Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Newt Gets Nasty

I\’ve made this point before, only with one caveat. The Republicans will be
so endlessly ruthless trying to get the \’08 nomination that whomever we choose
better have a team that can take it and give back even more. Newt\’s finally
realized that the Clinton team won\’t take any crap. Why should they? Look what
happened to Kerry in \’04. Sean Hannity even paraded John O\’Neill out again last
night, because of a new ambassador that gave money to have Kerry swiftboated was before him for confirmation. Kerry went at him, which was fitting. Sean didn\’t like it. Enter O\’Neill. It\’s typical.

Clinton once said she will not only fight back, but \”deck\” her opponents.
She\’s right.

As for Newt, he sounds like a candidate on the on ramp to me.

\”Nobody will out-mud the Clintons,\” said Gingrich, who added that he\’ll decide in the coming months whether to run for the White House. He called Clinton\’s political team one of the most \”talented\” in U.S. history, but \”endlessly ruthless.\” \”You can\’t beat them tactically . . . They\’re too relentless, they\’re too well-organized, they have too big a machine and they\’ll just grind you down,\” he said. \”If they think [Obama] is a real threat, they\’ll just grind him up.\” Gingrich\’s harsh comments about Clinton were surprising because he has complimented her abilities and worked with her last year on a health-care initiative. Clinton campaign spokesman Blake Zeff cited several instances in the last year where Gingrich had kind words for the senator. \”Before Mr. Gingrich started running for president, he repeatedly praised Sen. Clinton,\” Zeff said. \”We take him at his word then.\” During the Post session, Gingrich also: * Dubbed Obama a great \”counterimage\” to Clinton, but said he doesn\’t think the Illinois Democrat can win. \”If the country wants therapy, they\’re going to elect Obama,\” he said. * Said the GOP needs to nominate a Ronald Reagan-type candidate and added, \”I think it\’s not an accident that Giuliani is running as well as he is in the polls.\” Gingrich called New York\’s evolution under Giuliani \”a tremendous story . . . It\’s a different city.\” * Warned that the GOP is in the \”early stages of an enormous transition\” and suggested electability is an issue for Republicans. \”A normative Republican running like a traditional Republican, which means a non-Reagan Republican, and trying to beat Hillary by being negative is hopeless,\” he said. .. … NEWT RIPS \’NASTY\’ HILL DROPS NICE-GUY APPROACH TO \’RUTHLESS\’ RIVAL