Here’s a proposal. You produce ethanol. You give me a check for $312,500 and I will go to Iowa to give a pious tribute to the awesomeness of ethanol. If any reporters ask me about my speech, I will simply say, “I am not a lobbyist for ethanol.” There is no need to retain my services for a second year. I will make do with the three hundred grand.
IRS filings show that Growth Energy, a coalition of ethanol producers, paid Gingrich’s consulting firm $312,500 – one of the group’s largest single expenditures that year. But a Growth Energy spokesman told the Center [for Public Integrity]
that Gingrich was not hired again in 2010.
This is a major problem in contemporary American political culture. When people can simply lie in the most plain and obvious way possible, and still get taken seriously by the media, then the media simply isn’t doing its job. Also, too, see: Donald Trump.
The media is too busy calling Democrats who say that Republicans want to destroy Medicare liars with their pants on fire because, really, there would still be a program called Medicare left after the Republicans are done so it’s a lie to say that they would destroy it. Even if the new “Medicare” program is just a book of coupons that no insurance company will actually be able to take.
The media is awesome at pointing out Democratic lies even when they’re not lying. Pointing out Republican lies? That would be uncivil.
Generally handing money like this out to a Lobbyer like Gingrich is much like being an investor in a company that you know will declare bankruptcy thus you actually expect to end up getting .10 on the dollar. The problem is when you choose by arrogance your representation the only card left in your hand is the a lie to gamble with dumb luck.
Lying is such a waste of time.
this is who they are. period.
Yo bro, it may be as simple as the Iowa ethanol farmer shot their wad.
From the racing world, Indiana, gomer centric Indy Racing League whored themselves a few years back to run their cars only on American/Iowa corn ethanol. (they ran methanol for years for safety because you can put it out with water — ethanol too). Whahoo! We’re American racing (at a time gomer fans were all pissy because the best drivers were foreign born) with American fuel!!!
The BRAZILIAN ethanol says they will pay more for the sponsorship and they take over supplying the series. Brazilian ethanol is better because it comes from sugarbeets, not corn. Many top drivers just happen to be from Brazil too. Oops.
Guess what? Now Sunoco is the official fuel of Indy car racing.
I think Newt might have gotten shut out on the stage of global competition.