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Thursday, January 19, 2012

So What Did Callista "Devout Catholic" Gingrich Know and When Did She Know It?

Posted by on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 9:54 AM

Fnarf raises a valid question: Did Callista "Devout Catholic" Gingrich know about Newt's open marriage proposal? Did Newt bounce the idea off his mistress first? Maybe right after he finished bouncing himself off his mistress?

The Gingrich campaign has presented the holesome story of Newt and Callista's courtship as a redemption narrative: Newt is a better man today thanks to Callista, he's better suited to be president thanks to Callista, and he's better prepared to defend traditional marriage thanks to Callista. Callista even brought Newt to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church! So it's fair game to inquire if Callista knew in advance that Newt was going to ask his second wife for an open marriage and approved of the arrangement. (It might be more accurate to say that Newt informed his second wife that she was already in an open marriage and asked if she wanted to remain in it.) Would Callista still be Newt's mistress today if the second Mrs. Gingrich had agreed to remain in the marriage that Newt had already opened?

This news alters the redemption narrative that the Gingrich camp set before the voters. So questioning Callista about the open marriage proposal—what did the mistress know and when did she know it?—is entirely legit line of inquiry.

 

Comments (30) RSS

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Max Solomon 1
it's never fair game to ask a Republican a question they don't want to answer.
Posted by Max Solomon on January 19, 2012 at 10:04 AM
gloomy gus 2
"holesome" indeed. Very nice!
Posted by gloomy gus on January 19, 2012 at 10:08 AM
3
Which begs another question: given what we now know about what Callista knew before she married Newt, will she now be ousted from her very public role in the choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC? I cannot imagine a gay person singing in that group and being open about his or her sexuality. Such a singer would surely be ousted the very instant their sexual orientation was acknowledged. If she stays it will be further evidence of the RC church's hypocrisy both regarding sexual mores and the way it treats people with money and power.
Posted by tniel on January 19, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Fnarf 4
Bravo for "holesome". I see what you did there.

Callista knew she was screwing a married man for six years. She knew perfectly well she was sharing him with another woman all that time. It's not much of a stretch from there to "open marriage".

I dunno what Romney's marriage is like, but between Swingrich and Santorum's freaky wife, the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party at least is some kind of writhing mass of lardy politicos. Blech, blech, blech.
Posted by Fnarf http://www.facebook.com/fnarf on January 19, 2012 at 10:16 AM
5
Is Gingrich asking the Catholic Church to recognize his clearly illegitimate marriage? The Catholic Church considers marriage to be for life, no if, ands, or buts. Two divorces means there is no way he is REALLY married to Callista in the EYES OF GOD. This is a clear affront to traditional marriage and a threat to Western Civilization!
Posted by LML on January 19, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Pol Pot 6
ARBEIT MACHT FREI
Romney/Huntsman '12
Posted by Pol Pot http://bottlefuelrag.blogspot.com on January 19, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Phoebe in Wallingford 7
I wonder what hairspray Calista uses, or perhaps a gel?
Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on January 19, 2012 at 10:26 AM
8
@5 I'm sure the Church does not count Newt's first 2 marriages as having existed. After all, he wasn't Catholic back then, so he wasn't married in the Church.
Posted by WestSeven on January 19, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Kinison 9
Doesnt Dan Savage advocate for open relationships?
Posted by Kinison http://www.holgatehawks.com on January 19, 2012 at 10:33 AM
aardvark 10
i cant believe we have to even give a shit about this shit. every one of these fucking r candidates are fucked in the general election. obama is a god damn saint compared to this bunch.
Posted by aardvark on January 19, 2012 at 10:35 AM
NotSoDeepSouth 11
To be fair, saying one thing and doing another is a mainstay of the American politic system. We should be holding people on both sides of the aisle accountable to walk the talk or shut up.
Posted by NotSoDeepSouth http://crasstalk.com/author/notsodeepsouth on January 19, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Geraldo Riviera 12
"And I just stared at him and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do,'" Gingrich's ex-wife told ABC News' Brian Ross, in an interview that will air Thursday night. "He wanted an open marriage and I refused." "
Posted by Geraldo Riviera on January 19, 2012 at 10:40 AM
13
Apparently ABC news has an interview with Newt's second wive, that apparently, blows the roof off his campaign. They are going to put it on AFTER the primary in South Carolina (for some odd reason). Maybe Monday or Tuesday?

