My latest podcast discussion with David Limbaugh is up over at Ricochet.com.** Lots on Newt vs. Ryan. I try to defend Gingrich, which produces an intense reaction. … Dana Milbank also defends Newt in WaPo…
P.S.: You know how you get most histrionically angry at a critic (or friend, or spouse) when you have a gnawing, barely conscious suspicion that they’re at least partially right and you’ve made a mistake–and you feel guilty about it? You have to wonder if the vehement conservative response to Gingrich’s Meet the Press appearance wasn’t in some ways similar: Republicans subconsciously know Ryan has overreached politically. They know they’ve jeopardized their otherwise excellent 2012 chances. Which is why they come down that much harder on anyone who points this out. …
Update: Alert Reader J emails-
It is like an ideological cartel: they penalize the one who breaks free of the cartel restrictions and seeks to take some temporary advantage of the other cartel members, who happen to be currently suffering because they are hewing to the agreement. Citing Holmes’s belief in a “free trade in ideas” (Abrams v. US, 250 US 616, 630 (1919)) as what’s behind the first amendment, we could file a kind of ideological antitrust action …
Dick Morris says Newt is taking one for the team. .. But Morris’ explanation for why he (Morris) flipped against the Ryan plan is, um, incompletely convincing. …
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**–It’s behind Ricochet‘s $3.85/month paywall.