CAMPAIGN 96/U.S. HOUSE/Gingrich trip kindles fuss in GOP camp
AUSTIN - House Speaker Newt Gingrich's planned campaign stop in San Marcos on Monday for party-switching U.S. Rep. Greg Laughlin is stirring up controversy among Republicans in Texas' 14th Congressional District.
One of Laughlin's Republican primary opponents has taken out an advertisement in the San Marcos newspaper reminding voters that Gingrich campaigned against Laughlin when he was a Democrat in the 1994 elections. And a supporter of another of Laughlin's primary opponents is circulating a letter from eight GOP county chairs in the district asking Gingrich to keep his nose out of local Republican politics.
Gingrich is scheduled to formally endorse Laughlin at a breakfast Monday in San Marcos. Gingrich later flies to Houston for a midday fund-raiser for U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Sugar Land. ""The speaker was aware of my conservative voting record when he first welcomed me into the Republican Party," Laughlin said in announcing the visit. ""His endorsement and visit clearly demonstrate that my voting record has continued to be one that truly reflects the conservative values of the hard working men and women of the 14th district."
In a newspaper advertisement running today and Sunday in the San Marcos Daily Record, GOP candidate Ron Paul reminds voters that just 14 months ago Gingrich was linking Laughlin's voting record to President Clinton. ""Newt Gingrich speaks out against Greg Laughlin," the Paul ad says, going on to quote Gingrich from a November 1994 newspaper interview: ""The question is whether or not Bill Clinton needs more friends in Washington. Greg Laughlin has a 78 percent voting record with Bill Clinton. That tells you where he stand"." Paul is a former Republican congressman who in 1988 was the Libertarian Party presidential nominee.
Meanwhile, Calhoun County Republican Chairman Bill Waters sent out a letter saying Gingrich's endorsement ""is becoming cheap." Waters - who is supporting Jim Deats - said Laughlin only switched parties because Republicans gained control of the House. Waters provided copies of a letter he sent Gingrich asking him to stay neutral in the primary contest. The letter also is signed by the GOP chairs of Jackson, Matagorda, Gonzales, Hays, Lavaca, Bastrop, Fayette and Refugio counties.""In this race, the old Democrat ways of Washington power dictating local decisions are simply inappropriate," the letter states. Deats said he was disappointed that Gingrich campaigned for him in 1994 and now is backing his primary opponent. Deats said Gingrich told him last summer he was going to do this after the two met after Laughlin's party switch. ""He (Gingrich) essentially told me he cut a deal with this guy (Laughlin) and `I'm going to live up to it,' " Deats said.
Freeport engineer Ted Bozarth also is running in the GOP primary against Laughlin. The Republican nominee will face Democrat Charles ""Lefty" Morris in November. Republicans are not the only ones planning for Gingrich visit. The Texas AFL-CIO, which traditionally supports Democrats, plans to stage an anti-Gingrich rally at Laughlin's event. Meanwhile, in Houston, environmentalists, religious groups, senior citizens, civil rights advocates and abortion-rights activists are planning a demonstration outside the DeLay fund-raiser at the Westin Galleria.
Campaign 96 U.S House/Gingrich politicking across state of Texas/ Taunts Clinton, stumps for Laughlin
Politicking across Texas, House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Monday taunted President Clinton over the federal budget and defended his endorsement of a congressman who switched parties.
In San Marcos, Gingrich made good on a promise to campaign for U.S. Rep. Greg Laughlin of West Columbia, who switched to the GOP last year. Gingrich campaigned against Laughlin, then a Democrat, in 1994.
Gingrich, whose about-face for Laughlin has been criticized by some Republican leaders in the 14th Congressional District, said former Democrats such as Laughlin are essential to continued growth of the Republican Party. ""We have grown over the last 20 or 30 years because we have kept our door open. Everybody figured out that the Democratic Party is too liberal to survive in it," he said. ""When you get adopted into it (the GOP), you're either family or you're not family," Gingrich said. ""You don't have some conditional adoptions."
