A New Emperor

There is a lot to dislike about Newt Gingrich. For starters he publicly stated his goal to overthrow the government of the United States and crown himself emperor.

“I would instruct the national security officials in a Gingrich administration to ignore the recent decisions of the Supreme Court on national security matters, and I would interpose the presidency in saying, as the commander in chief, we will not enforce this.”

He doesn’t use the word emperor but his meaning is clear. The most important principle of government handed down from the founding fathers is that no one is above the law. But Newt Gingrich wants to do exactly that, set himself above the law.

Once you come to grips with extent of his megalomania it becomes much easier to understand all his other failings.

The ethics rules for members of the House of Representatives are set by the members themselves. Not surprisingly they set the bar appallingly low making sure that members rarely run into trouble. And yet 84 ethics charges were filed against Newt Gingrich.

“The House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to reprimand House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and order him to pay an unprecedented $300,000 penalty, the first time in the House’s 208-year history it has disciplined a speaker for ethical wrongdoing.”[1]

Today he characterizes the actions against him as partisan politics. “It tells you how capriciously political that committee was that she [Nancy Pelosi] was on it. It tells you how tainted the outcome was that she was on it.” The vote in the house was 395 to 28, hardly a party line vote. At the time Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.), who headed the investigative subcommittee said, “We have proved to the American people that no matter how rough the process is, we can police ourselves, we do know right from wrong,” Many years later Newt Gingrich still doesn’t know right from wrong. And all the details of his ethical lapses that led to the House’s action that Gingrich if afraid Nancy Pelosi will release to the public are already a matter of public record.[2]

His conduct in his personal life is no less reprehensible. In 1980 he left his first wife after an adulterous affair. In the 1990’s he was involved in another adulterous affair while at the same time leading the attack on President Clinton for his adulterous affair. And those are only the two affairs that have come to light. Serial adulterers are rarely so limited. However, as part of his presidential campaign buried in a long letter written in hopes of getting the support of the Iowa social conservative group The Family Leader[3] he says, “I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity to my spouse and respect for the marital bonds of others.” His third wife can only hope he means it this time.

Over the years his policy proposals have been filled with misinformation designed to inflame voters but not solve any of the problems the nation faces.[4]

From his earliest days running for congress lies and hypocrisy have been hallmarks of his career. Now he wants to be president. We should ignore all his misdeeds and character flaws. After all emperors are above all the rules.