Death Panels

Dems Raising Money Off Palin's "Death Panel" Comments

Eric Kleefeld | August 12, 2009, 12:27PM

The Democratic Congressional Committee is now raising money off of Sarah Palin's infamous "death panel" remarks, in a new e-mail sent out this afternoon.

"Now, Sarah Palin is outrageously claiming that Americans 'would have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel'' to receive care," the e-mail says, emphasis theirs. "While Palin's attack is a complete fabrication, the GOP is closing ranks to defend these outright lies. Over the weekend, former Speaker Newt Gingrich stood by Palin's bizarre 'death panel' accusation on national TV."

The e-mail encourages recipients to download a "Health Care Fact Check Card," the link to which takes them to a donation page along with the card itself. The letter then ends on a more explicit, direct appeal for money.

Check out the full e-mail, after the jump.

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Howard Dean

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 9, 2009, 12:56PM

Dean: Palin "Just Made That Up" About The Death Panel
Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean told CNN that Sarah Palin's line about President Obama establishing a "death panel" was simply wrong. "About euthanasia, they're just totally erroneous. She just made that up," said Dean. "Just like the 'Bridge to Nowhere' that she supposedly didn't support.

Gingrich Defends Palin On The Death Panel
Appearing on This Week, former Speaker Newt Gingrich defended Palin on the "death panel" talk, even though George Stephanopoulos pointed out multiple times that the health care bill does not promote euthanasia. "You are asking us to trust turning power over to the government," said Gingrich, "when there are clearly people in American who believe in establishing euthanasia, including selective standards."

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Health Care

Newt: My $1.5 Trillion Claim Comes From AP Report;

Brian Beutler | July 16, 2009, 9:05AM

In case you want more evidence that AP's curious characterization of the cost of health care legislation is becoming a GOP talking point, you need look no further than Newt himself, who admits as much.

Here's how he defends himself.

"CBO score of $1 trillion does not include medicare and medicaid components which democratic leaders have not yet had scored."

Ummmm...ok. But here's what the CBO itself has to say about that: "The analysis issued today does not take into account other parts of the proposal that would raise taxes or reduce other spending (particularly in Medicare) in an effort to offset the federal costs of the coverage provisions."

Funny that. Newt's right that the CBO didn't score the bill. But the sections they haven't scored will actually decrease the overall cost of the bill. In fact, if Democratic legislators get their way, it'll probably cut the price in half. That's $500 billion less than $1 trillion. Not $500 billion more. Assuming this is an example of innumeracy and not mendacity (Newt would never lie!) it says a lot about Republicans that this is the figure they hold forth as their "big ideas" guy.

Health Care

Associated Press Continues To Insist Dem Health Care Bill Costs $1.5 Trillion

Brian Beutler | July 16, 2009, 8:52AM

Yesterday, we noticed something strange about the Associated Press' coverage of the House's health care bill unveiling. A preliminary Congressional Budget Office analysis pegged the price of that legislation at about $1 trillion, and by and large, that's how reporters characterized the cost of the bill. But not the AP, which, relying seemingly on the good faith of an anonymous Democratic aide, said the bill would actually cost $1.5 trillion. Soon, Newt Gingrich picked up that ball and ran with it, and Democratic health care leaders and their aides were fuming.

But that hasn't stopped AP, which is at it again. "Votes were planned Thursday in the Education and Labor and Ways and Means committees on a $1.5 trillion plan that majority House Democrats presented this week," reports Erica Werner. As I reported Tuesday, the first part of that sentence is true. The second part, however, is not.

So what's going on over at Ron Fournier's shop?

Health Care

Newt, And An Anonymous Democrat, Erroneously Claim House Health Care Bill Will Cost $1.5 Trillion

Brian Beutler | July 15, 2009, 11:27AM

You don't hear Democrats echoing Newt Gingrich all that often. But after yesterday's House health care bill unveiling, it seems that at least one anonymous Democratic aide and the former House Speaker have found common cause.

