mittens. The fabled historian seems to have a true blind side for recent history as well as a propensity for revising any and all history. He seems blissfully unaware of the recent rotisserie of non-viable, right-wing desperation candidates that fly past Romney only to crash to earth unable to support the weight of their own foolishness.
As if that isn’t bad enough, Newt has decided that not only is he running for president, he is also laying claim to the crown of the King of Making Shit Up (You didn’t think Karl Rove could hold it forever, did you?)
Recent cases in point:
–Newt stated that he was not a lobbyist for Fannie and Freddie, but rather an extremely well paid ($1.6 million) “historian.”
–He has taken credit for the fall of communism when we all know that Ronald Reagan did that all by himself.
–He said of the Occupy movement, that they should “go get a job after you take a bath.” Because as everyone is aware, you can then go jump on the back of the job unicorn who will take you to the land of jobs where the man behind the curtain will open the drapes and expose the place where there aren’t 4 job seekers for every job. I think that place is called China.
–Then he pointed out that poor people have no work ethic and no understanding of what it’s like to have a job unless they are involved in an illegal activity. His solution, is to channel Marie Antoinette, ignore child labor laws, turn them into janitors, and let them clean shitters. Nevermind that by far, most poor folk are of the working variety and often have multiple jobs that may just allow them a hand-to-mouth existence.
Now, maybe you think Newt can’t top those doozies, but if we have learned one thing from Newton Leroy Gingrich, it’s that in his case, you should never challenge “worse.” If there is one thing he is capable of, it’s exceeding our expectations when it comes to the art of spewing nonsense.
Which brings us to this:
“More Americans now get food stamps therefore and we now give it away as cash. You don’t get food stamps. You get a credit card and the credit card can be used for anything. We’ve had people take their food stamp money and use it to go to Hawaii.”–Newt Gingrich campaigning in Iowa on 11/30/2011.
Politifact took one look at this assertion and gave it their fabled, “Pants on Fire” rating.
From Politifact:
“We have people who take their food stamp money and use it to go to Hawaii.”
If the food stamp system bars beneficiaries from buying decorative gourds rather than pumpkins, you can be sure it also bars the purchase of airline tickets. (Our guess: The benefit amount would be less than the tickets anyway.)
Yes, you read that correctly, the Food Stamp Program, disallows the purchase of decorative gourds, but according to Newt, you can just take that card and swipe it at the airport and land in Honolulu later in the day, or conceivably, Mordor.
Politifact closes their analysis of the Gingrich food stamp fantasy with this statement:
Each of Gingrich’s claims about food stamps is so ridiculous — especially for a self-styled policy wonk — that we wondered whether he was really intending to be serious. (By publication time, we did not receive answers to several queries made to his press staff.) But the transcript makes it sound like he wasn’t joking, so we’ll assume he wasn’t. For being so ridiculously wrong in so many ways, we rate his statement Pants on Fire.
Which leaves us with this question: ”Why would Gingrich make these claims, and what the hell is he thinking when he does?” Well, Newt is laying a bet that becoming the master of the right-wing dog whistle plays well with a republican primary electorate that has little use for pesky things like facts or evidence. And you know what? He’s probably right. The republican field has only one candidate in it that is neither a clown or certifiable and his name is Jon Huntsman. And the former governor of Utah is polling so low nationally, that he has not even qualified to attend the two upcoming Iowa debates.
On second thought, I’m not that worried at all.
I know someone who took a cruise (paid for 4 total persons). The only income source they have is SSI from their children, welfare, and food stamps. This CAN be done with our system currently.
Newt is NOT wrong. I know that person was reported to dept of welfare, whom did nothing what so ever about it.
How do you know that someone other than the “govt” did not pay for them to go on this cruise? I know of a young boy with Ceberal Palsy who is on SSI (his parents are not) and the Make a Wish Foundation sent the entire family–parents, sisters and the boy to Hawaii for 10 days. They did not tell anyone so there were probably many people who said the same thing about this family and it wasnt the case at all. People today need to mind their own damned business and quit thinking they know everything about others when they do not. They look and sound like nebby, know–nothing fools.
V Schmi…. You spoke that right… I have seen what looked shady to me when I rode the bus to the foodstamp office… girls being dropped off in large suburbans with their hair all done and their nails even more… then one day, I borrowed my successful daughter’s BMW (humbling experience for a 53 year old formerly employed business person)and pulled in the lot to re-up my foodstamps for the month (I am now in school) I wondered what thoughts were in other’s minds. Just because my daughter has done well and is kind enough to loan me a vehicle so I could get to my appointment on time doesn’t have a thing to do with my need for food while I am trying to get a degree to go with my 30+ years of experience in Business Management.
Everybody “knows” a guy who knows a guy who makes six figures panhandling, or goes to Hawaii on food stamps. Nobody that I’ve ever asked has turned that person in personally. I can’t help wondering how one would know if the department of welfare had done anything about it or not. It sounds like a convenient (for republicans) urban legend to me.
You will never see a headline stating “Hundreds of thousands of honest but desperate Americans gratefully used the social safety net as tax payers intended again today”. It doesn’t matter that it is the truth.
Well,as sad as I am to say this, I have friends who apparently think that we are under attack from the “Food Stamp Bandits” and they are ripping us all off by frequently taking long luxurious vacations that cost appx. $7,000 to $10,000 off their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) card. And to think all these years I thought I had to use cash or a Bank of America or Mastercard or at least an American Express. Of course, most of those who live in the real world know those card holders are the real crooks ripping us off, but it is so much easier to blame and trash the poor, after all…what are they going to do about it? Mr. Fig Newton is right, let’s fight the ones we know we can beat up with one hand tied behind our backs. It is the American way.
That sir is a complete falsification you cannot use your SNAP card for purchases other than food. As well the balances that are on these cards don’t even come close to 7,000 dollars unless they have a family of 20 and wait a few months for the balance to carry it over. However as I said before these cards can only be used at grocery or convenient stores. Not for gas, hotels and or even hot food at a restaurant. Furthermore if these are your “friends” then you are actually protecting felons and if your so sure they are ripping us all off then why don’t you call the fraud hotline 1-800-FRAUD-99 or email them instead of wasting everyone’s time by putting up bullshit like this. Besides the real crooks as it is are AIG and any other major financial group bailed out by the US tax payers.
Does it bother you who selfish you sound? I see people using food stamps at the grocery store, and I’ve never seen one wearing “flashy rings” or driving new cars. In fact what i see is worn out coats, and hand me downs, in cars that barely run, and sad children. I think that being a good person is helping those that need it. Yes some people abuse the system, some people lie and cheat and steal, some people murder and rape. But the % of people abusing the system is quite small, most government assistance is needed. I tell you what, if they end food stamps I will gladly take pictures of starving children and email them to you, then maybe you’ll take a look at your own life and see how being a selfish piece of crap has made you miserable and now you are taking it out on the poor. Do you think poverty is a lie? Are you so blinded by the lies of politicans that you have forgotten how to think for yourself, do the world and yourself a favor and volunteer to work with hungry people and see if that teaches you to be a better person.
I am so not surprised, lol. Michael, you are of course correct. I am waiting for those very words to show up on a few of my conservative friends’ pages, lol. Thank god for politifact and factcheck.org. And of course, The Daily Show. I am thinking Stewart is going to have a field day with this one. Can’t wait.
Well, I look at it this way, What kind of a circus would it be without clowns and elephants?