Irony Is Dead: Newt Gingrich Takes To Twitter To Whine About Shutdown

The ability to maintain zero self-awareness is an enduring feature of the right. Witness: Newt Gingrich’s Twitter stream on this second day of a government shutdown brought to us by the Republican party. Apparently timed to coincide with efforts in the House to make the shutdown more palatable by restoring popular services one at a time, Newt is focused today on National parks and monuments. For instance, the latest from a series of tweets:

National park service is spending more closing things down than it would cost to keep them open. Why hurt the American people unnecessarily?

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) October 2, 2013

Yes, Newt Gingrich is nearly beside himself with frustration at this needless shutdown of the United States government.  And yes, this is the same Newt Gingrich at the helm of a GOP-controlled House during the last government shutdown 17 years ago. In case you don’t remember, or weren’t around in 1995, Newt Gingrich’s public comments were greatly to blame for the Republicans taking a huge hit for that shutdown.

Of course, what’s really going on here is just Newt trying to do his part to help Republicans hang the blame for this shutdown on President Obama and Harry Reid. So far, this doesn’t appear to be working; but that won’t stop them trying.

By: Sandi Behrns

Sandi Behrns is a noted policy nerd, new media & web developer, and consultant to progressive organizations and campaigns. She is a senior contributor to Liberaland, and the Executive Editor of Progressive Congress News.