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August 8th, 2012
09:25 PM ET

Gingrich: 'No proof' of claims in Romney ad

In an interview with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Newt Gingrich acknowledged there is no proof to back up claims about President Obama's welfare policy in a controversial Romney ad.

The ad has been widely criticized for inaccurately stating Obama wants to "gut welfare reform" by "dropping work requirements." The narrator tells viewers, "you wouldn't have to work and wouldn't have to train for a job. They just send you your welfare check."

Gingrich defended the ad and repeated a line similarly used by Romney in campaign speeches. "This is an administration which has maximized the increase in dependency, maximized the number of people on food stamps, maximized the effort to get people to rely on the government."

The Obama administration has said that waivers will only be granted if states requesting them can make the case that the changes they're proposing would lead to higher employment rates for welfare recipients. The president's re-election campaign has also said that that flexibility, which was first requested by Republican governors in Utah and Nevada, is similar to changes sought by Republican governors – including then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney – back in 2005.

"We have no proof today," Gingrich admitted, but defended the claims on the grounds that "under Obama's ideology, it is absolutely true that he would be comfortable sending a lot of people checks for doing nothing."

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Filed under: Mitt Romney • Newt Gingrich • Welfare
soundoff (18 Responses)
  1. Sara

    Anderson, You and I know you are right. Obama was giving states more flexibility if they showed over a period of 4 years that they were able to handle their welfare employment. That's all it was, he gave the states some power over welfare. Republicans are just spreading misinformation.

    August 14, 2012 at 2:09 am |
  2. Rufina Main

    come to san diego cause they r alot of welfare recipent from out of the country receiving welfare when in fact they r robbing the american citizen 2 receive this benifits that r taxpayers which they needed it the most, who says that outsiders can come in without working and getting help such as receiving welfare. this sucks and alot of our american citiizen r fed up with the system. This is a system when our american citizen have paid tax dollars to use it when u needed the help but half of the american citizens do not use it cause it is embarrassing. Hello

    August 10, 2012 at 11:04 pm |
  3. Bob

    The Republicans want anyone who receives welfare to be basically a janitor. Menial work that reduces an unemployed skilled worker to a demeaned level of serfdom. Precluded from having the time to search for work in order to clean the restrooms of the employed wealthier class of America. Does this idea sound reasonable?

    August 10, 2012 at 8:18 pm |
  4. Max Escoria

    The interesting thing about the republican party members, In respect to Gingrich and Romney is that as a deception specialist trained by the United states to see and listen for untruths is that they know their lying and don't feel any remorse or shame over it... To me this is a sign of a social-path and may need treatment or incarceration for further studies. And if you don't believe me get an independent expert to review their comments and actions this should be very interesting. Newt you are not a founding father and if they were here I,m sure a good tar and feather would be mentioned. But we are civilized America, Right mitt?

    August 10, 2012 at 2:17 pm |
  5. Ladycatpurrs

    Don't the republicans realize how many votes that little heads up will garner FOR Obama?

    August 10, 2012 at 12:16 pm |
  6. Uthor

    Some people think that Romney's baseless claim in this ad is OK. But then they criticize Harry Reid for his claims about Romney's tax returns. What a game it is.

    August 10, 2012 at 12:03 pm |
  7. MrRickinNH

    Election by deceit... The GOP's best hope!

    August 10, 2012 at 6:26 am |
  8. mccgeno

    Obama would be perfectly happy sending checks to welfare recipients for doing absolutely nothing (kinda like politicians). Maybe if our government did something about American corporations sending most of this countries manufacturing jobs to China, there might be enough jobs to go around. There's only so many McDonald's jobs out there. Nobody is living like a king on welfare.

    August 10, 2012 at 2:12 am |
  9. Chris K

    A political conclusion, or any prediction or conjecture for that matter, can be valid and true without proof.

    August 9, 2012 at 7:47 pm |
    • Spruce

      It's easy for many of you to direct your comments away from the point at hand to complain about public official salaries and such, but the bottom line is that you are ignoring the facts. Over one third of the population is receiving some sort of government handout which is an astronomical number with minimal requirements, and the number is growing. We even have TV ads telling people to go apply for more welfare. And to "Anastoria", the president does just hand out money to people for practically nothing. He has broadend the requirements of "looking for work" to tasks such as reading books, he extends unemployment for months. You don't make the country stonger by making people comfortable with free stuff. We are loosing the qualities that made this country prosperous through hard work, and competitiveness in the workforce. This is unsustainable, and the president and liberal America are driving this country into the ground by promoting these behaviors.

      August 10, 2012 at 4:48 am |
  10. Pete

    We send checks to every congressman who don't do anything to earm them, so what's the difference?

    August 9, 2012 at 1:14 pm |
    • patw2100

      And every retired member of Congress, like Newt.

      August 10, 2012 at 8:18 am |
    • Greg

      Actually we're paying Paul to campaign for Mitt.

      August 13, 2012 at 10:04 am |
  11. Ed in Reno, Nevada

    Since when has "proof" ever been required in any statement in politics? Especially from Republicans who believe that the best lie is the same one told over and over until everyone believes it is true.

    August 9, 2012 at 12:42 pm |
  12. Anastoria

    I live in Utah, and know people on Welfare. The facts about welfare is that you are required to look for work and Obama is not just going to send out checks to people and let them live off the government. That has never happened , and that will never happen. These statements are the lies that make people in our country all worked up and believing things that are not true, due to TV propaganda. I agree with him that some liberals will push their welfare to the limits , but let me emphasize their are limits and there has never been free checks for people to just kick back in our country. The things that have maximized people getting food stamps, and welfare, is the high turnover rate of corporations, the Utah work laws that can fire you for almost no reason, and lack of jobs that pay a living wage so that people can live off welfare.

    August 9, 2012 at 10:39 am |
  13. Tom Law

    No proof? No problem, we'll keep repeating the lie any way. It fires up the base!
    Desperate and sad.

    August 9, 2012 at 8:34 am |
    • granny dolly

      let some one live off welfare for six mo. not their "own money" and see how well off they are

      August 14, 2012 at 8:54 am |
  14. Benjie

    Don't we pay enough in Washington for people who don't work ??
    Also let's fine the elected officials for lying and apply to the national debt.

    August 8, 2012 at 10:17 pm |