Andrew Sullivan defends Newt the environmentalist:
And the enviro-left blows a gasket. It seems to me that if environmentalists actually care about the planet, they should be engaging in dialogue with those who want to do the same thing, even if they differ on policy. Here you have an impeccably credentialed conservative puling the GOP to a more eco-friendly position. And they can’t hurl enough vitriol in his direction.
We’re not operating in a vacuum here and it’s not like Newt wasn’t responsible for some of the most anti-environmental legislation of all time. From the National Wildlife Federation, on Newt’s Contract with America:
Taken as a whole, the House plan constitutes the broadest and deepest attack ever mounted against laws that protect public health, the environment, natural resources and wildlife.
Newt also wanted to be numbered as an Iraq war critic — just a few days before he started pimping for war with Iran. He does not operate in good faith, but he’s quite adept at identifying a public concern (environmentalism) and appropriating its language in order to undermine it.
Andy please stop kicking the football.
(photo by mktr)
Related posts:
- Newt Gingrich for President? Ain’t Enough Stain Remover on the Planet
- NRSC to Limbaugh and Gingrich: Just Go Away
- Gingrich on Sotomayor’s Empathy — Once More with Feeling!
- FDL Book Salon Welcomes Leigh Stringer, The Green Workplace
- Gingrich: Fraud and Abuse of Medicare–Intolerable; Fraud, Abuse in Military–Less Problematic
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Jane!
We seem to be in cync this afternoon…*g*
I am trying to make sense of the last posts. Did something good happen in the SenateJ Committee today? Sorry but I need coffee. It’s afternoon slump.
Would Andrew want the Rev Pat Robertson making and enforcing laws about Homosexuals?
Biodun @ 2
cync or cynic
Andrew Sullivan stinks. So does Newt.
My thought exactly!
mui @ 3
I think they’re still working on it in the Senate, but don’t quote me on that.
raven:
Are you a skeptic or a cynic? Or both?
As for me: I’m quite skeptical about Andrew Sullivan and cynical about Newt.
kdh22 @ 8
How long will this take. Should we fax the crap out of them still?
NewtHillary also wanted to be numbered as an Iraq war critic — at the same time she was pimping for war with Iran.Biodun @ 9
I’m all of the above.
Shouldn’t that be Contract on America?
Newt “The Snoot” Gingrich deserves nothing less than full-out scorn and derision. No seat at the table for him; only the dunce cap would approach appropriateness for this loser.
Newt is now an “environmentalist” ’cause the Repugs are an “endangered species”.
Shorter Newt: “Have you hugged a Repug today?”
sporkovat @ 11
Please don’t say its true. I know the Kyl/Lieberman vote, but she’s not going all HoJoe out there is she?
Biodun @ 9
Sullivan is as flighty as a fart in a whirlwind (thanks, Mom :)) and Newt just stinks (thanks, Mui:))
Wow, there’s an oxymoron.
or trying to kick the football, it won’t be there when you try
I wonder whether Newt’s Going to Damascus moment about the environment (but I’m quite cynical–see above) has anything to do with the fact that Gore is now Oscar Nobel, and his work on climate change got him that identity.
Does any Conservative really care or understand the Science of global warming. Or do they just reflexivly without thinking oppose anything that could cost industry money?
Never mind that every year Toyota and Honda sell more cars and makes more money while GM and Ford’s market share and profits sink.
Fat and to lazy to adapt to change is their and Andrew’s and Newt’s business model.
For us change is oppertunity we look for problems hence our Rep for being negative. We try and fix them before they get to big hence our Rep as Alarmists.
And unfortantly when we don’t fight the right being fat and lazy doesn’t move at all and sinks deeper into the qugmire of its own making like a blackhole they then try pulling us in.
Iraq is a blackhole. The Subprime mess is a blackhole. Pakistan, Iran, torture war crimes, Ossama still being free, Meat recalls and lack of toy inspections ARRGH!
Gingrich could pull a solar-powered geodesic dome full of endangered species out of his nethers, and that still wouldn’t make him an environmentalist.
The nerve
Brian Lehrer interviewed him on wnyc. You can listen here: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2007/11/01
It’s the fifth segment down, click on the listen button.
Unlike most of Brian’s interviews, this one wasn’t very good. Let him get away with murder. So we had fun in the comments section. There were 85 altogether, which must be a record for this venue, which typically attracts 5 or 6/segment.
