Romney Campaign Press Release - A History Lesson On Newt The Historian

Gingrich's Disgraceful Descent From Power

"Whether it was an unprecedented ethics reprimand, his erratic leadership style, or his resignation in disgrace at the hands of his own party, it is clear that Speaker Gingrich did not lead the Republican Party where he promised he would. Over his thirty years in Washington and four years as speaker, Newt Gingrich has earned a Ph.D. in unreliable leadership." —Ryan Williams, Romney Campaign Spokesman

A Look Back At Speaker Gingrich's Time As Leader Of The House:

"His Own Conservative Republican Lieutenants Rebelled Against His Rule." "As Gingrich seeks to gain the world's most powerful office, it's worth recalling that when he once held great power in Washington, his own conservative Republican lieutenants rebelled against his rule less than four years after he led them to House majority status for the first time in 40 years. And their disaffection evidently helped persuade him to step down as speaker the next year and leave office." (William Douglas, "When Gingrich Held Power, His GOP Lieutenants Tried To Topple Him," McClatchy, 12/7/11)

"[Gingrich] Was Viewed As A Micromanager Who Had Trouble Delegating And Who Lacked Organizational Skills." "Gingrich as Speaker — and since then, some critics would argue — opined on any subject that struck his fancy, often changed directions after convincing the Republican Conference to support a particular political message, was viewed as a micromanager who had trouble delegating and who lacked organizational skills, and was tagged as arrogant, divisive and unlikable outside the GOP base. As a well-known public figure, Gingrich would have to work to undo this last definition in particular." (David M. Drucker, "Lack Of Discipline Could Bite Gingrich," Roll Call, 12/5/11)

Gingrich "Was A Managerial Disaster, A Mercurial Force Of Nature Who Bubbled With Ideas But Lacked Discipline." "Long before Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House, his closest Republican allies knew he was a managerial disaster, a mercurial force of nature who bubbled with ideas but lacked discipline. Their assessment explains why many Republicans who have dealt with Gingrich over the years exhibit almost feral anxiety about what a Gingrich general-election campaign--let alone, a presidency--would be like." (Major Garrett, "Gingrich: Managerial Disaster?" The Atlantic, 12/9/11)

"As Norman Ornstein Of The American Enterprise Institute Says, 'Newt And A Handful Of Allies Can Take A Polarized Situation And Make It 10 Times Worse.'" (Adam Clymer, "House Revolutionary," The New York Times, 8/23/92)

After Losing House Seats In The 1998 Election — One In Which Republicans Were Predicted To Gain Seats — Members Of The Republican Caucus Turned On Speaker Gingrich:

November 1998: Gingrich Resigned As Speaker When "Members Turned On Him After Unexpected [Election] Losses." "Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), the charismatic soul of the Republican Revolution whose members turned on him after unexpected losses in Tuesday's election, announced yesterday he will quit as speaker of the House. ... Gingrich bitterly denounced fellow Republicans who used him as a post-election whipping boy: 'The ones you see on TV are hateful,' he told members." (Guy Gugliotta and Juliet Eilperin, "Gingrich Steps Down In Face Of Rebellion," The Washington Post, 11/7/98)

Democrats Picked Up Five Seats Despite "Months Of Dire Predictions By Republicans And Democrats That President Clinton's Scandal Would Drag Down His Party's Candidates." "Democrats roared back in the midterm elections yesterday, winning impressive victories in crucial Senate and gubernatorial races around the country despite months of dire predictions by Republicans and Democrats that President Clinton's scandal would drag down his party's candidates." (Richard L. Berke, "Democrats Hold Off G.O.P. Advance, Weakening Impeachment Prospects," The New York Times, 11/4/98)

"Fury At The Speaker Has Boiled Over Since Tuesday's Elections..." "Fury at the Speaker has boiled over since Tuesday's elections, when Republicans suffered a net loss of five seats in the House." (Katharine Q. Seelye And Melinda Henneberger, "Gingrich Is Under Siege In Struggle For Speaker's Job," The New York Times, 11/6/98)

