To Newt or To Not

About the Book

In 1994, Democrats were reeling from losing control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Returning members entered the new, 104th Congress powerless but the persona of the architect of that Republican takeover offered hope that their time in the wilderness would be brief. Speaker Newt Gingrich was a visionary but often accompanied that quality with brazen legislative initiatives and instinctive remarks that often brought turbulence to his caucus. Many of his “majority makers” had extreme views which they often expressed in eyebrow raising terms. The approval of the new Congress tanked and a 1996 government shutdown was fuel to the fire. Minority Leader Richard Gephardt made a ferocious drive to recapture the chamber for his Democrats that November and Gingrich became a leading, involuntary character in many of the candidates’ campaigns. While the effort to regain control fell short, the many contests profiled in this book offer a fascinating look at overreach and rhetoric out of touch with much of America.

About the Author

The author’s first word could easily have been “politics.” Scott Crass’s passion for politics may have been fueled by his first book on U.S. presidents, given to him by his mother, Madeline, at the ripe young age of 5. He quickly wore out the pages, prompting his mother to buy a replacement. Scott has been a devoted student of Presidential and Congressional politics ever since. He obtained his B.A. in Political Science and Communications from Monmouth University in Long Branch, N.J., achieved his M.A. in Counseling at the same institution and immediately went to work for the New Jersey Legislature. A proud native of the Garden State, Scott has always been drawn to his beloved Jersey Shore, where he enjoys spending much of his free time. Scott likes to joke he “knows class from Crass,” and besides politics and the Shore, is a fan of music of all kinds, including 1930/40s “Big Band,” Doo Wop/ oldies, Neil Diamond, Strauss waltzes, Dean Martin and any sound of another Jersey treasure, Frank Sinatra. And just like his grandfather, the late Charles J. Mandel, he is enchanted with the beautiful music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. On another note, Scott never tires of watching reruns of “Dallas,” “All in the Family,” “Barnaby Jones” and “Cannon.” He lives in Somerset, N.J and thrives by a personal motto, “Failure is only our enemy if it does not serve as our guide.”