After House leaders rolled out their legislation, Gingrich took to Twitter to criticize it:

"The liberal health bill introduced by pelosi [sic] is a disaster. $1.5 trillion in new spending. Tax increases on virtually everyone."

There are various errors in that statement, but the biggest one is the price tag. As I reported yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office is estimating that the bill will cost about $1 trillion, and Democrats have proposed covering that cost with a surtax on Americans who make over $350,000 a year, and by wringing efficiencies out of the bloated health care system.

But though it's unsurprising that Newt would find a way to elide the CBO's analysis, it is surprising that a House Democratic aide would mimic him. According to the Associated Press, "a House Democratic aide said the total bill would add up to about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private calculations." And that figure--about $500 billion off the mark--is what the AP ran with in its lede. "House Democratic leaders, pledging to meet the president's goal of health care legislation before their August break, are offering a $1.5 trillion plan that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans."

House Dems are, of course, none too pleased. This is the sort of meme thing that can snowball into a wide misunderstanding of what, exactly, the House of Representatives is proposing--so we'll be on the lookout for it.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 9, 2009, 9:01AM

First Gitmo Detainee Brought To United States
The Justice Department has announced that they have for the first time brought a Guantanamo Bay detainee to the United States: Ahmed Ghailani, who was indicted in 1998 for al-Qaida bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed mored than 224 people. Said Attorney General Eric Holder, in a press release: "The Justice Department has a long history of securely detaining and successfully prosecuting terror suspects through the criminal justice system, and we will bring that experience to bear in seeking justice in this case."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be speaking at 1 p.m. ET, advocating for the budgeting principle known as PAYGO (Pay As You Go) -- that any new tax or entitlement policies should be paid for up front. Members of Congress, including the members of the Blue Dog Coalition, will attend the event. At 2:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with the Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with Sec. of Defense Robert Gates, along with Vice President Biden.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 7, 2009, 1:01PM

Hillary: Obama Has Passed "3 a.m." Test
Appearing on ABC's This Week, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton was asked whether President Obama has passed the "3 a.m." test that she raised in her famous campaign ad against him in the 2008 primaries. "Absolutely," said Clinton. "And, you know, the president in his public actions and demeanor, and certainly in private with me and with the national security team, has been strong, thoughtful, decisive, I think he is doing a terrific job. And it's an honor to serve with him."

Hillary: I Initially Rejected Sec. of State Offer
Also during her This Week interview, Hillary Clinton said she'd initially turned down the offer from President Obama to be Secretary of State, thinking it was "absurd" and wanting to go back to serving New York in the Senate. "But he was quite persistent and very persuasive. And, you know, ultimately, it came down to my feeling that, number one, when your president asks you to do something for your country, you really need a good reason not to do it," said Clinton. "Number two, if I had won and I had asked him to please help me serve our country, I would have hoped he would say yes."

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Dick Cheney

Gingrich: Cheney Concentrated On National Security; Obama Read A Couple Of Left-Wing Books

Eric Kleefeld | June 5, 2009, 1:17PM

Newt Gingrich spoke last night to the Connecticut Republican Party, and made it clear just how much he trusts Dick Cheney over President Obama.

"One was chief of staff, secretary of defense and a vice president who concentrated on national security," Gingrich said to the assembled Republicans. "The other read a couple of left-wing books on the CIA."

It's an interesting description of the current President of the United States, who was also previously a U.S. Senator -- making him sound like the lefty kids you see on college campuses, carrying around copies of Noam Chomsky.

Interestingly, there was a dog that didn't bark: Gingrich didn't mention Sonia Sotomayor, against whom he's kind of, sort of, not really backed away from calling a racist.

Newt Gingrich

Limbaugh Reacts To Newt: "I'm Not Retracting It," Sotomayor Is A Racist

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2009, 1:29PM

Rush Limbaugh has now reacted to the widely-reported "retraction" by Newt Gingrich of his having called Sonia Sotomayor a racist -- and he's going to keep on calling her a racist by himself:

Limbaugh appears not to have read Gingrich's new Web post with the alleged retraction, but he nevertheless has a lot to say about it based on press reports. "Well I have my own theory about what Newt's doing, but since I'm not doing it, I'm not gonna comment," Limbaugh said. "I'm not retracting it. Nobody's refuted it!"

