Good Article by Newt Gingrich

[Colossus_500]

Beyond the Presidential Campaign Spotlight
by Newt Gingrich
Posted 12/18/2007 ET


For the next few weeks, we will be drowned in news media coverage of every detail of the presidential campaign.

Who's up? Who's down? Who's in? Who's out? Who raised how much? Who used which negative ads? Who had which previously secret scandal suddenly released by the news media or their opponents?

The media will be obsessed with it. Yet there is a much deeper historic pattern developing beyond the headlines and the analysts.

The American people believe our country is on the wrong track. We currently have a level of public disenchantment that is historic by post-WWII standards. What’s more, the American public has been burdened by its own disenchantment for a longer stretch of time than any other since the Great Depression.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that this is still America, and we're still Americans. And as Ronald Reagan used to say, we've seen the American spirit triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now.


Americans, not Washington, Are the Center of America

Two and half weeks out from the Iowa caucuses, here's where we stand:

The Bush presidency is generally unpopular.

Congress is now even more unpopular than the Bush presidency.

The Republicans have failed to live up to people's expectations of them.

Now, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) are doing a much poorer job of getting things done than the Republicans were.

But thankfully, Washington is not the center of America.

Americans still remain the center of America.


Most Americans Believe Their Taxes Have Gone Up. They're Right.

There are more than 513,000 elected officials in the United States. This includes representatives from every level of government -- from school boards, county commissions, city councils and sheriffs up through state legislatures and governors to the 537 elected federal officials in Washington.

And while politicians in Washington argue about tax cuts, the fact is that our taxes at the state and local level have been going up.

Most Americans do not believe their taxes have been cut in the last six years.

Most Americans believe their taxes have gone up.

They're right.

Liberals are playing with fire when they propose tax increases, because they misunderstand the underlying mood of the American people.


Americans Are Working Harder and Not Keeping Pace

Americans believe that they are working harder while failing to keep up with rising costs.

They're right.

There is no positive political impact from the relatively good macroeconomic numbers, because the microeconomic personal numbers are so uncomfortable.

We fill up ours cars and trucks, and we stare in disbelief and then in anger at the total price.


We watch our co-pays for healthcare go up and wonder how we will get coverage if we lose our jobs.


We save to put our children (and in our case, grandchildren) through college and watch tuition and costs rise faster than the savings.


We are told we must shift from a defined benefits plan to a defined contribution plan, and then we watch as the stock market wobbles under the impact of the subprime mortgage credit crunch.


A Bureaucratic Solution to the Subprime Mess?

We were counting on the constantly rising value of our homes as a major store of wealth, and now we are told the credit crunch from giant corporations mismanaging the mortgage market could reduce the value of our homes for the first time in more than a generation.

Now, we watch as politicians pander absurdly to try to find a quick political fix for people who should not have bought houses they could not afford and for huge companies that should not have lent money recklessly. If we are not careful, we will have the government, once again, punish those who work hard, save and live prudently in favor of bailing out those who choose to live beyond their means and those who sought huge profits from irresponsible loans.

The idea that bureaucracies can solve the sub-prime loan mess is one more example of Washington's detachment from reality.


Government Failures vs. American Breakthroughs

Our federal government cannot control the border nor control who is in the country.

Many of our local schools cannot educate children adequately to compete with China and India.

FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is so out of control that it called a press conference with its own staff pretending to be reporters. Equally ridiculous, it actually thought that the news media would not catch on and would not humiliate the agency for sheer stupidity. And nothing has been done to fix it!

Yet, despite the failures of government and frustrations of the current economy, we see story after story about great progress and real opportunities. For example, every day we read about new breakthroughs in fighting cancer. All of us know someone who is alive today who would have been dead from cancer or heart disease 15 years ago.


Americans Are Caught in a Race Between Potential Catastrophes and Potential Breakthroughs

There are constant breakthroughs in science and technology and real opportunities for new entrepreneurs to develop new sources of energy and new sources of ultra-light, ultra-strong materials that have the power to change the entire energy economy of the United States and change every projection in the economy, the environment and national security.

We Americans seem caught in a race between potential catastrophes and extraordinary breakthroughs that may lead to a renaissance more exciting and at a pace more breathtaking than anything seen in 15th Century Florence.

