With all of the baggage Gingrich has, the one piece that has been the most difficult for him to set aside has been the question over his participation in the Washington influence industry. We, quite unusually, find ourselves in the middle of an election in which the most burning concern has been the cozy relationship between special interests and the government. “Crony capitalism” has been the rallying point for would-be reformers of all stripes who are determined to play a role in the election — from the Tea Party to the Occupy movement — and the issue is being kept alive in the news by stories of corruption. Not too long ago, the Securities and Exchanges commission made headlines by bringing fraud charges against former executives of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The public mood was summed up by a new Rasmussen poll which shows that only 17 percent of the country believe our government has the consent of the governed, a result that| MORE ›
/