I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive Newt Gingrich for his role in the Republican revolution of the early 90's. It was Newt who kicked off the right-wing playbook of shrill character assassination and personal attacks that have long since drowned out any hope of bipartisan discourse. I'd like to think that things were just a little more civil before that.
That being said, I kind of want to meet the man. Joe Klein's column in this week's Time shows Gingrich as a guy with some interesting ideas and a disdain for the direction his party has taken. Whether or not he acknowledges his own role in the creation of today's Republican party isn't clear, but it's a question I'd love to ask.