Gingrich on the Dole!

Friday, April 18th 1997 — Who would have guessed it? Newt Gingrich on the Dole!? You betcha! Witness the climax of one of the biggest Congressional scams ever to be perpetrated on the American people.

Here we have Newt Gingrich coming to the well of the House and saying, with a straight face, that he will pay the $300,0000 "fine" -- excuse me--"levy" against him from his own pocket. Yet the truth is he'll do nothing of the sort. More on the terms of the this sweetheart loan later, but first let me remind you that Gingrich, despite his cries yesterday to stop the madness of fining poor corrupt house members, is in this position because he used charities as fronts to raise millions for his personal political gain. Now let's not beat around the bush.

This man, who pretends to separate his personal fortunes from his political ones, is a master of deceit and a consummate liar. Posing as a victim yesterday he placed himself in the role of a humble leader who had been viciously and mercilessly attacked just because he was the architect of the 1994 GOP takeover of the House and Senate. He conveniently forgot the charges of his colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, that he had shamed the House with his actions.

He conveniently forgot that he got away with murder making a deal for the $300,000 rather than go to jail after being ejected from the House as a corrupt felon. He conveniently forgot how he had drummed out the former Speaker for misdeeds that cower in the face of Gingrich's own. And he had the gall to pretend that he had the respect of his fellows. In truth, Newt Gingrich has only the fear of this fellows and the near total disrespect of the American people as his legacy. The fear of which I speak is not the fear of Mr. Gingrich's power, but the fear that should he have fallen, he would have taken the Republican party and its majority with him. All the posturing, all the lies, all the sweetheart deals were made for this reason and this reason only. That is simply that.

What we witnessed yesterday was disgusting. Here's good old Bob Dole -- a supposed scion of truth and honesty -- phoning Newt Gingrich, a man he loathes, and offering him $300,000 - with no interest payments due - for 8 years. During the eight years, Dole's accountants will add 10% per year in accrued interest. But Gingrich won't be paying anything, should he elect not to, for nearly a decade. No principal, no interest. Anyone else would have to pay about $55,000 a year for a loan like this, and with Newt's income, he wouldn't even come close to qualifying for such a loan - even from BCCI. So, in essence, Gingrich is taking an illegal gift, under House rules, from ex-Senator Dole, now the chief mouthpiece for the tobacco industry.

Why would Dole make such a deal? Better yet, where did Dole get the money to make such a large loan? For answers to both questions we might need only look to Elizabeth Dole.

Elizabeth Dole out-earned her husband and also wants to be President.

Need I say more?

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