Gingrich Gingrich Campaign Press Release - Gingrich Played Major Role in Prosperity of 1990's, Can Do it Again

William Loughrey, a former director of the Federal Election Commission, writes in today's Washington Times about Newt's distinguished record as speaker delivering results for the American people. Loughrey concludes that Newt is the best candidate to do it again.

No matter what the outcome in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, the race for the Republican nomination for president truly doesn't begin until campaigning starts south of the Mason-Dixon line. That's because by late January, the barrage of negative attack ads against GOP candidate Newt Gingrich will have grown old. Voters will then begin to focus on what truly matters most: selecting the candidate best qualified not only to take on Barack Obama but to turn around our very broken economy.

Despite the rhetoric in the crowded field, only one aspirant has the resume and track record to get the job done. Mr. Gingrich once before transformed a ruined economy strangled by regulation and the Washington status quo, invoking memories of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and even Milton Friedman.

In 1990, when George H.W. Bush negotiated a budget agreement and sought to raise taxes - breaking his own "no new taxes" pledge - it was Mr. Gingrich, the minority whip, who led the revolt among conservatives in the House.

More than just slogans and conservative talking points, Mr. Gingrich has moved real numbers. The former speaker's record during his four years at the helm of the House is not only distinguished, it is arguably extraordinary.

Job creation was at historical record levels, and unemployment dropped to the lowest rate in decades during the Gingrich era. Family income surged throughout Mr. Gingrich's tenure in office and continued to rise after he resigned - in stark contrast to the remaining 2 1/2 decades, when this vital measure of America's economic health fell or declined.

...

Many Americans, particularly Republicans, remember this era, not so long ago, when the United States was at the top of its game and are willing to bet it was not just a coincidence that Mr. Gingrich was speaker of the House.

As many Republicans go to the polls during the next 90 days in a host of high-profile primaries, we will continue to hear about immigration, health care, national defense and an array of other issues. But only one - our economy - really will play in the forefront of every voter's mind as poll-goers decide who can best handle the job for the next four years. We don't have to accept that our nation must follow the path of Europe or Japan. The playbook for recovery was written in the 1980s and 1990s by Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Newt Gingrich. All we need to do is select the candidate who can enact it.

Read the entire column here.