Cocoa, Florida (CNN) - Newt Gingrich laid out his “bold” vision for space exploration Wednesday, including the goal of putting an American base on the moon by 2020.
The former House speaker was campaigning on Florida’s “Space Coast,” named for the heavy influence of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Florida holds its primary January 31.
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In his speech, Gingrich made no apologies for his “grandiose ideas” on space, which some of his opponents have cited as a fault.
“I accept the charge that I am an American and Americans are instinctively grandiose,” he said. Rival candidate Rick Santorum hit Gingrich at a GOP debate in South Carolina for having “grandiose” plans that lacked proper execution.
Rival Mitt Romney has mocked Gingrich’s space proposals, saying during a December 10 debate he was not in favor of Gingrich’s “idea to have a lunar colony that would mine minerals from the moon.”
Romney added, “I’m not in favor of spending that kind of money to do that.”
Gingrich pointed Wednesday to a proposal he made early in his career, which would have allowed American residents of the moon to petition for statehood when they reached a population of 13,000.
Gingrich admitted Wednesday the proposition was “the weirdest thing I’ve ever done,” but said he was still a proponent of the plan.
“I will, as president, encourage the introduction of the ‘Northwest Ordinance’ for space to put a marker down that we want Americans to think boldly about the future, and we want Americans to go out and study hard and work hard and together we're going to unleash the American people to build the country we love,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich said Romney missed the larger point when criticizing his space plan.
“Here's the difference between romantics and so-called practical people,” Gingrich said, contrasting himself to Romney. “I wanted every young American to say to themselves, ‘I could be one of those 13,000, I could be a pioneer.’”
Gingrich said Americans should feel “part of a generation of courageous people who do something big and bold and heroic.”
The White House hopeful didn’t stop at the moon, saying Mars would also be in America’s sights if he were elected president.
“By the end of 2020, we will have the first continuous propulsion system in space capable of getting to Mars in a remarkably short time, because I am sick of being told we have to be timid and I am sick of being told we have to be limited in technologies that are 50 years old,” Gingrich said.
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Pretty soon he's going to be sick of people telling him he's crazy!
Statehood? Since when does the USA own the moon?
Bold Newt
That's why he needs to be NEUTERED' he has no idea of the things he is actually proposing, when he's one of those that contends that America is 'Broke'.
Actually, Gingrich belongs in space...at least he already speaks as if he's on another planet...probably a solitary life on the moon would be good enough for him. The beautiful American women would have one less 'SEXUAL MONSTER' to be scared of.
Oh! how weird!!!,
Amazing the about face he is able to pull while still being able to keep his base. It always amazes me how Republicans are able to do that. I don't know if it is their charisma and speech skills or the gullibility of their conservative followers.
First he is against out of control government spending. Now he wants to colonize the moon and go to mars in 8 years. Perhaps he isn't aware these things cost money. Maybe he doesn't realize how much. Who knows. All I know is that any conservative follower of his who argues against out of control government spending but who then immediately forgets that line of reasoning and wants to pursue this agenda, which does sound grand and nice but would probably double or triple our current national debt for a non emergency purpose, has, in my mind, lost all credibility.
I guess he imagines that he is James T. Kirk. And wants to be the first man to nail an alien female in space.
We've already been to the moon Gingrich. Let us get our debt under control before shooting off to some other destination. Anyway, what is wrong with companies working on this.......How about the Koch Brothers-I'm sure they could pay for all the fuel to Mars.......
What a tremendous waste of money that we don't even have. Gingrich is NOT a conservative by any stretch of the imagination.
Gingrich may be shooting for the moon but the poor man doesn't realize he is shooting blanks.
Well, God knows he couldn't possibly solve the problems the republicans created here............so, why not the moon?
The moon is cool and all, but America has some real problems that need down-to-earth solutions. We should fix the economy first, then worry about frivolities like moon colonies. Gingrich keeps spitting out these laughable ideas like so much flatulence. I am shocked that people take him seriously.
