[MadIvan]

I'm not defending Newt - I'm just puzzled as to his incoherence.

No need to get snippy. :)

Regards, Ivan

[Miss Marple]

Well, I didn't intend to be snippy. I must tell you, though, that this promotion of Newt rubs me the wrong way, given that he let us down during impeachment and his weasel-like behavior over the last year.

Had he not been having that affair, perhaps he would have been more aggressive. In fact, I remember he swore that he was going to mention something (I believe it was the China technology sale) every day, and then suddenly clammed up. I believe the CLintons had information on his private life. Thus...he let us down.

His repeated failure to come to the President's defense has also been reprehensible, in my opinion. It demonstrates a lack of loyalty, and particularly in the Katrina case, his failure to place the blame where it belonged, with Blanco and Nagin, was really depressing.