[SoConPubbie]

Unfortunately, selling the Contract was not the same as implementing it. Newt was not the man to implement it; and it turned out that support for the Contract was not all that deep after all; and the GOP had no way to counteract the media blizzard. Bill Clinton revived his presidency on the basis of Newt Gingrich's Speakership, and the Contract was not particularly effective in any case.

Since then, the GOP has gradually lost whatever direction it had as various single-issue factions began to tear each other apart, and narcissism and opportunism has supplanted principles.

I don't think you are talking about the same Newt that I remember.

And I say this as not a particularly big fan of his because of his near-term sell-outs on Global Warming and his snarky and dismissive attitude towards Sarah Palin.

If I remember right, the Newt-led congress passed 9 of the 10 contract issues, which means he implemented 90% of the Contract with America.

That's a pretty good percentage in my book.

[r9etb]

I don't think you are talking about the same Newt that I remember.

The Newt I remember had Bill Clinton's boot prints all over his back.