Gingrich on Tiffany's bill: "We have a reasonably good income - we don't do elaborate things"

From HuffingtonPost.com: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich defended the large debt he owed to the luxury jewelry store Tiffany & Co. in 2005 and 2006, saying he can spend his money as he pleases.

"We're private citizens," Gingrich said in an interview with Bob Schieffer on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "I work very hard. We have a reasonably good income. I currently owe nothing except I owe one mortgage on a house that's a rental property in Wisconsin. Everything else is totally paid for. My home is paid for, my cars are paid for, we don't have a separate house. We don't do elaborate things."

Politico's Jake Sherman reported last week that financial disclosure forms filed with the U.S. House of Representatives show that in 2005 and 2006, Gingrich carried as much as $500,000 in debt on a "revolving charge account" with the jewelry store.

"It's a normal way of doing business," he said in defense of what he called a "standard, low-interest account."

"I mean, you're running for president," insisted Schieffer. "You're going to be the guy in charge of the Treasury Department. It just sticks out like a sore thumb."

Ummm... he has a "reasonably good income?  He owes $500,000 on jewelry and he says he makes a REASONABLY good income?  That's about ten times what the average American makes.

While trying to cast others as "elitists" it's kind of hard to avoid looking fairly "elite" when you spend that kind of money on "gifts" and think you have a "reasonably good" income.

Talk about out of touch.

Gingrich: "any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood"

Seriously... Quoting what he said is a 'falsehood'??? Does that even make sense?

Newt Gingrich: I cheated because I love my country so much and I work so hard

Newt Gingrich, on an appearance on the Christian Broadcasting Network, defended his serial adultery - including serving divorce papers on his sick first wife so he could marry his mistress - by explaining that he did some things he may not be so proud of because he's so doggone patriotic and hardworking.

“There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate,” Gingrich told CBN's David Brody.

This is a rather inauspicious beginning of a run for President. Before the appearance on CBN, he stumbled a bit out of the gate when an adviser leaked the plans for forming an exploratory committee. That was followed by a another adviser claiming that wasn't true. And finally, an odd press conference that ended suddenly after one question.

I'm not sure if this is how you make a gold medal run for the highest office in the land, but it certainly gets some attention.

Fake Newt Gingrich supporters - you can have them too!

OK - this really makes me laugh.

Newt Gingrich launched his website (www.NewtExplore2012.com) today that will "explore the idea of exploring a possible maybe Presidential run."

And the site is oh so inspirational - and has a big DONATE button.

What's fabulous is the wonderful, diverse group of excited flag waving folks behind Newt and his wife. They are SOOO excited for Newt!

Or maybe not.

It turns out it's a very popular stock photo available for anyone to buy. (I'm guessing Newt didn't have enough supporters to call to come take the photo with him).

Very funny.... See below.

Gingrich to announce run for White House

According to ABC News,  former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich plans to announce sometime this week that he will run for the Republican Presidential nomination for 2012.

Advisers close to Gingrich say he plans to form a presidential exploratory committee, which is a strong sign he will run.

During his time in office, Gingrich faced ethics allegations and took heat for the confrontation with President Clinton that culminated in the government shutdown of 1995 and 1996.

He's also been married three times and acknowledged problems in his personal life. As a serial adulterer, he served divorce papers to his first wife while she lay in a hospital bed fighting cancer, and eventually married his mistress of the time. He then left his second wife for another mistress who would become his third wife. During this time, Gingrich has fought against marriage equality on - wait for it - "moral grounds."

Recent polls show Gingrich finishing behind other possible nominees Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

How some conservatives are twisting DOMA announcement

Pretty cut and dried, and simple.

The Obama administration clearly stated that DOMA will not be defended in appeals courts, but it will be enforced. It is still the law of the land.

For anyone confused by what you might hear elsewhere, here's a clear statement of what is and what isn't.

And regarding the marriage component, I guess Obama does have some catching up to do if he wants to speak to the issue of marriage in the way that serial adulterer Gingrich does. It's almost laughable that Gingrich speaks to Obama "swearing on a Bible" when Gingrich swore on a Bible himself a few times. In a church. To his former wives.

Newt Gingrich on the decision to not defend DOMA

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and possible GOP Presidential candidate, today criticized President Obama for his decision to order the Department of Justice to stop defending the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.

"I believe the House Republicans next week should pass a resolution instructing the president to enforce the law and to obey his own constitutional oath, and they should say if he fails to do so that they will zero out [defund] the office of attorney general and take other steps as necessary until the president agrees to do his job," said Gingrich.

To be absolutely clear here: the president's oath - specifically his oath I'm talking about here - has nothing to do with laws passed by Congress.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

DOMA is not part of the US Constitution.  Are we clear here?

Gingrich went on to say: "Imagine that Governor Palin had become president. Imagine that she had announced that Roe v. Wade in her view was unconstitutional and therefore the United States government would no longer protect anyone's right to have an abortion because she personally had decided it should be changed. The news media would have gone crazy."

Of course, what Mr. Gingrich has lost sight of here is that Roe V. Wade is a Supreme Court decision, NOT a law passed by Congress. It is not uncommon for a law passed by Congress to be challenged and to be found unconstitutional.  Also, President Obama has made clear DOMA will continue to be enforced, just not defended in court when challenged in court.

I would also point out that Obama is a constitutional law scholar who taught at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. Gingrich, a former history professor, taught at West Georgia College. Does it take a legal expert to figure out who might be more educated or qualified to know what is or isn't constitutional?

And while Mr. Gingrich seems concerned about the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act not being defended, and therefore what must offend his own value system, let us not forget that this is the man who cheated on his first wife - while she lay in a hospital bed dying of cancer - with his then mistress. His mistress who became his second wife, who he then cheated on with the woman who would become his third wife.  Yes, a veritable pantheon of morality.  This isn't being snarky kids - these are the facts.

The more you think about it, the name Newt becomes more and more appropriate.