The Company You Keep: Newt Gingrich's connection between Susan Smith, the woman who drowned her two young sons, and Democratic-inspired American decadence is now folklore. But here's a connnection Gingrich hasn't made yet. The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, reported April 12 that one of the possible contributing factors to Smith's behavior was early sexual abuse. Her stepfather allegedly abused her repeatedly when she was a teenager. "She detailed one incident at about 5 a.m. one March morning when she woke up to find Russell (her stepfather) standing over her. Russell, a Christian Coalition member, had been out putting up campaign posters for presidential candidate Pat Robertson, the televangelist who founded the Christian Coalition, Smith said. He kissed her and then took her hand, thinking [she] was asleep and put her hand on his genitals and kissed her again." So what's the link between child abuse and Pat Robertson? None, of course. But we're waiting for Gingrich to comment.

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