Some of Laughlin's opponents in the March 12 Republican primary say they have been more true to the conservative mindset. In an address to about 250 people at a Laughlin fund-raiser, Gingrich said he is ready to resume budget negotiations with Clinton on Wednesday, but predicted more rough sledding. The speaker called Clinton ""factually challenged" for insisting the Republican plan to slow down Medicare spending is a spending cut. At a Houston luncheon to raise funds for GOP congressional candidates, Gingrich said it is wrong to think that negotiations between Clinton and Republican leaders are bringing both sides together philosophically.
Republicans are trying to transfer power to state and local governments, Gingrich said, but ""the president is saying, `No, you've got to keep the power in Washington.' " Gingrich told reporters after the luncheon that there is little hope for a budget agreement this week. He said GOP leaders will try to recruit enough Democratic congressmen to pass a budget bill that could withstand a Clinton veto.
Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Westin Galleria, where Gingrich and House Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Sugar Land were meeting with supporters. Organized by the Sierra Club, the sometimes loud but peaceful protest of Gingrich and Republican congressional policies drew representatives from 45 groups. Inside, organizers of Gingrich's appearance in Houston said they raised about $250,000 for a political action committee that supports GOP congressional candidates. The committee is chaired by DeLay. DeLay introduced Laughlin to the Houston audience as ""our newest recruit."
In an advertisement in the San Marcos newspaper on Friday and Sunday, GOP candidate Ron Paul, a former congressman from Surfside, reminded voters that just 14 months ago Gingrich was castigating Laughlin for having a voting record that favored Clinton. And eight Republican county chairs in the district signed a letter asking Gingrich to stay out of the race. They said local Republican voters are ""fully capable of judging the candidates without Washington showing favor or influence. As with any intra-party Republican contest, in this race the old Democrat ways of Washington power dictating local decisions are simply inappropriate." Calhoun County Republican Chairman Bill Waters - who is supporting candidate Jim Deats, a Blanco rancher who was the 1994 Republican nominee against Laughlin - also sent out a separate letter to Republicans saying Gingrich's endorsement ""is becoming cheap."
Gingrich commended Laughlin for being a ""very key member" in aiding Republican growth. ""As a Republican, he has been an absolute team player. Greg has lived up to what he said," Gingrich said. ""You're not going to be on probation. You're not going to be a semi-Republican. You're going to be a full member of the team the minute you get here." Laughlin said Gingrich's endorsement and campaign appearance demonstrated that Laughlin's voting record reflected ""conservative values." Ted Bozarth, an engineer from Freeport, also is seeking the Republican nomination for the congressional seat. The winner will face Democrat Charles ""Lefty" Morris, who is unopposed in his primary.
The 14th District stretches from suburban Austin and the edge of the Hill Country south to Brazoria, Matagorda, Calhoun and Aransas counties on the coast.
The best part is, Ron Paul beat Laughlin with all these assholes campaigning for Laughlin. Check the power names on the list of people supporting Laughlin.
Paul defeated Laughlin by a 56–44 percent margin in the Republican Party primary.
newt noun ~ any of several brilliantly colored salamanders of the family Salamandridae, especially those of the genera Triturus and Notophthalmus, of North America, Europe, and northern Asia. Oh wait... You meant the Gingrich kind of Newt. OK, my mistake. You were correct... He's a lizard!
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
newt noun ~ any of several brilliantly colored salamanders of the family Salamandridae, especially those of the genera Triturus and Notophthalmus, of North America, Europe, and northern Asia. Oh wait... You meant the Gingrich kind of Newt. OK, my mistake. You were correct... He's a lizard!
this one's prettier....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
There has never been a recorded case of the salamander type Newt telling a lie... There has never been a recorded case of the political type Newt telling the truth.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
NONE of them want to upset this corrupt system that they all so much enjoy!!! They are ALL afraid of losing the jacked up power that they ALL have right now!! And Paul is the only one to do it and they know it! Paul, if ever elected, would certainly not get all of his ideas passed through congress.........but he would have a great platform to get his message out to ALL AMERICANS!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
There has never been a recorded case of the salamander type Newt telling a lie... There has never been a recorded case of the political type Newt telling the truth.
is there a cherry tree involved? did it climb it or chop it down?
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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