At the beginning, Brian asked Newt how he got interested in environmentalism, whereupon Newt revealed that he always liked animals, and when a youth had wanted to be a zoo director, prompting the following exchange in the comments:
mui @ 15
according to respected journalist Seymour Hersh:
from Jon Wiener of Huffpo, Oct 4 of this year.
That Newt is a fifth-columnist. I knew it!
Biodun @ 24
lol!
No, let’s take Andy up on his suggestion. Let’s have a dialogue with Newt…one just long enough to tell him he’s dead wrong on everything.
darkblack @ 21
this comment makes me nervous
please don’t act on it
sullivan is a filth-columnist
Biodun: “synch”
mack @ 27
LOL!!
mack @ 27
Do it, do it!!
Speaking of former Speakers:
speaking of science
http://xkcd.com/store/shirtpics/
I love the
“Science – It Works Bitches”
and
“Sudo”
shirts most
brendan @ 29
he knew dat
raven @ 34
I thought it was “sink”.
TeddySanFran @ 32
Could anyone understand what ‘old mushmouth’ was saying? That’s my title for him. :)
TeddySanFran @ 32
I wonder if this precedes some kind of revelation?
When I first heard the Green Gringich floated about, I laughed long and hard.
Whadda maroon…
kdh22 @ 36
I hope he’s leaving for legal reasons, not health reasons.
LS @ 39
Always such a kindly soul, LS! ;-)
darkblack @ 21
No Darkblack, don’t do it!
Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes and Newt’s nethers in a sentence together is bad enough!
kdh22 @ 36
Oh, I’m sorry! I’m getting my criminal Illinois politicians confused. ‘Old Mushmouth’ is Wisconsin Dept. of Corrections Inmate #P?????, George Ryan.
My sincere apologies.
I haven’t seen a true conservative since W.F. Buckley. Today an intellectual conservative is an oxymoron; accent on the moron. Newt and Co. could best be described as conservative ideologues.
darkblack @ 21
I already have a suggested caption for your imagery on this topic. Gingrene *g*
NJ-03 OPEN (Saxton) Likely R to Toss-Up
NY-26 Tom Reynolds Solid R to Likely R
OH-02 Jean Schmidt Likely R to Leans R
WY-AL OPEN (Cubin) Leans R to Solid R
(Changes in ratings of house races (Cook)
Oh, Newt’s a greenie… NOT!
kdh22 @ 42
Hastert’s younger and rounder.
And AFAIK has never shown mercy to anyone less fortunate than himself.
Will someone PLEASE defeat Mean Jean? Please?
kdh22 @ 42
Wouldn’t Ryan be a Federal Department of Corrections inmate? Just at a Fed prison located in Wisconsin?
TeddySanFran @ 32
Party at Denny’s place!
B.Y.O.G.
;>)
rwcole,
I’ve been sending tiny donations to Vic Wulsin. She’s running against Mean Jean this year again and I sure hope she wins. She’s on the Blue America page.
mack @ 47
They’re cut from the same cloth. No doubt about that. Hastert requires more cloth.
“Newts are members of the Salamandridae family in which the adult form is aquatic or semi-aquatic. In some species the larva leave
the waterCongress as a brightly-colored terrestrial form called an eft, returning tothe waterpolitical life when mature and changingto adulttheir true colors.” Wiki with a little editing..Eft Gingrich
rwcole @ 45
Correction: Mean Jean Schmidt ;-8
dakine01 @ 49
True, dakine01. Federal, indeed. WI does get some change for housing the federal inmates though.
rwcole @ 45
Gary Trauner’s (ActBlue I think) is running for the at-large WY seat, but Cubin’s stepping aside is not good for him. He nearly defeated her last time, but her replacement on the R ticket will be a stronger candidate.
kdh22 @ 36
Grandmother Nancy Pelosi loves children. Tom Foley was a sexual predator. The sweating pig man Hastert buried the information, allowing Foley cover and the ability to continue his horrifying behavior. Hastert did his best to hide Foley’s actions from his colleagues in Congress and the American people. Why must Nancy Pelosi be anything beyond curt to a man who hid a sexual predator for political expedience?
One of my friends gave congressional testimony during the hearings for renewal of the endangered species act, and said that Gingrich was working to get the renewal passed. My friend is very astute, and (edit:!!!) NOT easily taken in.
