XPost: alt.politics.democrats, alt.california, alt.politics.radical-left   
   XPost: alt.politics.usa   
   From: biteme@there.com   
      
   The first was an attack on Gingrich about his work with Freddie Mac, and   
   the money he received from the government-sponsored mortgage company.   
   Gingrich recently said, when referring to Congress, that politicians   
   supporting Freddie Mac should be jailed. So the question put to him was:   
   Why should he be excluded? Gingrich's answer: He was a private citizen   
   and therefore it was fine for him to profit from Freddie Mac. Perhaps   
   true, but Gingrich drifted off course by begging the question's premise.   
      
   But the thing about having a series of debates is that the debaters have   
   already heard their opponents' arguments and should be ready with a   
   second line of attack.   
      
   Bachmann did that. It was anchors aweigh when Gingrich next said, "I did   
   no lobbying of any kind ..." Bachmann called Freddie Mac the epicenter   
   of the financial meltdown, a scam, and said that Gingrich received $1.6   
   million in handouts to influence senior Republicans. She reminded the   
   audience that Gingrich didn't have to be within the technical definition   
   of lobbyist to be peddling influence.   
      
   Bachmann finished by stating flatly that Republicans could not have such   
   a person as a nominee. Unfortunately for Gingrich, his answers about his   
   work with Freddie Mac did not stand up to the extended scrutiny last night.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)