I don't think Calista uses hairspray or gel; she uses shellac.
Posted by westello on January 19, 2012 at 10:41 AM
14
@9

No. Savage advocates for ethical relationships, which may or may not include open relationships.
Posted by seatackled on January 19, 2012 at 10:44 AM
15
Another vaild question that should be posed to the Gingriches: Are they in an open marriage right now or have they been at any time during their marriage?
Posted by seatackled on January 19, 2012 at 10:46 AM
16
I wonder if wife number 2 had consented to having an open relationship if she would have had Newt's permission/blessing to take a lover. If not, he's not interested in an open marriage, he just wants to have his cake and eat it too. And no good catholic woman would ever consent to being a mistress. She (Callista) is an awful piece of shit just like newt.
Posted by Nikki in MN on January 19, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Hernandez 17
@7 I was going to guess wood glue.
Posted by Hernandez http://hernandezlist.blogspot.com on January 19, 2012 at 10:48 AM
18
Ps wife 2: newt cheated on wife one with you. Did you really think he wouldn't pull the same shit on you? karma's a bitch!
Posted by Nikki in MN on January 19, 2012 at 10:50 AM
undead ayn rand 19
@9: "Doesnt Dan Savage advocate for open relationships?"

Are you always this insincere?
Posted by undead ayn rand on January 19, 2012 at 11:14 AM
20
You may like my video about Newt's three marriages at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQSsMRe6B…
There are chickens in it. Everybody loves chickens!
It also ends with a splash of Santorum!
Posted by SFHarry on January 19, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Fred Casely 21
He's just following the European model of Catholicism.
Posted by Fred Casely on January 19, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Matt from Denver 22
@ 9, no, but it's frequent enough.
Posted by Matt from Denver on January 19, 2012 at 11:50 AM
23
@7, it's that stuff you make decoupage with.
Posted by KMS on January 19, 2012 at 12:18 PM
24
Conservatives won't care about Newt, even though Jesus said he is living in an adulterous relationship if married again. Conservative christians have a magical way into transforming into bleeding heart liberal christians when it comes to doing what they like to do. They don't have the need to express belief with any kind of discrimination in Newt's case, because they are liberal christians when they think about Newt. Blind to the bible when they choose to be, cherry-picking sins, having selective tastes. Bigotry.

http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_tea…

Posted by Lan on January 19, 2012 at 12:28 PM
Lilliable 25
@23: Mod Podge
Posted by Lilliable on January 19, 2012 at 1:10 PM
undead ayn rand 26
@24: "Conservative christians have a magical way into transforming into bleeding heart liberal christians when it comes to doing what they like to do"

The biggest sin any of them could commit would be actually falling for and loving their mistresses. If they're treated like chattel, anything they do to their stream of wives could be forgiven quickly and brushed under the rug.
Posted by undead ayn rand on January 19, 2012 at 1:23 PM
BEG 27
I never thought I'd have anything in common with Gingrich (or at least, his ex wives), but my ex also got the Catholic church to annul our marriage when he converted to Catholicism after our divorce. Even though neither of us were Catholic then, nor did we marry under the auspices of that Church. I've never understood the point of making any kind of ruling/pronouncment on a marriage not within that religion... o.O

But anyway, I must confess I'm more disturbed by his anger management issues than I am by his private life. It wasn't so long ago we had a politician with a pristine private life who fucked us all up horribly...
Posted by BEG http://twitter.com/#!/browneyedgirl65 on January 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM
undead ayn rand 28
@27: It's not so much about his private life as he's trying to become the "family values" candidate and running with a string of broken marriages, trying to tell everyone else how to lead their private lives.
Posted by undead ayn rand on January 19, 2012 at 3:03 PM
29
I'm a devout "cradle" Catholic educated by nuns and priests. There is no way you can call Newt a Catholic in the true sense of the word. He may attend Mass with his wife and accept Catholic teachings, but the truth is he is living in sin with his third wife! There is no way the Church could annul the previous 2 marriages no matter how sincerely repentent he is of past indiscretions. To be a Catholic he must be baptized, receive the sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and Confirmation, and then if he was free to marry which would involve having previous 2 marriages annulled then he could receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. I've never heard of anyone getting 2 marriages annulled - it's very difficult to just get one and the process is time-consuming and very particular. To call him Catholic just reveals how little many people understand what being Catholic truly is - you can't pick and choose what you want to do/believe. If you don't believe me ask any priest.
Posted by sue hebda on January 20, 2012 at 12:01 AM
undead ayn rand 30
@29: "There is no way you can call Newt a Catholic in the true sense of the word. He may attend Mass with his wife and accept Catholic teachings, but the truth is he is living in sin with his third wife!"

...

"To call him Catholic just reveals how little many people understand what being Catholic truly is"

Uh, he's a self-ascripted conservative Catholic. If you have issues with this, take it up with the man himself, and the church that gladly welcomes him to take Mass.

Because he IS a "good" Family Values Catholic in their eyes.

Posted by undead ayn rand on January 20, 2012 at 1:07 PM

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