Topless club owner: Gingrich group rescinded award
By LINDA STEWART BALL (AP) – 1 hour ago
DALLAS — Newt Gingrich's conservative group gave — and then rescinded — a business award to a popular topless club in Texas, the proprietor said Thursday.
Dawn Rizos said she was looking forward to receiving the promised "Entrepreneur of the Year" award at a Washington, D.C., banquet from American Solutions for Winning the Future, which the former U.S. House speaker chairs.
After all, Rizos is the owner of The Lodge, which was named the Best Overall Club in America last year by ED Publications, which sponsors the gentlemen's club industry's annual convention and trade show.
But before she had a chance to dine on lobster bisque with Gingrich at the Oct. 7 awards dinner with some 50 other business leaders, the honor was yanked away. The group apparently confused Rizos' Dallas business, which is legally called DCG Inc., with one by the same name in Virginia.
"I honestly thought that Mr. Gingrich wanted to honor our company because it's very successful," Rizos said. "Really, what's two more people to dinner? How rude!"
), I thought maybe he was finding his libertarian innerself. But I guess not.