Romney Goes On Offense In GOP Debate
The knives are out.
Following two digits of Newt Gingrich victory over Mitt Romney in South Carolina primary on Saturday, Romney aggressively attacked Gingrich for Republican presidential debate Monday night, with Gingrich beat Romney in particular for his record of being a "seller of influence "Freddie Mac
Romney wasted no time going after Gingrich on NBC-sponsored debate at the University of South Florida - a new strategy for a candidate who has often tried to position itself above the fray in the above discussions, the direction of the Most of his attacks on President Obama, not his Republican rivals.
But after beating South Carolina, former Massachusetts governor was not going to miss the opportunity to bring down his rival.
"I'm not going to sit back and get attacked by day days without returning fire," he said when asked why he was pointing to Gingrich and after suggesting that he would not spend time going after his colleagues Republicans.
Gingrich skewers Romney especially consulting position at Freddie Mac - in particular Gingrich claim that he worked at the company as a "historian" rather than a pressure group.
"Well, Mr. President, you - at this stage, in an earlier debate, you said $ 300,000 was paid by Freddie Mac for a historian -. As a historian not pay $ 25,000 a month for six years as historians. That equates to about 1.6 million dollars, "said Romney.”You have to hire as a historian. And this contract shows that it was not a historian. You were a consultant."
"I was a consultant," said Gingrich.
"It does not say who provided the historical experience," said Romney. "You said you were as a consultant. And they were hired by the chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac, not the president, not the head of public affairs. The chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac," said Romney.
"We also spoke publicly in favor of these GSEs, these government-sponsored entities, in a moment that Freddie Mac was making America into a position where they would have had a massive housing collapse. You could have talked about aggressively. You may have spoken in a way that these guys are wrong, this has to stop. But instead, he was paid for them. They were making more than $ 1 million at the time of people in Florida were being harmed by millions of dollars, "he added.
Gingrich said he did not take home all the money that your company gained while working for Freddie Mac, and said it offered "strategic advice" based on his knowledge of "the history of Washington.
"We had a company. The company had three offices. The company was paying," said Gingrich. "My participation rate was approximately $ 35,000 per year. And the fact is that they offer strategic advice, largely based on my knowledge of history, including the history of Washington."
"But if you read the contract we have published, and the Center for Health Transformation had to ask permission to publish, it says very clearly what to do consulting work. The governor did consulting work for the year. Never I suggested his consulting work was pressing, "he said. "So let me start there. Nowhere in the contract that provides for lobbying. I've never done any pressure."
When asked directly if he had "sold influence," as Romney had reported earlier in the debate, Gingrich criticized the prosecution.
"You know, there is a point in the process where it gets personal and nasty unnecessarily. And that's sad," he said. "The fact is I've had a long career of trying to represent the people of Georgia and as President, the people of the United States. I think it's pretty clear in saying that I never, ever gone and done any lobbying. "
When Gingrich seemed to suggest that Romney Bain Capital Company had links with the government, Romney quickly said, "We have not done any work with the government. I had an office on K Street. I was not a lobbyist. I do not - never worked - I've never worked in Washington. "
"There are congressmen who say ... that came and lobbied about the Medicare Part D at the same time," said Romney, referring to a federal program to subsidize prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries.
"Now, wait. Wait, wait," said Gingrich. "You just jump a long way to here, amigo."
"Well, another - another area of influence peddling," said Romney.
"I have always publicly in favor of a strong Medicare program," said Gingrich. "I publicly favored Medicare Part D for a practical reason and that reason is simple, the U.S. government was not willing to give people anything -. Insulin, e.g -. But they would be willing to pay they renal dialysis were not prepared to give people Lipitor, but pay for open heart surgery. That's a terrible way to run Medicare. "
He said he was "proud" that had "publicly, openly advocated for Medicare Part D. It has saved lives. Is aimed at a model of free enterprises. Also included are savings accounts for health and alternatives including Medicare, This gave people options. "
Romney, as expected, was not satisfied with this answer.
