Replies

In my view, Newt's legislative record as Speaker is not nearly so impressive, at least by what we need and supposedly are demanding today, as it first appears.

For example, welfare reform -- the famous "welfare to work" legislation.

The first time that was enacted, President Clinton vetoed it.

Then what happened?

Well, Gingrich and the GOP caved. They added into the bill billions and billions in NEW entitlement spending, including federally funded childcare, new Medicaid eligibility, job subsidies, etc.

THEN President Clinton was very happy to sign the "improved" bill into law.

This would be completely unacceptable today and, to those paying close attention at the time, it was unacceptable then.

The point is it's a myth that Gingrich somehow "forced" welfare reform through or any other such legislative heroics. The GOP bought the "victory" they wanted so badly -- again, with BILLIONS and BILLIONS in NEW entitlement spending.

Had Gingrich not caved, Clinton would have continued to grind his face in it. As it was, Clinton went out and crowed and crowed about all the billions he got into that bill.

Or he ends up overplaying his hand and we get nothing.

What we ended up with was better than what we had. There is always the thought that you can get a better deal if you just hold out for longer, but sometimes, you can't. Sometimes the moment passes, and you end up getting nothing. The left has gotten to this point because they have incrementalized us to death. ObamaCare wasn't everything the left wanted because it lacked a public option, and wasn't a single payer system, but the smart folks on that side knew that it was a wedge that advanced the ball.

I'm kind of tired of always saying "next election". I want someone who can get the legislation that advances the ball -- even if it isn't perfect -- actually enacted.