"Bug bite" or big problems? GOP figures differ

Two of the no doubt endless stream of presidential hopefuls from both parties who manage to make their way to speaking gigs in Iowa have offered up diametrically opposed views of what the recent flurry of horrible news for the Bush administration mean for the Republican party.

Newt Gingrich, reponsible for showing the Republicans how to lie and use language to portray liberals and Dems as truely evil, reprehensible, loathsome, immoral creatures, was in Iowa to stir the pot for his expected run. When asked about the recent revelation that the Republican run government is an unmitigated failure, he had this to say:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Saturday that Republicans must "get our act together" or face a significant defeat in next year's midterm elections.

Gingrich said voters gave Republicans virtually blanket control of the government and the party hasn't responded by living up to expectation.

"When they give you the White House, the House and the Senate, they really do expect you to deliver," Gingrich said. "If we don't get our act together, we could lose a lot of seats in the House and Senate -- we might lose control of the House and Senate."

Gingrich, who has expressed interest in seeking the Republican presidential nomination, was in Iowa Saturday, raising money for legislative candidates across the state.

"I think Republicans have a real challenge," Gingrich said at a fundraiser at a pumpkin farm near Grinnell. "We're either going to be the party of change or we're going to be the party of defeat."

"People did not hire us to have a big deficit, to have government fail totally in New Orleans," Gingrich said.

He said the problem is made worse because Republicans have spent decades persuading voters that the GOP understands how to run the government.

"We're supposed to be the party of management," Gingrich said.

He said Republicans are in danger of becoming the party of ineptitude, which he said is the worse label any party can be given.

"There's no way you can look at New Orleans and not think we have to have profound change in the way government operates," Gingrich said.

The problems grow for Republicans with the potential spread of the Avian flu, Gingrich said.

A worldwide pandemic would require fundamental reassessments of the way health care is run and financed, Gingrich said.

He said there is little indication the government understands that.

"I'm not reassured by anything I've seen," he said.

Gingrich said Republicans have the opportunity to rebound but haven't shown signs of understanding what needs to be done.

He said the fight over failed Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers could fade quickly if President Bush names a new nominee with solid judicial credentials.

It was Gingrich's third visit to Iowa since he expressed interest in seeking the GOP presidential nomination.

Gingrich said he'd make a decision on a presidential bid after next year's midterm elections.

Seems even Newt can't ignore the obvious any longer. But it's refreshing to hear a Republican tell it like it is.

But it's never hard to find a Republican who's perfectly willing to ignore reality in defense of their precious power. Mitt Romney, the Mormon pretty-boy who also harbors delusions of becoming president, speaking in Davenport described the unraveling of the Republicans as nothing more than "bug-bites".

"I look at what's happening in Washington and I'm sure in the realm of wish fulfillment and dreams, the Democrats are hoping that a couple of irritating bug bites that we've gotten over the past few days in Washington are going to cause us to turn around and run in the other direction," Romney said.

Which is it?

And Republican readers, feel free to chime in too. Perhaps your comments won't devolve into some bitter personal feud monopolizing the comments and driving others off.