Newt sounds like a Democrat addressing Nat'l Conservative Student Conference. Honest.

[Hamlette]

He began benignly enough, using an anecdote about going to Disney World with his grandchildren to explain an epiphany he'd had about the value of not "thinking like a Republican." From there Gingrich moved into waters the students surely did not expect. He cited the Detroit school system, where a black male is more likely to go to prison than graduate from high school.

"How can we tolerate systems more likely to send young Americans to prison than college?" asked Gingrich. "Republicans have this maniacally dumb idea of red versus blue. They say Detroit is a blue place, so we're not going to go there."

"Republican political doctrine has been a failure," Gingrich said. "Look at New Orleans. How can you say that was a success? Look at Baghdad ... We've been in charge for six years and I don't think you can look around and say that was a great success.

"We have got to get beyond this political bologna. I'm not allowed to say anything positive about Hillary Clinton because then I'm not a loyal Republican, and she's not allowed to say anything positive about me because then she's not a loyal Democrat. What a stupid way to run a country." This last line he nearly spat out, expressing what seemed like genuine outrage. But the response was muted. Tepid applause bubbled up and then died within seconds.

And finally, when it seemed he'd been as blasphemous as he could possibly be, Gingrich pulled out a whopper: "None of you should believe we are winning this war," he said, referring to the so-called war on terror. "We are in a phony war ... we have not been taking this seriously."


http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2007/08/02/gingrich/index.html

First he backs off on global warming saying it is happening. Now starts telling the truth about the war and the GOP. What next?

[valerief]

1. He brings new meaning to the word Asshole. nt

[Selatius]

2. If he wants to be honest with these students, he ought to tell them to fight and die in Iraq

They support the president and the Republican Party, right? They support it's agenda, right? So why not further the agenda by offering up oneself to the glorious cause?

[Vincardog]

3. PSST the GOP will say and/or do ANYTHING to maintain their corrupt grip on the levers of power.

[JDPriestly]

4. Right the fruits of corruption are the whole point for them.

The words they use are just sounds that mean nothing to them. All they care about is how the words will sound to the listener, whether the listener will react favorably or unfavorably to what the listener thinks the words mean.

[Old and In the Way]

5. Did he blame himself for the damage he helped create?

His "Contract on America"?
His "Language of smearing Democrats"?

Sounds like he's running on a plan to differentiate himself from the rest of the Pygmies.

[phaseolus]

6. Hey, broken clocks are right a couple times every day...

I don't believe he's saying all this because he's suddenly given up on conservatism and had his epiphany on the road to Damascus. He's an ideologue, but he's also an academic with (I presume) analytical skills. I'm thinkin' he opened his mind a little, stopped pretending the noise machine's talking points are Gospel, and 1.) realized what's going on in the world and 2.) foresaw that Republicanism's train wreck is only going to get worse over the next six years or more.

This is an exercise in 'branding' -- his gamble is that he'll be the only Repub standing in a few years, after the rest of them are reduced to objects of ridicule even more than they already are...

[billyoc]

7. Next he'll be saying we don't need to put unwed mothers' children in orphanages.

Newt 2.0! :rofl:

[rodeodance]

8. Newt has always been one to take advantage of an opportunity.

[zbdent]

9. Did he mention anything about, under those who followed his lead,

public schools have wallowed in only being able to afford to draw mediocre teachers with the salaries offered (along with those who are true to their calling and willing to sacrifice for it ...)