Newt Gingrich: My Message to House GOP Freshman

One thing that has been said about Newt Gingrich for years is that he is a policy wonk and in this case, it serves the purpose very well. Some Freshman Congressional people went to Congress expecting to change the world and when they hasn't happened, they are not happy. The ones with the unrealistic expectations would do well to following what Mr. Newt has to say in his handouts.

There seem to be quite a few people in this Country who don't have a basic knowledge of how Government works which is an indictment of the American education system. We support what Newt has to say:

My Message to House GOP Freshmen
by Newt Gingrich

This week I'd like to report to you about two homecomings.

The first occurred this weekend when Callista and I travelled to New Orleans with our family. I lived there for three years while attending Tulane University, where I received my Masters Degree and PhD.

The opportunities the faculty and staff gave me to learn and teach while I was at Tulane shaped me greatly. Furthermore, under the leadership of Scott Cowen, the role that Tulane has played in the revitalization of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is a model of how universities can be active citizens in their communities. I was honored, therefore, to receive Tulane's Distinguished Alumnus Award and it was very special to have our family there.

10 Steps to a Stable Governing Majority

The second homecoming occurred last Thursday when I had an opportunity to meet with the House GOP freshmen caucus at the Capitol. They are a terrific group with a lot of energy and new ideas. We discussed new solutions for healthcare, the environment, and how to communicate these ideas to the country.

Here was my message to them:

1. Do not focus on November 2012. Instead, focus on January 2021. The goal between now and January 2021 should be to govern so well, communicate so clearly, and include Americans from all backgrounds so consistently that a second wave of House Republicans will be sworn into office in January 2021 to build a better future around our values and principles.

2. Fight for the values of the American people. Set up a series of choices in which you are defending the values and beliefs of the vast majority of American and the Democrats are defending those of the Washington establishment and left-wing elite.

3. American Exceptionalism Matters. Americans overwhelmingly believe America is an exceptional country. Yet President Obama and many Democrats seem intent on denying it. This has clear implications for policy debates, which can be framed around the historic American habits and principles that are the source of our exceptionalism.

4. Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less. Americans want an American energy policy (see our work at American Solutions) while Obama wants to borrow from the Chinese to buy oil from the Brazilians. An American energy plan from the House GOP would create a clear policy choice and put Republicans on the side of the American people.

5. Focus on Communication. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had a rule: "First you win the argument then you win the vote." In the end, having the right policies won't matter if you fail to communicate them effectively. The budget debate will be an example of where this is essential.

6. Inclusion, not outreach. Outreach is when insiders make a decision and then start calling people to tell them what it is. Inclusion is when they are in the room to discuss the challenges and help reach the decisions. Inclusion will require deep changes in scheduling, staffing, internships, communications, and networking.

7. Be smart, not cheap. Get to a balanced budget by being smart rather than cheap. Cutting spending in areas that produce long term savings, such as the National Institutes of Health is destructive to the goal of a sustainable, balanced budget.

8. Boldness will be rewarded. House Republicans should consider it their duty to pass the changes America needs and rally the American people to put pressure on the 23 Democratic Senate seats and the Democratic president. The country will only understand the need to replace Democrats in the Senate and the White House if they see House Republicans offering bold solutions. House GOP timidity would lead the tea parties and activists (including talk radio) to focus their frustration on House Republicans. Boldness will convince them to focus on Democratic opposition to our solutions.

9. A Contract with America in 2012. Begin now to develop bold proposals for a 2012 Contract with America including a Tenth Amendment implementation bill and a job creation bill, featuring tax cuts, deregulation, litigation reform, and American energy development. The American people need to see what a Republican team would be like so they have a lot of reasons to give us 40 more House seats, a dozen Senate seats and the White House.

10. Cheerful persistence will be the key habit for success. There will inevitably be tension, arguments, frustrations and internal dissent and conflict. Working through issues with the leadership so a unified Republican team can be creative and effective will take enormous patience and persistence. It is best done cheerfully.

These ten steps were presented in more detail in a document I passed out to the attendees, which you can
download here.

The document also included five appendixes. They were:

1. Senator Marco Rubio's op-ed opposing an increase in the debt ceiling unless it is accompanied by significant reforms;
2. Eight examples of smart (rather than cheap) budget solutions;
3. Four steps to repeal Obamacare;
4. Solving health costs by solving health problems – a bold path to a healthier, more cost-effective future;
5. Assessing national and homeland security ten years after 9/11.

You can read the full handout here.

Your Friend,

Newt

Newt has formed an exploratory committee to run for President. We will be providing updates on new people running but not on any potential candidates from 2008 -- we know enough about them and wish they would not run.