Newt Gingrich: Protect the world "not only for future generations of human beings, but for all living things."

If it's Monday, it's time for Newt Gingrich's latest dispatch from the frontlines of World War III, a.k.a. "Winning the Future." 

This week, Newt reports on the French election from Berlin (yes, it's very confusing). Sarkozy is, to Newt's eye, "a tough, confrontational leader -- a man who has been preaching things that don't sound very much like the French establishment." Indeed, Sarko is "a different kind of Frenchman"--the son of Hungarian immigrants.

But more important, former Mr. Speaker, how are the zoos there in Berlin?

While we are here in Berlin, Callista and I plan to stop by the zoo to see my namesake, Knut the polar bear. He's getting bigger these days, but you probably remember him from a few months ago when he was a cub recently abandoned by his mother. Some animal rights activists had declared that he should be put to death rather than be raised by humans. I'm going to see Knut, not only because of my great love of zoos and the natural world, but because I think he is a symbol of a growing divide on man's relationship with the environment. The activists who wanted Knut killed represent the radical view that humans are only destroyers of the natural world and that human needs and wants shall always be a distant second to the environment.

More here.

Newt feeds monkeys with Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-[hiccup] R.I.) here.

Chris Elliott performs "Zoo Animals on Wheels" here.

Comments

Urkobold® | May 7, 2007, 6:20pm | #

YAWN!

Newt bores Urkobold. His website gave Urkobold a headache. Urkobold would like to know what it would take to make him stay in Berlin. At the zoo. Forever. Without his computer.

jimmy smith | May 7, 2007, 6:58pm | #

Which side of the fence was Newt on? As a straddler it might be hard to tell. Don't go near the monkey cage, Newt!!

Happy Jack | May 7, 2007, 8:06pm | #

Newt reports on the French
Newt feeds monkeys

I would care about this post if you had some audio with Newt saying "meenkey" in an Inspector Clouseau voice. Sorry, that should have been Chief Inspector.

jayk | May 7, 2007, 9:12pm | #

Which side of the fence was Newt on?

Not too sure what you mean there, jimmy.

Newt (short for Newton) would certainly not have raised his hand at the recent Republican presidential "debate" when asked who rejects evolution. So if he wants to spend some time consorting with his genealogical ancestors, that's OK with me.

Taktix® | May 7, 2007, 9:24pm | #

So, did he get an animal named after him because Colbert did the same?

Swim strong Stephanie Colburtle the Turtle!

kevrob | May 7, 2007, 9:51pm | #

Happy Jack, since Speaker Canute was in Berlin, shouldn't he say touch my monkey! like Dieter from Sprockets?

Kevin

jayk | May 7, 2007, 10:37pm | #

So, did he get an animal named after him because Colbert did the same?

Or the other way around? A newt is a salamander. Gingrich is probably delighted by the opportunity to have an animal, higher on the food-chain, with which he could be associated.

But his real name is Newton Leroy Gingrich. He may have been named after the cookie. The Fig Newton, first appeared in 1891.

Snopes. | May 7, 2007, 11:31pm | #

The whole "environmentalists want Knut to be killed" thing was a hoax.

-5 to Newt for falling for it.

van | May 8, 2007, 1:28am | #

Snopes,

Why do you say that? I mean, what I read was that extreme animal rights advocates wanted him to be killed, which is actually right in line with their belief that humans should not intervene in the lives of animals at all. The leadership at PETA and The Humane Society of the United States have been quite plain about it. For instance, they think domesticated animals should basically be neutered (and euthanized) right out of existence because they are adulterated by human intervention. So the story about Knut didn't make me skeptical at all.

v.

Dave | May 8, 2007, 1:59am | #

Yeah, I don't think it was a hoax, unless it was a hoax from multiple sources in multiple articles. Possible, but I thought it was for real.

