Never-to-be-President (please, God) of the United States, Newt Gingrich gave an interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network in which he came up with yet the most novel excuse for cheating on his wife: He was too passionate about his country. Presumably that excess passion literally spilled into the blond Hill staffer (she had a patriotic job herself!) with whom he was having an affair. In response to a rather oblique question about his infidelity, which ended his second marriage and resulted in his third, Gingrich says, “There’s no question that at times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.” Please recall during this period of hard work and misdirected lust, Gingrich was denouncing the equally hard-working, horny president, Bill Clinton, for his affair with a White House intern.
I admit that there is entertainment value in watching Newt trying to excuse his way out of his hypocrisies and moral deficiencies enough to get himself embraced by religious conservatives. But surely there is some point at which this noxious narcissist is laughed out of the room. Bill Clinton may be a slick, lying sex addict, but at least he never tried to drape his genitals in the flag.
Photograph of Newt Gingrich by Steve Pope/Getty Images.
