Newt Gingrich Defends Food Stamps vs. Paychecks Charge
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Newt Gingrich defended his critique of President Obama as the “greatest food stamp president” in history, dismissing the president’s charge that Gingrich was tapping into “worst instincts” with the claim.
In an exclusive interview last week with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Obama responded to Gingrich’s regular campaign trail refrain on food stamps, with the president saying that “the American people are going to make a judgment about, you know, who’s trying to bring the country together and who’s dividing it, who is, you know, tapping into some of our worst instincts.”
Today on “This Week,” Gingrich strongly dispute the charge, telling me that “for a president who runs around the country attacking people and who runs around the country being divisive to describe worst instincts is to describe a large part of his own presidency.”
“I described something which is factually true,” Gingrich added. “His failed economic policies have forced more Americans to apply for food stamps than any president in history.”
Gingrich said the “paychecks vs. food stamps” comparison he regularly makes will continue to be part of his campaign, despite the recent criticism that the charge has racial undertones.
“I think he doesn’t want to defend his record of killing jobs. He doesn’t want to defend his record of putting people on food stamps,” Gingrich said. ”But paychecks vs. food stamps is a totally legitimate choice to offer the American people and one which I am determined to make a major part of the fall campaign.
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If anyone has incited class warfare it has been the republicans – and specifically their right wingers who are full of themselves. Their values are “I got mine, what is your problem?” They protect corporate jets while allowing a large percentage of the American population to do it rough mouth to mouth, or worse. It is about money, not humanity or morals, best I can tell. Newts detachment and arrogance knows no bounds.
Posted by: BBG | January 29, 2012, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
lol I love how they are what they try to claim the others are.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | January 29, 2012, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
Newt Gingrich is a despicable cheat and a disgraced, ethics violating, race baiting hypocrite. He is a sorry excuse of a human being. Everyone knows that it is because of Bush that more people are now on SNAP benefits. It’s the economy and a lack of jobs that keeps them on SNAP. Those that believe Gingrich aren’t facing reality. He plays to the worst fears of the uneducated bigots. When confronted with the truth he doubles down on his inflammatory rhetoric. He would make the worst president ever and a vote for him is a wasted vote.
Posted by: Evelyn Mercado | January 29, 2012, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
Isn’t it breathtaking that a conservative candidate has to “defend” a factually accurate statement, but the president gets a 24/7 pass from the liberal news outlets on all of his LIES?
Posted by: s | January 29, 2012, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
I’ll bet Evelyn Mercado wouldn’t at all see “Rev.” Jessie Jackson or “Rev.” Al Sharpton as race baiters. What’s worse, Evelyn doesn’t do anything different in her rant than the standard name calling, which is Standard Operating Procedure for the left.
Posted by: s | January 29, 2012, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
If anyone has incited class warfare it has been the republicans – and specifically their right wingers who are full of themselves. Their values are “I got mine, what is your problem?” They protect corporate jets while allowing a large percentage of the American population to do it rough mouth to mouth, or worse. It is about money, not humanity or morals, best I can tell. Newts detachment and arrogance knows no bounds.
Posted by: BBG
_____________
If there is any post that proves every point that the Republicans are making, that ultra liberals are waging a class warfare campaign, it’s yours. Your post appears to taken directly from Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto.
Posted by: ivan | January 29, 2012, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Posted by: s
You have a giant network available dedicated to disseminating right-wing propaganda …Fox
Let me play a little number for you.
Posted by: the world's tiniest violin | January 29, 2012, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
Mindless Repub name-calling! Obama is no more responsible for directly causing the “Great Recession” than HOOVER was for “causing” the GREAT DEPRESSION. Economic cycles go up and down regardless of who’s President. REAGAN had TWO serious recessions during his terms – I suppose that means he was a FOOD-STAMP PRESIDENT too? If Repubs stop acting like silly 6 year-olds on the playground (nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah!) then maybe they’ll win a couple of states in November.
Posted by: Darwin was right | January 29, 2012, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
S: ROFL, like Fox is the epitome of truth telling. You’ve got foreign democratic governments sick of their lies.
Posted by: emerald_sparks | January 29, 2012, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
liberals are waging a class warfare campaign
———————————–
-though incomes at the very top have increased 250% in the last 30 years while their tax rates are lower than ever.
I have another little ditty for you…..
Posted by: the world's tiniest violin | January 29, 2012, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
Number one people are getting foodstamps because of jobs being lost to outsourcing. That is a creation of the Republicans. The Mortgage, and Wall street meltdown caused by Republicans closing manufacturing in our country. We have no jobs, no manufacturing. We have outsourcing. All are Republican policy.
