[OESY]

I agree with that. Ego can well be the driving force, along with a profound sense of history in Newt's case, that provides the motivation to persist.

Gingrich, you may recall, was found to have used his excellent nonpartisan video series for party-building and was levied a fine of $300,000. The special investigator was Jim Cole, roommate to the highly partisan and politically ambitious Eric Holden, Clinton's deputy attorney general.

(Compare and contrast that to Sandy Berger's penalties for stealing and destroying national security documents and lying about what he did, while continuing to refuse to disclose his reasons -- to the detriment of the findings and credibility of the 9/11 Commission investigation.)

Unfortunately for Newt, House freshmen such as David McIntosh, Steve Largent and Susan Molinari among others lacked the backbone to stand-up for Newt, thus allowing Dems and the MSM to demonize him.

The Big Question: Will conservatives again lack the spine to support Tom DeLay? The New York Times hopes so, if you can believe Maureen Dowd's column today.

[Mudboy Slim]

"Will conservatives again lack the spine to support Tom DeLay?"

This Conservative sure as hell won't...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"Tom Delay!!"
(To be sung to Neil Young's "Farmer John")

Tom Delay, Why Won't YOU CUT BigGuv'ment?!! Ohahhohh...
Yer the One...to Lead the Right!! Ohahhohh...
RATS' Power We Shall Devolve...Let's Stuff DemLib'rals' talk!!
We'll make Dem Leftists' shrivel...Right's Winning in a Walk!!

Tom Delay...ohahhohh...Why Won't YOU CUT BigGuv'ment?!!
Yer the One...to Champion Rights!! Ooahhohh...

(Little guitar jammin')

Ohhahhhhohhhhh!!
Sen'tor George...boy, you are from Virginia!! Ohahhohh...
Senator...We're the Righteous Right!!
We love how Susan talks...we love yer gawl-durned snuff...
We need some leadership...RightWing's cruisin'...RATS're losing...LOSING!!

Eric C.!! Whipe them RINOs from Power!! Ohahhohh...ohahhohh..
Guv'ment, son...shall be MINI-sized!!

(More guitar jammin')

Cantor, bud...Right Must Reject Big Guv'ment!!
Ohahhohh...ohahhohh...ohahhohh...
We're the Ones...We're the Shameless Right!!

FReegards...MUD (05/25/2004)

[Valin]

I wonder if Newt really understood the depth of hatred the democrats had for him? He gave them a knife and they used it. I wonder if Newt was the right man to be Speaker of the House at that time? He (and the GOP) might of been better off if he took a lower post. (Ain't hindsight grand!) Actually I did think that at the time.