Office of the Independent Blogger

Former Republican Chairman Ken Mehlman’s recent comments are about right in a lot of ways but he’s way off in one.

One of the city’s largest law-and-lobbying firms, Akin Gump boasts such prominent Democrats as Robert Strauss, the firm’s co-founder and later chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Vernon Jordan, a close adviser to President Clinton. After Republicans won control of Congress in 1994, Akin Gump diversified by adding prominent Republicans. Mr. Mehlman has a longstanding relationship with his Harvard Law classmate Sen. Barack Obama (D., Ill.). Having left the Republicans’ employ, he embraces a change in what many see as Washington’s Bush-era culture of ferocity.

It’s all fine and well to see his bipartisanship, and listen to him talk about liberalizing on health care — but what’s this about Bush-era ferocity? It all started with Gingrich. He of all people should know that.

Is that nitpicking? Well, maybe, but I do believe that it all comes back to the Gingrich who Stole The Government and tried to manufacture the dual impeachment of Gore and Clinton so as to ascend to the Presidency (he failed at impeaching Gore, clearly). I bring it up not just because I want to impeach his name but because he’s out calling Hillary Clinton “nasty” and “ruthless” as if he has any critical authority on the manner.

I’m not going to pretend that Hillary Clinton isn’t a ruthless, endless campaigner, and everything I’ve read suggests she’s far too secretive and vindictive for my tastes, but Newt Gingrich is Hillary Clinton on whatever-drove-Nixon — just without Ovaries.