Newt Gingrich Attacks Kagan Nomination and Obama's 'Secular-Socialist Machine'

Newt Gingrich is on something of a tear this week. Huffington Post is up in arms today over the former House Speaker's slam on Obama's High Court nominee Elena Kagan:

And then there's Crooks and Liars goon John Amato, freakin' at Gingrich's FNS gig this morning, "Newt Gingrich says President Obama is Nazi-Commie "threat to our way of life":

Movement conservatives like Newt are very adept at talking around their far-out beliefs in a way that almost makes them seem reasonable. They know how to manage the language and play it like an instrument. His tone is muted, never going off pitch and always in control. That's their edge. Karl Rove does it as well.

Gingrich, who has changed his religion almost as much as his wives then uses God to justify his odious assertions about the President and what he calls his "secular-socialist machine."

Gingrich was a bit surprised, methinks, that Wallace called him out on his "wildly over the top" attacks on Obama and I think it's because Newt is parroting the exact same beliefs as Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and the Teas Partiers which have caused quite a bit of unrest for the GOP elders. And yet, Gingrich is one of the elders---never forget that.

That take is pretty much over the top. Gingrich is a "last generation conservative." He can fire up a crowd --- recall my coverage of his American Solutions talk in February --- but I can't imagine too many tea partiers drooling at the chance to share a couch with Nancy Pelosi to talk up Al Gore's "Alliance for Climate Protection" global warming campaign. Gingrich is obviously gearing up for the 2012 GOP primaries, and last I heard he was still pushing for the GOP to be the "party of yes." But man, no doubt he'll be livin' down some of his famous bipartisanship over the next 18 months. One "Maverick" GOP presidential nominee is enough: