After Failed ‘Contract With America,’ Gingrich Rallies The Right Behind New Contract With Energy Industry
After Failed ‘Contract With America,’ Gingrich Rallies The Right Behind New Contract With Energy Industry
In 1994, Newt Gingrich led a conservative revolution by purporting to make a “Contract with America.” Over time, the public learned that the real “contract” conservatives were making was with K Street lobbyists who lined the pockets of the right-wing with hefty contributions, helped them maintain power, and were in turn rewarded with undue (and corrupting) influence over policy-making.
Gingrich is back, armed once again with a flashy slogan that purports to help America while actually serving the interests of lobbyists. As chairman of a 527 organization called American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF), Gingrich has invested his resources in a campaign to “Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.” He claims to have 1.4 million Americans who have signed onto his petition.
Today, Gingrich appeared as a “guest star” in the political theater that House Republicans have been engaging in since Congress adjourned last week. Applauding the political stunts of the past few days, Gingrich said, “I’m very proud of the House Republicans.” Watch it:
Gingrich has effectively corralled the right into supporting his propaganda campaign. Sen. John McCain has now incorporated Gingrich’s line into his stump speech: “We need to drill here and we need to drill now.”
Just like the “Contract with America,” Gingrich’s new conservative takeover has its roots in a bargain with deep pockets – in this case, the deep pockets of the energy industry. Over at the Wonk Room, Brad Johnson reports that American Solutions is a front group for coal:
Peabody, World’s Largest Coal Company, #4 Backer Of American Solutions For Winning The Future. Newt Gingrich’s 527 organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, has received $275,000 in contributions from Peabody Energy, Inc. As of July 1, 2008, the world’s largest private-sector coal company is ASWF’s fourth highest contributor. [IRS, $250,000 6/16/08, $25,000 4/30/08]
The key funder is right-wing casino kingpin Sheldon Adelson, who has pumped over $3 million into the organization since its beginning in 2006. A total of fourteen Bush pioneers have contributed over $4 million to Newt’s ASWF. Eight of those same right-wing money men are top McCain fundraisers, channeling $2 million into his coffers.
Newt’s takeover of the right is forcing conservatives to outsource their energy policy to Big Oil. McCain has flip-flopped on offshore oil drilling, and as a result, has been rewarded with almost $1 million in oil money. For more information on McCain’s sell-out, see here.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
I think you got the acronym wrong. It’s actually ASWF, which I believed it’s pronounced ass whiff. Fitting.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:37 pmFormer Stinker of the House Newt Grinch appears to push yet another Contract to Rape America (and she might as well lie down and enjoy it).
August 6th, 2008 at 12:39 pm“She turned me into a newt!”
“You don’t look like a newt.”
“Well, I got stupider.”
August 6th, 2008 at 12:40 pmThis guy’s ugly mug is on FoxSnooze all too often these days. He’s got nothing to sell but that’s not stopping him . . . he’s just another “K Street” whore.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:41 pmBTW, how is this “energy contract” for America, when the oil goes to China?
August 6th, 2008 at 12:41 pmSlightly O/T: When McCain poses his rhetorical question about Senator Obama‘s readiness to lead by saying, “Is he ready to lead?”, the answer is obvious. Obama has already been leading for several months. Both McCain and Bush are following Obama’s foreign policy recommendations on Afghanistan and Iraq. So if McCain and Bush are already following the leader, then, obviously, Obama is the leader. Q.E.D.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pmNewt gave “MobileExxon” a free pass on their billions in profits with his remarks to the media (at the 25:50 mark on C-SPAN’s tape of the GOP Press Conference):
“MobileExxon is going to make billions of dollars as long as supply is tight. And they already own the oil. They don’t need drilling. The independents need drilling. The average American needs drilling. So the best way to take on big oil is to go to a dramatic drilling program and drive down the price of oil.”
Funny, I think Exxon would say otherwise. They’re #17 in the world in terms of reserves. State oil companies in the Middle East top the list, Iran #1 and Iraq #3. So Newt thinks Exxon doesn’t need access to their oil? It looks like a contract on the Middle East.
http://peureport.blogspot.com/ 2008/ 08/ newt-says-exxon-doesnt-need-new.html
August 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pmOh, Newton. Nobody takes you seriously anymore. Don’t you know that?
