On his radio show today, Bill Bennett asked Newt Gingrich about my report that Gingrich lobbied for the Medicare Prescription Drug bill in 2003. My colleague Byron York quoted some of Gingrich’s response:
“The prescription drug benefit…were you lobbying for that, lobbying your colleagues about that?”
“No,” said Gingrich. “I was publicly advocating it.”…
Gingrich told Bennett he still supports the prescription drug entitlement. In response to an earlier question about accusations he lobbied for Freddie Mac, Gingrich said, “We were very strict while I was there, the Gingrich Group did no lobbying of any kind, and I personally did no lobbying of any kind.”
“I am a public citizen,” Gingrich added, saying he was doing well financially and did not have “any need to go and rent my name for something.”
“No,” said Gingrich. “I was publicly advocating it.”…
Gingrich told Bennett he still supports the prescription drug entitlement. In response to an earlier question about accusations he lobbied for Freddie Mac, Gingrich said, “We were very strict while I was there, the Gingrich Group did no lobbying of any kind, and I personally did no lobbying of any kind.”
“I am a public citizen,” Gingrich added, saying he was doing well financially and did not have “any need to go and rent my name for something.”
First, there’s no contradiction between publicly advocating something, and privately lobbying for it. Multiple sources have told me and the Washington Post stories of Newt privately pushing members to vote Aye — the position of the drug clients he had. So, again, here’s the story, based on multiple sources, and never denied by Gingrich, in bullet points:
- Drug companies were paying Gingrich to help them pass the drug bill
- Gingrich was privately leaning on lawmakers to pass the bill
That sounds a lot like lobbying for the drug companies.
It doesn’t mean he sold his opinion. It just means he’s not telling the truth when he says he never lobbied.
