Newt's A Tease: First A Porn Company, Then A Strip Bar
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich seems to have gotten into the habit of leading companies in the adult entertainment industry to believe they won awards, then telling them "no."
Pink Visual
In early September, Media Matters Action Network wrote about an unfortunate mistake made by former Speaker Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future.
XBIZ reports that Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future has awarded porn studio "Pink Visual" with its Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2009.
The company's president, Allison Vivas, will have the opportunity to attend a private dinner and pose for a photo with Mr. Gingrich.
According to XBIZ, a news organization for the adult entertainment industry: "According to the notice from ASWF, should [Pink Visual President Alison] Vivas attend a private dinner being held on Oct. 7 at the historic Capitol Hill Club in Washington, she will "dine privately with Newt," who will then take the occasion to present Vivas with her "well deserved award" and pose for a photo with her.
[...]
The notice from ASWF also informed Vivas that Gingrich is "looking forward to finally meeting you (Vivas) face to face - and get your thoughts on Cap and Trade and Obama's Tax Policy."
"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," Vivas said. "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. While else would they have invited me but to hear such feedback, right?"
American Solutions for Winning the Future spokesman Dan Kotman then sent this statement: "We have notified Allison Vivas that the notice she received was sent by mistake. We regret the error."
A one time mistake... or so we were led to believe.
The Lodge
Today the Dallas Observer reported:
On September 2, Dawn Rizos, owner of The Lodge, received an invite to A Very Special Event with Newt Gingrich. Specifically, she was asked to fly to Washington, D.C., on October 7 to pick up her award as a 2009 Entreprenuer of the Year -- an honor that was to be bestowed upon her by the former Speaker of the House's Business Defense and Advisory Council. Seriously: "Newt would like to arrange a private dinner with you at the historic Capitol Hill Club on the evening of October 7," read the letter from one Joe Gaylord, who, at the bottom of his lengthy missive, scribbled, "Dawn -- Newt is looking forward to finally meeting you face to face -- and get your thoughts on cap and trade and Obama's tax policy." Except he wrote it in all caps. It's after the jump.
Anyway, the gentleman's club owner and her PR man, Michael Precker, followed up with a phone call, during which they were told that Newt would also need $5,000 by way of a RSVP. Which Rizos promptly put on her credit card. Because, hey, sounds fun.[...]
So, flights were booked, and hotel reservations were made. Then came the call Monday evening from Newt's people. "They left a message Monday evening," Precker says. '"They didn't say why. We finally spoke yesterday morning. There is a fellow named Michael Johnston. He works for InfoCision, which works with 527s to assemble donor lists." At which point Precker says he was told that, sorry, Newt had made a mistake -- thought Rizos was somebody else. And, um, the invite has been rescinded.
It's great the former Speaker has found a hobby, but this one is a little strange. I recommend Mr. Gingrich look into Dancing with the Stars.
