More from that Barney Frank interview in the NY Times Magazine Orhan posted about the other day.
Q: You recently said about Newt Gingrich: “He’s just one of the worst people I know of who didn’t commit violence on somebody.” Did he kill your dog?
A: He transformed American politics from one in which people presume the good will of their opponents, even as they disagreed, into one in which people treated the people with whom they disagreed as bad and immoral. He was a kind of McCarthy-ite who succeeded.
For those who don’t remember, this article was written in 1995, after Gingrich became Speaker of the House. Here are the words that Gingrich, in a memo, urged his fellow Republicans to use when referring to Democrats:
decay… failure (fail)… collapse(ing)… deeper… crisis… urgent(cy)… destructive… destroy… sick… pathetic… lie… liberal… they/them… unionized bureaucracy… “compassion” is not enough… betray… consequences… limit(s)… shallow… traitors… sensationalists…
endanger… coercion… hypocrisy… radical… threaten… devour… waste… corruption… incompetent… permissive attitudes… destructive… impose… self-serving… greed… ideological… insecure… anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs… pessimistic… excuses… intolerant…
Gingrich was never interested in cooperation – without which there is no possibility of governing in a democratic process. (Remember when he shut down the government? Twice? Such good times.)
As he exhibited yet again in his absurd presidential campaign, Newt is interested first in Newt, and in his place in history which he thinks he has earned. He’s right about that at least.
You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, or democracy. But you cannot have both.
Whatever Works 
He has earned his place in hell, alright. But he got where he was because Reagan got where he was. And after Newt came Dubya. There IS a Domino Theory. Only it came late and blindsided us all.
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It is interesting to NOT remember some of the bullshit he pulled a few short months ago…..
http://www.politicaldog101.com/?p=44592
http://www.politicaldog101.com/?p=44379
http://www.politicaldog101.com/?p=44200
http://www.politicaldog101.com/?p=44146
I haven’t…..
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And now he’s back, on MTP right now.
Sticking to the script so far – but it’s always just a question time before his ego takes over. He can’t be the errand boy of the Romney Campaign for long.
That said, he’s damn good at pointing out the weaknesses of Obama.
Whining about Bush recession, after four years? Not good enough..
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Oh he’s got political insight all right, except where he’s concerned.
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Sometimes I think “But do you REALLY get it? The long term consequences of this stuff you’re doing?” He’s not the brute simpleton type like most in his parts.
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No he isn’t, but he’s in love with his own voice. For him, I think the attention itself is the reward.
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