It’s beyond me why anybody ever took you seriously in the first place.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:44 pmWhen does he find time for all his political garbage, without taking away time from his banging young hill staffers, all a while being married for the 3rd time!
August 6th, 2008 at 12:44 pmPeabody, World’s Largest Coal Company, #4 Backer Of American Solutions For Winning The Future. Newt Gingrich’s 527 organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, has received $275,000 in contributions from Peabody Energy, Inc. As of July 1, 2008, the world’s largest private-sector coal company is ASWF’s fourth highest contributor. [IRS, $250,000 6/16/08, $25,000 4/30/08]
When I was a child my family would travel
Down to Western Kentucky where my parents were born
And there’s a backwards old town that’s often remembered
So many times that my memories are worn
Chorus: And daddy won’t you take me back to Newlandburg County
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay
Well I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking
Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away
John Prine- “Paradise”
August 6th, 2008 at 12:45 pm“She turned me into a newt!”
“I got better.”
Let’s hope that America doesn’t have to deal with an energy policy that could have been concocted by Monty Python as a farce….
August 6th, 2008 at 12:46 pmWhat a funny name, “Winning” the future. Repubs just can’t break away from the sports game analogies.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:46 pmZooey, great minds…
August 6th, 2008 at 12:46 pmNewt you are a Reich wing nut job……..Please slither back into your hole you are not relevant any longer. You just want to line the pockets of your friends in the industry and your colleagues.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:47 pmSalamander boy’s motto is more : ” Lie here.Lie now.Lie always.Pay later.”
August 6th, 2008 at 12:47 pmCome November 4th, America will stuff these assclowns into a deep closet, where they can diddle each other without interrupting the business of recovering our America.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pmSo how come that peasant in The Holy Grail got turned into a Newt and got better, but Gingrich can’t get better?
He always seem to stay a Newt. It’s just not fair.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm.
R E M E M B E R:
Gingrich laments that America hasn’t been attacked … A G A I N!
All the while suggesting that America needs a shadow agency that is above the law…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vnNDCcdpFs
.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:52 pmI think a long and protracted fight within the Republican party can only lead to hilarity and Daily Show fodder for the next few months. Keep it up, Newt!
http://liberalretort.blogspot.com/
August 6th, 2008 at 12:53 pmWe already have the capability to drill here in this country and drill right now, without granting any more leases to the oil companies. Has anybody asked Newt why the oil companies can’t drill on the the land they already have? WILL anybody ask Newt that question?
Newt just appears to be the latest mouthpiece for the right-wing fairy tale about how we are sitting on a pool of the world’s best crude in Alaska and right off our shores, but the big bad Democrats who now control Congress won’t allow anyone to obtain the oil because they WANT us to have to pay $4 per gallon purely because they’re mean and they hate people.
The sad thing is — there are probably enough LIV’s out there willing to believe this twaddle to have an affect on elections. We need another 527 group to counter with an ad campaign asking “why aren’t you drilling on the leases you have?”
August 6th, 2008 at 12:53 pmBTW, how is this “energy contract” for America, when the oil goes to China?
Energy is merely a commodity which has been manipulated to correlate to “national security” in the best interests of the Oil companies bottom lines.
BTW, the increased price in oil and pump petrol is directly proportional to the effect of buying and selling crude oil to the highest bidder.
You don’t actually believe the gasoline at Exxon/Mobil etc. is refined from the oil they actually pump out of the ground.
It’s a goddamned free-for-all of speculation for the sake of profit/greed at the expense of our economies health.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:55 pmThe real Newt survived on her own, with no military training, or weapons. We should put her in charge.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:56 pmhey newt, shouldn’t you be cheating on your spouse and covering it up?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:03 pmThanks for the explanation, DNFP. I also have a feeling that this speculation trade is rigged against a democratic majority, hence the “national security” correlation. This slushy thinking may have them bidding up the prices just in case “the democrat majority lets the turrirists have access to our refineries.”
