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Newt Gingrich Accidentally Names Porn Exec 'Entrepreneur Of The Year'
Rachel Slajda | September 11, 2009, 5:18PM
Fmr. House Spkr. Newt Gingrich
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Newt Gingrich's 527 group sent a letter to porn exec Allison Vivas Wednesday telling her she'd won their "Entrepreneur of the Year" award and inviting her to an "intimate event" with Gingrich.
"I'm honored, and more than a little surprised, to receive this prestigious award," Vivas said today in a cheeky press release. "Rest assured, I'll take the opportunity to inform Mr. Gingrich of some of the major challenges facing the adult entertainment industry in the current market .., from obscenity prosecutions to content piracy, I'll make sure he walks away from that dinner educated about the realities of the online porn market."
The statement made the rounds, and now Media Matters reports that the group's spokesman sent a short statement clearing things up: "We have notified Allison Vivas that the notice she received was sent by mistake. We regret the error."
The spokesman, Dan Kotman, did not immediately return TPM's request for comment.
Vivas, president of adult entertainment studio Pink Visual, posted the letter on her web site.
"You'll dine privately with Newt," it reads. A handwritten addendum reads, "Newt is looking forward to finally meeting you face to face -- and get your thoughts on cap and trade and Obama's tax policy."
The award itself includes a signed replica of Gingrich's gavel he used as Speaker of the House. (See a picture of the award, which Vivas says the group sent to her.)
Vivas said in her release that the gavel would "make for a pretty cool prop for a 'Couples Seduce Teens' episode."
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eve cairo
September 11, 2009 5:53 PM
He must have taken her name from his "other" phone book.
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BaileyWu
September 11, 2009 6:27 PM in reply to eve cairo
Too funny! You could very well be right.
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Tim
September 12, 2009 12:45 AM in reply to BaileyWu
I'm thinking he got a "word of mouth recommendation" from Rush Limbaugh, and then got it mixed up with another topic they were discussing.
Anyway, I'm thinking of cooking up my own "business mentor of the year" award. Maybe she'll agree to have a very "intimate" meeting with me.
Perhaps she can bring some of the actresses whose careers she's mentored, too.
I'm sure it would be fruitful. Man, that Gingrich sure cooked up a fine scheme to meet sexually active women.
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midnight rambler
September 11, 2009 5:53 PM
Will Vivas' "intimate event" with Newt be videotaped?
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midnight rambler
September 11, 2009 5:55 PM
I missed this on first read:
Presumably, this alludes to his long familiarity with her work. Or possibly having talked to her on a 900 number?
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Mad Dog Rackham
September 11, 2009 6:20 PM in reply to midnight rambler
Or perhaps had his face elsewhere in previous encounters.
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miguelitoh2o
September 11, 2009 5:56 PM
Makes me wonder exactly what the 'intimate event' Newt and she were to share was going to be.
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matyra
September 11, 2009 5:59 PM
Seems like something out of the Onion....
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midnight rambler
September 11, 2009 6:46 PM in reply to matyra
Doesn't every news story concerning Republicans these days? Duvall, Sanford, Palin, Steele, teabaggers, death panels, "keep the government out of Medicare"...
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mack23
September 11, 2009 6:02 PM
Maybe it'd have been better to check through honoree nominations sent in by Mike Duvall...
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dustbunny44
September 11, 2009 6:17 PM
Did Newt ask C Street for award recommendations?
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NobleCommentDecider
September 11, 2009 6:19 PM
Doesn't Gingrich 'get around' like Sanford, Duvall, Ensign, Vitter, etc?
Republicans want to turn your daughters into porn queens.
Of course if there was a buck in it most Teabaggers would drive their daughters to the studios to sign them up.
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Shrubbit
September 11, 2009 6:39 PM
My gawd, the Cap and Trade jokes write themselves. Seriously tho, imagine if this was a Dem. Just, wow.
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justadood
September 11, 2009 6:41 PM
WHat is it with Republicans and illicit sex?
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BluGrass
September 11, 2009 9:14 PM in reply to justadood
Can you say "Phyllis Schlafly?"
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kunda311
September 12, 2009 12:45 PM in reply to justadood
Well, nothing really illicit about the sex involved in this story that I'm aware of. Perhaps you meant "what is it with Republicans and hypocrisy?" or "what is it with Republicans and slips of the tongue?"
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SkippyFlipjack
September 11, 2009 7:08 PM
Does it say anywhere how much she's supposed to give them? Typically these things require a donation of a grand or two, ostensibly to cover costs but really just the whole point of the dinner.
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SkippyFlipjack
September 11, 2009 7:10 PM
Ms Vivas should ask why she received the letter in error, and which part of their intensive nominating process broke down. If you give someone an award and take it back, there must be a reason.. ;)
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Winston Smith
September 11, 2009 7:23 PM
Why shouldn't she win? Like any good Retardican, she's just trying to make a *uck in these, uhm, hard times.
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Kuyleh
September 11, 2009 7:28 PM
I would NOT want to be the person responsible for this mistake...