Brian Palmer | May 8, 2007, 5:31am | #

It was widely reported, Dave, but even at the time, I recalled hearing some of the blowback: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1887892.htm

Namely, the activist Frank Albrecht had fought to keep another (much less telegenic) baby animal alive; but a court ruled in favor of the zoo putting the animal down. To get publicity over the previous decision, when the Knut situation came up, the activist sent out a press release saying that, if the arguments before were valid, then they should also apply in this case: the bear should be put down. It snowballed from there.

Pro Libertate | May 8, 2007, 8:49am | #

It's MONKEY TUESDAY!!!

P Brooks | May 8, 2007, 9:06am | #

tuesday is for monks

nit picking society

feces flingers all

crimethink | May 8, 2007, 9:28am | #

Don't worry, Knut's probably going to be killed anyway once he realizes he's a bear, not a human, and mauls his caretaker.

This can only end in tears.

v. | May 8, 2007, 9:57am | #

Brian,

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

v.

Trunk Monkey | May 8, 2007, 10:14am | #

ProGLib -

It is *always* MONKEYDAY!

As you can plainly see, hier

Pro Libertate | May 8, 2007, 10:28am | #

VM,

Awesome. My favorite is the Chaperon "Monkey".

Of course, you know that's how the Planet of the Apes gets started.

de stijl | May 8, 2007, 10:33am | #

Can't talk about baby animals without a link to Cute Overload!

Grotius | May 8, 2007, 10:53am | #

Watch Blair talking about sarkozy here.

Dr. Zaius | May 8, 2007, 11:06am | #

Beware the creature man. He will call chimpanzees monkeys.

I believe we will file a class action against humanity, seeking an injunction against any further breeding of the species.

josephdietrich | May 8, 2007, 4:02pm | #

For instance, they think domesticated animals should basically be neutered (and euthanized) right out of existence because they are adulterated by human intervention.

Er, what? While the most radical members of PETA or the Animal Liberation Front might believe that, the HSUS leadership is by no stretch of the imagination trying to neuter pets out of existence. Are you a shill for Big Puppy or what?

Neutering and sterilization is about population control. Euthanizing animals is no fun at all, and there are a whole lot of irresponsible owners that let their animals have young'uns and then just drop the unwanted kits and pups off at the nearest shelter to be euthanized.

And don't get me started about bunnies after Easter. Jeebus, some people just don't think ahead when buying "cute" gifts.

Stevo Darkly | May 8, 2007, 6:11pm | #

I'm going to go home and spank the heston.

van | May 8, 2007, 7:35pm | #

jd:

Nope, I'm not a shill for big puppy. Just a cat lover and HSUS hater. The Humane Society of the United States is actually not affiliated with any local animal shelters. The organization transformed itself from its animal welfare roots into a radical animal rights group during the 80s and 90s. They just don't want us to know. It's all here at the site of the shills for Big Unhealthy Food, i.e. Consumerfreedom.com:

http://tinyurl.com/2c4e7l

I do admit I can't find any quotes from HSUS demonstrating the viewpoint I described, but that is not surprising given that they hide their agenda. PETA has done less well at that than HSUS.

Regarding my statement about euthanasia to kill off domesticated animals -- here are some quotes endorsing the phasing out of "companion animals." Given PETAs actual practices towards animals entrusted in its care, I say my conclusion is as easy as 1+1.

"...we would no longer allow breeding. People could not create different breeds...If people had companion animals in their homes, those animals would have to be refugees from the animal shelters and the streets...as the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship – enjoyment at a distance."
-Ingrid Newkirk, PETA vice-president,

"The cat, like the dog, must disappear..... We should cut the domestic cat free from our dominance by neutering, neutering, and more neutering, until our pathetic version of the cat ceases to exist." -John Bryant, Fettered Kingdoms: An Examination of a Changing Ethic, PETA 1982

What PETA does to animals:

http://www.nokillnow.com/PETAanimalpeople.htm

http://www.nokillnow.com/PETA1000.htm

http://www.nokillnow.com/PETAIngridNewkirkResign.htm