"That is why it is a problem, Mr. President. That is why it is a problem. And, if you're getting paid by healthcare companies, whether institutions are being paid by companies that could benefit from health a law, and then meet with congressional Republicans and encourage them to support the legislation, you can call it whatever you want. I call influence peddling, "he said.”It is wrong is not correct that you have a dispute -...'re being paid by companies at the same time you are encouraging people to pass legislation that is in their favor."
In the early afternoon, Romney also attacked the credibility of Gingrich as a leader, led to his controversial position as chairman of the House in early 1990.
"I think to choose the president of the United States, you are looking for a person who can lead this country in a very critical moment, the head of the free world and the free world has to lead the world," Romney said when asked about eligibility compared to other candidates. "I think it's about leadership and the President gave him the opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994. And at the end of four years, had to resign in disgrace," he said.
Romney tried to paint the stark differences between him and the former president.
"When I was fighting against emissions trading, the President was sitting with Nancy Pelosi on a couch encouraging development. When I was struggling to say that Paul Ryan's plan to solve Medicare was bold and right, saying it was in right-wing social engineering, "he said.
Gingrich said he wanted to "spend the night trying to go after Governor Romney misinformation" and did not answer directly, saying only that Romney, "he said at least four things that were false" and that his website will publish an explanation. Gingrich also claimed to have resigned his speakership after the 1998 elections because "claimed responsibility for the fact that our results were not as good as they should be."
"I feel very comfortable that my four years as president, working with a Democratic president, reached the kind of conservative values that most Republicans want to have a president," Gingrich continued.
Fellow candidate Ron Paul objected to the characterization of how the events unfolded.
Gingrich said Paul, left the speakership not "punish himself" but because "he had the votes" to get re-elected.
"No, not to run for President, you know, two years later," said Paul. "He did not have the votes. That's what the problem was. So the idea that he did not comply voluntarily, and that was to be punished because he was not well in the election, which is not only the way it was”.
Following two digits of Newt Gingrich victory over Mitt Romney in South Carolina primary on Saturday, Romney aggressively attacked Gingrich for Republican presidential debate Monday night, with Gingrich beat Romney in particular for his record of being a "seller of influence "Freddie Mac
Romney wasted no time going after Gingrich on NBC-sponsored debate at the University of South Florida - a new strategy for a candidate who has often tried to position itself above the fray in the above discussions, the direction of the Most of his attacks on President Obama, not his Republican rivals.
But after beating South Carolina, former Massachusetts governor was not going to miss the opportunity to bring down his rival.
"I'm not going to sit back and get attacked by day days without returning fire," he said when asked why he was pointing to Gingrich and after suggesting that he would not spend time going after his colleagues Republicans.
Gingrich skewers Romney especially consulting position at Freddie Mac - in particular Gingrich claim that he worked at the company as a "historian" rather than a pressure group.
"Well, Mr. President, you - at this stage, in an earlier debate, you said $ 300,000 was paid by Freddie Mac for a historian -. As a historian not pay $ 25,000 a month for six years as historians. That equates to about 1.6 million dollars, "said Romney.”You have to hire as a historian. And this contract shows that it was not a historian. You were a consultant."
"I was a consultant," said Gingrich.
"It does not say who provided the historical experience," said Romney. "You said you were as a consultant. And they were hired by the chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac, not the president, not the head of public affairs. The chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac," said Romney.
"We also spoke publicly in favor of these GSEs, these government-sponsored entities, in a moment that Freddie Mac was making America into a position where they would have had a massive housing collapse. You could have talked about aggressively. You may have spoken in a way that these guys are wrong, this has to stop. But instead, he was paid for them. They were making more than $ 1 million at the time of people in Florida were being harmed by millions of dollars, "he added.
Gingrich said he did not take home all the money that your company gained while working for Freddie Mac, and said it offered "strategic advice" based on his knowledge of "the history of Washington.
