Ayn Rand is alive and well in the Club for Growth

It’s been really interesting to see his rivals tear into Mitt Romney for being some sort of heartless capitalist. And it’s been equally interesting to see the Mark Sanford wing of the GOP defend him.

I didn’t have time this morning to finish reading the front-page piece in The Wall Street Journal (which unfortunately is hiding behind the pay wall) about this phenomenon, but I can share with you this release from the Club for Growth:

Statement On Newt Gingrich’s Attacks On Mitt Romney And Bain Capital
Club for Growth President Chris Chocola: “Newt Gingrich should stop his attacks on free markets and apologize to Governor Romney for them”

Washington, DC – The Club for Growth PAC issued the following statement today in reaction to Speaker Newt Gingrich’s attacks on Governor Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital. Yesterday, Gingrich said “Those of us who believe in free markets and those of us who believe that in fact the whole goal of investment is entrepreneurship and job creation…we find it pretty hard to justify rich people figuring out clever legal ways to loot a company, leaving behind 1,700 families without a job.” (Source: New York Times, 1/8/11) Gingrich’s attack was echoed that same day that by the Democratic National Committee, which also attacked Romney for his job creation record at Bain Capital. (Source: Democratic National Committee YouTube Page, 1/8/12)

“Newt Gingrich’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital are disgusting,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “There are a number of issues for Mitt Romney’s Republican opponents to attack him for, but attacking him for making investments in companies to create a profit for his investors is just wrong. Because of the efforts of Bain Capital, major companies like Staples, Domino’s Pizza, and the Sports Authority now employ thousands of people and have created billions in wealth in the private economy. Attacking Governor Romney for participating in free-market capitalism is just beyond the pale for any purported ‘Reagan Conservative.’ Newt Gingrich should stop his attacks on free markets and apologize to Governor Romney for them.”

Ayn Rand, high priestess of the cult of Self, may be technically dead, but who needs her when we have the Club?

No word, by the way, on whether Chris Chocola is related to the Count. Probably not, given the spelling difference.

8 thoughts on “Ayn Rand is alive and well in the Club for Growth”

  1. bud

    As a former employee of one of Bain Capitals “successful” companies I can categorically state that very few high-paying jobs were ever created by them. The jobs were mostly low-paying and under-appreciated jobs with little future and few benefits. Where I worked there were actually fewer paid employees in the store when I left. It’s laughable to point to those companies as an example of how Mitt Romney was a successful job-creator.

  2. Brad

    The war of words between Gingrich and the Club continues with this release:

    Gingrich Responds to Club For Growth Criticism by Doubling Down on Shameful Anti-Investment Rhetoric

    Club for Growth President Chris Chocola: “Speaker Gingrich knows better, and the fact that he would stoop to economically ignorant class warfare rhetoric to promote his own political campaign is downright Obamaesque.”

    Washington, DC – In an interview today with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was asked about the Club for Growth’s comments regarding his attack on the free market:

    Megyn Kelly: The Club for Growth, a conservative group has come out, and they have criticized various candidates for various things, some of your adversaries on various issues, but they came out against you on this and called your criticism of Romney on the Bain issue “disgusting” and said Newt Gingrich should apologize for his attacks on free markets, and he should apologize to Governor Romney.

    Gingrich: I didn’t attack free markets. I attacked a particular style of behavior which I would think the Club for Growth would want to be very careful about not defending. If we identify capitalism with rich guys looting companies, we’re going to have a very hard time protecting it. I am totally committed to capitalism, I am totally committed to Main Street, I am totally committed to people’s right to start companies, I’m committed to their right to fail. But I think it has to be fair, it has to be out in the open…this is why you have this underlying anger about the financial class. Because people look over and they go, wait a second, how come I lost my mortgage, and you stayed a millionaire? How come I lost all my savings, and you stayed a millionaire? (Fox News, “America Live With Megyn Kelly”, 1/10/12)

    The Club for Growth PAC issued the following statement in reaction to Gingrich’s comments:

    “It is highly disturbing that Newt Gingrich would equate the success of private equity firms like Bain Capital to ‘rich guys looting companies’,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “The fact is, private equity firms are a critical component of the free market economy, increasing economic growth, and creating prosperity. Speaker Gingrich knows better, and the fact that he would stoop to economically ignorant class warfare rhetoric to promote his own political campaign is downright Obamaesque. Speaker Gingrich should apologize to Governor Romney and to the Republican Party for his attack on a basic tenet of economic freedom.”

  3. martin

    It’s like the Club for Growth doesn’t get the difference between what Henry Ford did and what Mitt Romney did.

  4. Brad

    “I’ve been Ayn Randed, nearly branded/
    a communist ’cause I’m left-handed./
    That’s the hand I USE, well, never mind…”

  6. misterioso

    Supporters of capitalism are a cult? Is the left now going down a new road? Brad, get a left-hand mitten and wake up.

  7. Steve Gordy

    Asserting that Brad believes “supporters of capitalism are a cult” because he’s skeptical of Ayn Rand is a bit like claiming that Brad thinks Christians are a cult because he disagrees with Jim Jones, Jerry Falwell, or Pat Robertson.

  8. bud

    Supporters of capitalism are a cult?
    -misterioso

    Those who believe capitalism is without flaws very definitely meet the definition of a cult.

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