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casey
September 11, 2009 7:31 PM
I hope Jon Stewart knows this story.
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Elizabeth2
September 11, 2009 7:32 PM
Do read the letter if you haven't -- it's a minefield of bad puns!! When are Stewart and Colbert going to start up again? Please tell me it's soon! Their scripts are writing themselves.
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GTFOOH
September 11, 2009 7:35 PM
Are we sure this was a mistake? And why does that picture of Newt look like Dennie Hasert?
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agin
September 11, 2009 7:42 PM
Why the shock folks? Appears to me like they are finally making their family values public.
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expat46
September 11, 2009 8:58 PM
All joking aside. This makes me wonder what Newt is up to? Thinkprogress has a post on this and apparently he is giving a lot of these awards. Sounds to me like he's trying to build himself a grass roots organization.
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BluGrass
September 11, 2009 9:16 PM
Sounds like a re-run of McCain's vetting process. Except he forgot to send the retraction letter.
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susanthe
September 11, 2009 9:24 PM
I'm betting that the mistake was in getting caught. Newt was hoping for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. He must be about ready for a new wife.
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krcook
September 11, 2009 11:23 PM
Irony, irony. That's the story line. The real story is the dishonest fund raising scam Newt is involved in. Just how many "of the year" execs and entrepreneurs do you think he sent these letters to?
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Kuyleh
September 12, 2009 12:29 AM in reply to krcook
I'm curious about that as well.
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mycomment
September 12, 2009 6:27 AM in reply to krcook
newt's been running those fundraising scams his entire career.
i want the details on just how that 'mistake' happened. someone's 'intimate' dinner party has now been ruined... lol.
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dbl.r7711
September 11, 2009 11:54 PM
I can hardley wait to see the photos of Newt and his " booty " call ..." callgirl."
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robcat2075
September 12, 2009 1:13 AM
What's with the "accidentally" in the headline. That's taking Newts spin at face value.
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azpaull
September 12, 2009 2:54 AM in reply to robcat2075
Very good point. There was nothing accidental about it. (Maybe he can blame one of Bonner's temporary employees?)
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Nancy Irving
September 12, 2009 1:34 AM
Maybe she has opinions on cervical cap & trade.
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azpaull
September 12, 2009 2:53 AM
The jokes keep writing themselves. I clicked on the first link, to check out Newt's "527 group", and the first words I see are "Drill Here, Drill Now."
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Armageddon T. Thunderbird
September 12, 2009 5:48 AM in reply to azpaull
Maybe Newt is concerned about running out of lubricant.
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Official A
September 12, 2009 8:09 AM
"Newt is looking forward to finally meeting you face to face -- and get your thoughts on cap and trade and Obama's tax policy."
Perversely Palinesque use of the language: Newt is looking forward to meeting and get your thoughts. Also. There.
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blairza
September 12, 2009 10:30 AM
If this award were truly about business accumen, or pioneering business leadership this woman may well qualify. the porn industry is under a lot of stress and this lady seems pretty articulate. But, alas I forget Newt's history with pacs and educational awards etc.
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screaminmeme
September 12, 2009 11:27 AM
I can't WAIT for Monday's "The Daily Show"!
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lapdogs
September 12, 2009 4:59 PM in reply to screaminmeme
Jon Stewert has to have a new contract drawn up (shorter vacation periods) because every time he goes on a long vacation, all hell brakes loose in this country!!
Think of these past three weeks and I rest my case.
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kunda311
September 12, 2009 12:42 PM
Sometime within the last year our planet was sent into a political parallel dimension where the Republicans show their true hypocritical colors with every little thing they say and do, including this latest "gaffe"/Freudian slip. I hope the fun never ends.
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markg8
September 13, 2009 10:21 AM in reply to kunda311
You think our planet spun off into a political parallel dimension in the last year? Hell I think it happened when JFK was assassinated. What else would explain frauds and charlatans like Nixon, Reagan, both Bushes and Gingrich ever getting elected to any office?
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60srad
September 12, 2009 5:51 PM
Oops! Crapitalism trumps family "values"! It's dangerous for a holier-than-thou Repig to slip into honesty mode.
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60srad
September 12, 2009 5:54 PM in reply to 60srad
And is there some kind of tradition I'm not aware of where politicians are supposed to look like they're fighting constipation or something after they commit a faux pas? Elliot Spitzer did the same thing. Maybe it's to keep them from laughing inappropriately at an extremely funny situation. :)
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Mark Gilbert
September 12, 2009 9:48 PM
A friend of mine received exactly the same letter, with exactly the same "hand-written" addenda. The whole thing is hilarious. I love that Newt is billed as "General Chairman". Sounds like he's running the Communist Party!
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mikedrevguy
September 12, 2009 10:09 PM
family values!!!
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Daniel Doyle
September 13, 2009 1:59 AM
HOLY LOL The award is a replica of the Speaker gavel! HAHAHA Milk it some more Newt!
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Heraldblog
September 13, 2009 2:08 PM
Good to see that Newt supports wetlands protection.
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