Republicans Blamed Gingrich For The Loss, Noting An "Utter Absence Of A Message." "The next morning Gingrich held a gripe session by conference call, letting others vent about everything: the Republicans' utter absence of a message, the Democrats' lethally effective get-out-the-vote effort." (Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, "Fall Of The House Of Newt," Time, 11/16/98)

The Electoral "Debacle ... Triggered A Rumble Of Rebellion" Against Gingrich That Quickly Became "Deafening." "[T]he Republicans' unexpected Tuesday debacle, in which the party's already thin majority was trimmed by five seats ... triggered a rumble of rebellion from the GOP rank and file that grew steadily louder as the week passed. By yesterday, it was deafening." (Guy Gugliotta and Juliet Eilperin, "Gingrich Steps Down In Face Of Rebellion," The Washington Post, 11/7/98)

After Announcing His Resignation, Gingrich Said He Was "Not Willing To Preside Over People Who Are Cannibals." GINGRICH: "I think for the future of the party, it makes a lot more sense for me not to be a candidate for Speaker. We have to get the bitterness out. ... I'm willing to lead but I'm not willing to preside over people who are cannibals. My only fear would be that if I tried to stay, it would just overshadow whoever my successor is." ("Excerpts From Phone Call About Gingrich's Future," The Associated Press, 11/8/98)

The Year Before His Resignation, Gingrich Became The First And Only House Speaker To Endure A Reprimand Over Ethics Issues:

Gingrich Became The Only Speaker In History To Be Formally Reprimanded By The House For "Ethical Wrongdoing." "The House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to reprimand House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and order him to pay an unprecedented $300,000 penalty, the first time in the House's 208-year history it has disciplined a speaker for ethical wrongdoing. ... Exactly one month before yesterday's vote, Gingrich admitted that he brought discredit to the House and broke its rules by failing to ensure that financing for two projects would not violate federal tax law and by giving the House ethics committee false information." ("House Reprimands, Penalizes Speaker," The Washington Post, 1/22/97)

Republicans Overwhelmingly Voted Against Speaker Gingrich:

The House Voted 395-28 To Reprimand Gingrich — With Roughly Nine In Ten House Republicans Voting Against Gingrich. (H.Res. 31, Vote #8: Passed 395-28: R 196-26; D 198-2; I 1-0, 1/21/97)

The House Ethics Committee — Chaired By A Republican Member — Had Previously Voted 7-1 To Reprimand And Sanction Gingrich. "The committee's 7 to 1 vote came after 5 1/2 hours of televised hearings ... 'This is a tough penalty,' Rep. Nancy L. Johnson (R-Conn.), chairman of the ethics panel, said after the vote. 'I believe it is an appropriate penalty. It demonstrates that nobody is above the rules.'" (John E. Yang and Helen Dewar, "Ethics Panel Supports Reprimand of Gingrich," The Washington Post, 1/18/97)

Gingrich Admitted To Violating House Rules And Providing Untrue Information To Investigators:

"The House Imposed The Penalty ... After Gingrich Acknowledged He Gave The Ethics Committee Untrue Information." "The House imposed the penalty last year after Gingrich acknowledged he gave the ethics committee untrue information and failed to ensure that financing for two projects, including a college course he taught, would not violate federal tax laws." (Bill McAllister, "Gingrich To Pay Penalty With His Own Money," The Washington Post, 9/15/98)

"Gingrich Confessed ... To Violating The Rules." "Gingrich confessed December 21 to violating the rules, admitting he should have sought specific legal advice about financing his college course and a town hall television project with tax-exempt donations. He took responsibility for inaccurate assertions that GOPAC, his former political organization, had no role in the college course." ("Special Counsel Reportedly Recommends Gingrich Be Fined," CNN.com, 1/17/97)