Gingrich Rides to the Rescue

Newt Gingrich. God bless his pointed little head. Every time things start to get a little sticky for Democrats, Newt rides to their rescue. As Barack Obama is taking hits over his budget for the 2010 fiscal year, the Newtster dives into the fray and saves the day again for the Democrats by recently deciding that “the conservative movement has to distance itself from the Republican Party.” This is like asking Paris Hilton to distance herself from paparazzi. If there are no paparazzi, there is no Paris Hilton. If conservatives declare themselves independent of the GOP there will be no Republican party, which is just fine with me. Then again, the former Speaker has a history of causing trouble for his own party—and saving Democrats from themselves. The GOP had beat the crap out of Bill Clinton over the Lewinsky affair. But Newt continued to push the Lewinsky scandal even after the Senate acquitted the President—and not only did he push the issue past its expiration date, but he dumped his wife, while she was in the hospital no less, in favor of a young GOP House staffer. History suggested the president’s party should take a hit in the congressional elections six years into his term. But with the Speaker’s help, the Democrats picked up eight House seats in 1998. Then there’s 1996, when Bill Clinton outfoxed Newt and forced the speaker to capitulate in a battle over the next fiscal year’s budget. Newt made things worse by complaining about a bad seat on Air Force One. A New York tabloid immortalized the former Speaker’s whining with an editorial cartoon that showed Gingrich throwing a tantrum dressed in a baby bonnet and diapers. This episode rejuvenated Bill Clinton and helped him win a second term in 1996. Now that President Obama is on the hot seat, Newt Gingrich is again riding to a Democratic president’s rescue. The only thing that would make life sweeter for president Obama would be Newt’s formal announcement for candidacy for President in 2012. If Gingrich does run for President in 2012, the president will probably allow the former Speaker to campaign in Air Force One—and give him a very good seat. Because Newt Gingrich is like a pitcher who can’t strike that one batter out. So the batter drives to the airport to pick the pitcher up when the team comes to town. The only other thing I can think of that would cinch the President’s reelection in four years is turning the Fox News Channel into a 24/7 Newt Gingrich cable network. Are you listening, Roger Ailes?Brad is president of Bannon Communications Research, a political consulting and polling firm for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups—but you probably figured that out already.