Gingrich Rips RNC For Its Blagojevich Attacks

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sent a rather scathing letter to Mike Duncan on Tuesday, accusing the RNC chairman of engaging in "a destructive distraction" by attempting to tie Barack Obama to Rod Blagojevich. In particular, Gingrich hit the RNC for putting out a web ad that made it seem as if the President-elect was hiding a nefarious chapter of his personal history with the embattled Illinois Governor.

"The RNC should pull the ad down immediately," Gingrich writes.

I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.

The recent web advertisement, "Questions Remain," is a destructive distraction. Clearly, we should insist that all taped communications regarding the Senate seat should be made public. However, that should be a matter of public policy, not an excuse for political attack.

In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming President succeed in meeting them, regardless of his Party.

From now until the inaugural, Republicans should be offering to help the President-elect prepare to take office.

Furthermore, once President Obama takes office, Republicans should be eager to work with him when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him.

This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the "better solutions" party, not just an opposition party. And this is the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.

This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation's troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008.

There has been, it seems, two mindsets within the GOP as to how to revitalize the party in the wake of its '06 and '08 losses: seek political blood against Barack Obama whenever possible, or focus on reaching out to moderates and minorities. In addition to Gingrich, Sen. John McCain -- appearing on "This Week" Sunday -- offered a dig at the RNC for their obsession with Obama's (apparently limited or nonexistent) links to Blagojevich.

A Republican strategist, asked about the Gingrich letter, said he agreed with the former House Majority Leader. But, he added, "I think that Newt wants a change at the RNC, and it is an intervention in the RNC race."

(h/t Ben Smith)

Comments

[elan818]

NEWT GINGRICH FINALLY SAID SOMETHING THAT MAKES 21ST CENTURY SENSE. BLASTING HIS POLITICAL PARTY,URGING HIS REPUBLICAN PEERS TO BECOME A PART OF THE SOLUTION INSTEAD OF CONSTANTLY WHINING IS -- MAGNANIMOUS. THREE CHEERS FOR THE NEWT.

NEWT SHOULD TURN THIS "NEW NEWT" INTO A CHANCE TO USE HIS INTELLECT FOR A GREATER MORE CONSTUCTIVE GOOD. RIGHT WING CONSERVATISM? NEWT PLEASE!!!!! THAT CLAPTRAP IS WORN OUT,TIRED AND DESTINED TO TEAR OUR SOCIETY ASUNDER.

HOWEVER: I SUSPECT NEWT HAS ,AS USUAL-- A CONCEALED AGENDA. AND IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF ITS EVEN DEEPER INTO HIS REAL DNA -- THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

[Mack20]

Constructive good? You must mean agreeing, without question, anything and everything your party of clowns bring forth. Don't hold your breath. The current nitwits in charge of the RNC have been trying to be "moderates". A republican moderate is aka a RHINO. They look like a conservative but act and smell like a democrat. Enjoy the next two years because history has a funny way of repeating itself. Are you old enough to remember Newt and 1994?

[dragonfur]

Sure am. And can only pray that part of history does NOT repeat itself in my lifetime! Enough of these incredibly crass, dishonest, corrupt, self-serving, ugly Republicans in Washington DC.

I've said it before: I cannot understand how there could possibly be a single "red" state left in the US after the sorry bunch of Repugnicans we've had since Reagan.

[TallyLass]

S-h-h-h Newt. This is why people are abandoning the rethugs. Don't tell them. We like it this way. They always show their pettiness.

[Mack20]

The lack of conservatives in the REPUBLICAN (pettiness?) leadership has cost us dearly for the last 2 years. The moderates behave more like liberal democrats, hence the failures. Their aim has been to appeal to everybody while standing for nothing. If all this nonsense were reversed, Congress would be back in session with a special investigation taking place by that "petty" congressman Henry Waxman. I can happily tell you either Newt or Michael Steele will be heading up the RNC very soon. Of course you like it this way. You and yours would prefer a single party government with no opposition and no debate.

[ChewableProzac]

Love how republicans always try to attribute their failures and faults to democrats. Yes, democrats would love no opposition or debate. You're so wise. Now remind me which party politicized the justice dept and accuses the other party of being 'with the terrorists.'

run along now, dear. you're missing out on the kool-aid at redstate.

[daddyG56]

You mean like the totalitarian regime you've thrilled at for the last six years?

As far as Steele OR Newt running the RNC: Bring them on! We've disposed of them before. We'd LOVE to have the opportunity to do it again.

[Chip W]

Trying to insinuate a connection between Obama and Blogo seems an attack of desperation, and damages the credibility of the attacker. Maybe Newt is saying "Let's not do any more harm to ourselves."

[landoffools]

Jesus Newt !

Your current wife must be reaching the old age yardstick of 27 or 28 yrs. ?

Time for a trade-in to a newer model !

[Indubio]

Amazing that Gingrich is actually sounding reasonable but then that points to just how low the GOP has fallen. Gingrich is a class A scoundrel with a record of nefarious deeds dating back more than two decades and for him to be even a little put off by the present day GOP is astonishing. Of course, it could all be an act, Gingrich trying to act all statesman like. Newt is going to have to do a lot better than a simple letter to eradicate his past.