Limbaugh should probably read Newt's actual post, in which case he'll be pleasantly surprised to find that...Newt hasn't actually recanted it! Gingrich has simply tricked that pesky liberal media into thinking he has, while at the same time repeating his message that Sotomayor makes her legal decisions based on race.

Jeff Sessions

Sessions: I'm Very Glad Gingrich Backed Off (Note: Gingrich Didn't Back Off)

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2009, 11:38AM

The GOP seems to be consolidating around a message of contrition for calling Sonia Sotomayor a racist, recognizing just how politically self-defeating it's been -- even if the retractions aren't exactly genuine.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke to CNN's Dana Bash, who asked him about the alleged walk-back by Newt Gingrich:

"I'm very glad he backed off. I think that's unusual, that commentators do that, and I think it was very good that he did," said Sessions. "I think that will help - help us. I think that will help us have a real good discussion about the serious issues that the nation faces and that the court faces. And there's some disagreements about that."

The thing is, as I've pointed out, Gingrich is very clearly not backing off, if one simply reads his new post beyond the first few paragraphs. Instead, he's talking out of both sides of his mouth by saying he shouldn't have called Sotomayor a racist -- and then haranguing her for making decisions based on race, and repeating this refrain: "You Read, You Decide."

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich Walks Back Calling Sotomayor A Racist -- Not

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2009, 9:39AM

In a sign that the Republican Party's right wing could now be attempting to walk back the over-the-top rhetoric that has been used against Sonia Sotomayor, Newt Gingrich has put up a new post on his Web site saying he shouldn't have called her a racist -- and then proceeds to go into detail about how she's a racist!

"The word 'racist' should not have been applied to Judge Sotomayor as a person," Gingrich says, "even if her words themselves are unacceptable (a fact which both President Obama and his Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, have since admitted)."

Then he goes into all sorts of details about the "wise Latina" comment, the intricacies of the New Haven firefighters case, and other objections he has to Sotomayor. At each juncture, he borrows a line from Fox News: "You Read, You Decide."

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Pres '12

Poll: No Immediate Republican Frontrunner For 2012

Eric Kleefeld | June 2, 2009, 4:11PM

A new CNN poll finds that there is no immediate frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2012. Here are the numbers, with a ±4.5% margin of error among GOP respondents:

Mike Huckabee 22%
Sarah Palin 21%
Mitt Romney 21%
Newt Gingrich 13%
Jeb Bush 6%
Someone else (volunteered answer) 10%

At this point there really doesn't need to be an immediate Republican frontrunner. It's even quite plausible that the lack of a current leading candidate could have its own mix of pluses and minuses.

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich Digs In On Sotomayor-Bashing

Eric Kleefeld | May 29, 2009, 4:31PM

Newt Gingrich does not seem to be deterred by the new message of the Republican leadership, such as Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), that he and Rush Limbaugh should stop calling Sonia Sotomayor a racist.

Gingrich has now sent out a fundraising e-mail, asking for help to send blast faxes to every member of the Senate demanding that the Sotomayor nomination be defeated. He even says that she shouldn't even get a vote in the Senate, but should just have to withdraw.

Gingrich warns that all of American civilization is at stake here. "If Civil War, suffrage, and Civil Rights are to mean anything, we cannot accept that conclusion," he writes. "It is simply un-American. There is no room on the bench of the United States Supreme Court for this worldview."

Newt Gingrich

Gibbs Dismisses Gingrich Comments As "Blog Of A Former Lawmaker"

Eric Kleefeld | May 27, 2009, 1:51PM

At the White House press briefing just now, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked by Chip Reid of CBS News about Newt Gingrich's Twitter comments that a "Latina woman racist" should have to withdraw from a judicial nomination, comparing Sonia Sotomayor to a hypothetical white man saying his background made him a better pick than a Latina.