However, I just went over and read the article Jane linked, and it is a whopper. It is a great article. “Contract with America” is War on Environment
Very damning evidence. So, ol Newt seems to live in the land of disconnect- he may think he is green bec. he supported renewal of the ESP, but everything else on that agenda was “trash the planet” for monetary interests.
Oh, my friend met Pombo too. Sat next to him at dinner. The only thing he could think of to say to Pombo that was mildly civil was “doesn’t your family miss you when you are in DC?”
Newt? BWAHAHAHAHA! Jeebus Crispies I WISH this meat puppet would make a run at the Presidency!
hackworth @ 57
Uh that would be Mark Foley not Tom Foley. Tom was the Dem Speaker prior to Newt IIRC.
Pelosi does not mesh with protesters *at all.*
From Free Campus Exchange
secularhumanizinevoluter @ 59
Run, Newt, Run. (as an independant)
OT Just got an e-mail from DiFi assuring me that she would pay close attention to the FISA legislation to make sure that all Americans had a right to privacy. And now I feel so much better. I may print it and have it bronzed.
dakine01 @ 60
I’m sure glad you’re fact-checking us today, dakine01. lol!
I had Thai garlic chicken for lunch with a bunch of crushed red pepper in it. My body has a reaction to red pepper. It makes me feel drunk and giddy. Yippee! This is the best I’ve felt in weeks. Yippee! ;)
Twain @ 63
Harking back to an FDL conv. a few days ago, some enterprising CAian really should set up a blog where people can post the various emails that have been send by DiFi (edit-) TO constituents. With the back story. (i.e. the text of the email that the consituent sent). I’ve read a few whoppers, where the reply has nothing to do with the message sent.
Twain @ 63
Uh, I am laughing. I don’t know why. It’s about as reassuring as one of HoJoe’s equivocal responses. Being a “constituent” of Holy Joe, I know how it feels. My sympathies.
kdh22 @ 64
Well, my chosen career field is Quality Assurance combined with having an English Teacher/Librarian for a mother, I tend to be a bit anal about corrections when I’m knowledgeable on a topic.
Plus I don’t want to see Tom Foley smeared any more than he was by the Newt in ‘94.
mui @ 61
A triangulation analysis reveals that Pelosi overcompensates for being from the liberal bastion of San Fransisco for the sake of bipartisanship and comportment. Its a big mistake on her part and it is costing the lives of young Americans.
mui @ 66
It’s either laugh or throw things, isn’t it?
dakine01 @ 67
Bless you and your mother!
Twain @ 69
Oh I edited. I guess being a “constituent” of HoJoes I feel sympathetic.
Twain @ 69
both are satisfying, but that’s just me
mui @ 71
I think HoJo doesn’t have constituents – he has serfs.
Oh come on, as a long-time Sully watcher this is exactly what he does best: appear moderate and seemingly begging “the left” to accept that the worst of the right is now “all better”, and then when it turns out that Gingrich wants to sacrifice puppies, kittens and Gay Men to be rendered into BioDiesel or something equally as insane he’ll regretfully announce that he might have been precipitous in supporting such a mean man.
Fucking Sullivan should not be listened too, just put in a cage and poked with sharp sticks, except he’d probably enjoy that way too much.
dakine01 @ 67
Thank You for fixing my error. My apologies to Tom. Tis Mark Foley and Pig Hastert whom are the scoundrels.
Initial drumbeat. Newt’s set-up for power in whatever environmental initiative evolves.
Bill Richardson receives his fifth nomination for a Nobel peace prize. How many doesn Newter have?
I just went to the Andrew Sullivan link and found that all his post is in the quote shown. Huh? He couldn’t be bothered to cite examples, make an argument, do some work? The Gristmill link takes you to a long, informative article: clearly, lots of thought and work there.
There’s such a difference in the quality of debate on the left and right (if that is the split we’re looking at, here)! How does the other side manage to still be running things? Sheer momentum?
Twain @ 73
I am not even sure of that. He’s sold his soul to Dick Cheney and Mel Sembler I think, that makes him not a very free man. Either that or he’s wacko.
Jo Fish @ 74
Unfortunately, guys like Sullivan and Broder are falsely categorized as centrists (or worse, lefties), when indeed they are simply stealth operatives within the VRWC.