August 6th, 2008 at 1:04 pmNewts not a conservative, hes a materialist.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:05 pmSheesh! What next? Newt’s contract with the Devil?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:07 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
——————————————————————————–
We already have the capability to drill here in this country and drill right now, without granting any more leases to the oil companies. Has anybody asked Newt why the oil companies can’t drill on the the land they already have? WILL anybody ask Newt that question?
The entire mainstream news media have taken a blood oath to never, under any circumstances, mention the unused 68 million acres of land and offshore oil drilling leases currently owned by the oil companies.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:11 pmWell, since at least 2000 the republican controlled Executive branch, House of Representatives and the Senate cared little of our energy dependence. Cheney has a secret energy policy that we know included Kenneth Lay of ENRON.
The GOP majority over their rien of the American people built “K” street that they themselves could profit.
They listened (was lobbyied) over the interests of American voters.
The GOP control didn’t even meet half the time. It let the lobbyists write the legislation they rubberstamped.
Hell, they don’t even read the legislation they vote on. Their just told by GOP top leadership how to vote or they listen to the likes of Rush or FOX in general to know how to vote. Many didn’t even write their own initiated and sponsered legislation they introduce themselves.
Back to oil, Why doesn’t anyone ask Newt Questions?
You know like is their any way that this oil you tout drilling will be sold to Americans. At a lower price?
Will the oil companies drill American oil and sell to China because of our debt and that China will pay more per barrel?
Would Newt and the GOP stand in the way of Oil Companies exclusively selling this American drilled oil to China for a profit?
Why doesn’t oil Cos drill what they have leased. They would not have leased it if there wasn’t future profits to be made, right?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:12 pmfuzzwald, the Devil’s too nice. Try Darryl.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:13 pmRobt Says:
——————————————————————————–
Back to oil, Why doesn’t anyone ask Newt Questions?
You know like is their any way that this oil you tout drilling will be sold to Americans. At a lower price?
What, are you some kinda commie?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:14 pmASWF: Is that pronounced “Ass-Whiff”?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:17 pm2005: at the end of 2005, US crude oil production stood at 4.86 million b/d, the lowest value in more than 50 years.
Was Newt worried about more drilling in 2005? No. This more drilling thing is just smoke and mirrors.
US crude-oil production capacity, about 5 million barrels per day, is accomplished with about 510,000 oil wells, averaging 10.5 barrels per well per day. (That’s more than half of all the producing oil wells in the world.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:18 pmThe only thing these people are good at is coming up with Orwellian names for their dumb proposals.
I mean, who isn’t behind American Solutions for Winning the Future! They are all great words! They just don’t add up to anything of substance.
I long for the days when Public Relations professionals didn’t control our political discourse.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:18 pmAmerican Solutions for Winning the Future
Did they steal the name from Colbert or Borat?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pmClever entrepreneurs, those GOP. They are close to cornering the market on polluting earth-killing fuel politics. This combined with the monopoly on AM radio, the abacus, telegraph,
August 6th, 2008 at 1:21 pmclass warfare, and indentured servitude should allow them to be masters of the land of dodo’s, carrier pigeons, Carolina parrots, and the mastodon.
“We support George Bushes war OF terror.” - Borat
August 6th, 2008 at 1:22 pmWell guess what ladies and gentlemen, it will work. Americans will always take what they believe is a quick fix (even though it’s not) over long term solutions that will actually work.
Americans are stupid. Look at the last 8 years as proof.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:28 pmIt should read: “Disgraced, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich . . . “
August 6th, 2008 at 1:36 pmOkay Newt, well sign a contract, no problem. But in return you have to tell the oil companies that they will only sell to Americans and that they must guarantee a price drop in our gas bill. Your fine with that?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:41 pmHow has that contract worked out for the country, Newt? Did you get re-married, again?
