Posted on 03/15/2007 4:47:24 AM PDT by shrinkermd
Newt Gingrich's attempted phoenix-like rise from his own political ashes to a presidential candidacy will run next week into a harsh assessment by his former House Republican colleague Tom DeLay. The former majority leader's forthcoming memoir assails Gingrich as an "ineffective" House speaker with a flawed moral compass.
Gingrich is not the only erstwhile political ally to feel DeLay's wrath. In "No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight," DeLay is even more critical of his predecessor as majority leader, Dick Armey, and assails George W. Bush as being more compassionate than conservative. Even the man DeLay handpicked to succeed Gingrich as speaker, J. Dennis Hastert, is accused along with Gingrich and Armey of opening the door to the Democratic purge of DeLay.
DeLay is an angry man after being driven from the leadership, from Congress and, so far, from public life by "a concerted effort to destroy me legally, financially and personally" through a 2005 indictment in Texas. DeLay's response to Democratic District Attorney Ronnie Earle is familiar. What is unusual are his claims that "pre-existing tensions I had with Gingrich and Armey" partially explain their role in kicking DeLay out of the leadership.
DeLay admits that the Republican leaders empowered by the 1994 elections -- comprising himself as majority whip, Gingrich as speaker and Armey as majority leader -- "were not a cohesive team, and this hindered our ability to change the nation." He puts most blame "at Newt Gingrich's door."
In describing Gingrich as an "ineffective Speaker," DeLay writes: "He knew nothing about running meetings and nothing about driving an agenda." He adds: "Nearly every other day he had a new agenda, a new direction he wanted us to take. It was impossible to follow him.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
My sentiments exactly. Right man wrong job.
The Republicans better find someone, anyone, who can lead this party. As a starter I will take someone who will do the basics by standing up to the political attacks and throwing some mud back toward the RATS.
Tom DeLay, who I do like, is a complete idiot, for delivering up ammo for his sworn enemies, i.e. the MSM, RATS/liberals. If Newt gets the nomination, Tom's words will haunt him.
Delay is right to be angry, but he is focusing his anger in the wrong direction.
He almost sounds as though he has seen and been mesmerized by the light of the MainStream delusion.
"George W. Bush as being more compassionate than conservative."
Sounds right to me!
While I am not as angry at Newt as DeLay, I will note one example of Gingrich's inconsistency. When Katrina was the big news, Gingrich was on Fox criticizing the President for not doing more and advocating a "new Marshall plan" for the Gulf Coast. A "new Marshall plan" would seem to me to be BIG GOVERNMENT SPENDING.
A year later, after all of the waste and fraud came out, Gingrich was again on Fox, saying that "This is what happens when big government gets involved in something like this. The private sector could have done a better job."
The two statements were totally at odds with each other, and it was an example of how he speaks impulsively and tends to go with whatever seems to be the mood of the day.
I am reminded of his promise while Speaker to bring up the China missile technology sale at every opportunity, only to drop it like a hot potato (probably because Clinton found out about his hot tomato).
While I wish DeLay had been less ascerbic, his criticism is not without merit.
You must live inside of my head as the post you made was EXACTLY my thoughts. Did I perhaps, channel them to you through my persuavsive ESP, or did you do that on your own? :0 )
Gingrich is an ivory tower intellectual who lacks the experience and temperment to be an effective executive.
Just more "no guts" Republicans IMO. If you want to run then get out there and state your issues and run. Otherwise just spare us the runaround. Delay is calling a spade a spade IMO.
And Tom Delay was part of the leadership that turned the Republicans into bigger spenders than the Democrats they replaced.
LOL! Now that's clever, Marp!
I find it most interesting that a couple of weeks ago, Dick Armey was quoted as saying Tom DeLay is "not a good man." So apparently the mutual hatred between these two runs very deep.
It's certainly difficult to decide who's really the bad guy here. For all I know, both men may fall into that category.
Still, for the time being I'd have to say DeLay appears to have the better case -- especially given the widely reported stories (1) that Armey was initially involved in the "coup" against Gingrich, then backed out and lied about his role; and (2) that Armey helped spread nasty rumors about Brit Hume's son Sandy, after the latter's suicide.
In any event, we can be sure that if DeLay and Armey aren't both despicable, at least ONE of them is!
wont happen
Thompson, Hunter, Steele, and a current unknown (and, in my own wishful thinking, Mike Pence) will be the real players when the time comes.
We DO have decent choices out there... the MSM just isn't giving them any airtime, since they're not RINO's.
Newt '08 PING
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