Because we Americans are both romantic idealists and hard minded pragmatists, we find ourselves wavering among the various presidential candidates and campaigns.


The Presidential Campaign Could Be One of the Most Extraordinary in American History

But over time, people have always done better betting on optimism and believing that the courage, creativity, energy and determination of the American people will overcome challenges that would break a weaker country.

The creative angels of our hearts and minds have always won out over the negative demons that have tried to tear us down.

This campaign could be one of the most extraordinary in American history.

The American people have been having a dialogue among themselves about the realities they face and the dreams they want to achieve for their children, their grandchildren and their country.

As we watch the negative, petty cynicism of much of the news media coverage, the alternately condescending and acidic tones of too many of the so-called commentators, and the vicious advertising and campaign tactics of the more cynical and unethical of the consultants, we need to keep mindful of one important thing: Beyond all the negatives, there is a great American people, a people who will, in the end, insist that this campaign is about a lot more than money raised, polls taken and consultants employed.

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Now watch this video:

[Decker]

 

Most Americans Believe Their Taxes Have Gone Up. They're Right.

* Between 2000 and 2003, the United States saw a federal-to-state tax shift of historic magnitude: the share of the total tax burden borne at the state and local level jumped 15 percent.
"This is the largest such shift in the tax burden since the period 1947-1950. This shift is making the tax system more regressive.
In the last 20+ years payroll taxes have increased 25% while inheritance taxes and capital gains taxes have been reduced or eliminated.

Government Failures vs. American Breakthroughs

Our federal government cannot control the border nor control who is in the country.

Many of our local schools cannot educate children adequately to compete with China and India.

FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is so out of control that it called a press conference with its own staff pretending to be reporters. Equally ridiculous, it actually thought that the news media would not catch on and would not humiliate the agency for sheer stupidity. And nothing has been done to fix it!

Let’s see, we have 8 years of stocking the federal government with incompetent boobs or psychos at odds with their position—read John Bolton and the UN Rep—so that big bad government can be manipulated to Bush’s will and not the will of the people.  How about Brownie the talent agent given the head of FEMA position?  Talk about criminal negligence.

The Presidential Campaign Could Be One of the Most Extraordinary in American History

As we watch the negative, petty cynicism of much of the news media coverage, the alternately condescending and acidic tones of too many of the so-called commentators, and the vicious advertising and campaign tactics of the more cynical and unethical of the consultants, we need to keep mindful of one important thing: Beyond all the negatives, there is a great American people, a people who will, in the end, insist that this campaign is about a lot more than money raised, polls taken and consultants employed.

Talk about Balls with a capital B.  This is the same clown that helped engineer the impeachment of President Clinton.  Now he’s trying to play Statesman?

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[Straw Man]

Government Failures vs. American Breakthroughs??

Too bad the Republicans in the Senate put the kibosh on incentives to develop alternative sources of clean energy

In their wisdom they decided it was much more important to continue giving tax credits to the most profitable industry on the planet and one that is based on early 20th century technology.

I feel comforted knowing they're looking out for our future.....that is our future to keep paying higher and higher prices for fossil fuel

[Dos Equis]

Beyond the Presidential Campaign Spotlight
by Newt Gingrich
Posted 12/18/2007 ET


For the next few weeks, we will be drowned in news media coverage of every detail of the presidential campaign.

Who's up? Who's down? Who's in? Who's out? Who raised how much? Who used which negative ads? Who had which previously secret scandal suddenly released by the news media or their opponents?

The media will be obsessed with it. Yet there is a much deeper historic pattern developing beyond the headlines and the analysts.

The American people believe our country is on the wrong track. We currently have a level of public disenchantment that is historic by post-WWII standards. What’s more, the American public has been burdened by its own disenchantment for a longer stretch of time than any other since the Great Depression.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that this is still America, and we're still Americans. And as Ronald Reagan used to say, we've seen the American spirit triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now.


Americans, not Washington, Are the Center of America

Two and half weeks out from the Iowa caucuses, here's where we stand:

The Bush presidency is generally unpopular.

Congress is now even more unpopular than the Bush presidency.

The Republicans have failed to live up to people's expectations of them.

Now, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) are doing a much poorer job of getting things done than the Republicans were.