Posted by: Roberto L. Rivera | January 29, 2012, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
Newt’s mother collected welfare. Obviously, his father did not contribute enough to keep the family fed. And Newt’s first wife had to collect welfare and food stamps after he left her, being that she was ill with cancer and had two daughters to feed. Clarence Thomas’s sister had to go on welfare will caring full time for their ill mother. Yet both have the nerve to put people down who need a helping hand. I have never collected welfare but I am glad that it is in place for those who need it, especially with the bad state of the economy that started on BUSH’s watch and that Obama inherited.
Posted by: G | January 29, 2012, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
Hey all you GOP baites! You claim Obama is a liar – ok – tell me ONE lie that he has made. Just one. Yeah, that’s what I thought – you throw around these sound bite labels for effect – with no regard for facts whatsoever.
Posted by: leonard | January 29, 2012, 4:57 pm 4:57 pm
It seems like the plan is the same as the “inner city drug pusher” get people hooked on your product (handouts) and then when the time is right restrict it or simply inply its jeopardy and viola you have a submissive and yielding constituency, it seems like nothing can plug the leaks in this crowded little row boat we all occupy, our debt has overcome our means to repay, whats next a convienient national emergency that urges us to give away what little liberty we have to save our status quo, we need more freedom and liberty not fools like these, we need adults in charge, desperately..
Posted by: michael rewes | January 29, 2012, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
“G” I find your post very interesting. Furthermore, Mr. Gingrich ….President Obama is not the food stamp king as you like to call him….it was actually President Bush who gave out more foodstamps. However, most people who are on foodstamps do not want to be on them…but circumstances like caring full time for an ailing parent, or the fact that you had to take a job making half what you ordinarily earned and you have a family to feed and a mortgage to meet will make you need those food stamps. Yes, outsourcing is one of the many problems….so I feel like President Obama and have stated it here many times before….if a company who is taking the tax breaks for corporations is shipping jobs overseas…they lose their tax beak. That was to provide jobs here in the United States not in another country. Liberals are not waging class warfare…they are finally standing up and stating what is actually happening in this country. When the upper 1% of the people’s income can rise 275% over the past 10 years and the middle class people’s income stays at 18-20%…there is definitely something wrong with the system. Furthermore, those at the top do not even keep their money in our banks not to pay interest on their money..so how many more breaks do they need? Income level rose $275%…that is wonderful….for them….what about the rest of the world. The head of the Chamber of Commerce told foreign countries before the 2010 election, don’t worry about your oursourced jobs, if the republicans get in. What about the jobs here in the United States….apparently only Pres. Obama cared about saving them with the Auto Center as every republican including Newt and Romney….opposed giving them the loan. Now, they are not only hiring and creating jobs…they are now the No 1 auto manufacturer again. What happened to the other corporations who received tax breaks….where are the jobs they were suppose to create with their tax breaks?
Posted by: talmag | January 29, 2012, 5:07 pm 5:07 pm
I wonder how many hate-Obama, hate government, conservative, right-wingers who have LOST THEIR JOBS have TURNED DOWN 1) unemployment insurance (a Democrat program) 2) disability (Democrat program 3) food stamps (Democrat program) 4) Medicaid (Democrat program), etc. etc. You conservatives LOVE to rant about those “wasteful” government programs – until YOUR JOB goes to China too!
Posted by: Darwin was right | January 29, 2012, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
Once democrats realize that welfare is modern day slavery, you’ll understand the origin if Newt’s comments
Posted by: familyman15 | January 29, 2012, 6:08 pm 6:08 pm
The conservatives want people off of food stamps and looking for low paying jobs to increase the supply of workers at that level. That keeps the demand for workers low and thus keeps wages low. It also helps perpetuate the myth that if you work hard you make more money.
Posted by: steve | January 29, 2012, 6:25 pm 6:25 pm
Obama the greatest food stamp president in history. Truer words were never spoken.
Posted by: frank | January 29, 2012, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
Unfortunately Newt, jobs a scarce at best and the current minimum wage certainly isn’t ample enough for even a single person pay for groceries. Apparently, you are so wealthy that paying high prices for food is nothing to you: And, that’s the problem you rich jerks fail to grasp. So many of you were either born into wealth or, you have totally forgotten where in heck you came from. Unfortunately, God knows that you all won’t admit to that fact or any other reality that doesn’t fit the Republican tea party agenda. Am I right, Newt?
Posted by: Joe Allard | January 29, 2012, 6:29 pm 6:29 pm
I think if there were a Gingrich/Obama debate, the lies from both of them would fill a book.
Posted by: newcountryman | January 29, 2012, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
Newt, your own party doesn’t even want you. You’re not part of the club. You may as well go home. Your GOP masters want Rommney Bye Bye.
