We lamented the other day that there is no Churchill around these days, or a statesman who tells us what we don't want to hear about the world.  From Venezuela to Iraq to Iran to Yemen, the world is a mess, but our president would rather talk about sick leave.

I was pleased to read this from my friend Barry Casselman:

In his remarks to the Citizens United Summit in Des Moines a few days ago, former Speaker Newt Gingrich continued to sound the alarm about the growing threat to the U.S. and the world from Islamic terrorism. 

Some have noted that Gingrich, as a senior statesman of his party, is acting as then-senior British leader Winston Churchill did in the mid-1930’s when he warned about the growing Nazi threat to Europe and the world.  (Churchill, then in his mid-60’s, was considered a has-been conservative politician at that time.) 

Gingrich is not running  for president this cycle, but uses his podium eloquently to exhort conservatives to wake up to the increased and unrelenting terroristic activity against the West.

Frankly, Gingrich is perfectly suited for the job.

First, he is a brilliant historian who can connect the current with the past as well as anybody.

Second, he is a conservative but no longer a partisan.  Gingrich is not seeking the presidency anymore or looking for a Cabinet position.  He is finally free to be the wise man the country desperately needs.

We are living in a very dangerous world.  Our inclination to look the other way, or the same thing that we saw in the 1930s when most Americans did not want to see threats, is totally understandable but also very dangerous.  I am confident that Newt will remind us of the danger over and over again!

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