August 6th, 2008 at 1:42 pmI take it tomorrow Newt will show up at the Capital with his solutions to health care costs. Using the same economic theory, he could offer:
“Build Now (hospitals), Train More (doctors), Pay Less”
Newt’s expert economist is a Princeton junior who found an unpublished economic paper. If it’s good enough for energy, it should work for healthcare.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:45 pmDrill Drill Drilling is like saying “If I eat more food I will spend less on food”
August 6th, 2008 at 1:47 pmWhat a gas-bag!!!!!
August 6th, 2008 at 1:48 pmGingrich was on CSPAN early this morning and lied like a rug.
To a Democratic caller that asked about the need to drill offshore/ANWR before their leases were used, Gingrich answered that “there’s *already* a 1-year use-it-or-lose-it” provision on those leases, and we need these additional sites because “we *know* there is oil in these sites”.
Excuse me? Not only am I *sure* the Democratic Congress did not issue 79 million acres in drilling leases in the last 12 months, I’m also certain the (imaginary) technology to *know for certain* where oil exists didn’t come into existence in the past 12 months when oil companies agreed to purchase leases where they would have *known* no oil exists.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:54 pmOil companies have acres of undrilled land.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:08 pmOil companies have not built refineries in decades.
Oil companies cannot process any additional crude because they can’t refine any more.
Drilling today will produce oil years from now.
Our domestic demand for oil far exceeds any oil we hope to pull from all of our domestic sources. Drilling will not reduce our dependency on foreigh oil.
A multi-facted approach encompassing all renewable sources, perhaps additional LIMITED drilling, combined with conservation in households and industry is the only practical solution. Additionally, the creation of new “green” jobs would be a super bonus.
Hate to break it to you Faiz, but Newt’s “Contract With America” was not a failure, as you asserted. The Contract was positive and very ambitious, and was considered a triumph for the American Conservative movement. The Republican Revolution was quite real and quite successful, thanks in part to the Contract. If only the republicans today would dust off the Contract and return to conservative basics. However, if you want to talk about congressional failures, I would think less about the Contract and more about the current congress’ pathetic 9% approval rating.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:45 pmThought Dark Lord Cheney made that contract behind closed doors years ago!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:04 pmshoeless Says:
“The entire mainstream news media have taken a blood oath to never, under any circumstances, mention the unused 68 million acres of land and offshore oil drilling leases currently owned by the oil companies.”
Oh, yeah. Laura Flanders was debating some d-bag on Hardball the other night and she brought this up and his response was “well, there’s actually no oil on that land”, then they quickly cut the debate off.
Simply stunning, really… or not.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pmDrill a Republican. Here. Now.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:21 pmWhat about the FIVE YEAR backlog of deep water drilling equipment. Lease now and wait five years for the drilling equipment to be delivered???
August 6th, 2008 at 3:37 pmWTF?
Howz it that the path to success with the Repubs is to fail miserably. Contract on america now a contract on energy.
Not to mention, Newtie wasn’t exactly very family values.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:14 pmGingrich is a dangerous man who should not have been let outside of his box. Something should be done about him. If Democrats gain control of both the White House and Congress next year, there is no one better than him to rally the Right over the next decade. We have to go after this guy now, and hard.
This is a cry to John Dean and the DNC, please put a shadow on Gringrich to record everything the man says so that his craziness can get deseminated so we can undercut the man’s ability to function as a leader. We need to force people to remember how corrupt this man is and why he left politics.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pmon edit…”Howard Dean”
August 6th, 2008 at 4:44 pmshoeless Says: ———-
Robt Says:
——————————————————————————–
Back to oil, Why doesn’t anyone ask Newt Questions?
You know like is their any way that this oil you tout drilling will be sold to Americans. At a lower price?
What, are you some kinda commie?
******************************************************
Actually,
I’m sort of a liberal American that served and fought for not only country, but for Americans themselves.
Corporations believe they have the right to remove precious resources from the United States and sell them to other countries for private profit. Those U.S. resources belong to America, and America (last I knew) belonged to Americans.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:54 pmIs that commie enough for you…?
By the way, If there was no oil on the pre leased land the oil companis have been holding leases on. They do pay for these leases. Then oil companies are wasting company money and robbing shareholders ? Because if the company is leasing this land with no profit in future mind. They are stealing from shareholders.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:58 pm