Jackie Gingrich Cushman from Creators Syndicate

Where Strength Comes From for 02/16/2012

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

This year for Presidents Day, instead of buying a new appliance, I'm urging all of us to mark the holiday by reading George Washington's Farewell Address and Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural. I know. Focusing on two great presidents on Presidents Day. It's radical, but at least you won't be stuck in traffic on the way to the mall.

But in these days of political upheaval around the worl ...

Updated: Thu Feb 16, 2012

The Long Haul for 02/09/2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

My first marathon was New York in 1992. I trained with a group for months but had never gone a full 26.2 miles before the start of the race. Turns out that's something you ought to do.

The New York marathon is a wonderful event — well planned, well laid out and with great crowds. We took a bus over to the start on Staten Island, where tens of thousands of runners gathered. After ov ...

Updated: Thu Feb 09, 2012

Transition Challenges for 02/02/2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Transitional phases are never easy. Whether it's remodeling a kitchen, rearranging the furniture or cleaning out a closet, the transitional phase is always a bit messy. This past month, we had our children's bathroom remodeled. We put it off for as long as we could. The shower has leaked for years, so our two children have been using our master bathroom for showers. The water in the sink only r ...

Updated: Thu Feb 02, 2012

Sweating in South Carolina for 01/26/2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

The sweat somehow made the moment more real. There we were, standing on the stage at the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Columbia, S.C., on Saturday night with my dad, Newt Gingrich, celebrating his primary victory. It was the sweat rolling down the faces and dripping off the noses of the television cameramen, photographers, audience members and even those on stage celebrating that transformed the alm ...

Updated: Thu Jan 26, 2012

Sweet South Carolina for 01/19/2012

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

The best part about the campaign trail is the places you go and the people you meet. This week, we are in South Carolina, and I am thrilled to be back in the Palmetto State. I graduated from Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, live across the state line in Georgia and feel very at home here.

The week started in Charleston, a beautiful city with wonderful memories. In college, we wo ...

Updated: Thu Jan 19, 2012

New Hampshire Notions for 01/12/2012

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Part of the joy of a presidential campaign is visiting different parts of the country. This past week was New Hampshire week. I've been to New Hampshire about a half-dozen times. It's a beautiful state. Mountains, ocean, beautiful forests and normally snow this time of year. However, we were snowless.

Part of the joy of New Hampshire is that the state is relatively small physically, and ...

Updated: Thu Jan 12, 2012

Election Excitement for 01/05/2012

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

My family and I have spent over a week in Iowa. We were expecting the normal cold, snowy weather, and bought boots, wool socks and sweaters the week before Christmas. We packed up soon after Christmas and flew to Des Moines. Four family members, 8 checked bags (double my initial goal — bulky snow boots and sweaters).

We were there to join my father, Republican Presidential Candidat ...

Updated: Thu Jan 05, 2012

New Year, God's Grace for 12/29/2011

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Last night, after traveling from Atlanta, my family and I arrived — hungry and tired — in Des Moines, Iowa. We are staying in the home of a friend who is out of town and decided to order pizza. I found a restaurant on Google Maps and called to place the order, only to be informed that I had reached the wrong location. The man on the other end of the line gave me the number of a diff ...

Updated: Thu Dec 29, 2011

Christmas Cheer for 12/22/2011

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Christmas memories fill our Christmas tree. It stands in our living room, filled with white lights and ornaments. Our ornaments reflect the life of our family: varied and interesting, some old, some new, some precious and some common.

Some of the ornaments are from my childhood. Every Christmas, my parents used to give my sister Kathy and me an ornament. Our tree includes a flying angel, ...

Updated: Thu Dec 22, 2011

I'm Glad I Cleaned Bathrooms for 12/15/2011

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

My first paying job was cleaning the bathrooms of the First Baptist Church of Carrollton, Ga. This was also my sister's first job. The money we made was our money. We could decide how to spend it: clothes, records, books, eight-track tapes, whatever we decided.

