I am heartened that Republicans are beginning, ever so gradually and yet discernibly, to find a voice while in opposition.  I am actually rather impresses by Newt Gingrich's recent speech before party activists at a major fundraiser. 

While the former Speaker of the House obviously has a large amount of baggage he carries with him, he gave a very good speech.

It did not have the rhetorical flair of the President and was not as warm and soothing as the President Regan, but it was a clarion call to conservatives in a new century and facing new challenges.  The best speech given by a Republican since Obama's election (even including Cheney's cogent defense of Bush Administration national security policy).

He was steadfastly opposed to the spending binge embraked upon by President Obama (and don;t ever let anyone say its all Bush's fault, the spending of this President is unprecedented in American history and is not all "fix it up", its new programming too).  Gingrich was also steadfast in his appeal to national security conservatives.  However, the part that really resonated for me was when he referred to education as the civil rights issue of this century.

How refreshing it is to not constantly be engaging in stale debates over Affirmative Action and gay rights.  He hits the nail on the head by recognizing that the great competition coming this nation's way from Asia will challenge the next generation in ways that they have never been challenged before.  There will be no opportunity to coast on the fumes of yesteryear's accomplishments, there will only be opportunity to win or lose and the key to that is to equip young minds with knowledge. 

This was great stuff.  I am going to post another message on the "melting pot" portion of Gingrich's speech as I think he started on the right trail, but did not go as far as possible and lost an opportunity to make the grandest gesture, something that could really set Republicans apart.