Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) told House Republicans Friday there are many lessons to be learned from the showdown he had with then-President Clinton in 1995.
Addressing the new House GOP majority behind closed doors at their annual retreat, Gingrich said focusing on a political message is vital, sources said.
Florida freshman Rep. Allen West (R) said Gingrich, a potential presidential contender in 2012, advised the lawmakers to get ahead of the hot-button issues.
West said Gingrich told them, “Messaging, being able to be proactive, not reactive and having a long-term vision and a long-term strategy which help you to build the enabling goals and objectives to get there.”
A source in the room said Gingrich cited the 1995 budget confrontation with Clinton over a balanced budget.
Gingrich did not express regret for his dealings with Clinton, which resulted in the shutdown of the federal government. He did acknowledge, however, that Democrats won the message war and Republicans took much of the blame for the impasse.
Still, Gingrich, a former history professor, emphasized the environment for the 2011 House majority has significant differences from the GOP majority he led in 1995.
West said, “A lot of people want to say that this is much like 1994 but they didn’t have the economic crisis, they didn’t have a country that was engaged in multiple combat theatres of operation so there are some differences.”
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Addressing the new House GOP majority behind closed doors at their annual retreat, Gingrich said focusing on a political message is vital, sources said.
Florida freshman Rep. Allen West (R) said Gingrich, a potential presidential contender in 2012, advised the lawmakers to get ahead of the hot-button issues.
West said Gingrich told them, “Messaging, being able to be proactive, not reactive and having a long-term vision and a long-term strategy which help you to build the enabling goals and objectives to get there.”
A source in the room said Gingrich cited the 1995 budget confrontation with Clinton over a balanced budget.
Gingrich did not express regret for his dealings with Clinton, which resulted in the shutdown of the federal government. He did acknowledge, however, that Democrats won the message war and Republicans took much of the blame for the impasse.
Still, Gingrich, a former history professor, emphasized the environment for the 2011 House majority has significant differences from the GOP majority he led in 1995.
West said, “A lot of people want to say that this is much like 1994 but they didn’t have the economic crisis, they didn’t have a country that was engaged in multiple combat theatres of operation so there are some differences.”
There's more here
1 comment:
Also, don't pork your intern when you are trying to impeach the president for doing the same.
Don't serve your cancer-stricken wife with divorce papers while preaching "family values."
And, don't incurr the largest ethics fine in congressional history, levied by your own Republican colleagues.
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