Posted by: Jim Bob jr. | January 29, 2012, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm
“I think he doesn’t want to defend his record of killing jobs.”
Of course not, because it’s NOT his record. HIS record is one of CREATING jobs…over 3 million of them so far and counting.
It was the failed economic policies of the REPUBLICANS in office for 8 years before him that cost us 8.75 million jobs and concentrated the wealth to a level greater than at the beginning of the Great Depression (which also followed extended Republican control).
As for food stamps, the stereotypes of recipients (which Gingrich plays on) don’t reflect the reality.
49% of all participants are children (17 or younger)
15% of all participants are elderly (age 60 or over).
20% of all participants are non-elderly disabled people.
30% of food stamp recipients are the working poor. They WORK. And as the above numbers reveal, many others are disabled or elderly.
In other words, the vast majority of those recieving food stamps aren’t the lazy, generational (BLACK) welfare mooches he conjers up in his remarks. They are mostly White and working or unable to work.
Gingrich is shamelessly tapping into racist sentiment, same as he is when he speaks of “poor” (clearly meaning BLACK; he has overtly stated that his remarks refer to African-Americans) children needing models of a “work ethic”. The fact is, most of the poor work harder than he ever has in his life.
He is race-baiting, appealing to those who hear the words “food stamps” or “welfare” and picture a Black person with no job, probably with multiple kids with multiple fathers, driving around in a Caddie and festooned with bling. Reagan played on these very same stereotypes in his campaign.
Posted by: RAVEN | January 29, 2012, 8:14 pm 8:14 pm
Calling Americas first black President the food stamp president ….. Not too racist.
Posted by: Elli | January 29, 2012, 10:56 pm 10:56 pm
Obama the greatest food stamp president in history. Truer words were never spoken.
Posted by: frank | January 29, 2012, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
Except for its not true. Bush administration topped Obama’s in numbers of people added to the food stamp lists.
Posted by: Jenny | January 30, 2012, 12:18 am 12:18 am
Calling Americas first black President the food stamp president ….. Not too racist.
Posted by: Elli | January 29, 2012, 10:56 pm 10:56 pm
Yawn. You’re the only one who brought skin color into the discussion. What does that make you?
Posted by: Mary | January 30, 2012, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
“Bush administration topped Obama’s in numbers of people added to the food stamp lists.”
Posted by: Jenny | January 30, 2012, 12:18 am 12:18 am
Apples and oranges. Obama added almost as many people as Bush in THREE years compared to Bush’s EIGHT years. That means Obama ACCELERATED food stamp usage at 2.7 times Bush’s rate. Obama’s numbers will greatly exceed Bush’s at the end of his first term.
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 30, 2012, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
Blacks have done alot for this country. If not for them our prisons would not be full, if not for them our welfare coffers would be full, if not for them the vast majority of gangs would go extinct and lastly, without them we would have never known how uneducated people vote.
Posted by: Bobby | January 30, 2012, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
Republicans are like a broke record player that keeps regurgitating the same old attacks, taxes, food stamps, etc. When will they be able to come up with something new? If all it takes to solve our country problem is lower our taxes on the rich and eliminate food stamps and social security then why didn’t Bush, Jr. Bush, Reagan do it when they were presidents? Oh, yeah, its always the Dems fault.
Posted by: Andrew C | January 30, 2012, 10:45 pm 10:45 pm
Hey Elli, leave your racial slurs at home. If you want to debate, bring evidence, facts, and experience don’t point a finger simply provide persuasive argument. On another note, welfare, medicade, taxes, etc. are all good but too much of a good thing is a bad thing. You provide capable competent people with welfare for 10 years and that could be a bad thing. Too high of a tax rate for too long is bad but taxes are needed for example inflation sets in, raise taxes, currency stabilizes lower taxes. You lose your job collect unemployment, unemployed for four straight years, something has too change. Necessity is the mother of innovation, invention, creation (of jobs). If people understand there are deadlines I bet they get motivated quickly. On another other note, a free country should have a free market so why do we the people push the feds to over-regulate everything, that is not called “free”. Of everyone on this blog I am willing to bet the majority of you have done nothing for your community or country except rant and complain. America should be ran by the people. It is not the Feds that took over, the people handed it over. Everyone is so busy with work and school and children, but that is no excuse. This is our country, the greatest country, so don’t take your freedoms for granted but use them to the fullest. It will take time out of your of your busy schedules but we the people have to do something. We the people means everyone. Organize your communities. We all know what we don’t want but do we know what we want. Do you have a plan or are you going to let the feds figure it out for you. Again.
Posted by: Andy | February 1, 2012, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm