Newt: My GOP Wish List

Wall Street Journal ^ | dec 26, 2002 | NEWT GINGRICH

[The Raven]

There have been three great Republican victories in my lifetime. In 1980, a campaign centered on strengthening defense, cutting taxes and renewing faith in American civic culture produced a landslide for Ronald Reagan. In 1994, the Contract with America with its ideas of reforming welfare and balancing the budget produced a 53-seat gain in the House that gave Republicans control for the first time in 40 years. The outcome of the midterm elections this year brought the third great triumph. But the work is far from done: Follow-through on five major issues now will determine whether the recent election gains translate into a real mandate for the GOP in 2004.

[okie01]

Ideas? Those were promises, promises to enact a Balanced Budget Amendment, amoung other things. Remember?

Oh and how about the Term Limits promise? Betrayed again, weren't we?

Remember? How soon we forget.

The Contract With America was a sole sponsorship by the Republicans running for the House.

In it, they promised that, if elected to a majority, they would bring all of the items in the contract to a vote on the House floor.

The newly elected Republican House was true to its word. Every single item was brought to the floor for a vote, up or down. Every one of them passed, save one -- the aforementioned term limits.

Many of the reforms promised were not achieved because the Senate failed to act or they were vetoed by the First Felon -- Bill Clinton.

But be advised that Newt Gingrich and the GOP House kept their promise. Give them their just due.

[okie01]

"The people who thought they could "trash" the Perot voters and not pay a price."

And, so, we arrive at the source of your bitterness.

Like you, probably, I voted for Perot in '92. And I'm happy to say I got over it.

[Paulus Invictus]

Perot and his misguided voters gave us two terms of the Felon and are not relevant to modern conservative political discourse, nor are you. Go away, disruptor!

[okie01]

"We sent a wonderful woman back to DC in 1994 by the name of Linda Smith.

Smith is a solid conservative. And she was undermined and betrayed by Gingrich and his cronies when she came up for re-election. Why did they do it?

Maybe we should ask Gingrich's ex-wife how trustworthy he is, and how well he keeps his promises?

Thoroughly legitimate concerns.

But your swipe at Newt for the Contract With America was totally without foundation.

If you've got a bone to pick with a man, get after him for what he did wrong; not what he did right.