You may or may not like Newt, but more people need to loudly tell the truth as it applies to our enemies. i think this happens to be a stunning account of the state of Terrorism and of the naivety of the people in our country.
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Thanks for posting that video "AUTR".
I've heard Newt give the longer version of the speech from which he gave this condensed answer and it is a real barn-burner of true American rhetoric that everyone should hear; but this video hits the high marks well on this subject of terrorism (although the remarks on Iraq are obviously a bit dated).
I like Newt a great deal. He was probably the most effective Speaker of the House we've had despite the personal problems which plagued him there at the end. He was my Congressman during that time as a matter of fact.
Is it wrong to hope and pray it's not your city that gets it? Or your friends and family? We know it's coming. The problem is that the appeasers will be the ones spared and good folks like us will be the ones suffering.
I can shoot an armed man. How do I stop a bomber or chemical assailant or biological fiend?
Are we not better stopping it over there and not over here? Or am I just "buying into the republican fear"?
One of my biggest complaints about our former President was that he seemed so reluctant to really speak out on a big reason why our Armed forces are forwardly deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are the obvious reasons of course...Iraq to initially enforce the U.N. resolutions following the First Gulf War...and Afghanistan to destroy the Taliban and, yes, find Bin Laden; but having our forces there carries the battle begun on 9/11 (or before depending on what event you reference) to the lands where these terrorist originate and therefore interdicts their ability to project their attacks here. It has been a success judged against the reason that the U.S. has not been attacked on our soil since 9/11.
It is a careful orchestration too in that we have strategic interests with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan along with obvious strategic concerns about Iran. I suppose that makes it difficult to explain to the public but President Bush didn't really seem to try.
Anyway, it's not "Republican fear" it's necessary action.
AUTailgatingRules: Great post and outstanding video!
I have always though highly of Newt, I usually go as far as stating that the country really started to turn to shit when he (along with Trent Lott) were crucified and their power was stripped from them. They did a lot to keep spending under control. They kept the party in line and when they were gone we started to spend like crazy. Too bad that most that listen to this or ever get to view it will not take it to heart.
I too have always thought highly of Newt. One of his stongest leadership abilities was to pursuade the political opposition to support true Republican principles of government without compromising with those principles with the
Democrats socialists. As Speaker he knew how to balance party ideology with pragmatism again without compromising basic principles Who do you think got the federal budget balanced and under control (even gaining a surplus) the last few years of Clinton's second term? (It wasn't Clinton by the way!) You're exactly right about Newt doing a huge amount of work keeping spending under control and keeping the party on the right path (and keeping the
Democrats socialists in check).
Newt is right in this video in that we Republicans have not one person in leadership willing to lead with those principles.
I've ranted on it before but we picked a fucking compromiser to run for president last year and look where that got us!
I really think that the Republican Party has got to pick a new Party Chairman who knows what the hell he (or she) is doing. There's an opportunity here now to get the elephant back on the right path. And with the inept Mike Duncan stepping aside soon someone like Ken Blackwell or Michael Steele would be a welcome and wise leader. (Neither of these men are caucasian by the way and both are true conservatives.)
By the way, there will be another election next week. This time for a new Republican Party leader...keep your eyes open as to who wins.