Jan

26

2012

Reagan Author Shirley: Romney Attack of Gingrich Is ‘Preposterous’

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Thursday, 26 Jan 2012 02:00 PM

By: Henry J. Reske

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s contention that Newt Gingrich isn’t really a Reaganite is “preposterous,” historian Craig Shirley writes in an Op-Ed in South Florida’s Sun Sentinel.

Shirley, author of three books about President Ronald Reagan, noted that, when Romney was asked about his conservative credentials during his run for the Senate in 1994, he replied: “I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.”

“From the beginning of his political career, Gingrich was always at the ramparts as a staunch ally of the Reagan White House, from tax cuts to anti-communism to Federalism to pro-life and in all manner of great fights in that decade of Great Debates,” the Reagan Scholar at Eureka College wrote.

Jan

25

2012

Gingrich a lot more like Reagan than Romney

REAGANITES VERSUS ROMNIACS

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By Craig Shirley | 9:40 a.m. EST, January 25, 2012

Willard “Mitt” Romney is now lashing out at Newt Gingrich because of the Georgian’s long history as a Reaganite, making the preposterous argument that Gingrich was not present during one of the most important eras in American history.

The question is how would Romney know? When given the opportunity to talk about his conservative credentials in his run for Senate in 1994 he denied Reagan saying “I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.”

From the beginning of his political career, Gingrich was always at the ramparts as a staunch ally of the Reagan White House, from tax cuts to anti-communism to Federalism to pro-life and in all manner of great fights in that decade of Great Debates.

Petulantly, Romney is running commercials in Florida childishly saying that Reagan only mentioned Gingrich in his diaries once. But that’s one more time than Mitt was mentioned. Romney’s newest ad is in character, while denying Reagan and the ideals of the conservative movement, he seeks to falsely accuse someone who has been a leader in that movement for 30 years. While Reaganites are about ideas and the expansion of freedom, Romniacs are about the destruction of opponents and the contraction of ideas.

Romney intentionally takes Reagan’s comments about Gingrich out of context. The Gipper was actually intrigued by Gingrich’s ideas and later amended his across the board freeze in government spending to exclude national defense.

Conservatives like Reagan and Gingrich and Kemp were all strategic, all philosophical. Liberals like Romney and President Obama and Saul Alinsky are all tactical, all anti-intellectual.

Jan

23

2012

What the Left Gets Right

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January 22, 2012, 11:45 pm

By THOMAS B. EDSALL

Today’s column is a counterpart to last week’s, in which some thoughtful liberals responded to the question, “What does the right get right?”

This time around, I asked a number of conservative analysts, writers and think-tank scholars the corresponding question, “What does the left get right?”

Jan

23

2012

Newt Gingrich: The rise of the hoi polloi

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By CRAIG SHIRLEY | 1/23/12 3:49 PM EST

How big?

It is hard to over-estimate the importance of the South Carolina Republican primary. It was the second earthquake to hit the East Coast within the last six months — but this one could have far greater aftershocks.

The epicenter is the Republican Party. With its future now radically altered, it could have profound implications for the nation.

This could rank with California in 1964, North Carolina in 1976 and New Hampshire in 1980. Barry M. Goldwater in the Golden State, Ronald Reagan in the Tar Heel State and Reagan, again, in the Granite State, all ran as insurgents at crucial times for the GOP. All won major victories over moderate opponents, changing the party’s future — and the nation’s.

Jan

19

2012

Craig Shirley: “How would Romney know what Reagan, Gingrich and the conservative movement accomplished in the 1980’s?”

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“How would Romney know what Reagan, Gingrich and the conservative movement accomplished in the 1980’s? Governor Romney was a self-described Independent then and disdainful of Reagan. Romney’s ignorance of the history of the 1980’s is deeply troubling and suggests he is unqualified to be the nominee of the GOP.

In fact, Gingrich was a valued ally of the Reagan White House for eight years.”

Reagan, Gingrich biographer Craig Shirley