"I think it is probably important for anybody involved in this debate to be exceedingly careful with the way in which they've decided to describe different aspects of this impending nomination," said Gibbs. "I think we're satisfied that when the people of America and the people of the Senate get a chance to look at more than just the blog of a former lawmaker, that they'll come to the same conclusion that the President did."

Newt Gingrich

You Can't Keep Newt Gingrich Down

Eric Kleefeld | May 25, 2009, 1:13PM

It's strange to think that a guy who served as Speaker of the House for a mere four years, ending his stint more than a decade ago, has now been able to command such a loyal following in the DC media types that he is making regular national TV appearances and is often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. But that's what Newt Gingrich -- whose name was last on a ballot in 1998, when he won re-election to his House seat from Georgia and then soon after resigned as both Speaker and a member of Congress -- has managed to pull off.

Just look at his Speaker Gingrich Web hub for his views on the issues -- its full heading is "The Office of Speaker Newt Gingrich," a decade after he left an office he held for four years. He's also become an expert adviser with House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's National Council for a New America, which is widely seen as a GOP rebranding effort.

Some recent Newt pronouncements include:

• Calling on the current Speaker Nancy Pelosi to resign, after she said the CIA lied to her about torture: "She's made America less secure by sending a signal to the men and women defending our country that they can't count on their leaders to defend them."

• Declaring that President Obama is endangering Israel: "There's almost an eagerness to take on the Israeli government to make a point with the Arab world."

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Guantanamo Bay

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 24, 2009, 12:53PM

Mullen: Gitmo Needs To Be Closed
Appearing on ABC's This Week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen reaffirmed his belief that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should be closed. "The concern I've had about Guantanamo in these wars is it has been a symbol, and one which has been a recruiting symbol for those extremists and jihadists who would fight us. So and I think that centers -- you know, that's the heart of the concern for Guantanamo's continued existence, in which I spoke to a few years ago, the need to close it."

Obama's Day: Camp David
President Obama has been spending the weekend at Camp David, and is scheduled to arrive back at the White House tonight at 10 p.m. ET. He does not have any public events scheduled. Vice President Biden is in Wilmington, Delaware, and also does not have any scheduled public events.

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Newt Gingrich

On Meet The Press, It's High-Ranking Dem Dick Durbin Versus ... Newt Gingrich

Eric Kleefeld | May 22, 2009, 9:39AM

It may be further evidence of the Republican Party's current doldrums that a top party spokesman, who will appear on Meet The Press this Sunday to debate a high-ranking Democrat, is none other than Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich will be facing off against Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), to discuss national security issues and the controversy surrounding Nancy Pelosi's claims against the CIA.

Consider the fact that Durbin is a top-ranking elected Democrat -- while Gingrich resigned as Speaker of the House a little over ten years ago.

House '10

DCCC Offers Donors A Chance To Have Dinner With Pelosi; NRCC Offers Dinner With Newt

Eric Kleefeld | May 21, 2009, 2:33PM

The DCCC is now upping the ante in its special raffle -- the one they began last week, in which people who donate only $5 or more are given a chance to win a free trip to Washington for the Dem committees' big fundraising dinner in June, and get their picture taken with President Obama.

In an e-mail that was just sent out, Speaker Nancy Pelosi offers this extra incentive: "If you enter today, you and your guest will sit at my table should you be the lucky winner who is chosen."

Meanwhile, the NRCC is getting in on the act, too, with a contest to come to the GOP's own big June dinner -- and the winner and their guest will get to sit at Newt Gingrich's table: "If you've ever watched Newt on TV and thought 'I'd like to meet this guy,' this is your chance!"

Interestingly, the NRCC's raffle tickets start at $50, compared to only $5 for the DCCC and the similar contest from the DSCC. In all three cases, the obvious wager is that the sweepstakes will bring in more money than the cost of airfare and hotels for the winners.