Newt says Mitt lives in fantasy land and Nancy lives in fantasy land.
He seems to be obsessed with fantasies himself. "To the Moon, Newt" (Jackie Gleason – ha ha ha ha ha)
We need to have reasonable plans for space missions. I would like to say that we need to have plans for orbital stations that are larger than the current space station as well as plans for prolonged missions to the Moon, Mars and the astroids. It is ashame that Congress and NASA haven't been able to keep funding level and set forth short, medium and long term goals.
Hey Newt,
How's about a base on or in Uranus? Or how's about focusing on the real problems on this planet? That would be very bad decisions in the past ten years, today's challenges, and perhaps, what immediately lies ahead, or even more radically, articulating the consequences of ignoring any of the above. If you have trouble understanding any of the words longer than 5 or 6 letters, ask your ex-wife, she seems much smarter than you.
So... who is going to pay for that? Newt is not saying "Private Exploration of space". He wants to spend ANOTHER trillion of our tax dollars building George Jetsons house on the moon?
Does Newt realize that we are, at our current rate of debt, going to owe about 21 Trillion dollars in the year 2020, and the interest on our debt will probably suck up 1/2 of our revenues. THIS IS AN INSANE PROPOSAL.
Why not just say we are going to built robots that "transform" into cars and these will defend us from the DECEPTICONS.
I KNOW... Hey Newt. maybe we can build a DEATH STAR to protect us, and a shield generator in the Sequoia National Forest that protects it. I hope some furry monkeys and rebels don't try to blow it up!!
MINE THE MOON FOR MINERALS??? I'm sorry.. I thought the moon was made of CREAM CHEESE! Is it made of gold now?
WHAT A DORK.
VOTE MITT OR ITS A VOTE FOR OBAMA. Newt is a joke.
Did this guy hear trains instead of brains and has been doing chew chew ever since?
newt = a low life form than lives in damp dark places.
as I mentioned before: Gingrich : search for "Gingrich promises US moon colony by 2020".
you know the angle he is heading for. He thinks he'll coordinate private industry to do most of the work. Gingrich thinks he is another JFK... Gingrich will cut medicare and social security so he can look like JFK with a new and improved NASA. I'm all for a NASA program (it was and still is the leading edge stuff when it is allowed to do so). But we would need the proper person to lead that initiative... he ain't it (republicans in general are not). And the TEA PARTY is quiet about the amount of money it WILL to the debt. TEA PARTY is worse than useless.
The man is crazy! What more is there to say? Except that the money spent on going to the moon could be used to feed homeless and starving people here in the US.
Oh that he has the morals of an alley tom cat in heat!
An American base on the moon... I don't think this is the kind of thing our country needs right now.
I don't know whether to laugh or throw something at my computer monitor. This guy is so desperate. One of the many things I really do not understand is, if we're to have smaller government, how will we build a colony on the moon?
"To the Moon Alice!"
Newt Gingrich / Tom DeLay
Dream Team 2012
Gingrich wants to increase the police state with searches and drug tests for anyone receiving government money. This includes all public services such as libraries and schools. Are you getting a school loan? Be prepared to be groped. (Dick Morris is pulling his strings.)
Pander much? He says this in Florida because NASA-spending means big revenue for the state. He might as well say "vote for me and I'll give you a kick-back". I thought Republicans were supposed to be against this kind of thing.
Wow. . . . Way to boost the economy Newters, lets spend billions on space so we can land on a rusted rock, to find out that it's' rusted. . . .
Or, we could focus those dollars, time and resources to develop renewable energy technology that the US could use to end dependence on foreign oil and US companies could sell to foreign markets; China for example.
Obama 2012
Ok then, how do we pay for this? Mr Gingrich is so full of it.
If the term lunacy could every apply to a person absolutely perfectly, it applies to Gingrich after this promise.
He missed the moon, and shot himself in the foot instead. What a wacko. Romney 2012!
