Hearken back, dear reader, to 1994. Republicans in the House of Representatives were suffering the indignities of their 40th straight year in the political wilderness as the minority party.  Then emerged a visionary: a then-unknown GOP congressman from Georgia named Newt Gingrich. For over a dozen years, Gingrich and a handful of conservative insurgents laid the foundation for a Republican takeover of the House.  At the core of the effort was an ingenious plan to nationalize 1994's congressional elections.  Thus was born the now infamous "Contract with America." Every Republican House candidate signed the Contract, which promised the American people that if they gave the GOP the majority, the GOP House would vote on ten widely popular, poll-tested bills in the first 100 days. Talk about raising a banner of bold colors! As we all know, voters did give the GOP that majority, and Gingrich was elected speaker.  Under his leadership,...(Read Full Article)