[Lancey Howard]

I wish Newt had paid attention to the smaller government tide when he was Speaker.

Actually, he did.

Newt was doing fairly well in the mid '90s and then he went and blew it when he blinked during the "government shutdown" fiasco. He had Clinton right where he wanted him and then he inexplicably caved. I suspect the Democrat DC press corps managed to con Gingrich into believing that Americans "blamed" him for the looming shutdown, as if normal, working, taxpaying, traditional American families actually gave a rat's ass if the government "shut down".

I don't know if Newt can ever fully recover from that major disappointment. My jaw hit the floor in amazement when I heard he had caved. I swear, we were about to win that battle.

Of course, Newt's hand may have been forced by Republican cowards in the House at that time.

[PhilDragoo]

You recall the Martins and the incessant repetition of "wither on the vine".

The 1998 retirement mixed with the affair.

There were important matters: Clinton donors Bernard L. Schwartz and C. Michael Armstrong of Loral and Hughes had in 1995 sent the Chinese a 200-page fax which the May 1997 declassified summary of the Defense Department report said "damaged national security".

We had a traitor in the White House and a Speaker perceived as piqued at exiting the rear of Air Force One.

One must not leave the field, but learn from every tactical defeat.

McCain in 2008 after Dole in 1996--where's the learning.

Palin is already doing the deed, but gets nothing from the Washingtonians.

[hinckley buzzard]

It is a fact that the American public were conned by the 'rat-infested media into blaming Republicans for the gov shutdown. TV had stories about all the poor folk who would be harmed by the mean old Gingrich and his rightwing crackpot hooligans of the GOP.

The PR battle was lost before it started, and Newt had to call off the fight to avert even greater political ctastrophe.

Ask the next ten people you meet, Who caused the gov shutdown back in the '90s? If they even know it happend, 8 or 9 will say "Republicans."