GOP keeps heat on Obama
Ex-Speaker and GOP tactician Newt Gingrich says his party should lighten up on Barack Obama.
WASHINGTON — Should national Republicans be fixated on the relationship, if any, between Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich?
By some accounts, it’s about the best holiday gift that the GOP could hope for: the soon-to-be president weighted down by the potential embarrassment of staff contacts with a scandal-scarred Democratic governor.
After getting smoked in November and looking at controlling scant political real estate in DC in consequential times next year, what better tonic could there be to show some spunk and fire up the faithful and the blogosphere?
And who knows, the special election that could take place offers hope that Republicans could begin their rebuilding process.
A short time ago, national GOP chairman Mike Duncan called it “appalling that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones “are continuing this embarrassment for Illinois with their backroom politics … The only way the people’s voice will be heard and Illinois can end the taint of the Bagojevich scandal is to have a special election.”
But the aggressive tactics and a Web ad aren’t resonating with some key GOPers, among them Newt Gingrich, the ex-House Speaker and party tactician.
In a letter to Duncan, Gingrich says the GOP’s “negative attack politics” is sending “a terrible signal” at a time of daunting challenges that call for bipartisanship.
“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 attacks,” Gingrich wrote.
“In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming president succeed in meeting them, regardless of party …This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the ‘better solutions’ party … the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.”
Republicans need to chill out … if there’s a connection, it will come to light. If there isn’t, the Republicans end up looking like idiots.