The great Scott O has been thinking about Newt Gingrich. The Czar thinks Mr. O has got things exactly right. His opinion is short, and if he does not object, the Czar elects to reprint it in its near entirety (because it is concise, and the Czar likes longer posts):

…Rush Limbaugh stated that Newt Gingrich is making statements that are disliked by the Constitutionalist base and by “tea party” activists, but that are exactly what “establishment” or “ruling class” Republicans want to hear. Rush is speculating that Newt is doing this because he knows he won’t win the nomination, but he wants to get “in” with the establishment, and possibly obtain a lucrative position at a think tank, if I’ve interpreted what Rush said correctly. Therefore, Newt is moving from a Constitutionalist position to a more establishment position.

I disagree. I don’t think Newt is moving; I believe he did that some time ago. I believe Newt already has an inside-the-beltway, establishment mentality. I’ve said before that when I first looked at his “American Solutions” website a couple of years ago, his 12 solutions included about 8 that were bureaucratic programs or subsidies.

Newt isn’t saying these things just to curry favor with people who might employ him. He’s saying these things because he is one of those people.

Bingo.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.