In the speech below Newt Gingrich advocates impeaching the Attorney General, disses the ACLU and secular-progressives in general, and ends with a rallying cry for conservatives (which is the title to this post):
I'm really surprised I hadn't seen this speech until last night, especially since it's been around for over a month. Why this speech hasn't gone viral with the right wing is beyond me... or maybe we're all just focused on the holidays at the moment.
h/t to Darleen Click, posting at Protein Wisdom.
Buck, I like him too. Lots of straight forward stuff from him that really resonates with me. I think he should simply jump into the mix, dam the pundits and press on into the fight. See what happens.
ReplyDeleteBT: Jimmy T sends.
I like Mr. Gingrich also. He is a very intelligent, astute man. His words ring with common sense and truth. I think that what he speaks of will take place in this country, I just don't think that we will see it in the next 3 years, as he states. Although the 2010 elections may prove me wrong.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he has any more baggage than most of these politicians. Like Jimmy T stated, at some point he needs to just jump into the fray. Conservatives and Moderates need leadership right now, and we aren't going to get it from any of the current list of usual suspects in the Republican party.
I think the left hasn't latched on to this because they long ago dismissed Mr. Gingrich. And, clearly (to them at least)he doesn't represent a threat, say like, oh...Sarah Palin.
Or maybe it's that they realize that they don't have the wherewithal to take him on. They lost to him once before.
It's a good speech. I agree with quite a bit of what Mr. Gingrich says. However, he starts off with:
ReplyDelete"For 25 years we’ve lived a lie ..."
If today the year is 2009, and 2009 minus 25 years equals 1984 ... that was the beginning of the second term of the right’s hero, Ronald Reagan. 1988 brought us Bush I. 1992 brought us Bill Clinton. 2000 brought us Bush II. 2008 brought us Obama.
So let’s see ...
Reagan for 4 years (1984-1988), Bush I for 4 years, Clinton for 8 years, Bush II for 8 years, Obama for 1 year.
4 + 4 + 8 = 16
8 + 1 = 9
16 + 9 equals 25 years. Most of those years were Republican-owned. Hm.
"Less than 1 of every 1,000 Americans had the courage to be with Washington on Christmas Day."
Obviously, the numbers are even lower than that now. Why is that? Either it's because we don't believe in the wars we're fighting, or we're just complacent and lazy. I think it's a combination of both. And I think it's well past time we reinstate the draft, and make it a FAIR draft, so that EVERYONE's child is obligated to serve. That includes the children of Washington types who continue to try to place blame for the mess we're in on a president who has been in office for less than 1 year, instead of looking at the past TWENTY-FIVE years and seeing those years for what they are, and what they have produced.
And I've got news for Mr. Gingrich and anyone else who insists we should believe in a mythological being in the sky: "God" can't help us. We must help ourselves.
Jimmy and BR: Even I have doubts about Gingrich in at least one regard, and that concerns the way he treated his first two wives. As my old boss... Ross Perot... used to say: "If your wife can't trust you then why should I?" Gingrich's behavior in those debacles creates SERIOUS doubts about his character, at least with me. A sticky wicket to be sure, and one that could be argued either way. But I believe in the "whole man" concept.
ReplyDeleteLori: I'm willing to concede a few things in your argument(s), but not where Reagan or Bush 41 are concerned. My beef with the GOP begins with the 108th Congress... which is about the time the Republicans screwed the pooch as far as small government and fiscal responsibility is concerned. Dubya played no small part in that debacle, too. Obama sure as HELL isn't helping any-goddamned-thing as far as domestic policy goes, either... as a matter of fact there's not one SINGLE thing he's done in this space I agree with. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Hell, hand-basket, etc.
As far as the religion thing goes... I respect people's rights to believe what they want to believe and will not cast stones... as long as they don't try and force any sort of belief on ME. That said, we are predominantly a Judeo-Christian country and I'm OK with that.
