While former House speaker Newt Gingrich’s quirks and exaggerations cause him daily grief on the campaign trail, it’s still undeniable that he is one of the most clever and quotable politicians in the nation.
Yesterday, speaking in Iowa about the logjam in Congress over a 2-month extension of the payroll tax cut, Gingrich said he feels sorry for House Speaker John Boehner because he is forced to work out political solutions with Barack Obama.
In retrospect, Gingrich added, he was “fortunate” to work with Bill Clinton, who had 12 years of experience as governor, haggling with lawmakers from the other party.
Then, Gingrich said this: “Obama never really served in the Illinois Senate because he was too busy running for the U.S. Senate. He never really served in the U.S. Senate because he was too busy running for president. And he’s never really served as president because he’s too busy running for re-election. So, he has no government experience.”
