Anyone remember Dick Armey?  He was the Republican House Majority Leader from from 1995 until 2003, when he retired, and that ole' softy Tom DeLay took his place. 

He was also a real asshole, particularly to openly gay Dem. Congressman Barney Frank of Massachussetts, whom he called "Barney Fag" on at least one occasion.  Once, when humorist Dave Barry spotted him and asked if he was "really Dick Armey", Dick responded "Yes, I am Dick Armey. And if there is a dick army, Barney Frank would want to join up."

However, he was also a real conservative—no "neo" in this Texan.  While still in office, he opposed the buildup to the Iraq War, saying "I don't believe that America will justifiably make an unprovoked attack on another nation."  What a terrorist-appeasing liberal, right?  When's he gonna marry Barney Frank?

I bring up the Dick because he recently gave an insightful interview to RealClearPolitics' Ryan Sager where he took the time to tear his former Republican colleagues to shreds.  I'll provide the juiciest excerpts:

Of the GOP's deficit policies:


In the aftermath of 9/11, there was a general attitude that permeated the entire government: Money is no object.  And that just became infectious across the board.  They're completely out of touch with the vision we had in '94 and '95.  It just went to hell.


Of his former leadership colleagues Hastert and Delay:


I'm not sure, it's not clear to me, that Denny [Speaker Dennis Hastert] and [former House majority leader] Tom [DeLay] ever really embraced the vision in the first place, either one of them.  Denny's pretty much a parochial politician who believes it's not only your right but probably your duty to bring home the bacon.  And Tom is an appropriator.


On taking on Bill Clinton:


If you take me out in the back street with Muhammad Ali and give me a gun, I'll shoot him, right, and nobody will notice, but if you let me get in the ring with him, he's gonna kick the tar outta me.  Clinton, if you give him the political arena, he's a Muhammad Ali.


On former boss Newt Gingrich:


Newt was really swelled up with — the speaker's a very important job, I'm a really important man, I'm as important as the president.  He had a compelling need to prove that the speaker was as big as, or bigger than, the president.


On Terri Schiavo:


Where in the hell did this Terri Schiavo thing come from?  There's not a conservative, Constitution-loving, separation-of-powers guy alive in the world that could have wanted that bill on the floor.  That was pure, blatant pandering to [Focus on the Family President] James Dobson.  That's all that was.  It was silly, stupid, and irresponsible.


Who's next in the confessional booth?  Will they be like Dick, and wait for the safety of private life to state the truth?  Or will they come clean now, while they still have so much to lose?