.newtgingrich: How to build an American majority, not a Republican majority – lessons from the Contract with America
In fact, Reagan himself had described a contract at that 1980 event saying,"This occasion marks the first time that legislative and executive candidates of a party have come together to propose a contract with the American people. But the times demand a unique response: For too long, government has been distant and uncaring, now we must return government to the people."
We added one other rule to our development of the Contract. We knew that the news media was our active opponent . So, we insisted that some of our favorite conservative issues would not be included in the Contract. "There is not a negative word here about the Democratic Party. There is not a negative word here about President Clinton and his administration. It is an effort on our part to be positive.
"What people want to know, I think, is what are you going to do differently? Our challenge to the Democrats is if they do not like our 10 bills, what are theirs? If they do not like our three reforms, what are theirs? Let us have a debate between ideas, but let us not have the kind of negative smear tactics that have driven the country, I think, to distraction, and have broken down any willingness to have a decent political debate.
"If you do not believe me, watch any major city local television news, including Washington, for two nights. The child abuse, the rape, the murders, the cocaine dealing, the problems of American life are unbelievable.
*H.R. 729,"Effective Death Penalty Act" – 226 Republicans and 71 Democrats voted yea, 1 Republican and 130 Democrats voted nay. 1 Independent nay, 5 Members not voting; *H.R 5,"Unfunded Mandate Reform Act" - 230 Republicans and 130 Democrats voted yea, 73 Democrats voted nay. 1 Independent voted nay, 1 Member not voting.