Newt's Incredible Luck in Securing Employment as a Historian at Rock Star Wages

Is anybody in America stupid enough to believe that Newt Gingrich earned $1.6 million in three years to give “advice as a historian?” That’s his explanation—without cracking a smile. Here’s how that surely came about:

Freddie Mac’s Board of Directors needed advice on how to remain solvent—given the fact that they were guaranteeing the principle and interest on billions of dollars in bad loans. With a very bad business model, and financial disaster on the horizon, they made the only really logical decision: they hired an historian. That makes all the sense in the world. No reason to horse around with an economist, or an MBA, or even a good defense attorney. They needed a guy whose expertise was on the Belgian Education Policy in the Congo: 1945–1960. Of course that makes sense.  The fact that he knew lots of elected conservatives who were adverse to this fiscal madness had nothing to do with it. They didn’t need a conservative lobbyist—they needed a historian—seriously.

That wasn’t their first choice, though.  They were conflicted between the allure of a historian and the more sensible idea of getting a community organizer; but come on, he already had a job.