Former speakers united in their criticism of Congress

It’s to be expected when former leaders criticize current leaders. Still, it is striking that former House speakers Newt Gingrich and Thomas Foley are so united about how terrible Congress is doing. Speaking at an American Enterprise Institute event, the Republican and Democrat complained, according to The Washington Post, about “a collapse of committee deliberations, the demise of oversight of the executive branch, the loss of the ‘regular order’ of rules for debate and legislation, a runaway spending process, and a shrinking legislative calendar.” Their partial solutions, the Post reported, included: “restore committee power to write laws, ban fundraising in Washington, abolish lawmakers’ political action committees, end spending ‘earmarks’ and enforce the rules that guide the legislative process.” But Gingrich said the real solution is to clean house. “The correct answer,” he said, “is for the American people to just start firing people.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

15 Comments

  1. RD
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 2:24 am | Permalink

    Merciful heaven! I agreed with Newt!

  2. Tony
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 2:32 am | Permalink

    Hey RD…

    Let me fill you in on something…

    My grandma died a few years ago… She sent us word that the central air was installed and I and my fathers rooms are ready…

    Since the air was installed, weird things have started happening, things like us agreeing with Newt.

    See… An easy explanation…

  3. .morg
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 7:33 am | Permalink

    We could start by getting rid of our 3 stooges. Brownback, Tiahart and Roberts oh my.

  4. brown
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 9:14 am | Permalink

    A good train of thought for all voters this November is “no incumbents”.Period.

  5. J M Walker
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 9:18 am | Permalink

    Wow, for once I’m agreeing with the newt. The morons WE elected are running a rudderless ship, with no captain, and a clueless crew. Dumping the whole lot and getting competent people in should be a priority, but the majority of the few who do vote in this country have no intention of changing the status quo.

    But WE need to start nominating people who are able to lead, not feed. The government trough is already filled with too much corporate monies.

    But good luck finding competent people: who in their right mind would want to join a zoo like the one running loose in the nations capital now?

  6. XXX
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 10:50 am | Permalink

    Brown, so true! But of course, we can count on Kansans to do what they usually do at the polls. Vote against their own best interests.

  7. steve
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    If moderate Republicans ever want to regain control of their party, the must hand the party a resounding defeat in Nov.

  8. Tony
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 11:37 am | Permalink

    Brown,

    I would tend to agree, EXCEPT for Sebilius. I think she has done very well and i think she is defiantly better than any of the twits that are running for the Repub primary.

  9. GaryC.
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 12:44 pm | Permalink

    My ultimate wish is to see pretty boy Tiahrt take a hike? His little tirade in the paper last weekend proves that he needs to be sent home from school.

  10. Joe Williams
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 1:53 pm | Permalink

    I know somebody that is being groomed to replace Tiahrt, and he will give Tiahrt a run for his money.

    But he isn’t going to run against him just quite yet. Needs to get a few political notches under his belt first.

  11. Darwin'sDisciple
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 7:29 pm | Permalink

    “I know somebody that is being groomed to replace Tiahrt, and he will give Tiahrt a run for his money.”

    Care to share who that is, Joe?

  12. Roscoe
    Posted July 16, 2006 at 11:46 pm | Permalink

    Fred Phelps? He’s the most prominent Democrat in Kansas.

  13. Darwin'sDisciple
    Posted July 17, 2006 at 12:43 am | Permalink

    No, it will be Mark Gietzen in the primary race against Tiahrt. Markie-poo will be able to write even more insane rants for the Eagle than Todd every could. Gietzen really believes his delusions and what the voices in his head tell him.

  14. TRACY
    Posted July 17, 2006 at 6:41 am | Permalink

    Why do I have the feeling that if Newt were in charge, we would already be in WWIII?Anybody else get that feeling?

  15. Lim
    Posted January 3, 2007 at 1:39 am | Permalink

    ?? ????