Newt's back, with another con (tract, that is)

By Lee Russ

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 05:23 PM

The man who gave you the contract with America, two divorces, a fear of women's urinary infections, and a recent admission that he was having an extramarital affair at the same time he was leading the effort to impeach Clinton for having sex with Monica Lewinsky is...back.

Back with a new, updated, and stupendous opportunity to be bamboozled again by the same con. Same con, new contract.

Turns out the Newtster has designed a 21st century contract with America. You can check out the entire contract if you have the stomach, but here are a few of the cons that struck me:

To achieve this future we will: ... Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life. ... Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

...

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world--particularly in energy, space, and the environment.

Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector. ... Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.

Frankly, I think the wider the circulation of these ideas, the better. Even at this point I refuse to believe that the man who can present this tripe as a package of bright new ideas for the future can garner enough support to be a serious presidential candidate.

On the other hand, I could be wrong....