Flip-Flopping Newt Gingrich

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Newt Gingrich’s chronic flip-flopping almost makes the ever-malleable Mitt Romney look consistent. Here’s a compilation from MSNBC and please note, this is just the tip of the iceberg:

 

Health-Insurance Mandate:

 

Flip: “Personal responsibility extends to the purchase of health insurance. Citizens should not be able to cheat their neighbors by not buying insurance, particularly when they can afford it, and expect others to pay for their care when they need it.” — June 2007

 

Flop: “I am against any effort to impose a federal mandate on anyone because it is fundamentally wrong and I believe unconstitutional.” — May 16, 2011

 

Cap-and-Trade:

 

Flip: “I think if you have mandatory carbon caps combined with a trading system, much like we did with sulfur, and if you have a tax-incentive program for investing in the solutions, that there’s a package there that’s very, very good. And frankly, it’s something I would strongly support.” — February 2, 2007

 

Flop: “A carbon cap and trade system … would lead to corruption, political favoritism, and would have a huge impact on the economy.” — April 21, 2008

 

Climate Change:

 

Flip: “I think is that the evidence is sufficient that we should move towards the most effective possible steps to reduce carbon-loading of the atmosphere.” — April 10, 2007

 

Flop: “I actually don’t know whether global warming is occurring.” — November 8, 2011

 

Paul Ryan’s Budget Plan:

 

Flip: “I don’t think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering… [Paul Ryan's Medicare proposal] is too big a jump.” — May 15, 2011

 

Flop: “I made a mistake…” — May 17, 2011

 

Libya:

 

Flip: “Exercise a no-fly zone this evening … Provide help to the rebels to replace [Qaddafi] … All we have to do is suppress his air force, which we could do in minutes.” — March 7, 2011

 

Flop: “I would not have intervened. I think there were a lot of other ways to affect Qaddafi … I would not have used American and European forces.” — March 23, 2011

 

Criminal Court Trials for Suspected Terrorists:

 

Flip: “Well, I think if [members of the Bush administration] believe they have enough evidence to convict [Jose Padilla], going through the process of convicting him and holding him, I suspect, may be for the rest of his life without parole would not be — would hardly be seen as a loss. I think this administration is still wrestling with what are the real ground rules for dealing with people who are clearly outside of normal warfare? They’re not wearing a uniform. They’re not part of an army. They are openly threatening to kill thousands or even millions of people.” — November 22, 2005

 

Flop: “Why would you take a Nigerian national who just tried to blow up a plane over Detroit … Why would you take that person, put them in the American criminal justice system, give them an attorney, read them their Miranda rights?” — January 4, 2010