I’m trying to think if there is anyone else besides Newt who has the “cred” to make such bold statements and be taken seriously.
Obviously, anyone who makes such claims is going to be immediately targeted as an empty boaster... but Newt seems to me to be uniquely positioned as someone who has a proven track record of making good on what would otherwise be outlandish claims regarding changing the direction of Washington.
He may be the only person alive who can put forth such a bold plan, and be immune to the inevitable ridicule, since he’s already proved he’s able not only to be visionary, but to effectively make his vision a reality.
“He may be the only person alive who can put forth such a bold plan, and be immune to the inevitable ridicule, since he’s already proved he’s able not only to be visionary, but to effectively make his vision a reality.”
Newt’s record speaks by itself.
A few highlights from his long career:
Newt started a Young Republican Club at the age 22, when he was still in college.
He never wavered from his conservative convictions. Never been “independent, reformer republican, progressive” like Romney.
His 20-year-old voting record in the House is 98% conservative.
His pro-life voting record is of 98.7% (one of the bill he voted for was taken into consideration, while not linked to pro-life topic).
Voted YES on the Reagan tax cut of 1981
Voted YES on the Reagan tax reform bill of 1986
Voted NO on the George H.W. Bush “Read My Lips” tax hike in 1990
(which unleashed the furor of the GOP elite).
Voted NO on the Clinton tax hike in 1993.
Voted YES on the capital gains tax cut in 1997.
His vote and leadership against the 1990 Bush tax increase is especially praiseworthy, as it exhibited political courage to fight against a bad policy that was promoted by the president and congressional leadership of his own party.
Further, Gingrich can be one of the most clear-eyed and forceful advocates for supply-side economics and the value of free enterprise.
He has most recently favored:
an immediate and permanent repeal of the Death Tax;
elimination of all capital gains taxes;
reduction of the corporate tax rate to 12.5 percent;
a 50 percent payroll tax cut for both employers and employees;
a 100 percent tax write off for businesses’ equipment purchases.
During his time in Congress, he had an exemplary voting record on a lot of the top spending proposals:
Voted NO on the Chrysler bailout in 1979
Voted YES on the Gramm-Rudman balanced budget bill in 1985
Voted YES on a balanced budget amendment (as part of the “Contract for America” effort that he led) in 1995
Led the effort and voted YES to cut $16.4 billion from the budget in 1995.
Voted YES on welfare reform in 1996
Data from:
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/whitepapers/?subsec=137&id=903