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I was trying to find a complete transcript of that breakfast hosted by The American Spectator on about July 23, 2007 when he said that phrase. So far I could not find it. Besides the article posted, I looked into another one: by James P. Pinkerton writing in newsday.com: Title: Gingrich, like Churchill, won't wage 'phony' war.

I think Newt is wrong in using the phrase "losing the war", I don't think we are losing. But we just might snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory. I do share his dissatisfaction with us fighting with one hand behind our back, being too PC, not being consistent, aggressive enough, and committed enough. I am talking about the country as a whole, not a military that does its job brilliantly and is learning on the fly. Here is an excerpt from Pinkerton's article that better explains the historical reference to the "phony war":

"So when Gingrich, 64, speaking yesterday at a breakfast hosted by The American Spectator, declared that America is fighting a "phony war" against Islamic terrorism, he knew that listeners would recall that the same phrase - "phony war" - was used to describe the six-month period in 1939-40 when Churchill's predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, sat passively as the Wehrmacht gathered its strength for the coming blitzkrieg.

Gingrich's obvious point was that President George W. Bush has not been an effective war leader for Americans. And as a subpoint for Republicans, Gingrich was blunt: If in 2008 the GOP is still in the "Bush era" psychologically, it will be clobbered politically. By this reckoning, the Republican Gingrich is urging the same intra-party "clean break" with the Republican Bush that Churchill made with Chamberlain, a fellow Conservative, seven decades ago.

Another steady champion of military preparedness was Charles de Gaulle, who watched helplessly as his beloved France stood equally inert against the threat from Hitler. De Gaulle kept the faith from exile in London and, after the Allies liberated France in 1944, came briefly to political power."

Newt does not blame military at all (quotes from the posted article): "We've been engaged in a phony war," said Gingrich. "The only people who have been taking this seriously are the combat military." "We have to take this seriously," said Gingrich.

"We used to be a serious country. When we got attacked at Pearl Harbor, we took on Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany," he said, referring to World War II. "We beat all three in less than four years. We're about to enter the seventh year of this phony war against ... [terrorist groups], and we're losing."

Okay - losing is a bad choice of rhetoric. But we are not winning as you and I would like. He is being impatient with words, but the underlining message is correct: we could have done better.

I think many here are too quick to call him names. Newt wants to win this no less than any of us. Anyway, running off his mouth like that is not mature. Looks like I'll have to downgrade him to the VP position.