Posted on 12/01/2006 7:40:42 AM PST by ZGuy
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich last night offered a grim outlook for the final two years of the Bush Administration, saying at best it would resemble President Gerald Ford’s administration and at worst President Jimmy Carter’s.
Gingrich spoke at a private fundraiser for the Virginia Conservative Action PAC. The event, hosted at the home of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs President Craig Shirley, attracted dozens of conservatives to hear Gingrich’s message.
Despite a clamoring among conservatives for Gingrich to run for president in 2008, he offered no indication he would do so. Recently, Gingrich has said he would make a decision in September 2007. He echoed those sentiments last night.
Gingrich’s remarks were wide-ranging, touching on America’s healthcare system, the bloated federal budget and a history lesson about George Washington’s Mount Vernon home—just miles from the site of the fundraiser.
He reserved his harshest remarks for the Bush Administration and Republicans in Washington, D.C. Gingrich called the consultant community “stupid” and said the GOP has wasted money on campaign ads. He said, “2004 was pathetic, and 2006 was worse.”
Gingrich said Republicans—and especially White House adviser Karl Rove—need to recognize why they lost control of Congress. He said Rove should leave his job if he doesn’t get it.
On Iraq, Gingrich said the U.S. won the first campaign there—toppling Saddam Hussein—but has failed in the second, ongoing campaign. He said he opposes the current plan of action in Iraq, and called on the U.S. to launch a new, broader third campaign. In the past, Gingrich has suggested a preemptive invasion of Iran to thwart that country’s development of a nuclear weapon.
He said the American people are more courageous than the Bush Administration realizes—and when called upon to act, they will respond accordingly. “Show them Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speeches,” Gingrich implored.
What advice would Gingrich offer Bush and Republicans? He named three bold moves he would take: Abolish the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, make English the official U.S. language, and praise US Airways, in the form of a congressional resolution, for its tough stand against six Muslim imams who behaved like terrorists on a recent flight.
He cited the “fiasco” in New Orleans as another embarrassment for the Bush Administration, which has relied on government to fix the city’s problems rather than private enterprise. “If there was no FEMA, New Orleans would have recovered faster.”
The fundraiser was organized on behalf of VCAP by Erin DeLullo, who most recently worked on Ken Blackwell’s campaign for governor of Ohio. Notable conservatives in attendance included former U.S. Rep. Bob Livingston, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, public-relations consultants Diana Banister and Christian Josi, Townhall.com General Manager Chuck DeFeo, and American Spectator contributor Quin Hillyer. Virginia Delegate Chris Saxman and Corey Stewart, the newly elected chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, were also in attendance.
Some of the blame... most definitely... but in the final analysis, it's the responsibility of the voter to be informed. The distinction between the two parties was clear when it came to the nations security... the faults of the majority party paled when compared to handing power to the Democrats.
Voter ignorance carried the day on Nov. 7th... and we'll pay with interest... for wallowing in it.
Newt is starting to get REALLY annoying. He's revealing himself to be an ankle-biter and nothing more.
I was considering supporting him, but he has lost the deal.
Now that you mention it, he is WAY too friendly with the Clintons, which I have noticed for some time. That cannot be overlooked.
LOL - I think you're right. Gingrich, while a conservative, is also a die hard polititian. Conservatism is more a way of life (to me anyway) than a political persuasion. Conservatives don't change and go into hand wringing mode just because democrats occupy a few more seats in Congress. I'm more optimistic with fewer RINO's stinkin' up the place anyhow.
The hell he hasn't.
the Speaker of the House has nothing to do with the judicial confirmation process...
I was responding to a poster who said "there really isn't a lot of good that Bush can do at this point".
Explain to me exactly how President Bush "stomped on the base" at every speech. Do you have an example of this? Quotes? Links?
If the GOP is to recover it (we) first have to face where it's gone off the rails the past few years... sometimes it's painful to hear the truth about yourself and those you love, but we shouldn't shoot the messenger.
From what I know of the front-runners they can't throw stones since they all live in prior marriage glass houses..
NOLA is a basket case because, from what I can see, they elected the same failures to keep ruining things (not that they had any great choices to choose from).. Nagin failed them and was re-elected, then there is their Congressman William Jefferson and their pathethic excuse for a Governor... Mississippi, on the other hand, had and has strong leadership in the form of Haley Barbour.
I know a leader. Newt was one, briefly, but didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He certainly isn't one now.
Amen, bro. He was a genius at getting power for the GOP, then should have stepped aside and allowed a real manipulator to handle the sustaining of that power.
I too see the same thing. I see a GOP Party extremely marginalized in the future....
Note how seldom Reagan was "mis-quoted." He said things simply, in straightforward terms, and didn't try to impress people with how smart he was (even though he really was brilliant).
Over and over again in the late 20th century we have seen that the "Medium IS the Message," and you get much further with someone who isn't a lightning rod, but who can quietly establish conservative principles, than with a bombast who gets the conversation sidetracked by his personality all the time.
FWIW, Nancy Pelosi's in the same boat.
I am sure President Bush would have listened to sound advice from anyone he respected over the last 5 years. So, where has he Gingrich been all this time?
Did or did not Newt have to resign as Speaker of the house because it was determined that he was having sex with his secretary. Newt did not admit to his transgression in his resignation but both his fellow house members and the media reported the reason. It is unbelievable that an innocent man would resign his Speakership and refuse to refute charges against him that were not true.
If all you have to do to get Newt to Resign as Speaker is accuse him of sexual acts he did not do, then such a man is totally unqualified to be President. What kind of man would resign his job when accused of an act of which he is innocent? I would say it would be a coward easily driven to do what any accuser demands.
If on the other hand Newt is guilty as charged then a man who as Speaker of the House risked his and the nation's future to satisfy his own sexual appetite does not deserve to be president any more than Bill Clinton deserves to be president.
Every thing in Newt Gingrich's past says he can't stop himself from hitting on females other than his wives.
Does anyone with a brain think that the Republicans in the house and senate would fail to impeach and convict President Newt for having sex with a government worker?
Democrats defended Clinton. Republicans did not. Democrats and Republicans would vote to impeach and convict Newt.
Anyone with having observed what FOLEY did and what Republicans did in response knows what would happen to Newt. It is impossible for a president to keep almost anything quiet. The media knew of Monica long before it was revealed. Had it not been for Drudge, Monica would have never made the news.
But only a fool would think the media would keep Newts sexual escapades quiet. His would be revealed in a heart beat. .. or perhaps 45 days before the 2010 election. That would ensure a Democratic victory in 2010.
Does anyone besides you believe that Newt would keep his zipper zipped? You must think like the members of the media who did not reveal what Clinton had done as Governor. They all knew abuot it. But they kept telling themselves that there was no way Clinton would be dumb enough to do the same things as president. We all know he did.
We know that both Clinton and Gingrich have achieved high office. We all know that neither one of them let high office keep them from engaging in illicit sex.
It does not matter what are the major problems facing the nation. All it takes is a pretty woman to meet a Newt and have sex with him while in the employee of an enemy nation. Newt is suddenly owned by that foreign nation.
Of course the media would love to break that story.. and there are plenty of people in the CIA who would leak it to the media.
We can not take that risk. It would a far more dangerous to our nation than having any other politician in the White House.
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