Newt under attack

Newt Gingrich has come under attack from his own party for suggesting that Paul Ryan's plan of privatizing Medicare might not be a great idea. Gingrich claims he was not talking about the Ryan plan but then again he also claimed he cheated on his wife because of how much he loves America.

This seems to be a pattern with Republicans where you are either in lock step agreement or you are "an embarrassment to the party". It should be noted that the majority of Americans are also against the Ryan plan on Medicare so Newt is actually in the majority if in fact he was commenting on the Ryan plan.

While I certainly don't mind the Right cannibalizing each other, in a race to see how politically far right they can go, since this strategy will only benefit Democrats, I think it is a dangerous trend to suggest that disagreement or debate somehow makes you a turn coat or Un-American.

The confrontation Newt Gingrich experienced is an example of why our politics is so divisive now-adays. The extreme wings have the most skin in the game but make for the worst decision makers. Our politicians would make better decisions if they put their constituents before party and certainly before their own reelection.

So while Republicans and the media act like Newt stumbled in his bid for the Republican Presidential nomination the real failure here is on the part far right for holding up the unpopular as the infallible while marginalizing the middle.