Newt Gingrich Joins GOP Re-Branding Effort, But Michael Steele Still Not Invited
Newt Gingrich Joins GOP Re-Branding Effort, But Michael Steele Still Not Invited
On CSPAN’s Washington Journal last month, former House speaker Newt Gingrich was asked if he had been invited to join the latest Republican re-branding effort, the National Council for a New America. “No, I’m not in office right now. I’m very happy for them to go do it,” replied Gingrich. Watch it:
But now the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza reports that Gingrich is joining the group:
Newt Joins National Council: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) will join the National Council for a New America (NCNA), according to sources familiar with the move. The NCNA, the brainchild of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), drew some initial criticism from social conservatives within the party due to its heavy membership among establishment types like former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. But, with Gingrich’s addition — and that of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin a few weeks ago — those critics may be quieted somewhat. It still remains somewhat unclear as to what the NCNA will do to help the Republican Party re-establish itself as a major power in the country. To date, the sum total of its activities has been a single town hall meeting in northern Virginia.
In a statement, Cantor said that he was “thrilled” that Gingrich was joining the group because he “is a man of bold ideas, and brings unparalleled expertise in creating real solutions designed to help Americans from all walks of life.” When the National Council was first announced, ThinkProgress noted that RNC Chairman Michael Steele was conspicuously absent from the organization.
At the time, Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring, said that both Steele and Gingrich were excluded because they worked for “partisan” organizations. Politico’s Ben Smith notes that while he “was ostensibly excluded for the same reason as Gingrich,” Steele “has not yet joined the Council.”
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Newt recently converted to Catholicism (a multi-year process). As I listened to President Obama’s speech at Notre Dame, I wondered if the Newt hand was anywhere in the protest mix.
That might be the best news coverage I’ve seen for handfuls of protesters.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:50 pmWhen the National Council was first announced, ThinkProgress noted that RNC Chairman Michael Steele was conspicuously absent from the organization.
– - Maybe the NCNA is like Bush’s new Dallas neighborhood circa 1979.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:51 pmMore of the Republican philosophy of send in the clowns.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:51 pmHmmm, looks like the Big Tent isn’t quite as big as they say….
May 19th, 2009 at 2:53 pm“What will the NCNA do now with the new additions?” Well they damn sure won’t be listening to the people! Boss Limbaugh has already given the marching orders on that. “They should be teaching the people(telling them what they think) not listening to them.”
Yeah, they might actually want things from the government.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:56 pmNCNA calls out…OMG, we’ve been torpedoed and the ship is sinking!
Call in the guy who designed the torpedo!
May 19th, 2009 at 2:57 pmWho’s next to join, Limbaugh? I guess what’s old is neo again.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:00 pmRebranding?
Bigotry is Love
Hate is Respect
Lying is Information
Torture is Effective
War is Peace
Liberals are commie, socialist, marxist, lazy, welfare collecting America haters
Well, some things never change.
Fcuk the Republic Fascist Party
May 19th, 2009 at 3:11 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
Why won’t people question the fact that Newt thought America needed to be attacked AGAIN?
.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:12 pmShew, that was close. At least he didn’t join one of those other groups like the New Council for a National America or the Neo Clowns for a National America or the National Clowns for a Neo America, etc., etc., etc. and beyond.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:14 pm.
The New American Century
Yep, they sure do need some re branding.
.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:17 pmGingrich, “a man of bold ideas”…leave off the b in bold and
May 19th, 2009 at 3:17 pmyou’ve got the main idea.
The Only Bold Idea Gingrich has is to rename cr*p and sell it to you as air freshener.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:17 pmIt’s not about brand, it’s about ideas!
May 19th, 2009 at 3:19 pmBefore: Contract with America; Now: Contract out on America
May 19th, 2009 at 3:23 pmThis is all very disturbing TV – and it’s only helping TV and republicans. Everyone else is being hurt at this point – imagine if we had to hear the same ol’ tripe comming from the communist party or the Nazi party all day long. Get over it MSM.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:35 pmGo away blogwhore
May 19th, 2009 at 3:35 pm“NCNA, the brainchild of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.),. . . .”
