Let Gingrich Rest
* Poor James Pinkerton! First, he tries to convince us that Harry Potter is harmful to children. Now, he tries to tell us (Commentary, Aug. 29) that Newt Gingrich was a misunderstood dinosaur who will “rise and rock the world yet again.” As we all know from horror movies, it’s best to leave buried things alone; the second time around is usually worse than the first.
Pinkerton says that Newt was hated because “he wanted to strip the left not only of its power, but also its moral pedestal.” Wrong. Of course he wanted political power for his own brand of conservatism. What got him hated--by folks all across the spectrum--was the fact that he was a hypocrite of the highest order. A man who railed against big government while turning his own district into the biggest pork-barrel recipient of defense moneys in the country. A man who castigated Bill Clinton for immorality while hiding his own affairs and checkered relationships. What got him hated by the Republican right--and loved by the Democrats--was the fact that he turned out to be such a bad politician.
May Newt rest in peace.
PHILIP BRIMBLE
Los Angeles
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