The answer to Sully’s call to “engage in dialogue” with Newtie is the same as to HoJo’s demand that we “get over” our anger at Bush: A sensible person doesn’t just “move on” and start working with someone who’s consistently operated in bad faith in the past.
Newtie is welcome to join those sincerely working for the environment, but just saying “I’m on your side now” isn’t enough to earn trust (especially when he’s spouting the same no-regulation technology-only fantasies that have characterized the Bush Administrations bogus claims to be pro-environment.)
…and Newt’s never-ending quest for relevance hits another snag.
Honestly, Mr. Sullivan, get that hook out of your mouth.
Jo Fish @ 74
Oh! That reminds me. I made a mistake and bought a copy of Vanity fair. In it Hitchens apparently apologizes to some family for the death of their son who went to Iraq with Hitchens on the brain. I can’t stomach anything Hitchens has to say, but a braver soul might want to dig into the psychopathology.
If Newt succeeds the Decider, he will be grateful that Bush kept his campaign 2000 vow to restore “honor and dignity” to the Oval Office. Of course, the Republic standards for honor and dignity are remarkably low.
Environmentalism and Republicanism are antonyms. Left unchecked, Free Market Capitalism will consume all the world’s resources in a matter of time. Gingrich is obviously a political opportunist looking for sound bytes.
mui @ 83
Is this the same issue that has Hitchens getting a makeover?
It’s a lifestyle issue with Hitchens. Why be a Down and Out acolyte of Orwell when you can be a rich Orwellian.
Hitchens on the death of a soldier in VF. I can’t get past the egotistical rhetorical flourishes in the beginning without feeling ill. Hitchens chickenhawk waxing poetic over the death of a fallen soldier.
mui @ 62
Unfortunately, he gave up his run for the presidency when his lawyers told him he couldn’t keep raking in the bucks from running his PAC and run for prez at the same time. Guess we know what his priorities are!
Redshift @ 81
Right on. Sullivan is lying. He can’t be that stupid. Can he?
brendan @ 86
No the next issue. I unfortunately bought that one too. (God what is wrong with me, *smack head*.) I saw the picture of hitchens at the health spa. Worse than looking at pictures of Cheney naked.
Link?
Badwater @ 84
Based on Shrub’s record, the bar for “honor and dignity” apparently is no more than a few criminal convictions.
eCAHNomics @ 91
Hyuuuuuuck I am sorry I said that. I have to try and go eat something now. It’s not going to be easy.
mui @ 93
Thank you for not providing one.
Newt will be on the ballot if Permanent Vice President Cheney selects him as his nexy puppet. Jeb seems a more likely choice.
eCAHNomics @ 91
god forbid
mui @ 90
It might be good to read it Hitchens
Just the thought has me reaching for eye bleach.
eCAHNomics @ 94
Cheney may not be the point person on this, but the Bush regime certainly has done their best to perfect electile dysfunction.
Sullly writes this contrarian shit for the clicks. Only.
He believes nothing.
Bustednuckles @ 98
Brain Bleach more like, and industrial strength!
mui @ 61
Sounds like she’s learned a thing or two from our most inestimable prez.
Twain @ 63
Aw! *warm fuzzies*
Well, we all know how Newt can get.
mui @ 90
Not quite a Dylan tune there, eh, Mr. Jones?
;>)
Oilfieldguy @ 104
OFG- I remember that- classic!
OT..Loks as if another Thug is going down:
Grand Jury Probing HUD Chief’s Statements
TPM
What I don’t understand is why any of there people get into trouble. The DOJ has been obstructing justice forever..so why do some people seem to get thrown under the bus?
TeddySanFran @ 100
Teddy, yeah I believe that too to a great extent. But he likes to think of himself as the First Great On-line Philosopher of the New American Century. What he really is is the fool at the Court of King George.
FYI, new post upstairs
Christy is up top.
darkblack @ 21
Jeepers db, that should take you 10 minutes on Photoshop … *g*
Sigourney Weaver, as Ripley, in the second “Alien” film, getting into Paul Reiser’s shit, with he as the company turd who tried to get Ripley and Newt “impregnated” with an alien embryo:
“I don’t know who’s worse, us or them. You don’t see them fucking each other over for a percentage…”
Newt’s just trying to keep his pub-personna going any way he can. :o)
Gingrich as environmentalist, jeez. What a laugh. Let’s see HIM make it rain.
It’s so embarrassing to be from Georgia these days.