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Dear Senator Obama …
By contrast, Congress is a permanent institution with a 225-year history of challenging the president. Carter learned even before his Inauguration that Speaker Tip O'Neill was happy to stand up to a newly elected president. President George H. W. Bush painfully learned that his "read my lips, no new taxes" pledge was a target for the Democrats rather than a problem for them. Hillary Clinton learned as First Lady that she could cut a healthcare deal with Republicans Bob Dole and John Chaffee, but she could not get several key Democrats to go along. Her plans foundered on the unwillingness of House Democrats to give up their core values for a presidential "win."
One final caveat: after four years as Speaker, the one lesson I learned is that the problem with being specific and real is that you become specific and real. Your opposition has new ammo—or, if you pick good enough changes, the Republicans might even decide to deliver on them in September, and the president might be willing to sign them. Then you will have delivered change, but probably not in the manner you had intended.
Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House, is the author of “Days of Infamy” (St. Martin’s Press).
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: repaite@msn.com @ 05/29/2008 7:36:28 PM
Comment: I Finally realize that I'm in a win - win - win ..situation...............As a democrat and against Obama, and I vote for McCain and McCain wins ! WIN ! ................... If I vote for McCain, and Omaba wins, and if he does all the things he promised ( what ever it is he promises) those who voted for him. I WIN ! .......... If I vote for McCain, and Omaba wins, and he doesn't follow through with all promises he made.... I can rub your nose in it . So no matter how this all turns out, I WIN !
Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 05/23/2008 2:26:20 PM
Comment: If Obama becomes President , nobody in the world will take this guy seriously anyway. They all watched as he was given the Democratic nominee on a silver platter. He's gonna be an illegitimate President in the eyes of the world. They'll see it as someone from a position of weakness and the US will accomplish very little or next to nothing in the next for years. The USA is viewed as a democracy in name only. Actually the US has fallen into the category of a " Banana Republic ".
Posted By: sharenews @ 05/23/2008 1:58:56 AM
Comment: Hey tiredofobama, maybe his absences in school were very extensive which might be the reason he knows that there are 57 states or is it 58 states in the USA:
OBAMA???S WORDS: I???ve been to 57 STATES with I believe one more to go? HUH? A potential future president that doesn???t even know how many states there are in the country hies going to head up???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws
NOW FOR OBAMAs VOTING RECORD:
MISSED VOTES, BAD ATTENDANCE http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama:_U.S._presidential_election%2C_2008/Senate_attendance%2C_missed_votes
OBAMA SAID OOPS ON 6 STATE SENATE VOTES - 2 of which were HOTLY CONTESTED VOTES. He pushed the wrong button, he asserted at the time. Two of the admitted flubs were on HOTLY CONTESTED ISSUES.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obamavotes24jan24,1,7079399.story?track=rss
OBAMAS VOTES JUST PRESENT FOR VOTES IN ILLINOIS WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO SIDESTEP CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?ei=5088&en=8385d348acbab84e&ex=1355806800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1209935321-m6g1pEKjjmDSN0IklnbG1w