"We had a company. The company had three offices. The company was paying," said Gingrich. "My participation rate was approximately $ 35,000 per year. And the fact is that they offer strategic advice, largely based on my knowledge of history, including the history of Washington."
"But if you read the contract we have published, and the Center for Health Transformation had to ask permission to publish, it says very clearly what to do consulting work. The governor did consulting work for the year. Never I suggested his consulting work was pressing, "he said. "So let me start there. Nowhere in the contract that provides for lobbying. I've never done any pressure."
When asked directly if he had "sold influence," as Romney had reported earlier in the debate, Gingrich criticized the prosecution.
"You know, there is a point in the process where it gets personal and nasty unnecessarily. And that's sad," he said. "The fact is I've had a long career of trying to represent the people of Georgia and as President, the people of the United States. I think it's pretty clear in saying that I never, ever gone and done any lobbying. "
When Gingrich seemed to suggest that Romney Bain Capital Company had links with the government, Romney quickly said, "We have not done any work with the government. I had an office on K Street. I was not a lobbyist. I do not - never worked - I've never worked in Washington. "
"There are congressmen who say ... that came and lobbied about the Medicare Part D at the same time," said Romney, referring to a federal program to subsidize prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries.
"Now, wait. Wait, wait," said Gingrich. "You just jump a long way to here, amigo."
"Well, another - another area of influence peddling," said Romney.
"I have always publicly in favor of a strong Medicare program," said Gingrich. "I publicly favored Medicare Part D for a practical reason and that reason is simple, the U.S. government was not willing to give people anything -. Insulin, e.g -. But they would be willing to pay they renal dialysis were not prepared to give people Lipitor, but pay for open heart surgery. That's a terrible way to run Medicare. "
He said he was "proud" that had "publicly, openly advocated for Medicare Part D. It has saved lives. Is aimed at a model of free enterprises. Also included are savings accounts for health and alternatives including Medicare, This gave people options. "
Romney, as expected, was not satisfied with this answer.
"That is why it is a problem, Mr. President. That is why it is a problem. And, if you're getting paid by healthcare companies, whether institutions are being paid by companies that could benefit from health a law, and then meet with congressional Republicans and encourage them to support the legislation, you can call it whatever you want. I call influence peddling, "he said.”It is wrong is not correct that you have a dispute -...'re being paid by companies at the same time you are encouraging people to pass legislation that is in their favor."
In the early afternoon, Romney also attacked the credibility of Gingrich as a leader, led to his controversial position as chairman of the House in early 1990.
"I think to choose the president of the United States, you are looking for a person who can lead this country in a very critical moment, the head of the free world and the free world has to lead the world," Romney said when asked about eligibility compared to other candidates. "I think it's about leadership and the President gave him the opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994. And at the end of four years, had to resign in disgrace," he said.
Romney tried to paint the stark differences between him and the former president.
"When I was fighting against emissions trading, the President was sitting with Nancy Pelosi on a couch encouraging development. When I was struggling to say that Paul Ryan's plan to solve Medicare was bold and right, saying it was in right-wing social engineering, "he said.
Gingrich said he wanted to "spend the night trying to go after Governor Romney misinformation" and did not answer directly, saying only that Romney, "he said at least four things that were false" and that his website will publish an explanation. Gingrich also claimed to have resigned his speakership after the 1998 elections because "claimed responsibility for the fact that our results were not as good as they should be."
"I feel very comfortable that my four years as president, working with a Democratic president, reached the kind of conservative values that most Republicans want to have a president," Gingrich continued.
Fellow candidate Ron Paul objected to the characterization of how the events unfolded.
Gingrich said Paul, left the speakership not "punish himself" but because "he had the votes" to get re-elected.
"No, not to run for President, you know, two years later," said Paul. "He did not have the votes. That's what the problem was. So the idea that he did not comply voluntarily, and that was to be punished because he was not well in the election, which is not only the way it was”.
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