Newt Gingrich: A True Conservative Idealist

As Republican Senate leader in 2006, Mitch McConnell led our party to a historically monumental defeat. Why? Because he lacks any original ideas. McConnell cowtows to special interest groups that can help him stay in power, even if it means spending more government funds than John Edwards in a beauty salon (thanks to Gov. Huckabee for that line). However, Conservatives may soon have a choice in Newt Gingrich, who has a mind of his own. Walter Shapiro writes:

While Gingrich's puffed-up persona and tangled marital history are easy to mock, the former speaker has long been the most intellectually intriguing figure on the Republican right. These days, most conservative politicians (Tom DeLay, Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell) lack ideas; Gingrich suffers from having too many of them. It is important to realize that many Republicans hail Gingrich as a visionary, much as Al Gore is lionized by Democrats.