Check out the fundraising letters, after the jump.

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Barack Obama

Poll: Obama Leads Big GOP Names For 2012

Eric Kleefeld | May 21, 2009, 1:28PM

A new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) finds President Obama leading several potential 2012 opponents by substantial margins.

The numbers: Obama leads Newt Gingrich 53%-36%; he's ahead of Mike Huckabee 52%-39%; he leads Sarah Palin 56%-37%; and he beats Mitt Romney 53%-35%.

Obama's approval rating is 55% in this poll, to a disapproval of 38%. By contrast, Gingrich's favorable rating is only 30% against 47% unfavorable; Huckabee's is 44%-32%; Palin's is 42%-50%; and Romney's rating is 40%-36%.

Of course, it's only May 2009, and Iowa Republicans presumably won't be voting until January 2012. So take this all with a heap of salt.

EFCA

Gingrich Threatens EFCA Twitterer With Lawsuit, Doesn't Understand Twitter

Brian Beutler | May 19, 2009, 11:06AM

"We are writing to demand that you immediately take down an illegal and fraudulent posting on Twitter...which falsely purports to be written by our clients and unlawfully uses the name of Messrs. [Newt] Gingrich and [Saul] Anuzis," reads a letter (PDF) from Stefan Passatino of the law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge.

The cease and desist notice comes in response to an online movement intended to convince Gingrich's Twitter followers (among others) to sign a petition in support of EFCA. Gingrich and his lawyer takes issue with the campaign, but that's possibly because the finer points of Twitter have eluded both of them.

We have recently learned that a pro-EFCA group calling itself "The Truth About EFCA.Org" and operating a website at that URL, has apparently publish the Posting on Twitter. The Posting falsely purports to have been written by Messrs. Gingrich and Anuzis and includes the Mark [ampersand] as well as the Twitter "handles" of the foregoing individuals.

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Michael Steele

DNC: If Steele Wants To Not Look Backward, He'll Disown Cheney, Gingrich And Limbaugh

Eric Kleefeld | May 19, 2009, 11:00AM

Democratic National Committee national press secretary Hari Sevugan released this statement responding to Michael Steele's speech declaring the GOP will not be looking backward:

"While we welcome Chairman Steele's words that the GOP wants to turn the page on its past, we are disheartened by the party's actions that tell the opposite story. While the Chairman talks of moving forward, the very convention he's addressing will not focus on coming up with new ideas to create jobs and setting right what the party got wrong over the last eight years, but instead will revolve around name calling and the petty politics of the past. While the Chairman speaks of no longer looking in the rearview mirror, just this weekend he and other party leaders stumbled over one another to endorse the leadership of one of the most divisive figures in recent American history, Dick Cheney. The test of the sincerity of the Chairman's words will be if he and the other GOP leaders stand up to the fringe elements of their party and whether they tell the polarizing faces of the past - including Cheney, Gingrich and Limbaugh - to stand aside. Unfortunately, they have shown no willingness to do so, which is why fewer and fewer Americans have confidence in the Republican party to lead during these tough times."

Late Update: Speak of the Devil, Newt Gingrich is now joining the GOP's rebranding effort, the National Council for a New America.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 10, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama Plays Comedian At Correspondents' Dinner
President Obama told all manner of jokes last night at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, roasting himself, his administration, his party, the opposition, and the press:

My personal favorite: "Now Sasha and Malia aren't here tonight, because they're grounded. You can't just take Air Force One on a joyride to Manhattan. I don't care whose kids you are."

Cheney: Opponents "Prepared To Sacrifice American Lives"
Former Vice President Dick Cheney appeared today on Face The Nation, and he had a tough response to the Obama Administration's opposition to his approved methods of interrogation: "Well, then you'd have to say that, in effect, we're prepared to sacrifice American lives rather than run an intelligent interrogation program that would provide us the information we need to protect America."

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Dick Cheney

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | May 8, 2009, 2:54PM

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

• CBS, Face The Nation: Former Vice President Dick Cheney.

