The thin and brittle party line

Ronald Reagan popularized what quickly became known as the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. There's dispute over whether he ever told his staff that policy disagreements were not evidence of treason ("The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally - not a 20 percent traitor"), but there's little doubt that Hollywood's first president believed strenuously in the idea of a big tent, and under it all manner of ideas and opinions.

Thirty years later, no matter where you look, that legacy is utterly gone. Neither Republicans nor Democrats have patience to spare for the slightest variance from what is an increasingly thin and brittle party line. That's not new, of course. But I'm not sure I've seen such a stark example of the unanimity principle at work as in the past few days.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a presidential aspirant, was on "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Asked about U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's proposal that would largely privatize Medicare, Gingrich was dismissive:

"I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering. I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate. I think we need a national conversation to get to a better Medicare system with more choices for seniors."

Newt Gingrich is a smart man without much patience for ideas he deems bad. That impatience showed in his answer, which is otherwise a simple paean to America's best instincts toward consensus.

There are few people in Washington's orbit more consistently and even obdurately conservative than Gingrich. For decades, the former college professor has been near the top of any list of GOP big idea men. He has spoken in similar terms about hundreds of ideas from hundreds of people.

But this time he disagreed with the current GOP narrative, namely that Ryan's plan is the only hope for righting Washington's listing fiscal ship. From the reaction, you might have thought Gingrich had kicked over Reagan's tombstone.

He was savaged by the folks on Fox and talk radio. Sean Hannity, ordinarily obsequious to party bigwigs, sounded like a disappointed dad. GOP leaders told Gingrich to apologize. To Ryan. To them. To everyone.

Then, wonder of wonders, Gingrich did. Everywhere. He appeared on any show with five minutes to fill. He called Ryan. I think he even apologized to the guy who threw glitter on him at a book signing.

Then he went still further: "Any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood, because I have said publicly those words were inaccurate and unfortunate," he said on Fox. "When I make a mistake, and I'm going to on occasion, I'm going to share with the American people that was a mistake because that way we can have an honest conversation."

I don't mean to mislead. Ryan's budget plan is a Trojan horse, less a means to balance the budget than to transform the nation. There are good ideas in it, but the same can be said of last year's health reform. Neither is a practical solution. Further, I'm no particular fan of Gingrich, even if I've been intrigued by some of his proposals.

I am, however, an unqualified advocate for an active arena of ideas. For that we need the give and take of people of good will, engaged and informed. Only there will the best ideas win the discussion.

I'll take Gingrich at his word that he made a mistake last Sunday. What I can't figure out is why those words were "inaccurate and unfortunate." Because he didn't mean them? Because in today's politics, even a formidable mind like Gingrich's is powerless to row against Washington's tide?

Either way, Gingrich has now been reeled in. He has been entirely abashed and not a little debased. All for a legitimate disagreement over how to transform Medicare.

If even people like Gingrich can't deviate from the established party line, if they have to argue that their deviation was a mistake and that it didn't actually happen, it should make us all pessimistic about the prospect of an "honest conversation" in the coming campaign.

Donald Luzzatto is The Pilot's editorial page editor. Email: donald.luzzatto@pilotonline.com.