Axelrod Calls Gingrich ‘Godfather of Gridlock’
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Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images
President Obama’s re-election campaign has for months maintained a singular focus on Mitt Romney as the presumed Republican presidential nominee and most formidable foe to Obama in 2012.
But today senior Obama strategist David Axelrod widened the scope of the campaign’s pre-primary attacks, taking a first direct shot at Newt Gingrich, who has surged ahead in the polls and launched a first TV ad in Iowa.
“I was amused by the Newt Gingrich ad, by the way, because he talked about he’s going to bring the country together to solve problems,” Axelrod said in an appearance on “Daily Rundown.”
“You’re talking about the godfather of gridlock here – the guy who two decades ago really invented the kind of tactics that have become commonplace in Washington. So, this is a whole new Newt.”
Axelrod was alluding to two federal government shutdowns that occurred in 1995 and 1996 — when Gingrich was speaker of the House – stemming from sharp disagreements between congressional Democrats and President Bill Clinton.
Asked whether the new line of messaging is the Obama case against Gingrich, Axelrod said: “I think it may be the public’s case against him. I don’t think people want to go back to that.”
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I think it’s more like Harry Reid.
Posted by: newcountryman | December 5, 2011, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
LMAO, axelrod tongue tied responses to meet the press yesterday, shows the desperation in the upcoming loss for barry obama in 2012
Posted by: We all laugh at radical left wing idiots | December 5, 2011, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
Tongue-tied? I hardly think so.
Posted by: Brad | December 5, 2011, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
harry reid? this is not an article about OPINION. its a FACT newt originally sounded the battlecry for gridlock. youre entitled to your own opinions but NOT your own facts.
Posted by: michael young | December 5, 2011, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
Axelwho?
Posted by: Mary | December 5, 2011, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
Eighty-four ethics charges were filed against Speaker Gingrich during his term, including claiming tax-exempt status for a college course run for political purposes. Following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee Gingrich was sanctioned. Gingrich acknowledged in January 1997 that “In my name and over my signature, inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable statements were given to the committee”. The House Ethics Committee concluded that inaccurate information supplied to investigators represented “intentional or … reckless” disregard of House rules. The special Counsel concluded that Gingrich violated federal tax law and had lied to the ethics panel in an effort to force the committee to dismiss the complaint against him. He has always been about the money.
Posted by: cb | December 5, 2011, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
First of all, Axelrod is doing the typical Chicago political machine. Attack the opponents so the people will look at the faults of others and not “my” candidate. Obama is from the Chicago political machine, the most corrupt city in the country, and folks we have gotten that on a national scale now which unfortunately is too late to make up for. I can tell you from living in the capital city of Illinois that there are rumors and stories about Obama’s ties with Bill Aires. You won’t hear it from mainstream media sources & definitely not from horse’s mouth, but its funny Axelrod pulls this crap on all the other candidates except the very worst one….Obama!
Posted by: jeff | December 6, 2011, 4:49 am 4:49 am
If Axelrod turned this around and said the same thing about Obama we wouldn’t hear the end of the racist statement. But its ok to say something racist about Newt and get away with it.
Posted by: jim | December 14, 2011, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm