Go for wedge issues, Gingrich tells lawmakers

[Cocoa]

lawmakers say "duh, we're republicans, that's all we do."


http://www.thehill.com/news/072604/gingrich.aspx

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has advised Republicans to focus this year’s presidential campaign on a few “wedge issues” in an effort to paint Sens.
John Kerry and John Edwards as an out-of-the-mainstream ticket.

One GOP lawmaker told The Hill that Gingrich encouraged Republicans to pick issues such as school prayer, strengthening work requirements for welfare recipients and barring the United Nations from monitoring U.S. elections, which all polled at higher than an 80 percent rating.

“There’s a consensus developing among activists that new issues are emerging where is decidedly with us,” the lawmaker said. “We can show a contrast.”

Gingrich spelled out his views at a meeting last week organized by House GOP Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), the fourth-ranking member of the GOP House leadership.


more...

[gasperc]

1. I wonder if he has mad cow disease?

one can only hope

[wtmusic]

9. Gingrich IS a disease n/t

[bleedingheart]

2. Thus pointing out that they have no leg to stand on in the GOP

because wedge issues are used to direct people's attention away from the war without reason and the economy without jobs.

[cthrumatrix]

5. they could care less about the PEOPLE....just power

[havocmom]

6. Yep, and we need to pound that one home day and night!

They can't talk about any real issues because their record is that of screwing the population in favor of the corporations every time. They can only talk up emotional points which will get response devoid of critical thought from a lot of people.

I am old; I recall the label 'knee-jerk liberal' bantered about back in the day. Now the Newt is counting on knee jerk neocons because he knows his boys can't do any honest debate and win.

[jean]

3. go ahead - bring that cockroach Gingrich out into the light - he's been

hiding in the shadows of Rumsfeld's defense board with Perle these past years.

Get him and his loud mouth out in the open, on tape and video, so the public can see just where the Republican Party stands - behind bush, cheney with Gingrich as their standard bearer.

It can only help our side. Hell, get him on ALL the screaming head shows as well.

[hedda_foil]

4. School prayer polls at more than 80%?????

Work requirements for welfare recipients polls at more than 80%??? I'd believe more than 80% if the dumbass Repuke base, but that's about it.

[wabeewoman]

18. Poor Newt

is reliving 1994. I don't think these are big issues today with anybody but the rightwing base. Clinton made the welfare requirements stringent, polls I've read show the majority of American want separation of church and state and as for elections-that just calls attention to the theft of 2000. And the gay marriage wedge sorta backfired on them but they won't learn. What a bunch of losers....

[Fovea]

20. Listening to the NeoCon attack machine

brings to mind the last days of Joe McCarthy.

He has proof! 80%!!!!!

But at long last, not only do they have no decency, but it appears as though they never did.

[louis-t]

21. And remember what the Repug response

was re: Clinton and Welfare reform: "He's stealing our thunder!".;(

[0rganism]

30. If school prayer is polling at 80% in the general electorate...

...we've already lost.

Even if the Democrats were to win this election, we're still fucked, because that means 80% of the population can't tell its ass from its elbow where church-state separation is concerned.

[SquireJons]

33. You just noticed?

As I look out at the landscape of the American people, I am very worried. If 80% of Americans now think that state sponsored religion has a place in our institutions, we are f#cked. Unfortunately, the number that do is uncomfortably close to 80%. When it comes to religion, the US is a basket case. Take our 'great leader' for example. He spends most of his life as an irresponsible lout, then has a personal spiritual revival. Now he gathers a handful of like minded self absorbed pseudo-christian philosophers and declares himself to be an agent of Jesus. Does he expect a prophet label upon death (or re-election)? And a strong majority of Americans are not only comfortable with that, but are actually attracted to it (even if they disagree with his policies).

We are a mess. And we don't know what to believe, so we believe anything. For example, 80% of Americans believe in the virgin birth of Christ. This despite relatively little actual scriptural backing for the concept. What makes it more incredulous to me is that a strong majority of Jews and Muslims believe in the virgin birth, despite not accepting the religion.

American catholics provide another example. While considering themselves to be spiritual and good catholics, at least 80% of American catholics disagree with one or more of the churches basic tenants and reject much of the Vatican's moral preaching.

We accept many national myths in this country. One of these is the concept of separation of church and state. It wasn't so long ago that 'In God We Trust' was added to our currency and 'One nation under God' was added to the pledge of allegiance, but we've always been a bit nuts when it comes to religion. Hell, that's why we came here in the first place.

[CBHagman]

7. How can we miss Newt if he won't go away?

The Washington Post Health section had an article on how Gingrich was going to help make health insurance more affordable in this country (NOW he tells us...). Not surprisingly, the letters that came in response to the article did not gleam with optimism.

As for the strategy outlined, it may draw their base, but it could leave the swing voters feeling that the GOP is out of touch with the electorate generally.

[Tempest]

8. You know the Repugs are in trouble if they are listening to Gingrich

Isn't this the guy who caused the Repugs to lose the House in 1996 and was forced to resign his leadership position because of it?

[oneighty]

10. Correction

Ex-lawmaker and hypocrite and panderer and liar and thief and womanizer.

180

[truthisfreedom]

11. bush is losing, so gingrich spews "pretend more! you guys arent pretending

enough! the voters want to play pretend, can't you see that?"

[GainesT1958]

12. Oh, Newt, we really love it when...

You get downright DESPERATE!:D

B-)

[Catfight]

13. Sounds like the neo-Hitler to me. Scary man, very scary man.

Also sounds like Bush is all out of things to run on other than made up issues that most people don't care about.

[lovedems]

14. What a stupid strategy! The voters don't won't want to hear about wedge

issues! They want to hear about jobs and health insurance and the war! This is certain to backfire on them. I haven't heard one positive word out of the * campaign and it is getting old, fast! They are out of the mainstream but it is good that they don't realize it!

If they are listening to Newt, they are in big trouble!

[Az_lefty]

15. Divide! Divide! Divide!

Hey Newt, your president was suppose to be a uniter, remember?

[calimary]

16. "Wedge issues." Consider just the mere wording of that term.

Then compare it to their "fearless leader" who insists he's "a uniter, not a divider." Question: WHAT DOES A WEDGE DO? It DIVIDES. That's all they're about. Dividing America so it's in splinters. A great union we'll all be then, right? That'll really bring our country together, right, newt?

And by the way, "gingrich" IS a disease. Just ask any dentist (hee hee hee!).

[TrogL]

17. "barring the United Nations from monitoring U.S. elections"?

barring the United Nations from monitoring U.S. elections

Why in the world (pun intended) would anybody be afraid of having their elections monitored unless they were up to something.

UN officials monitor Canadian elections as an example of how to do it properly - paper ballots, fair and equitable voter registration, scrutineers.

[hatrack]

19. "FORMER Speaker Newt Gingrich . . . " - All you need to know

Yes, Salamander, uh, I mean Newt, your proven tactics are why you still lead the House ten years after your triumphant ascent. What a predictable ASSHOLE.

[schultzee]

22. They are doing their best to destroy democracy.

[TahitiNut]

23. Someone should give Newt a wedgie big enough to ...

... deviate his septum and drain his sinuses. :puke:

[Ilsa]

24. Haaaaa! I love that image!

We need to spread this one around, and the candidates need to campaign on it: Bushco can't handle real issues like health care and national security; all he wants to talk about is flag burning and school prayer.

[colonel odis]

25. hey, newtie! how about adultery as a wedge issue?

how about banging one of your own interns while you were trying to bring down a president for it?

how about serving your first wife with divorce papers while she's in the hospital recovering from cancer?

how about being such a slacker with your child support that your ex-wife and daughters had to ask their church for help paying their bills?

you immoral, spineless little shit.

[Judi Lynn]

32. Serving a wife trying to recover from cancer some divorce papers

while she's in the hospital is a BIG wedge issue for me.

Newt Gingrich is really skilled at making life harder for people who can't protect themselves from his crude, nasty viciousness.


As Rush used to call him, "Mr. Newtie." (Sure, Rush!)

Whatta man to kick someone when she's down. How strange he was to pompously, sanctimoniously point to Bill Clinton as a villain when he, himself was as guilty in every way of the same acts.

[Hobarticus]

26. Out of touch? YOU'RE out of WORK, Newt!

How out of touch can you get? Contract with America was a flop!

[struggle4progress]

27. kick

:kick:

[scarface2004]

28. hey newt...let s lynch some negroes!!

that ll fire up our base for sure!!

[opihimoimoi]

29. Listen to the guy who blew the Pub Party apart in 96 by making all kinds

of stupid divisive statements just before the election.... Clinton gets re elected and Newt had to resign....

He is a Pub Nader, an Attention Whore; and, like Nader, over the Hill.

[Piperay]

31. That's so sad and so sick

anytime you hear 'wedge issue' you know that it is an effort to drive people apart. :( I can't understand why anyone that has the best interests of this nation at heart would want to drive people further apart. Whatever bad things that can be said about Nixon he had least used the slogan that he 'wanted to bring us together' even if in the end he drove us together against him he at least gave uniting this country lip service.

[lottie244]

34. Here's a "wedge issue" 906 dead US soldiers for a war based on lies!!

How's that?

[vetwife]

35. I have said all along Newt, Delay, Hastert,Frist but especially Newt

is running the country. Newt gives Rove marching orders. Let me tell you why I think this. We all know how worthy we think Big Dawg is about smarts and being articulate. In an in an interview a couple of years back Clinton said Newt, who I feel he personally can't stand. said Newt was a worthy opponent to him. Now. that being said and I do believe Clinton, I remember when this fresh faced Georgia boy came on the scene with a wife and a couple of kids and suddenly he took off and started controlling the Republican party. He is no dummy. He is evil but no dummy. He was behind the congress and the contract with America, he was behind the smearing of Cleland, he serves on all type of special meetings in Washington..Why? Should he not be living in his little ole home town here in Ga.? He has been out of congress for some time now. Why is he still hanging around the powers boys and pushing buttons?
Because he is the coach, that is why. He is the puppetter. I tell you, go after Newt, Delay, and Rove and Bush and Cheney will crumble.

[donkeyotay]

36. gingrich gives America a wedgie

Why has this POS not gone away? He slithered off when the R's couldn't afford to have it revealed to the moral party that Newtie was humping interns while impeaching the elected President, and instead of remaining in his undisclosed location, he shows up helping plan the Iraq War! I think it was Seymour Hersch who said that Gingrich was helping out at the Office of Special Plans... WHY, WHY, WHY??? They don't go away, they just go underground. The evil bastard probably has more power than before.

Exactly what is his position in government now?