This from the guy who threatened to talk about the Lewinsky scandal every day --- while he was schtupping his staffer. But then he was only doing it out of love for his country ...Excellent catch! It also gives me a chance (again) to tell my favorite part of the story, which is that after spending the spring vowing to talk about Lewinsky in every speech, Newt then -- when GOP polling tanked in the fall -- immediately turned around and started bashing the press for ignoring the issues and only wanting to talk about the White House scandal. While planning to impeach the president immediately after the elections, so it's not as if it was an irrelevant topic to ask him about.
As a wise man once said: What a maroon.
There are plenty of us left who were politically aware during the 90's and remember what Newt was like. It's amazing to me that he's running on that flawed record, and he hasn't done much since, so what else is he running on? As you've noted before, JB, this is a seriously weak set of candidates.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, this campaign is absolutely operatic in its shrillness, desperation, and tragedy. I can hear the Philip Glass music already.
Ed Rogers tells us in today's WaPo that Newt is the "thinking man's candidate." He may have been being facetious, since he says "We should make him an oracle. He should grow out his hair, wear a robe, and wander the globe dispensing wisdom. Sort of a Gandolf the White look and role," but the rest of the column seems to have been intended to be taken straight.
ReplyDeleteIf Rogers was joking, he should have called Newt "the candidate for the person who thinks he's a thinking man." Still, at least he doesn't tar women by suggesting that they might fall for Newt's simulacrum of seriousness.
For anyone not familiar with Newt's astonishing megalomania, here's a quick little primer:
ReplyDeletehttp://politicalcorrection.org/print/blog/201105190014
Seems to me that as "Teacher of the Rules of Civilization" and "Arouser of those who Fan Civilization" -- his own self-descriptions -- Gingrich has an obligation to make clear to the press what it should and should not be focusing on at any given moment. How else can he be expected to "stand between us and Auschwitz"?
So what you're all saying is that you're all OK with the occasional gratuitous Newt-bashing post?
ReplyDeleteI need Jimmy Carter to be in the news more, so I can do gratuitous Carter-bashing posts. Or Woodrow Wilson.
Well, Anon hasn't chimed in to berate you for talking about Newt, even though talking about Cain generates such approbation. So, I guess bashing Newt is Anon-approved.
ReplyDeleteMJ,
ReplyDeleteI can't be expected to keep up with all the evil monsters that live under you lefties' beds. That's more than a full time job. ;-)