Posted on 07/04/2009 3:10:43 AM PDT by truthfreedom
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 15) -- Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.) electrified Washington today, resigning from the Senate to campaign full time for the White House (256K WAV sound).
"I announce that I will forego the privileges not only of the office of the majority leader but of the United States Senate itself, from which I resign effective on or before June 11th," a choked-up Dole told a Capitol Hill news conference, flanked by Republican lawmakers and a few Democrats. "And I will then stand before you without office or authority, a private citizen, a Kansan, an American, just a man."
...
Republicans, who learned of Dole's intentions early today, were quick to laud the decision. "This is exactly the right thing to do," House Speaker Newt Gingrich told reporters after the announcement. Praising the boldness of the strategy, Gingrich said it was the most effective speech he had heard Dole give. Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour said Dole's decision was "absolutely" right.
(Excerpt) Read more at -cgi.cnn.com ...
One of the very few politicians I’d follow.
Newt did go on to do other things outside of political office... for 10 years now.
Perhaps he’s ready now to get back into elected office.
Perhaps not.
It’s up to him, isn’t it?
It’s not up to us to decide who runs for what office.
I think that’s the very thing that drove Sarah out of office.
Too many expectations and demands from her fans trying to plot her course for her.
But leaving congress after a long run and a climb to the top which has come to an end is different than abruptly leaving in the middle of your first and only term as governor. She doesn’t have much of a record like Newt did.
But if she can reenter politics at some point will depend on what she does after this, and how long she’s away.
She won’t be able to make a comeback before 2012, if that is what you’re hoping for. it would take years of reshaping her image, as Newt has successfully done.
But again, I don’t know that Newt would run for office again, or he would get very far.
It sure would make things interesting though if he did.
Lack of support from fellow Republicans in the face of lies and an all-out smear campaign at the very top. I will not excuse the personal stuff, only to say that unlike Vitter, who broke the law by engaging prostitutes and ought to have resigned, and Sanford, who lied to staff, ditched his security detail and abandoned his post and ought to resign, to name just two, Mr. Newt's foibles run along the judgment line, people shall have to determine accordingly.
But I continue to read from FReepers mis-characterization about the end of his first marriage, the end of his second, people are still getting the fine-business wrong. If those who purport to be Conservatives, well-thinking Americans can't get/keep this stuff straight, how are we to believe it will be accurately re-told by the presswhores to the General Voting Public should Mr. Newt decide to enter into a campaign, eh??
I do not see Gov. Palin as quitting so much as doing what is best for the people of Alaska, considering what it is costing THEM, money-wise and impediment to her ability to be effective-wise. My two lil' Lincolns.
You and Lee P. Brown should be VERY proud!
I had to look him up.
Lee P. Brown was before I moved to Houston, so I'm not familiar with him.
But if he gets the credit for Metrorail, then that's just another example of the GOP abandoning good ideas to the 'Rats.
It's a crying shame because of all the other nonsense the 'Rats pursue.
But what the heck can you do when the GOP lacks the common sense to pick up on a good idea???
For some reason, this doesn't quite square with your earlier insistence that she is finished politically. That in a nutshell is why I found your posts so illogical as to be insubstantial.
And how did that work out for you, Bob?
Not her fault she was more efficient than Newt was..
SO I suspect now that you realize that, you would cut Palin some slack since she in many ways is following your boy Newt and being as how I would assume you are a conservative, you would give Palin the same courtesy as you do Gingrich.
Didn't think so...
Such activity, especially from “friends” is suspect and driven by self interests...
Trust your instincts...
You have got to be kidding.
By that point, Dole had been serving in Congress for thirty six years. He had served in both houses ; he had been Minority and Majority Leader of the Senate.
At his age, he wasn't going to run for re-election to the Senate anyway, so he wanted to devote all that he had for one last shot at the Presidency.
If you really think that that is a valid comparison, you're delusional.
Not on-topic, per se, but should Gov. Palin actually put out a book, look already at the posts which claim she would just be *cashing in* and compare that to the same kinds of screeching that went on went Mr. Newt put out "To Renew America." The Dems spent hours on the first day of the 95th Congress to denounce him in one-minutes, the charges of bribery because he received the enormous advance, some of those coming from Members who themselves had had book advances, Bonior, Frank. Funny how when Pelosi got her book deal, there were no cries of bribery, no charges she was just padding her pocket, hmmm ...
The fact that NO Republican stood up and defended him that day still galls me -- he lost out on serious money (at a time when he wasn't really rolling in dough, regardless what people thought) and all because some jealous so-and-so's in the other party couldn't handle it that his ideas motivated many to run and moved a nation to give him that leadership role.
Well look, anything is possible.
I don’t think Newt has much of a chance of winning the Republican nomination either, and how he left office has a lot to do with that. As does the toll on his image the constant media attacks had when he was Speaker. Similar to Palin, though Newt’s basic intelligence was never undermined. It’s taken Newt a long time to rebuild his image, and it will take Palin a long time to rebuild hers too, if she can.
Not everyone is going to have equal success at image rehabilitation. Some even deserve the image they’re branded with. Dan Quayle has never recovered, and that was just from one spelling mistake. He never came close to anything like the devastating Katie Couric interview.
But back to Newt, I would just like to see him shape the debate in the primaries. Forcing other candidates to compete with his ideas could only be a good thing for the GOP.
But I’m really just most interested in finding the right candidate, whoever that may be. I came to realize over the last several months that Sarah palin just isn’t that person. She’s just too erratic and disorganized in her thoughts and presentation. She actually makes George Bush look like a Great Communicator by comparison. that’s my gut assessment of her and no amount of verbal abuse is going to change that. After 3 elections and 3 verbal bumblers (Bush, Palin, and McCain) I’m really tired of it. There is no way we can beat 0bama with yet another bumbler. The complete lack of a charismatic leader who can articulate a conservative message for 10 years now is what has left the GOP in total collapse.
I hold Newt up as a sort of Republican Gold Standard because he always knows what he’s talking about, never is at a loss for words, has a command of the facts at all times, and is a wellspring of the sort of common sense solutions the GOP should be presenting. But that doesn’t mean he needs to be the candidate. They just need to be a whole lot more like Newt, and a whole lot less like Bush, McCain, or Palin.
We’ve got a lot of good, serious people who fit the bill. Unfortunately just about all of them are in the House. Mike Pence comes to mind.
Honestly, I think we might be better off if all 535 Congress critters left DC. I think the American people win when they do nothing. Everything they do limits or takes away our freedom here lately.
(BTW, Dan Quayle's difficulty was not due to *one spelling mistake* either).
Indeed, and this is OPINION mind you, I think she just became the most dangerous lady in America...
If you are on the left that is...
Regardless of party...
Dole was an honorable man, and a veteran, which I greatly respect. Otherwise I’m a bit reluctant to compare Palin to Dole. She hasn’t been sucked into the beltway vortex, thank God.
However, thanks for including me on the ping, SW.
Obviously, Sarah Palin does not have an ounce of “quit” in her. Those who say she is quitting will be eating their words.
See #77.
Indeed..
;-)
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