The Daily Greg

Who needs attack ads when you’ve got the New York Times? Today’s Intl. Herald Tribune has a front-page story about Newt Gingrich, which is a great read.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/us/politics/the-long-run-gingrich-stuck-to-caustic-path-in-ethics-battles.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=gingrich%20gopac&st=cse

Yes, it reads like a hatchet job. In fact, it’s one of many portraits of Gingrich to come out recently. That’s why you hear Gingrich talking about the ‘Biased / Liberal / Elitist media.’ It brings to mind the quote ‘You’re not being paranoid if everyone really is out to get you.’ But in the case of Gingrich, ‘You’re not being tarnished by the media, if you’ve already tarnished yourself.’

Newt Gingrich literally wrote the book on hate-filled rhetoric. (well, okay, he wrote the GoPac manual.) Gingrich’s relationship with the Republican party is like the scorpion on the back of the frog. ‘Why did you sting me?!’ ‘It’s in my manual.’

The ones now pointing out Gingrich’s poisonous effect on politics are mostly Gingrich’s Republican colleagues. Certainly Mitt Romney has not been flattering. But now even former Senator Bob Dole has written a damning portrait, pointing out the significance of Gingrich’s lack of endorsements from Congressional Republicans: the man is a liability to his own party.

‘Gingrich had a new idea every minute and most of them were off the wall. He loved picking a fight with Bill Clinton because he knew this would get the attention of the press.’

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/dole-releases-stinging-critique-of-gingrich/?scp=3&sq=gingrich&st=cse

It reminds me of the Massachusetts man I met in 2004, who said he was voting for Bush. I asked him: ‘How could you not vote for Kerry? He’s from Massachusetts!’ The response: ‘I KNOW John Kerry. And believe me, you do not want that man as your president.’

Just when it seems that Republicans in Congress have helped raise partisan politics to an all-time high, it’s refreshing to hear that some Republicans regret the rancor. Here’s an interview with a senior (Democrat) member of the House, who yearns for the old days, when Republicans and Democrats could go out for a drink after work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/opinion/the-last-moderate.html?scp=1&sq=nocera%20blue%20dog&st=cse

Gingrich is great as a candidate. He’s good at stirring up trouble, stirring up a crowd & getting people motivated. He’s got nice one-liners, like calling Pres. Obama ‘The biggest food-stamp president in history.’ But at some point, even Gingrich’s supporters have got to wake up and look at Newt the same way his former colleagues do. My prediction is they’ll realize ‘You do not want that man as your president.’

25 jan., 2012

While Pres. Obama started and ended last night’s State of the Union speech with ‘teamwork,’ the truth is the White House is acting alone like never before. And well it should.

Remember the last time Obama stood in front of a joint session of Congress? That was back in September, when he said ‘Pass this Jobs Bill right away.’ And he repeated it like a David Mamet play: ‘Pass it. Pass the bill. Right away. The bill. Pass the Jobs Bill. Pass it. Pass the f**king bill!’ …Did they pass it? No.

At least the President was allowed to give the constitutionally mandated SOTU speech on the traditional Tuesday. At first, the Republicans said ‘That’s not good for us.’ In short, the White House and Congress have been fighting each other over just about every possible detail.

And so, ‘Mr. Red State-Blue State America’ is changing into ‘Mr. White House America.’ The White House started the year by using executive authority to bypass Congress in appointing the head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Board.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/richard-cordray-appointed-by-obama-to-head-consumer-watchdog-bureau/2012/01/04/gIQAGyqraP_story.html

(Mr Cordray will be played by Jack McBrayer, apparently.)

In the opening moments of the SOTU, Pres. Obama emphasized the theme of Teamwork. As an example, he used the US military. But there’s an inherent contradiction. According to Pep Rosenfeld: ‘Boy, teamwork is a lot easier with a command structure instead of democracy.’ And that’s the kind of teamwork Obama is really talking about: I say it, you do it. If you won’t do it, he’ll do it without you.

The whole speech for me boiled down to this quote: ‘So far you haven’t acted. Well, now I will.’

Anything that requires Congress will not get done. Anything the White House can do alone, they’ll do. Last night Obama said ‘we should stop giving subsidies to oil companies.’ …Just like he said last YEAR. How is it possible we are still doing this? Luckily, the Commander in Chief doesn’t need Congressional approval to identify the US military as ‘the number one biggest consumer of energy in the world’ and use them as an example. New rules on efficiency will start in the military. And – according to the speech – the US Navy will now be employed to provide electricity for 250,000 homes. I have no idea how he plans on doing this, but
- a) Why not use the military to provide energy? I think even Boehner would agree that US dependence on foreign oil is a threat to national security. (He clapped a couple times.) (So did a mummified corpse during a fake-tanning procedure.)
- b) Using the military for innovation has a pretty good track record (see: ‘the internet) (not: ‘Al Gore.’)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/us/a-hidden-cost-of-military-cuts-could-be-invention-and-its-industries.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=innovation%20virginia%20&st=cse

The SOTU ended with the military again. Pres. Obama exhorted Republicans and Democrats to work together just like a military team. And if they can’t, then – just like in the military – sit down, shut up and do what the Commander in Chief says.

A Dutch Guide to the Republicans

SHAPIRO HERE –
With your guide to ‘Obamageddon:’ US elections 2012.

Election Day is already 8 months away! Do we know yet who’s the Republican candidate? Not even close.

Even after losing South Carolina, Mitt Romney has a convincing lead. We call it that because he’s still convincing the other candidates to stop already. There are 4 Republican contenders left. How can you tell them apart if you’re Dutch?
Think of it this way:

Mitt Romney – VVD.
Less government, more business.
‘What’s good for business is good for America. What’s good for MY business is good for America. So – when my business buys out your business, lays off all the workers and dumps your business – that’s good for America.’

Now – It’s not me saying this. It’s an ad from
Newt Gingrich –
Used to be Speaker of the House. Used to have a lot of power. Now not so much. But he will say or do anything to get back into power. So let’s call him CDA.
Note: part of Gingrich’s charm is that he’s not Mormon, like Romney. Ironically, Gingrich has had more wives.

Ron Paul –
The Libertarian. Mr. Tea Party. For an old guy, he’s popular with the kids: Came in 2nd in New Hampshire. Good one-liners at the debates. So, let’s call him SP – only because he’s ideologically correct. And he has as good a chance of being elected as Roemer has being PM.

Santorum is extreme Christian values! SGP.
Values! Came in ‘A campaign is a campaign at conception! I will not abort this campaign!’ Marriage shuld be between a man & a woman. SO you know who gets to be in politics and who gets to stay home and shut up.

Don’t believe in global warming.
Don’t believe that US will ever be less than the number 1 economy.
Don’t believe in evolution.
Of course you don’t believe in evolution. You haven’t evolved. Look at George Bush.