Newt (noun) 'nüt', 'nyüt': any of various small salamanders (family Salamandridae) that are usually semiaquatic as adults

In today's NY Times, the AP reports that Newt Gingrich is going to jump into the White Men Republican Presidential race in September. He says that he wants to "focus on what we have to do to make America successful."

Funny, I thought we were quite successful until the current guy got in and ruined the country's relationship and reputation with almost every other country in the world.

In all honesty though, the like the idea of Newt being the Republican nominee (although, I am still 100% certain that the Democrat--no matter who it is--is going to win). The right-wing of the party is very unhappy with the current contenders as they seem to be too liberal for their tastes. Newt may be the answer to their prayers (literally and figuratively). I say, let Newt be the nominee as the Republicans seem to have a way of attacking each others personal lives that will allow the Democrats to talk about the issues that people want. (See John McCain's 2000 primary race for an example). I mean, with a history like Newt's, how could they not?!

On Wikipedia (and anywhere actually) we can read all about Newt's multiple marriages and extramarital affairs. But those are okay according to Jerry Falwell because Newt, "genuinely [sought] forgiveness." And yet, at the same time he was criticizing Bill Clinton for having an affair, he was having one himself! Hmmm....

The thing that Newt will go down in the history books for will be his advocacy for the "Contract with America." With the sweep of the Congress by the Republicans in 1994, Newt brought forth this grand vision of what HE wanted America to be. An idea of the Heritage Foundation and released by the Republican Party, Newt pushed to have most of the Contract be include 60% issues, mostly controversial ones, of course. (The final version did not end up this way). This correlates with the Republican right cramming their values and idea of ethics down our throats for over 30 years.

Yeah, that worked out quite well for them.

Sidenote: the Contract and Republican success was also touted heavily by Tom Delay. And we all know how stellar his career was....

My most favorite thing about Newt's Contract was,

"As a blueprint for the policy of the new Congressional majority, Micklethwait & Wooldridge argue in The Right Nation that the Contract placed the Congress firmly back in the driver's seat of domestic government policy for most of the 104th Congress, and placed the Clinton White House firmly on the defensive. However, this clearly changed following the government shutdown in late 1995, which the public overwhelmingly blamed on House Republicans." (Wikipedia)

For a party who advocates a "hands-off" government and who claims they don't like to stick their nose into people's private lives, they sure have a long history of doing the exact opposite.

So, I say to Newt, 'Bring it on. It won't be as much fun without you!" After all, you Republicans have been attacking Democrats personal values for years without any substance. It's time for you to face the same fate.