But thankfully, Washington is not the center of America.

Americans still remain the center of America.


Most Americans Believe Their Taxes Have Gone Up. They're Right.

There are more than 513,000 elected officials in the United States. This includes representatives from every level of government -- from school boards, county commissions, city councils and sheriffs up through state legislatures and governors to the 537 elected federal officials in Washington.

And while politicians in Washington argue about tax cuts, the fact is that our taxes at the state and local level have been going up.

Most Americans do not believe their taxes have been cut in the last six years.

Most Americans believe their taxes have gone up.

They're right.

Liberals are playing with fire when they propose tax increases, because they misunderstand the underlying mood of the American people.


Americans Are Working Harder and Not Keeping Pace

Americans believe that they are working harder while failing to keep up with rising costs.

They're right.

There is no positive political impact from the relatively good macroeconomic numbers, because the microeconomic personal numbers are so uncomfortable.

We fill up ours cars and trucks, and we stare in disbelief and then in anger at the total price.


We watch our co-pays for healthcare go up and wonder how we will get coverage if we lose our jobs.


We save to put our children (and in our case, grandchildren) through college and watch tuition and costs rise faster than the savings.


We are told we must shift from a defined benefits plan to a defined contribution plan, and then we watch as the stock market wobbles under the impact of the subprime mortgage credit crunch.


A Bureaucratic Solution to the Subprime Mess?

We were counting on the constantly rising value of our homes as a major store of wealth, and now we are told the credit crunch from giant corporations mismanaging the mortgage market could reduce the value of our homes for the first time in more than a generation.

Now, we watch as politicians pander absurdly to try to find a quick political fix for people who should not have bought houses they could not afford and for huge companies that should not have lent money recklessly. If we are not careful, we will have the government, once again, punish those who work hard, save and live prudently in favor of bailing out those who choose to live beyond their means and those who sought huge profits from irresponsible loans.

The idea that bureaucracies can solve the sub-prime loan mess is one more example of Washington's detachment from reality.


Government Failures vs. American Breakthroughs

Our federal government cannot control the border nor control who is in the country.

Many of our local schools cannot educate children adequately to compete with China and India.

FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is so out of control that it called a press conference with its own staff pretending to be reporters. Equally ridiculous, it actually thought that the news media would not catch on and would not humiliate the agency for sheer stupidity. And nothing has been done to fix it!

Yet, despite the failures of government and frustrations of the current economy, we see story after story about great progress and real opportunities. For example, every day we read about new breakthroughs in fighting cancer. All of us know someone who is alive today who would have been dead from cancer or heart disease 15 years ago.


Americans Are Caught in a Race Between Potential Catastrophes and Potential Breakthroughs

There are constant breakthroughs in science and technology and real opportunities for new entrepreneurs to develop new sources of energy and new sources of ultra-light, ultra-strong materials that have the power to change the entire energy economy of the United States and change every projection in the economy, the environment and national security.

We Americans seem caught in a race between potential catastrophes and extraordinary breakthroughs that may lead to a renaissance more exciting and at a pace more breathtaking than anything seen in 15th Century Florence.

Because we Americans are both romantic idealists and hard minded pragmatists, we find ourselves wavering among the various presidential candidates and campaigns.


The Presidential Campaign Could Be One of the Most Extraordinary in American History

But over time, people have always done better betting on optimism and believing that the courage, creativity, energy and determination of the American people will overcome challenges that would break a weaker country.

The creative angels of our hearts and minds have always won out over the negative demons that have tried to tear us down.

This campaign could be one of the most extraordinary in American history.

The American people have been having a dialogue among themselves about the realities they face and the dreams they want to achieve for their children, their grandchildren and their country.

As we watch the negative, petty cynicism of much of the news media coverage, the alternately condescending and acidic tones of too many of the so-called commentators, and the vicious advertising and campaign tactics of the more cynical and unethical of the consultants, we need to keep mindful of one important thing: Beyond all the negatives, there is a great American people, a people who will, in the end, insist that this campaign is about a lot more than money raised, polls taken and consultants employed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now watch this video:

Good article.  Funny clip too.  I wouldn't vote for him because of his hypocrisy in the Clinton scandal, but I hope he can serve in some advisory capacity for President Huck, Romney, or Rudy.