... it’s like seeing a great beast returned to its natural habitat

[n2doc]

Newt Gingrich is a windbag

Deborah Saunders

Pollster Scott Rasmussen reports that Newt Gingrich is leading in his Iowa poll. One explanation for the Gingrich surge is the Gingrich-is-a-brilliant-debater myth. The usually savvy Jonah Goldberg fell for that fiction in a piece that praised the Newter’s media-bashing during debates and concluded, “It’s a brilliant tactic. Watching Gingrich walk onto the debate stage, it’s like seeing a great beast returned to its natural habitat. They should play “Born Free” whenever he comes out from behind the curtain.”

I could not disagree more. Yes, Gingrich can be glib during debates, but his shtick is getting old and he keeps saying things that should come back to haunt him.


...

Today Politico reports that Gingrich worked for Freddie right up until the federal takeover of the government-sponsored mortgage giant. And: “Gingrich targeted Democrats in 2008 at the height of the housing crisis saying they should return Freddie Mac campaign contributions.”

Forget the messy divorces. Clearly he has.

There are plenty of other reasons why Gingrich cannot be trusted with political power. In 1997 when the was Speaker, the House reprimanded Gingrich and fined him $300,000 after he was forced to admit the had written “inaccurate and misleading” letters to the House ethics committee. Why? Essentially Gingrich fudged answers to questions about a course he was teaching called, ”Renewing American Civilization.” Its subject: America’s ”core values.” Republicans can’t even trust the man on the subject of patriotism.


http://blog.sfgate.com/djsaunders/2011/11/18/newt-gingrich-is-a-windbag/

I love it when conservatives eat their own...

[TheWraith]

1. I hope they don't eat Newt yet.

He'd make a great nominee. For us, that is. It would be a fun general election with his habit of sticking his foot so far down his mouth it pops out the other end and kicks him in the ass.

[eShirl]

2. Great Beast? More like Jabba the Slut. n/t

[NBachers]

3. Agreeing with Deborah Saunders is like agreeing with David Brooks

I can't stand either of 'em. The ingrown, incestuous republican cult has really got their fester on these days.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. Word.

[libinnyandia]

5. I would not describe Jonah Goldberg as "usually savvy" ,

[n2doc]

6. I know

I just broke up laughing when I read that paragraph, though. "Beast" indeed!

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Alert the poachers -- China needs more aphrodisiacs! nt