Crazy, Stupid, Newt: Gingrich calls the CBO a "reactionary socialist institution"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Newt Gingrich may suddenly be ahead in the polls, but that sure ain't stopping him from saying crazy, stupid things.

For example, he referred yesterday to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, tasked with assessing the costs of budgetary and other legislation, as a "reactionary socialist institution."

Wow. Reactionary and socialist. That's pretty impressive. And, yes, pretty fucking stupid. (I guess it's reactionary or socialist or something to be objective, to be properly fair and balanced. Presumably he'd like the CBO to be merely a rubber-stamper for the GOP's far-right fiscal agenda.)

Republican Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former CBO head, called the accusation "ludicrous." "I think if you parse that phrase carefully, he got one out of three right," he said. "I do agree it is an institution. If you're playing baseball, that's a decent batting average." 

If you're in politics, though, and you're being judged on honesty and reasonableness, that's quite indecent, to say the least.

Whatever you call it, it's typical Newt.