This article explores Newt Gingrich's baggage when it comes to women's rights and his personal relationships with women.

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As the country watches the antics of the GOP presidential contenders, it becomes clear that most of them do not have the ability to even compete with each other in debates without looking as though they are not ready for primetime. And when questions come up regarding foreign policy or even basic answers about their own positions on issues, to say that they simply look foolish would be an understatement.

We have watched as the unprepared Michele Bachmann has fallen off the polls entirely and as the once golden-boy Rick Perry imploded right before our very eyes. We have heard all about one time front-runner Herman Cain's improprieties when it comes to women, as well as watched interviews that make him look totally unprepared to even answer basic questions that any presidential candidate should be fluent on. All of these former frontrunners have displayed a total lack of knowledge on critical issues. Of course all those little problems then open up the door for the next poll topper of the week, and now it seems to be Newt Gingrich's turn.

This allows us to take a look back at Mr. Gingrich's long record, especially when it comes to his extreme positions on women's issues, as well as his personal history with women, and this is where the man has his biggest problems. Gingrich is trying to pretend that he is now a Washington "outsider." But of course this won't wash with primary voters, because he has a very long, disturbing record, even though he does seem a bit more intellectual compared to his rivals, he is far from the ideal GOP candidate.

Gingrich has the everlasting baggage of signing on to the Susan B. Anthony List pledge to appoint only anti-choice judges and anti-choice health cabinet members for the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health, Planned Parenthood reported. Gingrich supports outlawing all abortions and prosecuting doctors who perform them. I guess the vote in Mississippi this month against the "Personhood Amendment" will not bode well for Gingrich's position, considering that the most conservative state in the country disagrees with him.

Even after the "Pledge" against women's rights by Gingrich and his buddies failed, he called on the House of Representatives at the time to continue to de-fund Planned Parenthood. This can only be called an assault on a woman's right to choose, as well as a direct attack on poor women, who are the most vulnerable in our society and are in the most need when it comes to healthcare services.

Gingrich currently supports a radical Ohio bill that would ban abortion as early as six weeks. And he is also calling for a repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act, which would take away basic health care from millions of women. This is clearly out of the mainstream and not what the average American voter wants.

On top of these types of missteps when it comes to women, Gingrich in his personal life has a history that is extremely offensive to female voters. He is probably best remembered on this front for serving his wife with divorce papers while she was recovering from cancer surgery, so that he could then marry his mistress. This alone, won't set well with the "family values" crowd on the "Right." He later divorced that same woman in order to marry one of his female "staffers" that he was having an affair with. We all know that so far Newt has been married three times. The Evangelical base of the Republican Party frowns on divorce to begin with, but multiple divorces are something that this group just does not consider to be "kosher."

On top of this type of behavior, Gingrich was the only Speaker of the House of Representatives ever to be disciplined by Congress for ethics violations. This ethically-challenged man is also famous for advocating that children of welfare recipients should be taken away from their parents and raised in orphanages, as was reported on Salon.com. Talk about "family values." I am sure that those mothers who are in financial crisis would not appreciate a President of the United States, who has displayed this attitude toward struggling American families, particularly in these hard economic times. This type of mindset, which Newt Gingrich repeatedly displays, really is offensive, particularly to women voters who make up the majority in both parties of those who actually go to the polls and cast their ballots. Gingrich will not be a frontrunner for long!

Authors Bio:

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I am a retired college English instructor, and retired weekly Op-Ed columnist for my local paper. I now spend most of my time as a political activist, writing for progressive publications and working for candidates and causes that I believe in. I enjoy writing for OpEdNews.