by John Galt
January 19, 2012 22:30 ET
2 Corinthians 5:10
English Standard Version (ESV)10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
This morning on talk radio across the dial, a blistering attack was launched by both conservative and liberal talk show hosts unleashed an attack on Newt Gingrich’s affairs and flaws in his personality after the drive by character assassination attempt from the mainstream media. While I shall never be one to condone his activities, his personality, or his actions I feel the attacks were a tad over the top and disingenuous.
In 2008, Newt began the process of seeking inner peace and forgiveness as highlighted by these two sentences from a Politico article (here) from April of last year:
But it wasn’t until the pope visited Washington in 2008 that Gingrich decided to join the Catholic Church.
“Catching a glimpse of Pope Benedict that day, I was struck by the happiness and peacefulness he exuded,” he wrote. “The joyful and radiating presence of the Holy Father was a moment of confirmation about the many things I had been thinking and experiencing for several years.
This acknowledgement of his failings and shortcomings as a man appears to be genuine and as a man of faith I must accept his statements as honest and truthful until his actions cause a change otherwise. All people of faith should accept that confession of his conversion and salvation or question their own soul. The following video from “bigright.tv” via YouTube and his speech in June of 2009 (sorry, no media has been found) to over 200 pastors in San Diego, where Mike Huckabee also spoke, should provide enough insight to accept the man’s statements at face value regarding his desire for salvation.
For all of Newt Gingrich’s flaws and errors, he did attempt the one act which I feel should have brought the matter of his infidelities to a close in the minds of all but the liberal elites and those who have a burning hate for the man, of whom there are many. In 2010 he conducted an interview in Esquire magazine as did his disgruntled ex-wife which exposed her feelings and a lot about the regrets he felt for his behavior. Of course he had to know this would erupt again and in the past twenty-four hours, ABC News has elected to dig up the old story and exploit it in an attempt to influence the electoral process and ‘create’ news, an art which the mainstream media has perfected in the last twenty years.
Unfortunately for many who profess that Newt’s behavior was an automatic disqualification for becoming President of the United States had best open up a history book or two and realize the imperfections of the men we have elected in our past. One of the heroes of the conservative movement, Ronald Reagan had a somewhat checkered past also.
In 1938 while Jane Wyman was still married (according to some biographies) to Martin Futterman, a dress manufacturer, she had an affair with a young Mr. Reagan while shooting the film “Brother Rat.” After this affair, she soon left her husband and married Ronald only to end up divorcing him in 1948. Reagan developed quite a reputation as a womanizer after the divorce and then impregnated Nancy Davis, who he married a month later and remained with the rest of his life. The rest of the story, one might say, is history.
Am I using the Reagan argument to justify Newt’s behavior? No.
Am I advocating a position to support Newt Gingrich for President? Hell no.
Will I be voting for Speaker Gingrich? NO.
This commentary was not meant to change anyone’s mind as to who one should vote for or to shine a “better” light on his sins. I wrote this piece to provide historical, not hysterical perspective, something which was sorely lacking in the “gotcha” media today and will be far worse tomorrow.
Good post. He does not offer any excuses for his past behaviour and to me that makes his conversion more believable.