Baath = socialist Pan Arabism.
Now we are getting to the nub of the matter. Rhodes scholars. Can you say Clinton, Wesley Clark and all those Oxford trained socialists dedicating their lives to socialist public service? The career diplomats and bureaucrats of Foggy Bottom have not received the attention like the leftist judiciary. Neither department is subject to voter approval.
Newt knows these commies and has dedicated his life to ridding our government of 70 years of majorities in federal government. He made the big breakthrough in '92 in the congress but found himself with a Rhodes Scholar Oxford socialist for a president. Since that time the socialists have been fighting for their political lives pulling every dirty tactic out of their manual.
GW knows these people also. Newt is in the loop.
yitbos
As far as the State Department goes, there is also the less subtle issue of plain old Saudi bribery. It's quite remarkable the number of State Department bureaucrats with Middle East responsibilities, especially Ambassadors to Saudi Arabia, who turn up six months after retirement pulling down six figures for serving on the board of some Saudi-funded "institute" or "foundation."