• CNN, State Of The Union: Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM.

• Fox News Sunday: Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM; former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan; Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 4, 2009, 9:00AM

Gates: Administration Is "Pretty Realistic" About Iran
Defense Sec. Robert Gates is on a trip to the Middle East, telling reporters that he'll reassure America's allies on outreach to Iran: "And I just think it's important to reassure our friends and allies in the region that while we're willing to reach out to the Iranians, as the president said, with an open hand, I think everybody in the administration, from the president on down, is pretty realistic and will be pretty tough-minded if we still encounter a closed fist."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be speaking at 11:05 a.m. ET from the Grand Foyer, delivering remarks on international tax reform, to close loopholes for overseas tax havens that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas. At 5:15 p.m. ET, he will speak at a Cinco de Mayo event in the East Room.

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Auto Industry

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 1, 2009, 9:03AM

WaPo: Biden In Charge Of Search For SCOTUS Nominee
The Washington Post reports that Vice President Biden has been tasked with with drawing up a list of potential Supreme Court nominees to replace Justice David Souter, whose retirement has not yet been officially announced but is widely reported to be a settled issue. Souter will reportedly step down after this current court term ends in June, effective upon confirmation of his successor. The next term begins in October.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be meeting with his cabinet at 11:15 a.m. ET. AT 12 p.m. ET, he will have lunch with Vice President Biden, and it's not unreasonable to imagine that the Supreme Court will be a key topic of discussion. At 1 p.m. ET, he and Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano will attend a naturalization ceremony for active-duty service members, with Napolitano swearing them in as citizens and Obama presenting an Outstanding American by Choice Award. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he will attend a ceremonial swearing-in of Commerce Sec. Gary Lock and Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius, with Biden delivering the oath of office.

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Newt Gingrich

Gingrich's Many Cap-and-Trade Distortions

Brian Beutler | April 27, 2009, 12:27PM

On Friday, I posted a clip of Newt Gingrich's testimony before the House Energy & Commerce committee, in which the former House Speaker stood by misleading GOP charges that cap-and-trade legislation will cost the average family thousands of dollars a year.

We've been over much of this before--the most famous Republican talking point has its roots in an MIT study, which estimates that the government will initially collect $366 billion in revenue from a cap-and-trade bill every year. Republicans assumed that industry would pass this cost on to consumers, divided that number by an estimate of the number of households in America and--voila--concluded that, on average, each household would be responsible for $3,128 worth of increased energy costs.

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Barack Obama

Poll: Obama Ahead Of Gingrich, Huckabee, Palin And Romney In 2012 Matchups

Eric Kleefeld | April 23, 2009, 11:35AM

A new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D), already looking forward to 2012, shows President Obama ahead of four potential Republican opponents.

Obama leads Newt Gingrich 52%-39%; he's ahead of Mike Huckabee 49%-42%; he beats Sarah Palin 53%-41%; and he leads Mitt Romney 50%-39%.

"Barack Obama might not have the same overwhelming approval rating he did in the earlier days of his administration," PPP president Dean Debnam said in the polling memo. "But he's certainly still more popular than any of the major Republican figures in the country."

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich: Obama Waging "War Against Churches"

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 3:53PM

In a new appeal to the Christian right, Newt Gingrich told OneNewsNow that President Obama's proposed changes to the charitable deduction for top earners amounts to a "war against churches and charities," deliberately designed to discourage the successful from donating money to churches and make us all dependent on the government.

"I think there's a clear to desire to replace the church with a bureaucracy, and to replace people's right to worship together with a government-dominated system," said Gingrich.

The proposal itself is to lower the deduction that people making over $250,000 receive for itemized charitable contributions, from its current 33% or 35% down to 28%. Obama has defended the proposal by saying: "I'm assuming that that shouldn't be the determining factor as to whether you're giving that $100 to the homeless shelter down the street."

What's next? Will we be hearing that Obama intends to ransack the Notre Dame cathedral, and convert it into the Temple of Reason?