That's how James Wolcott characterizes Newt and his unlikely rise:
Some have compared Gingrich’s comeback to Richard Nixon’s after Nixon’s gubernatorial loss in California in 1962 and his bitter "You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore" kiss-off to the press, but there’s a huge dissimilarity. After Nixon lost, he dedicated himself to making hundreds of speeches on behalf of Republican candidates, earning the respect and loyalty of candidates and local organizations and accruing political goodwill. For someone who had been thisclose to the presidency, it must have been humbling, like a once-famous comedian hitting the club circuit again, and it paid off for Nixon, but there was no guarantee of that; in the short run, however, it paid off for those Republicans seeking office who had gotten a boost from him.
Contrast this with Newt. Who basically has done everything for himself, for the greater glory of Newt and to feed the insatiable maw of Newt Inc and his Tiffany account.
Tim Murphy recalls Newt's 1989 reaction when asked whether he would support cutting down on the amount of money elected officials can earn from personal speaking engagements:
The idea that a congressman would be tainted by accepting money from private industry or private sources is essentially a socialist argument.
(Photo: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich attends a screening of 'The Gift of Life,' a pro-life documentary at the historic Hoyt Sherman Place on December 14, 2011 in Des Moines, Iowa. By Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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