Eye of Newt

It is surely a sign of how pathetic House Republicans are that they are hotly engaged in the search for the next Gingrich.

WASHINGTON — The last time Congressional Republicans were this out of power, they turned to a college professor from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, to lead the opposition, first against President Bill Clinton in a budget battle in 1993, and then back into the majority the following year.

As Republicans confronted President Obama in another budget battle last week, their leadership included another new face: Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, who as the party’s chief vote wrangler is as responsible as anyone for the tough line the party has taken in this first legislative standoff with Mr. Obama. This battle has vaulted Mr. Cantor to the front lines of his party as it tries to recover from the losses of November.

As Republican whip, Mr. Cantor succeeded again on Friday in denying the White House the support of a single House Republican on the stimulus bill. That was a calculated challenge to the president, who, in his weekly address on Saturday, hailed the bill as “an ambitious plan at a time we badly need it.”

Mr. Cantor said he had studied Mr. Gingrich’s years in power and had been in regular touch with him as he sought to help his party find the right tone and message. Indeed, one of Mr. Gingrich’s leading victories in unifying his caucus against Mr. Clinton’s package of tax increases to balance the budget in 1993 has been echoed in the events of the last few weeks.

“I talk to Newt on a regular basis because he was in the position that we are in: in the extreme minority,” he said.

And leave it to Ad Nags to so fully echo the fun house mirrors of Washington conventional thinking to see this as a good thing for the GOP.

The Republicans badly misplayed this one. There's nothing like 100% obstructionism in response to an effort to stop the downward spiral of citizens' economic well-being to get your party out of its minority status. And there's nothing like the narcissism that fuels Washington to see this as a victory, even as poll after poll indicate that the public endorses Obama's handling of the stimulus package.

I don't know, perhaps they think that like Newt, they can maneuver an impeachable blowjob.