<p>Truth be told, the story about Gingrich is old news. Years ago, not long after he re-married, he began an affair, as I recall reading at the time.</p>
<p>That being said, I would still like to see Gingrich enter the presidential sweepstakes, for the sake of ideas. I can’t tell how dissapointed I was during his term as speaker to find that only he and not the Democrats had novel ideas about improving the standard of living for poor D.C. residents. I hope that he will offer innovative proposals as a presidential candidate. It’s no guarantee that I would vote for him, but the campaigns in this country as they are at present are ideologically dreadful.</p>
<p>Really? He always seemed like an arrogant jerk to me, which I don’t find particularly likable. I may be biased because I don’t agree with him, but I know there are liberals that I also find arrogant and jerky, so…maybe it’s him.</p>
<p>I’m pretty solidly anti-Gingrich, probably to the surprise of very few here. But one thing I’ll give him against most of the Republican field…he’s got some intellectual weight & gravitas, even if he’s wrong. Romney? McCain? Giuliani? Brownback? Pfui.</p>
<p>I see where Chuck Hagel is mounting a re-make of “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” However, it will be a revised version of the Tennyson script: instead of cannons to the right of him, cannons to the left of him, it will be cannons to the Right of him, cannons to the further Right of him, etc. Honor the charge they made, honor the Light Brigade.</p>
<p>Clinton was likeable too, and would probably have gotten away with his transgression if he had come clean and not lied (or prevaricated about the meaning of sex. Or is.)</p>
<p>I guess you can do anything these days, if you don’t lie about it. If you did a really bad thing, you say you’re sorry and then go into rehab.</p>
<p>Newt is doing an Obama. By publicly confessing your sins early in the election cycle, by November, 2008 it will be old news. I was a heroin addict! I cheated on my wife! I inhaled, and I liked it! I sold innocent children to Nepalese slavers! I kidnapped the Lindbergh baby! I killed Jimmy Hoffa AND Judge Crater! </p>
<p>As long as you confess early and often, you are good to go for the election. Newt’s running, even if he isn’t running, if you get my drift.</p>
<p>Yes, WashDad, I agree that Newt wants to ‘come clean’’ early to help his prospects. It’s better that he admit it now than wait for it to come out in 08.</p>
<p>It’s a good strategy, as I bet most people are thinking “So what. I really don’t care.” That’s what I’m thinking, anyway.</p>
<p>Well, the people who will support him won’t care one way or another. It’s always okay if you are a Republican. Drugs (Bush), lying (take your pick), allowing a gay escort to spend the night at the White House (?Rove?), covering up for pedophiles (Dennis Hastert), etc. If you have an R after your name and will reliably vote for tax cuts, there are at least 30% of Americans who will vote for you no matter what.</p>
<p>What mind-bogglingly ignorant comment. Really. Like Democrats don’t make special excuses for their favorites? It doesn’t make it right, but it is the normal course of events.</p>
<p>It reminds of the time I heard Susan Estrich talking about the women coming forward with accusations of Clinton’s sexual harassment and other picadillos. She referred to the women involved as trailer park trash who would do anything to hurt Clinton. She explicitly made fun of their looks, indicating that even if Clinton was a sexual harasser, he would pick more attractive women. (This was a live radio show. I heard it real-time with my own ears. I was apalled. It showed the same sensitivity to the feelings of real people that I hear on Air America radio, and on Sean Hannity’s radio show.)</p>
<p>Obviously, since the women involved were not part of Estrich’s group of rich leftie “sisters” they were not worthy of the support of one of the nation’s most prominent feminist lawyers. Estrich was a loud voice criticizing Clarence Thomas for sexual harassment. There is a lot more evidence and a lot more women involved in Clinton’s past that in Thomas’, but Clinton can’t be guilty because he is a Democrat, right? So it must be the victims’ fault. Thomas is a Republican, and, much worse, an African-American Republican, so he must be a sleazeball, right? The failure of dedicated Democratic feminists to hold Clinton accountable still amazes me, given their hair-trigger on other similar incidents not involving prominent Democrats. Clinton wasn’t even a reliable leftie, for crying out loud. </p>
<p>Special pleading and nose-holding support for flawed humans is endemic in American politics, so let’s all get down from our soapboxes, OK? Sheesh.</p>
<p>Romney = Max Headroom
McCain = Wrongway Corrigan
Guiliani = The prison farm captain from ‘Cool Hand Luke’ or “the Little Dictator”
Brownback = The Plainsman</p>
<p>Gingrich has a relatively rare disease associated with male heterosexuality of the middle-aged variety. Luckily, there are treatments. I think we should have compassion for him in his infirmity.</p>
<p>Simba, I always thought that was Contract <em>on</em> America.</p>
<p>Also, notice how they either ignored or reneged upon elements of the contract once they got in…term limits?..well, now that we’re here and in charge, it’s a bad idea.</p>
<p>I actually agree…I don’t like term limits. It shifts relative power to the lobbyists, the bureaucracy, and the executive branch. But the hypocrisy I have a problem with.</p>
<p>Oh, sure. It’s all about committing perjury. But if I had a dollar for everyone I heard say “I could never vote for Clinton. How could the country trust a man when his own wife can’t trust him?”, I’d wouldn’t be sitting here in my middle class suburban home, typing on my 3-year old Gateway.</p>
<p>And I’m not holding my breath to hear each of those people say they’ll refuse to vote for Gingrich, Giuliani, et.al.</p>