Newt takes no-adultery pledge

[one...two...tree 2,762]

When the Iowa social conservative group The Family Leader unveiled a sweeping pledge on marriage and abortion over the summer, Newt Gingrich was one of the candidates who passed on signing it.

Now, Gingrich has answered the pledge with a lengthy written response, vowing to support a federal marriage amendment, reinstate the Mexico City policy -- and, per the stipulations of The Family Leader pledge, to be faithful to his wife:

I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity to my spouse and respect for the marital bonds of others.

Gingrich's full response after the jump ...

To Bob Vander Plaats and the Executive Board of The FAMiLY LEADER:

I appreciate the opportunity to affirm my strong support of the mission of the FAMiLY LEADER by solemnly vowing to defend and strengthen the family through the following actions I would take as President of the United States.

Defending Marriage. As President, I will vigorously enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, which was enacted under my leadership as Speaker of the House, and ensure compliance with its provisions, especially in the military. I will also aggressively defend the constitutionality of DOMA in federal and state courts. I will support sending a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the states for ratification. I will also oppose any judicial, bureaucratic, or legislative effort to define marriage in any manner other than as between one man and one woman. I will support all efforts to reform promptly any uneconomic or anti-marriage aspects of welfare and tax policy. I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity to my spouse and respect for the marital bonds of others.

Defending the Unborn. I believe that life begins at conception. On day one of my administration, I will sign an executive order reinstating Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City policy that prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions overseas. I will also work with Congress to repeal Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood so that no taxpayer dollars are being used to fund abortions but rather transfer the money so it is used to promote adoption and other pro-family policies, and enact legislation that provides greater protections for the unborn.

Defending Religious Liberty. As President, I will vigorously defend the First Amendment’s rights of religious liberty and freedom of speech against anyone who would try to stifle the free expression of believers. I will also promote legislation that protects the right to conscience for healthcare workers so they are not compelled to perform abortions and other procedures that violate their religious teachings.

Defending Against Debt. As President, I will undertake vigorous policies to maximize capital investment and job creation, along with common sense entitlement reforms, to dramatically turn around the nation’s fiscal situation. Building upon the same principles I championed during my four years as Speaker, when we reduced the national debt by over $400 billion and dramatically reduced the national debt as a percentage of the GDP, we will reduce the enormous burden upon American families of the public debt and unfunded liabilities.

Defending the Right of the People to Rule Themselves. Today, as federal courts have intervened in sectors of American life never before imaginable, including the intervention in the definition of marriage as well as when unborn life can be protected under the Constitution, the public has increasingly come to view them as an usurpative device for unelected rulers. This abuse of power and loss of public confidence amounts to a constitutional crisis. I believe the executive and legislative branches each have an independent responsibility to interpret the Constitution, and in those rare circumstances when they believe the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have engaged in a serious constitutional error, they can choose among an array of constitutional powers to check and balance the courts. As President, I will nominate for federal judgeships, including justices of the Supreme Court, only those individuals who are committed to an originalist understanding of the Constitution. Judges with an originalist understanding will subordinate themselves to the meaning of the Constitution as it was intended by the framers, and not substitute their own judgments about its meaning. The inherent judicial self-restraint that comes from an originalist approach to the Constitution offers the best long-term assurance that federal judges will not exceed their powers and trample on individual liberties. I will also work with Congress to use the Constitutional means available to reassert the right of the elected branches of government to defend their understanding of the meaning of the Constitution, including limiting the jurisdiction of the federal courts to decide on certain issues, when they believe the federal courts have engaged in a serious constitutional error.

Sincerely,

Newt Gingrich

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/newt-takes-noadultery-pledge-106920.html

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

mexico city policy?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Sincerely,

Newt Gingrich

That's kind of funny. The archaic definition of sincerely is unadulterated. Not the best choice of words for Newt. He should consider signing his letters "best regards" or something. Not everyone appreciates irony.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

This is like closing the barn door after all the animals escaped.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Classic Newt! Probably had his fingers crossed behind his back while making the pledge.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Classic Newt! Probably had his fingers crossed behind his back while making the pledge.

Classic politician, which Newt most definitely is. All is negotiable, all is for sale

I hope that no one thinks there will be any changes coming from the leftover Republicans, it does not really matter if Obama is replaced by one of these clowns or not. If Obama is lucky, the Supreme Court will strike down Obamacare and these guys will have nothing left to say.

Edited December 13, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Newt: "I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity to my spouse and respect for the marital bonds of others."

This worries me. And it should worry everyone else. What he's saying here is, in essence, that he has lost his love for the country. Remember, the reason he stated back in March for cheating on his wives - yes, plural - was that he felt so passionately about this country. So, this new pledge tells me that he no longer feels as passionately for this country as he once did. We need a president that loves this country. Newt ain't the man for the job - he's telling us that right here.

Newt Gingrich: “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

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This worries me. And it should worry everyone else. What he's saying here is, in essence, that he has lost his love for the country. Remember, the reason he stated back in March for cheating on his wives - yes, plural - was that he felt so passionately about this country. So, this new pledge tells me that he no longer feels as passionately for this country as he once did. We need a president that loves this country. Newt ain't the man for the job - he's telling us that right here.

cha-ching.

[SMR 368]

I thought marriage was, among other things, a pledge of fidelity. Pledging to keep your marriage vows is like asserting that you aren't a liar. If it's true you don't have to say it and if it's false then it doesn't matter how many times you say it. History has already told us which side Newt falls on.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I thought marriage was, among other things, a pledge of fidelity. Pledging to keep your marriage vows is like asserting that you aren't a liar. If it's true you don't have to say it and if it's false then it doesn't matter how many times you say it. History has already told us which side Newt falls on.

All true, but ignores that 74% of voters name "Yugoslavia" when asked to name a country that begins with "U"

the problem is not that Newt is pledging to uphold his marraige vows (this time? I mean Mrs Newt III is the hottest so far, so maybe)

The problem is that a huge herd of voters turns like a flock of starlings and heads straight for Newt! Dems are no more immune to this, after all, they circled the wagons around a guy copping blowjobs from teenagers in the White House