Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has offered an interesting thesis: he says the temporary resignation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the political firestorm over the adminstration’s response to Hurricane Katrina could eventually work to the GOP’s advantage:
The climate of political scandal over congressional Republicans “could be the trigger that liberates people to say what they want” on matters of fiscal discipline and other reform issues, Gingrich said Thursday.
Gingrich, who has repeatedly criticized the federal response to Katrina, told The Grand Rapids Press that the government showed a “failure of leadership” in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Uh, oh. He MUST be a RINO or a liberal in his heart. MORE:
The former Georgia congressman said the Republican Party has not had an open debate about its priorities since 9/11, when the nation rallied behind President Bush, but can do so now.
“This is the great crossroads for the Republican Party,” he said. “In the next three months, they’ll either seize the opportunity to talk about real change” or be left defending undisciplined spending and an incompetent disaster response system.
He said the Department of Homeland Security was designed to handle simultaneous nuclear attacks in three cities.
“They should have been able to handle Katrina nearly effortlessly, and the whole thing imploded,” Gingrich said. “Unless we use the word “failure’ and be up front about it, you can’t solve the problem.
Gandelman, see? He definitely takes orders and probably even a check from Harry Reid. AND:
“The government failed in New Orleans. There are no circumstances where 34 senior citizens should die alone, where an American body should lay in the streets for three days. Either, it’s totally unacceptable and has to be changed, or it’s somehow excusable.”
Gingrich criticized Republicans who have tried to shift the blame from the federal government to New Orleans and Louisiana officials.
Americans reject the argument that “as long as there’s a corrupt local government, it’s OK for you to die, that local control says, “Who are we to say you shouldn’t die?”‘ Gingrich said.
With DeLay taking a leave from his leadership post after his indictment on campaign finance abuses, “you’ll see more people in the next 30 days saying, “I want to do this, or I want to do that.’ Creative leadership is always chaotic. But I don’t believe you get orderly, planned marches to great change.”
ETC…
The bottom line is this: Gingrich has a point. Right now we’re seeing vulnerable points surface in the White House and GOP. The White House has already shown by its vastly better reponse to Hurrican Rita that it was ready to do some things differently. Not only has it shown than it can skillfully adapt, but it has seen (by the poll numbers) that people notice the change.
Gingrich is saying it’s time for the GOP to take stock. He’s also arguing for GOPers to stop pointing the finger at others for problems, admit any failings (while not ignoring the failings of others)…and move on. Note that Gingrich and DeLay were not best ‘buds.’
Gingrich always was an interesting political character.
People could blast him for various things. But no one could ever accuse him of not having the “vision thing.”
And he clearly sees some things now that the powers that be in the GOP and White House might want to take a look at….