Oops... forgot to rant about the draft in short form: Not only no, but HELL NO. We don't need a re-run of 1968... never, ever again. The military we have now is the best we've EVER had... let's keep it like that.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the draft, Buck, and I agree that the military we have now is the best we've ever had. However (and you've heard this argument before, I'm sure), until "everyday people" have a more of stake in these wars, they will continue in their complacency. It's just freaking sad that none of it really affects far too many of us. Reminds me of part of one of Jonatha Brooke's songs:
ReplyDeleteEvery morning I get up and I raise the flag
Salute the monument of those who gave their lives
And I guess war's ok, it's just a little inconvenient
But it's better than a video-game, it's better than the movies
As for the religion thing, I raised my hand three times to defend the U.S. Constitution, and I take very seriously each citizen's right to her/his faith -- as well as her/his right to a lack of faith. The Judeo/Christian thing is more or less okay by me, too, even though I tend towards Taoist and Buddhist beliefs myself. I will always fight for someone else's right to their faith (or lack of faith). Like you, though, I won't abide someone else forcing their beliefs upon me. And that's the trouble I have with a good portion of Republicans: they seem to want religious zealots holding the highest offices. Bad news all around, that.
...even though I tend towards Taoist and Buddhist beliefs myself.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Where have I heard that before, I wonder? I tend to agree with you about the religious zealotry bits, too. There's not a thing wrong with being religious and a lot right with it... but there's a line.
I somewhat agree with your line on the draft, too. FAR too many people think our wars... and the people that fight them... are "not my problem." But a draft ain't the solution, IMHO. The country's attitude towards military service needs to change and in fact IS changing... I think. By that I mean there are a lot more people honoring military service today than there have ever been in my lifetime, except perhaps for my childhood and adolescent years. That's a great good thing.
Lots of good stuff here... I'll try my best to keep up.
ReplyDeleteI agree, hell no on the draft; our country does not need it and I don't want anyone in my Navy that does not WANT to be here. Every brother in arms that I know feels the same way.
The term "religeous zealot" is relative... but I would contend that most Republicans just want to keep things "reasonable" (another relative term) when it comes to the law... and not go to the extreme the ACLU seems to do so often. I think the ACLU has defended many people and practices under the guise of Constitutional defense.
I think Republicans are more grounded than Democrats. I'm not politically affilitated with either party, but the Democrats seem to have quite a few social ideas they can't resource. An idea without resources is often called a dream. We need plans and policies that are executable...
My $.02.
While there are Christian groups that are over the top, I think the left tends to brands the majority of us Christians as "religious zealots". It's their way of attempting to minimize us.
ReplyDeleteSam: We're pretty much on the same page. Funny, that! ;-0
ReplyDeleteBR: I don't think it's "the left" that tries to marginalize Christians so much as it is the zealot secular-progressive wing of the Left. Their non-religion is just as strident... if not more so... than any Christian faction. I know lots of Christians who are left-wing in their politics and strong believers.
Bec: Thanks for the link to Katie's blog. I don't see how anyone could fail to be impressed with a young person such as Katie. I agree with you about that Newt/Pelosi (ptui!) video and I'm thinking he wishes he could take a mulligan on that one...
He covers a wide area from economics to real americans marching behind a visionary leader like Washington. The trouble today, is who is our visionary leader. I pick one, follow him, and then find out he's screwing half the bimbos in Vegas. Economics doesn't even matter anymore, we will be over 20 Trillion in debt by next summer when the U.S. Army invades Afghanistan again. Hell, we won that war with basically 8 CIA agents and B-1, and B-52's dropping GPS bombs. You can't win a COIN war with 30,000 troops living in a fort. Even John Wayne knew you rode 30 days and killed every savage you ran into. The fort was just to get new horses. Last summer I bought 10,000 shares of Ford stock for $1.10. It went over $10 this week. I think I'm making some real money, but think about it, the company still doesn't have a P/E because it hasn't made a profit. So why should I complain about some high school dropout who gets a mortgage? As far as the draft goes, we already have a draft. It works in reverse. We get kids to sign up for 4 years, and tell them they have a 2 year Inactive Reserve commitment. Then when their 4 years are up, we tell them we are drafting them for 2 more years, and forget about the inactive joke. This way we can draft both men and women. I like it, it's sneaky, and it suckers millions of young men and women into the Army.
ReplyDeleteAnon sez: So why should I complain about some high school dropout who gets a mortgage?
ReplyDeleteLetting one or three slip through is one thing, letting hundreds of thousands (if not millions) buy homes they can't afford caused a near market collapse. Thank you, Congressman Frank & Co.
Sounds like you did alright on the Ford stock! I'm NOT that brave...
OK, looks like I lied about Ford and compressed my memory, it was 1.76 a share back in March that I bought it. Still nothing to sneeze at, but still funny money. I'm waiting for $14 a share, but the asteroid may hit before then... Something about the Mayan calender ending soon.
ReplyDelete