I blame Newt Gingrich.

[LAS14]

He's the one who started the "don't let Democrats win, no matter what the issue" approach. He's the one who launched investigations into irrelevant issues (e.g., Whitewater) as a political tool. It feels like things fundamentally changed when he appeared. Am I wrong? Was stuff like this happening before Gingrich?

tia
las

[wryter2000]

1. Agreed

K&R

[marybourg]

2. Agree. He started a scorched-earth, take no prisoners politics in his party.

[Karadeniz]

3. Not wrong. He is a toad. I hate seeing him on tv. You know he tried to make a bundle by

Assisting an illegal arms dealer. I don't see how he gets invited on shows.

[JHB]

4. It was around, but Newt wrapped it up into a consolidated action plan...

...and put them on the precise trajectory to what they are now.

Say anything to stampede his crowd in a direction that would advance his agenda; double down; admit nothing.

No shame whatsoever.


Him and Rush, in tandem.

[Karadeniz]

5. With talking points by Frank luntz or something.

[BKDem]

6. Newt has a lot to answer for

He and Frank Luntz gave us enduring crap like “death taxes” and Newt did his best to normalize Republican hypocrisy and public tantrums. He has served his party well.

[StevieM]

7. Bob Dole was every bit as guilty as Newt Gingrich was when it came to lying about Whitewater

and ushering in the era of Republican swift boating.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Yes, I hate both Mitch and Newt equally.

Neither has any redeeming qualities and are thoroughly hateful hypocrites.

[lapfog_1]

9. yes, Lee Atwater

one evil MF

[samnsara]

10. i do too.. he was the very reason I went from Indy to straight ticket dem....

[guillaumeb]

11. And Dennis Hastert.

As Speaker, he created the Hastert Rule, which provided that a GOP Speaker would only call legislation if there were enough GOP votes to pass the legislation.

[Scotch-Irish]

12. Yes. Rush Limpballs and his wretched cohort, Ann Coulter,

cranked up the hate, first on radio (Rush) and then with tv (Ann), which gave rise to the "entitlement" Newt felt to go nuclear against more than half the people in our country, now totally divided.

If this country doesn't go after Faux News, with everything we've got, then this democracy is pretty much over. The republican supreme court, that ruled for Faux news in the lawsuit, was the first brick in the wall between the sane and the insane. Faux continues to lie, distort and propagandize, and they were given permission by the republican supreme court.

[Wellstone ruled]

13. Newtie is a major reason.

Hassert is another. Not not forget Leningrad Lindsey as well as Moscow Mitch. They were on board during that Contract with Murica bullshit.

[SWBTATTReg]

14. Don't just blame him (Newt), blame the cowards who won't stand up as upstanding American...

citizens to defend the constitution of the US and impeach the crooked son-of-a-bitch (pardon my language).

No body needs to hold these peoples' hands to do the right thing. No one.

These people should already have the courage and conviction to stand up and do the right thing. They are pathetically screeching and yelling like the spoiled brats they are.

I can't believe that these people are members of Congress...how embarrassing.

[Hekate]

15. Yep, that was Newt and his scorched-earth methods

[Norbert]

16. He forced Jim Wright to resign as speaker of the house.

Wright did have ethics violations but GOP Minority leader Bob Michel assured Wright that nothing will happen. Gingrich went behind Michel's back and filed charges against Wright. Michel went to his grave never forgiving Gingrich.

Gingrich is the most loathesome individual around. He is the architect of the 'us versus them' age that we are in now.