And how will lunar and Mars colonies produce more jobs on American soil?
Wow....does anyone honestly believe Gingrich is going to say another word about space programs the minute he leaves Florida? If Gingrich ever got into the White House and started slashing programs, I guarantee you we'd be hearing all about what a worthless, pie-in-the-sky waste of billions space exploration is.
The heck of it is, I do agree space exploration is important, for economic benefit as well as just technology and its national security applications (the 1960s Sapce Race led directly to the computer industry). I actually agree with the point, I just don't believe Newt agrees with it for a second. Most transparent political pandering yet this election cycle.
So did Newt also say how he planned to pay for this project? Or is this another unfunded idea? He spouts economic garbage out of one side of his mouth, and massive spending out of the other. Does he want smaller government? It sure doesn't sound like it. A project like the one he is talking about would take thousands of highly paid scientists and thousands more to build these ships, buildings, domes, etc. necessary before it could ever even be thought of as reality.
Loony much, Newt?
Where was Gingrich when the Republican Congress destroyed most of the funding for NASA? Republicans do not believe in science and technology and caused the loss of many jobs at Cape Kennedy, the lack of funding to maintain our space station ourselves, and to move to the next frontier – deep space exploration. What hypocrites to pretend they care about space, innovation, and science when they just stripped NASA of funding and have destroyed our education system across the nation!
Wow, I'm not sure how comfortable I would feel with this "romantic" behind the Army's big red button. How do people breath in a moon colony?
drudgereport . com:
NEWT FLASHBACK 1983: REAGAN RESPONSIBLE FOR NATIONAL 'DECAY'...
NEWT 1986: 'The Reagan administration has failed, is failing... President Reagan is clearly failing'...
NEWT 1988: 'If Bush runs as continuation of Reaganism he will lose'...
I'm trying to keep my house and Newt wants to send my potential buyers to the moon? What's next? This guy is a freak show.
How about the GOP/TP concentrating to help fix what they broke the last time they were in power, Newt? How about starting the “part of a generation of courageous people who do something big and bold and heroic for the American people” with the GOP in Congress? Well, we better do not hold our breath for that to happen (did you see their faces during the SOTU written obstruction all over them?) – better vote them out in November!
So Newt wants a "Northwest Ordinance"? What, to go with his 'Northwest Imperative?
Obama and his self serving propagandists have succeeded in poisoning the reputations of many, in their efforts to eliminate all who oppose him. They would be unable to succeed in their evil, ugly efforts, if not for the blind and stupid complicity of the biased main stream media, and stooges, like the bloggers here, who always demonize his detractors, no matter how true their accusations. Obama is a thin skinned egomaniac, who gets worse, with each measure of additional power he gains.
The Liberals are scared to death of Newt Gingrich.
Gingrich has the experience, smarts, and guts, to take the fight to the corrupt obama machine, and win.
I dont care about anything else this man stood for. He just got my vote
Oh WEASEL will say anything to get votes, an also where is the money, we don't have money for this type of garbarge.
Maybe you can send your wife to set things up
If Pres Obama came up with a similar plan , Gingrich would be the first out there asking how will he pay for it, so how Newt how will you pay for your plan , either lots of direct dollars from the Govt ot generous tax concessions for business, so i bet it be more cuts to education , health , infrastructer and SS .
Newts on the moon !
Gingrich pointed Wednesday to a proposal he made early in his career, which would have allowed American residents of the moon to petition for statehood when they reached a population of 13,000.
why am I not surprised? Maybe we could send Newt there to be the first governor....and I would be all for using tax payer funds to send his supports there to.....
More big government ideas with no way to pay for them? Sick is a good word to describe the entire clown show of republican candidates.
Typical republican, thinks that everything belongs to the United States and can therefore be exploited. Just because an American set foot on the moon forst that means the United States owns it? I'll bet ol' Newt would be in favor of fracking and strip mining the moon in order to extract whatever minerals are there.