Newt Gingrich Abandons Neocons, Joins Rand Paul In GOP Foreign Policy Civil War

[jct74]

Newt Gingrich Abandons Neocons, Joins Rand Paul In GOP Foreign Policy Civil War

BY HAYES BROWN ON AUGUST 5, 2013 AT 11:15 AM

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has a new and unlikely ally in his fight against the neoconservative wing of the Republican Party that has long dominated its foreign policy: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

“I am a neoconservative,” Gingrich told the Washington Times in an article published on Sunday. “But at some point, even if you are a neoconservative, you need to take a deep breath to ask if our strategies in the Middle East have succeeded.”

A decade ago, Gingrich as was the forefront of those calling for a broad interventionist policy, one that would spread democracy throughout the Middle East whether its inhabitants wanted America’s help in doing so or not. Just days after the 9/11 attacks, Gingrich was calling for the removal of Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq after the U.S. finished ousting the Taliban in Afghanistan. In the time since, it would seem that Newt has had a change of heart.

“It may be that our capacity to export democracy is a lot more limited than we thought,” Gingrich told the Times, adding: “I think we really need a discussion on what is an effective policy against radical Islam, since it’s hard to argue that our policies of the last 12 years have effective.”

In case the change of allegiances wasn’t clear enough, though, Gingrich specifically cited Sen. Paul as an example of the future of the Republican Party. “I think it would be healthy to go back and war-game what alternative strategies would have been better, and I like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul because they are talking about this,” Gingrich said.

“The establishment will grow more and more hysterical the more powerful Rand Paul and Ted Cruz become,” Gingrich predicted. “They will gain strength as it’s obvious that they are among the few people willing to raise the right questions.” Those comments echo those he made last week on the Laura Inghram radio show, in which he called the Republican establishment’s hysteria over Paul “sad,” determining that “frankly, they’re hysterical because they have no answers.”

...

read more:
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/08/05/2410891/gingrich-neocon-flip/

 

[Kotin]

even though he is not to be trusted, this sort of talk is great for us.

 

[Brett85]

It's interesting that Gingrich actually calls himself a "neo-conservative." Most neo-conservatives don't actually describe themselves with that label.

 

[Karsten]

It's interesting that Gingrich actually calls himself a "neo-conservative." Most neo-conservatives don't actually describe themselves with that label.

Yeah. Most claim there is no such thing.

 

[ObiRandKenobi]

It's interesting that Gingrich actually calls himself a "neo-conservative." Most neo-conservatives don't actually describe themselves with that label.

lol yeah that's funny.

 

[AuH20]

This story is real big deal. A Gingrich defection is very telling.

 

[krugminator]

It's interesting that Gingrich actually calls himself a "neo-conservative." Most neo-conservatives don't actually describe themselves with that label.

It is funny. They are all too happy to slur people with neo-isolationist. But if you call them neoconservative, they call you a jew-hater.

 

[FrankRep]

Rand and Ted, don't let Newt into your administration.

 

[Paulistinian]

Rand and Ted, don't let Newt into your administration.

I don't know, Newt could be useful when placed in a powerless cabinet position.

 

[FrankRep]

I don't know, Newt could be useful when placed in a powerless cabinet position.

He's done enough damage already. No More.

 

[radiofriendly]

I don't know, Newt could be useful when placed in a powerless cabinet position.

I've got just the job. Inspector General of Homeland Zoos.

Seriously, do you follow this guy on twitter?

 

[Christian Liberty]

Rand and Ted, don't let Newt into your administration.

Rand, don't let Ted into your administration.

 

[Paulistinian]

I've got just the job. Inspector General of Homeland Zoos.

Seriously, do you follow this guy on twitter?

Get Rand on the phone! That's perfect!

 

[Anti-Neocon]

Rand, don't let Ted into your administration.

Don't Rand and Ted agree with each other on many issues? Why not give him a Cabinet position for something where both see eye to eye?

 

[Paulistinian]

Don't Rand and Ted agree with each other on many issues? Why not give him a Cabinet position for something where both see eye to eye?

Honestly we can only afford to lose one Liberty Senator... We would still need Cruz, Lee, etc. in the Senate to help President Paul achieve some of his goals.

 

[Occam's Banana]

Not sure how "Newt Gingrich saying 'I am a neoconservative'" = "Newt Gingrich Abandons Neocons" ...

It is funny. They are all too happy to slur people with neo-isolationist. But if you call them neoconservative, they call you a jew-hater.

FTA (emphasis added): http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/newt-gingrich-maybe-these-interventions-havent-worked/

Newt Gingrich: Maybe These Interventions Haven’t Worked

Newt Gingrich now admits that neoconservative foreign-policy interventionism has backfired. “It may be that our capacity to export democracy is a lot more limited than we thought,” the former Speaker said.

(Before I get to the significance of this, one quick point: Gingrich says expressly, “I am a neoconservative.” I got a chuckle out of this, because it called to mind all the times we’ve been told that there’s no such thing as a neoconservative, that the term was originated by anti-Semites who use it to demonize Jews, but that there really is no such thing. And here’s a guy who actually admits he is one. So they aren’t just figments of our imaginations after all!)

At this point in his life, Gingrich’s influence is not great. What matters about the concessions he makes to the Washington Times is that he depicts himself as someone who sympathizes with Rand Paul, who is on the less interventionist side of the GOP. He condemns the establishment for responding with hysteria to noninterventionist arguments, and says the hysteria conceals the fact that the interventionists are out of arguments.

Is Gingrich an opportunist? We know the answer. But his remarks, and his eagerness to be perceived as a maverick who rethinks neoconservative interventionism, is an indication of the way the wind is blowing.

 

[Christian Liberty]

Honestly we can only afford to lose one Liberty Senator... We would still need Cruz, Lee, etc. in the Senate to help President Paul achieve some of his goals.

At least don't make Ted the VP. Rand needs someone more radical than he is as the #2 or someone is going to go after him.

 

[brushfire]

Its a trap... They're trying to co-opt, and infect our movement. We've seen it before. These pigs dont just "turn a new leaf".

 

[jllundqu]

Newt just had this thought pop thru his head:

 

[Brett85]

I'm still not exactly sure why so many people mention Rand and Cruz together when talking about foreign policy issues. Cruz might be better than the average Republican on foreign policy issues, but I don't really think he's where Rand is at.