I was proud to clean those bathrooms. When my job was complete, I knew that people had a nice, clean place to go, and that had a ...

Updated: Thu Dec 15, 2011

Letter to My 16-Year-Old Self for 12/08/2011

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Last month, I wrote a column providing a midterm life update based on a question by David Brooks.

This week, I'm writing a letter to my 16-year-old self. The letter is inspired by the book, "Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self," edited by Joseph Galliano (Atria Books, 2011).

Be assured that 16 is a shaky time for everybody. Nothing seems to fit, nothing seems e ...

Updated: Thu Dec 08, 2011

Let Your Presence Be Your Present for 12/01/2011

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

December is often the time of too many events, too many parties, too many obligations, too many gifts and too much family. There are quite a few Decembers in my recent memory where I did too much, slept too little and was worn out or sick by Christmas. This year, prompted by an e-mail message from the principal at my child's middle school, reminding parents that doing less might end up helping ...

Updated: Thu Dec 01, 2011

Give Thanks for 11/24/2011

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

The first "official" Thanksgiving was celebrated 222 years ago. President George Washington's first presidential proclamation designated the 26th day of November to be set aside for giving thanks.

"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God and to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor ...

Updated: Thu Nov 24, 2011

Midterm Life Report for 11/17/2011

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

"What is the meaning of life?" my middle school daughter asked me recently as we were lying on her bed one evening. After a few minutes of contemplation, knowing that the answer was not about acquisition of money, fame or power, and that material items might provide ease in life, but not meaning, I responded that it is "to experience and then to allow God's Grace to shine through ...

Updated: Thu Nov 17, 2011

Those Super Heroes for 11/10/2011

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

I'm going to take the opportunity this week to write a letter of thanks, to our veterans.

Our country is blessed to have people who are willing to serve in our military. They enter the service knowing that they might end up giving the ultimate sacrifice, their life. Still, they decide that our country is worth the risk. It's a risk that more than 24 million men and women alive today hav ...

Updated: Thu Nov 10, 2011

One Year Countdown for 11/03/2011

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

It will take more than a generic Republican candidate to defeat President Obama next year. Repubicans will need a leader that can inspire millions to get involved and take action. Enthusiasm, optimism and passion are called for to make the movement work.

Three years ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. With barely a year left in his first and perhaps last term, P ...

Updated: Thu Nov 03, 2011

A Time for Choosing Our Rendezvous With Destiny for 10/27/2011

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Today, everyday citizens find ourselves at a crossroads. Abandon the ideals of the American Revolution, or take control of our destiny. The American people are called to action. Every generation must decide if it wants to leave politics to the politicians — or whether we are ready for our rendezvous with destiny.

Forty-seven years ago this week, then-actor Ronald Reagan made his n ...

Updated: Thu Oct 27, 2011

American Loses in Most Recent Debate for 10/20/2011

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

In the two hours of the Republican debate Tuesday night, more energy was spent in back-and-forth bickering than substantive answers. At times, I put my head down to avoid watching the candidates talk over each other. Due in part to a fast answer-and-rebuttal format, it felt more like a schoolyard argument than the serious discussion that would help propel the issues forward for the voters.

...

Updated: Thu Oct 20, 2011

Reagan Resoluteness, Too -- Not Simply Reagan Recovery for 10/13/2011

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

"It's the economy stupid" is the infamous mantra conceived by political consultant James Carville that underscored the main issue driving the 1992 presidential race. A few months later, Bill Clinton replaced George H.W. Bush (41) as president, and it was the focus on the economy that got him there.

Today, with lingering high unemployment (hovering at 9 percent with 25 million ...

Updated: Thu Oct 13, 2011

It's Going to Be a Wild Ride for 10/06/2011

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

I'm a little bit disappointed that Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is not running for the Republican nomination for president. He was sure to inject another round of excitement into the campaign.

After many in the media concluding slightly more than a month ago that the race was more than likely going to go to either former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney or current Governor of ...

Updated: Thu Oct 06, 2011