I took such great offense of Santorum talking about his mentor that way, also:”running around taking credit for things the congress did, like a CEO trying to say he built the cars in a car company” - that’s very close to an exact quote (I have one of those memories). I have had many mentors in my life, still do, and next to my parents, I respect them greatly.
If you have time, all three links below, are worth your while.. for someone like me, who doesn’t know anything about 1994 or all those landmark years, I never could understand why people kept saying Newt was “erratic” and I was always looking for some explanations or clarity...
These links are quotes from Lindsey Graham, and really quite compelling... and make a whole section of the puzzle make sense to me... It has really changed a lot of minds of people I know, who really like Newt, but keep hearing all these words, phrases and garbage repeated. These are what I used to finally close the deal with them... I guess everybody takes different things to feel satisfied.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/02/lindsey-graham-gingrich-coup_n_1249641.html
excerpt:
What I’m saying about Newt, why did we lose confidence in him? Because he was changing the game plan. The last group to talk to him sort of won the day. But I can’t imagine his job. The first time Republicans had the congress in 40 years, trying to lead a revolution, taking people like me that came here to burn the place down and govern the country and deal with Bill Clinton — a good politician.
Looking back, I appreciate how hard his job was better than I did in 1997. And I’m here to say, as the guy who was in the coup, that looking back we were too hard on him and if he got to be the nominee I think he could win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is6Ovf2NBk4 - the actual interview on GretaWire
Graham really hits Sanctimonium here:
“Being a backbencher throwing bombs because you’re not pure is a lot of fun, but governing the country is a lot harder,” he said.
The South Carolina Republican said he believes the country now needs someone like Gingrich to “embrace big ideas and take political risks”
“The one thing about Newt that is compelling is that I don’t think he looks at politics in terms of the next election cycle. He looks at politics as a generational issue,” said Graham.
If you are actually trying to convince people here you are right, I think you don’t know your audience very well, or you wouldn’t be using Lindsay Graham as your character witness.
WOW! I guess Senator Graham has had a wake-up call in South Carolina, hasn’t he?
The establishment is scared to death of Gingrich, because he has said he will change Washington, D.C. He tried before, and he wants to try again, but this time the stakes are far higher - our nation’s very survival.
For forty years the Democrats held power. The Republicans occasionally were thrown a bone, given cover and some pork to keep their constituents quiet. Meanwhile the congress was enriching themselves at the expense of the nation. The centralized government kept growing and growing...then Reagan was elected President and things began to change.
As Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich managed to put together the 1998 budget. It was scheduled for a $1 Billion cut and congress saw the gravy train leaving the station. No more getting rich at the public’s expense.
So it became “get rid of Newt Gingrich”, a coup Rick Santorum participated in. This grew even to the extent of manufacturing lies about Gingrich. Those phony ethics charges that were ALL dropped, but the media continues to smear him year after year after year.
And now, older and wiser, he is back. And the corrupt in Washington, D.C., are AGAIN trying to save the status quo. The question is, what are WE going to do?