Tell Newt to Shut Up: Prize-Winning Washington Post Journalists Reveal How Reality Gagged the Gingrich Revolution

by David Maraniss, Michael Weisskopf

PRIZEWINNING WASHINGTON POST JOURNALISTS REVEAL HOW REALITY GAGGED THE GINGRICH REVOLUTION
Speaker Newt Gingrich and his troops promised a revolution when they seized power in January 1995. The year that followed was one of the most fascinating and tumultuous in modern American history. After stunning early success with the Contract with America, the Republicans began to lose momentum; by year's end Gingrich was isolated and uncertain, and his closest allies were telling him to shut up.
Here is an unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall look at the successes, sellouts, and perhaps fatal mistakes of Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution. Based on the award-winning Washington Post series that documented the Republicans' day-to-day attempts to revolutionize the American government, "Tell Newt to Shut Up!" gets to the heart of the political process.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 1996

About the author

David Maraniss is an associate editor at The Washington Post and the author of four critically acclaimed and bestselling books, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi, First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton, They Marched Into Sunlight War and Peace, Vietnam and America October 1967, and Clemente The Passion and Grace of Baseballs Last Hero. He is also the author of The Clinton Enigma and coauthor of The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fate and "Tell Newt to Shut Up!"

David is a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and won the Pulitzer for national reporting in 1993 for his newspaper coverage of then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton. He has won several other notable awards for achievements in journalism, including the George Polk Award, the Dirksen Prize for Congressional Reporting, the ASNE Laventhol Prize for Deadline Writing, the Hancock Prize for Financial Writing, the Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the Frankfort Book Prize, the Eagleton Book Prize, the Ambassador Book Prize, and Latino Book Prize.
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Reviews

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

With another U.S. government shutdown looming in days, I thought about this book from 1996. It was published to get a quick buck: two esteemed Washington Post journalists, released only in paperback, timely, and most importantly, short. It's been long out of print. My copy is yellowing and spotting by the day. Wasn't expecting much. The short part helped motivate me.

And then, shock of shocks, upon rereading I realized it was a minor classic, still suitable to use in any second semester American government class. Maraniss and Weiskopf had front row seats to the showdown that began with an ascendent, first-year Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and a mid-term presidency meekly searching for relevance, Bill Clinton. Less than a year later, the roles had reversed. Clinton had taken the first step toward reelection, while Gingrich lost more relevance until slinking to become a regular presence on FOX News.

The fast-paced action of what happened outside public view is fascinating to anyone who was around then. If you're a political junkie who can recognize the many names and events, that is. And I am. So it only gets better. One wonders what cynicism is unfolding in Washington, DC right now, days away from what may be a cataclysmic few weeks of American history. Perhaps that's why this passage resonates so today:

It was almost one year earlier that Clinton had dejectedly ended his failed health care campaign. Although his plan extended to everyone and was more prescriptive than the Republican Medicare proposal, there were striking similarities: Both became increasingly hard to explain in simple terms. Both challenged the established systems. Both hoped to save money by encouraging the trend toward health maintenance organizations. And both were carried forward with the same measure of arrogance by proponents who thought they were serving noble causes.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant title, and a very well-argued critique of Gingrich's "Contract with America" by two outstanding journalists from the Washington Post who followed Newt around for some time. Also makes you realize what a horrifically awful, corrupt man is found in the form of Tom DeLay. But then again, you've got to love a guy like Newt who tells his wife he's leaving her for another woman at her bedside while she was receiving chemo. Nice. Stay classy Newt.

[River James · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star for the heartless bastards they’re proud to be. 5 stars for Trumpy, Bill and Rush fully exposing themselves like it's Times Square in the 70's.

Tell Newt to Shut Up
The Art of the Deal
American Dynasty
The No Spin Zone
See, I Told You So

Choosing to read these books was based on advice from "The Godfather": keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. And "The Art of War: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

My paradigm shift alarm signaled a new game was being played, a zero sum game and one which closely mirrored the fall of that famous republic in Athens. Newt, Trumpy, W, Bill O'Reilly and drug addled Rush were securely in the drivers seat. Contract with 'merica, a stolen election, and a war under false pretenses made it paramount I figure out what this paradigm shift was all about. Turns out that small minded, greedy people with no heart are proud of their sorry little power plays. Convicted by their own words and actions.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short book covering the first year of the revolution. I definitely checked up on what seemed like the authors bias a little bit towards the liberal side of things but they actually do a really good job covering the vast majority of the contact in a pretty objective way. This, of course, despite the title. I love their overview of the principal players of the republican party and the back door deals with Leon Panetta and George Stephanopoulos and of course President Clinton. The only thing I would say is this should be balanced with a friendly account of this perhaps buy the speaker himself. Anyone who is sort of a political junkie the would enjoy this book for the behind the scenes machinations of the various players involved.

[Mike]

Very insightful about the decline and fall of Newt I.