[rabiddog6708]

Repubs can't change. They don't stand for anything except lower taxes and outlawing abortion, so all they can do is oppose the Dems.

[Mack20]

Hey, if you love to pay taxes why don't you cover mine? No? I didn't think so. If your'e the standard democrat you probably don't pay any.

[TwentyCharactersLong]

I'd love to cover yours but for the fact that somebody who tries to avoid paying taxes is unpatriotic. Oh, and that I'm a college student and don't have much money.

[goodneighbor420]

paying your taxes--albeit the least you can pay:)--is your 'rent' for living in this beautiful country....I'm not paying your rent buddy.....pay your own fair share---if you are rich you SHOULD pay more, but most rich people form a corporation or two and play shell games with their money and hire umpteen accountants and lawyers to make sure uncle sam doesn't get any of it...that's why the middle class ends up paying the brunt of em

[Oldekirk]

I am a democrat and paid my taxes for 45 Years like all of us honest working class people do.
McCain only wanted to lower taxes for the rich and through the infamous trickle down ecconomy he believes in, the companies would than pay us higher wages.
Ye, right if you believe in fairy tales.
What are you one of those Republicans with an IQ of 65 ?
Any fairly intelligent person knows by know the Republican way does not work for the little guy and that is why we voted for Obama, than God.

[streetkid5]

2012 is shaping up as Gingrich vs. Jeb Bush vs.Sarah Palin. Bobby Jindal will wait until 2016, when the country will, again, be ready for "Change we can believe in."

[MargaretO]

So you figure Jindal will change to Democrat by that time, eh?

[RJII]

I'm not falling for this trick. E v i l Rove says one thing. then this b u l l y says another. Repubs don't know how to be nice, unless there's an e v i l greedy motive.

[streetkid5]

Newt knows where his bread is buttered. "..when he's wrong, offer a better solution...." The Speaker is prepping for a nice, genteel 2012 campaign. He will be the GOP's Adlai Stevenson.

[neocommie]

Why is Newt so contrary? He sees the r's with a big problem for generations. While the Southern Strategy of the 60s drove many Dixiecrats into their folds for a generation, it has not addressed the growth of our continuing diversity of America, and now is a backlash for them. They have nothing new to offer but attacks; they will die out like the Whigs unless they come up with a message that appeals to people other than racists, misogynists, far right Christians, and jingoists. That about sums it up. Think of Sarah Palin and her appeal to nationalism.

Seriously, people, I love the Democrats, but don't ever want to become a one party nation.

[HyperInfluential]

Can we just skip to the part where they die out like the Whigs? We could put the Greens in their place, and the maps would be much more stylish on election night!

[Indubio]

REpublicans honestly don't have any thing to offer but then that's been the case for 40 years, which is why conservatives developed the southern strategy and subsequent wedge politics. Without wedge politics, without divisive issues such as abortion and gay marriage, anti-flag burning, opposition to stem cell research, and the rest of the so called social agenda, the GOP would ever win a national election. The fact that people continually cut their own economic throats for social ideological reasons is pretty astounding really but then I suppose many of those who vote Republican expect to get their just reward in an afterlife. Go figure....

[Mack20]

Your party offers all kinds of goodies to anyone that will vote for them. Your bunch is like the Robin Hoods of DC. They take money from people who won't vote for them and give it to people that will (or might). The sorry democrats have created a dependant society they leave with no hope or future. Blame the evil, rich republicans for all the ills, hand them a welfare check, and then trick them into voting to stay in poverty again, and again.....

[GregJL]

No, but it would be nice to be a nation of parties whose differences are only in the policies they wish government to carry out to protect and empower the citizens instead of having to wrestle with people who want total control of the majority by a few rich white men, doncha think?

[Girl28]

Never thought I'd see the day. But I agree with Newt Gingrich.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

He only seems to talk sense in order to lull you to sleep before he sticks a dirk in your ribs.

[Jezreel]

Never thought I'd say this, but I couldn't agree with Gingrich more.

[GregJL]

Oh, I'm sure you COULD agree with him more. And don't be so sure you actually agree with him here, anyway. It's not like he's offering any ACTUAL solutions, and most of the ones he WOULD offer are probably so conservative they'd make your head spin. He's probably in favor of more "Clear Skies" type initiatives.

[bonnetteblj]

Who knew Gingrich would be the "sensible" speaker for the GOP...wonder if any of them will
listen to him? Seems they like the blood-thirsy part of going after Obama on made up issues.

[Indubio]

And more than 70% of the nation is ignoring them.

[nanton29]

Please take Newt to the nearest ER and have his temperature taken, or maybe I should check myself in to the hospital. Something's amiss. What's next , Rush and Sean extending olive branches to BO ?

[s miller08]

This is fun to watch.

[LMPE]

Gee, Newt. Why couldn't you have said this when it mattered? Oh, wait! Obama might have lost had you done that!