Calling anything coming out of Cantor’s head a “brainchild” is doing a disservice to people who actually have a brain…
May 19th, 2009 at 3:37 pmBecause there is nobody to call on to bring back your political party like one of the guys who helped screw it up for the past two decades.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:37 pmOT –
Sen. Edward Kennedy’s brain cancer is in remission and the Massachusetts Democrat is expected back in the Senate after the Memorial Day recess, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Sen. Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that he spoke with Kennedy’s wife and was told the 77-year-old lawmaker will return to work full time during the first week of June.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:37 pmWhy would they need to re-brand something that is already perfect and pure.
Why would they bring on those who have failed in the past to help re-brand them for the future?
If you can’t beat ‘em, recycle old, failed management.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:44 pm“re-branding” the GOP? Maybe they first need to be branded: here are a few hot irons: Lies, Torture, Treason, Tyranny. We’ll jest heat ‘em up for awhile. We’ll just call it “re-education,” not enhanced branding. Round ‘em, brand ‘em, let ‘em loose again to wander in the Republican wilderness again.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:48 pmmish_edison Says:
Why would they need to re-brand something that is already perfect and pure.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm================================
the fact that they don’t even want to listen to their constituents should tell the voters something… but they will continue to vote against their best interests and go along with a man who makes over $400 million dollars a year and his co-hort who bashes Obama for using a teleprompter.. when was that such a bad thing…
OS,
Pat Buchanan doesn’t head MSNBC.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:51 pmYes, Michael.
That’s spelled….got a pencil and paper….OK
I
R
R
E
L
E
V
A
N
T.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:52 pmHaha! Misread your post, but you do realize that he’s the Republican on there, right?
May 19th, 2009 at 3:53 pm#17 SPUCK FAMMERS.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:56 pm#33 SPUCK YOU FAMMER!
May 19th, 2009 at 4:22 pmWith the current jaw-flapping going on from the Republicans about their ‘rebranding’ efforts and ‘getting their message out,’ I can only think of the late Chris Farley’s line in the movie “Tommy Boy”:
“Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time.”
I think it fits here quite well.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:31 pmHow do you ‘rebrand’ with the same old tired white men with the same old tired white ideas?
May 19th, 2009 at 5:18 pmLooks like someone is looking for attention….
May 19th, 2009 at 5:28 pmDon’t they have a black guy in charge of the RNC now?
Oh wait.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:00 pmIt’s a good thing there are still people like you around to defend those poor wealthy old white men.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pmYou can bath a pig but it will get back into and roll in the mud puddle. You can spray perfume on a skunk but it is still a skunk and you can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:30 pmFrom heart surgeon, to “God”, to operating system. The narcissistic teenager strikes again, and again, and again. What a busy little bee.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:48 pmThey’re putting lipstick on a pig’s anus and inviting us to kiss it. The Democrats are bad, too, but at least they’re the other end of the pig.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:48 pmSo how do you “rebrand” a bag of crap? A bag of poop? A bag of fertilizer? So many options, this could take a while, maybe about 20 years.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:52 pmOS, Shut up. You’re dumb. Go find a loaded gun to play with, please.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:07 pmWow… just friggin wow. Gingrich rebranding the party?! LMAO. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud in the library lol.
Oh and OS if that gun that rightwing-leftwing suggested doesn’t work, you can always try playing in traffic.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:14 pmJoin Newt! Join now! Conservative Republican Alliance for Progress. Better known a CRAP
May 19th, 2009 at 7:19 pmOS, if the loaded gun dosn’t work and you don’t live near any traffic, try playing around some train tracks.
Thanks.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:36 pmWhen these putzes (putzi?) claim they have “new ideas” what they really mean is they have new ideas on how to sell the same old shit. Nothing but new marketing of their failed ideas. Rebranding. Lipstick on a pig. Polishing a turd.
I could go on…
May 20th, 2009 at 12:12 amObviouslySTUPID
Just go kill yourself. You are wasting oxygen that actual human beings could use.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:01 amNewt is outdated and old. So far we have not heard not one, “new, bold idea” coming from these GOP miscreant. Who want’s another GOP (CON)tract, I sure in the hells dont?
May 20th, 2009 at 1:10 am.
I see that Think Progress is becoming a site where teens can come and surf for porn!
.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:20 amThis politician has no ethics whatsoever besides self promotion.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:28 amAm I showing my age when I remind all that he was made to resign the office of Speaker of the House and fined $300,000
for ethics violations. There is a good reason he has been quiet so long.