The Disgraced Former Speaker of the House: an update

From the Department of Hate To Say I Told You So, But I Frickin' Told You So:

Newt Gingrich is preparing to make the transition from forgotten-but-not-gone to gone-and-hopefully-forgotten by dropping his presidential campaign next week. And he’s doing it in good Reagan-and-Bush-era Republican fashion – carrying on about fiscal responsibility while piling up a nice fat budget deficit.

Mr. Gingrich currently has $4.3 million in debt, according to TPM Muckraker – about 20 percent of his Gross Campaign Product, which puts him in Greece territory. He has more debt than any other failed Republican presidential candidate since 1992.

Emph. added. Not that you needed it.

[Added] Interesting tidbit from the quoted TPM Muckraker link:

Tim Pawlenty closed out with $435,542 in debts which was paid off by Mitt Romney affiliates.

Hmmm! There aren't many people blander than ol' Wonder Bread Willard, but that guy who is known only for having a mullet longer than anyone else on the planet, who (Some would say) was scared out of the race by whispers that Mr. Mitch Charisma Daniels might jump in, is certainly on the short list.

Developing ...

Tim Pawlenty makes war on capitalism to show how much he hates the Muslins

It's hard out there for a Republican preznidential candidate!

Sharia-compliant financing is a growing industry, particularly when it comes to mortgages. "Traditional secular, money lending banks are setting up Sharia-compliant products because they make money," says Abed Awad, an attorney who specializes in Islamic law. Companies like Citigroup and Visa have tried their hand at Sharia-compliant products. Usually companies structure the payments in a sort of house-buying layaway plan. "It's a major moneymaker for banks." Shariah compliant mortgages allow observant Muslims like Lakhani to buy homes, where previously they were stuck renting to avoid interest payments.

There's nothing sinister about the growth of Sharia-compliant finance. It is just capitalism at work, an emerging market in which firms are meeting demand for a particular kind of product. But a decision by one 2012 Republican hopeful, Tim Pawlenty, may come back to haunt him in the GOP presidential primary, where any association with Sharia-compliant finance could be toxic.

[...]

Pawlenty's effort to increase minority homeownership by encouraging companies to offer Sharia-compliant mortgages was entirely in keeping with his reputation as a "Sam's Club Republican" concerned with helping "regular people." But in the 2012 race, he'll be up against competitors who may try to use it against him.

"Who may." That Adam Serwer is a funny guy.

Of course, Ben Smith won the morning obediently rushed to type up the new Pawlenty position.

But a Pawlenty spokesman told me that the governor has no intention of defending the program -- and that in fact, he shut it down himself as soon as he learned of it.

(h/t: Jack Stuef | x-posted)

Somehow, we doubt the feeling is reciprocated

Politifact:

The Truth-O-Meter welcomes Tim Pawlenty

So far, he's been evaluated three times by them, scoring a False, a Full Flop, and a Pants On Fire.

(x-posted | pic. source)

"human snooze button Tim Pawlenty"

TBogg nails two for the price of one click.

Internet Advertisers Finally Admit Who Their Target Demographic Is

It is not known whether this man is related to Tim Pawlenty:

Wonder if he still believes you reboot them by shaking them over your head.

Oh, wait. That was that other Haired Boss.

Mullet This One Over

Likely Republican candidate for president, and current governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty: lying or stupid?

(?)

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