Gingrich: Every Other Candidate Would Be Amateur in Obama Tradition

Walford, Iowa - "Eye of the Tiger" blasted overhead as Newt Gingrich's campaign bus backed into a warehouse at Schrader Excavating and Grading, which was filled with about 250 people - many decidedly committed to him -- in what was one of the candidate's last campaign stops before the caucuses.

"It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight. Risin' up on the challenge of our rival. And the last, known survivor stalks his prey in the night, and he's watching us all with the eye of the Tiger."

He has already conceded he won't win in Iowa, but as he nears the finish line, Gingrich continues his effort to reverse his downward fall in the polls, laying out a scorching attack against the White House in an effort to differentiate himself from the rest of the pack.

In the final full day of campaigning, the former House Speaker blasted the White House for having "concluded, at least I understand the news reports...to govern without Congress." That would, Gingrich said, mean President Obama is "going to be a candidate for the entire year."

"I am insulted that the president of the United States would think that he could pretend to govern without a year without Congress and if he intends to try to do that, it would be totally unconstitutional, and I think it would represent a fundamental breach in our system," he said in a speech at the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Walford.

The candidate has continually promised audiences that he will challenge President Obama to seven Lincoln Douglas debates if he becomes the nominee, and told reporters today in his closing arguments that it was his experience that made him the best person for the job.

"I'm the only candidate who has an actual track candidate twice, with Reagan and then as speaker as actually changing Washington. Everyone else would be an amateur in the Obama tradition who would not know they were doing or how to do it if they won," he said.

Tim Burrack, of Arlington, says it was that experience that informed his decision to caucus for him. Burrack stood up during the town hall to praise Gingrich for his support of ethanol in the the eighties, telling the candidate, "I do know that you were the deciding individual that allowed ethanol to succeed and I want to say there was nothing else in my lifetime that has transformed agriculture, and its taken us from a market of government dependency to a market where we can actually prosper... People take it for granted, but there was a time when it wasn't taken for granted and that it was almost lost."

Burrack, a farmer in Northeast Iowa for 39 years, had voted for Rick Santorum in the Iowa Straw Poll but said he was making a case for Gingrich to his friends because he believes Gingrich would be the best person to communicate to the public the extent of the country's financial problems.

Gingrich responded, "You just put your finger on one of the major reasons why Callista and I decided I should run for president. I worked with President Reagan...and Prime Minister Thatcher...and I watched how they run their countries. And the fact is that really effective presidents are educators and communicators more than they are managers. Because the first job of the president is to communicate to the American people where we are going and why we are going there and why it's the right thing to do so that the American people can think it through and help get it done... This idea you elect some magician and the magician goes out and solves everything is bologna."

If the Des Moines Register Poll is an accurate predictor of the caucus results tomorrow - as it has been historically -- then Gingrich will not finish in the top three. And indeed, Gingrich told reporters the "volume of negativity" lobbed against him had done enough damage that he didn't expect to come in first on Tuesday night. But, he said, "Whatever I do tomorrow night will be a victory because I'm still standing," he said.

The GOP hopeful has been under the weather during the final week of campaigning in Iowa, and questioned by a reporter whether he had the "fire in the belly" to win and whether he "wanted to be here more than anything," Gingrich said he would rather be with his wife and family but he "prepared to campaign endlessly from now until the end of October to defeat Obama" because he has the experience to get the country back on track.

"I regard it as a duty, not a pleasure, I regard it as an obligation, not an ambition, and I am prepared to do it," Gingrich said.

Subject: Blog Pitch:Gingrich: Every Other Candidate Would Be Amateur in Obama Tradition

Gingrich: Every Other Candidate Would Be Amateur in Obama Tradition

Walford, Iowa - "Eye of the Tiger" blasted overhead as Newt Gingrich's campaign bus backed into a warehouse at Schrader Excavating and Grading, which was filled with about 250 people - many decidedly committed to him -- in what was one of the candidate's last campaign stops before the caucuses.

He has already conceded he won't win in Iowa, but as he nears the finish line,, Gingrich continues his effort to reverse his downward fall in the polls, laying out a vicious attack against the White House in an effort to differentiate himself from the rest of the pack.

In the final full day of campaigning, the former House Speaker blasted the White House for having "concluded, at least I understand the news reports...to govern without Congress." That would, Gingrich said, mean President Obama is "going to be a candidate for the entire year."

"I am insulted that the president of the United States would think that he could pretend to govern without a year without Congress and if he intends to try to do that, it would be totally unconstitutional, and I think it would represent a fundamental breach in our system," he said in a speech at the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Walford.

The candidate has continually promised audiences that he will challenge President Obama to seven Lincoln Douglas debates if he becomes the nominee, and told reporters today in his closing arguments that it was his experience that made him the best person for the job.

"I'm the only candidate who has an actual track candidate twice, with Reagan and then as speaker as actually changing Washington. Everyone else would be an amateur in the Obama tradition who would not know they were doing or how to do it if they won," he said.

Tim Burrack, of Arlington, says it was that experience that informed his decision to caucus for him. Burrack stood up during the town hall to praise Gingrich for his support of ethanol in the the eighties, telling the candidate, "I do know that you were the deciding individual that allowed ethanol to succeed and I want to say there was nothing else in my lifetime that has transformed agriculture, and its taken us from a market of government dependency to a market where we can actually prosper... People take it for granted, but there was a time when it wasn't taken for granted and that it was almost lost."

Burrack, a farmer in Northeast Iowa for 39 years, had voted for Rick Santorum in the Iowa Straw Poll but said he was making a case for Gingrich to his friends because he believes Gingrich would be the best person to communicate to the public the extent of the country's financial problems.

Gingrich responded, "You just put your finger on one of the major reasons why Callista and I decided I should run for president. I worked with President Reagan...and Prime Minister Thatcher...and I watched how they run their countries. And the fact is that really effective presidents are educators and communicators more than they are managers. Because the first job of the president is to communicate to the American people where we are going and why we are going there and why it's the right thing to do so that the American people can think it through and help get it done... This idea you elect some magician and the magician goes out and solves everything is bologna."

If the Des Moines Register Poll is an accurate predictor of the caucus results tomorrow - as it has been historically -- then Gingrich will not finish in the top three. And indeed, Gingrich told reporters the "volume of negativity" lobbed against him had done enough damage that he didn't expect to come in first on Tuesday night. But, he said, "Whatever I do tomorrow night will be a victory because I'm still standing," he said.

The GOP hopeful has been under the weather during the final week of campaigning in Iowa, and questioned by a reporter whether he had the "fire in the belly" to win and whether he "wanted to be here more than anything," Gingrich said he would rather be with his wife and family but he "prepared to campaign endlessly from now until the end of October to defeat Obama" because he has the experience to get the country back on track.

"I regard it as a duty, not a pleasure, I regard it as an obligation, not an ambition, and I am prepared to do it," Gingrich said.