Gingrich Describes Government Under Bush As Dysfunctional

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Newt Gingrich described the Bush administration as dysfunctional and its unpopularity as hazardous to those in the Republican Party. <br/><br/>``The government is not functioning. It's

Sunday, June 3rd 2007, 2:18 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Newt Gingrich described the Bush administration as dysfunctional and its unpopularity as hazardous to those in the Republican Party.

``The government is not functioning. It's not getting the job done,'' said the former House speaker, who is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination. ``Republicans need to confront this reality.''

Gingrich said in a broadcast interview he believes Bush ``means very, very well'' but falls short when it comes to putting his goals in place and running the government.

``All you have to do is look at the examples I've given you today where the government simply fails,'' said Gingrich, citing the administration's handling of the war in Iraq, its immigration policies and response to Hurricane Katrina.

``We have to have very relentless, dramatic change in American government,'' he said.

Gingrich added, ``The key question is: Is somebody prepared to stand up and say that the American people deserve fundamental change in Washington?''

Gingrich said two Republicans in the 2008 field, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, and one prospective GOP contender, Fred Thompson, are capable of ``offering a very bold, dramatic vision'' that could appeal to the party's conservative voters. ``These are solid people,'' said Gingrich.

He was interviewed on ``Fox News Sunday.''

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WASHINGTON (AP) _ Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, says she is writing a letter to her children so they will have her guidance after she is no longer with them.

Edwards, who announced in March that her breast cancer had returned in an incurable form, said she came up with the idea 20 years ago after watching the movie ``Terms of Endearment,'' where the mother knew she was dying and wrote to her children.

``So I started writing it then long before I knew, of course, of any cancer,'' Edwards said. ``And it just tells them the things I hope that they'll know about growing up. I know they'd have their father as a great moral guide, but of course, there's no mother who doesn't want to get her two cents in.''

Edwards said her advice to her three children _ Cate, 25, Emma Claire, 9, and Jack, 7 _ include such things as what type of people they should marry and the kind of church they should go to.

``You don't know when your time's going to come and whether you're going to have any warning, and it would be a great idea to pass on the things you thought would be important to them,'' she said.

Edwards, who has been receiving treatments while her husband, the former North Carolina senator, continues to campaign, said she's ``doing great'' and feeling strong.

``I still have my hair so that's a good sign, and it doesn't exhaust me in any way. That's also great news. I can campaign,'' Edwards said.

Edwards spoke on ``Late Edition'' on CNN. Her letter to her children was first reported in People magazine.