This election cycle has seen some pretty remarkable performances by candidates that seem to have no concept of decency but an abundance of ignorance. Michele Bachmann wants members of Congress to be investigated for treason. Donald Trump pushed Birtherism to new levels, even after President Obama provided the birth certificate the rightist conspiracy theorists had been clamoring for. Rick Perry threatened to lead Texas into secession. Herman Cain distracted the media from his predatory sexual exploits by appearing to have a stroke when asked an easy question about Libya. And all the while Sarah Palin stalked the announced candidates in her tour bus pretending to be considering entering the race while collecting extravagant speaking fees and hawking books.

Now it’s Newt Gingrich’s turn to make an imbecile of himself, and he doesn’t disappoint. At an event at Harvard, Gingrich answered a question about income inequality by declaring that the problem with schools in low-income communities is the union janitors. But Newt has the solution:

“It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in, first of all, child laws, which are truly stupid.” […] “Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school.”

This is why Republicans regard Gingrich as their shining intellectual. He pops out brilliant ideas like this with little thought or effort – obviously. Who else would propose terminating the professional maintenance staff, whose duties often include custodial services and facilities upkeep in addition to sanitation, in order to make poor kids clean the schools they attend between their classes? The Gingrich plan is to swap books for buckets and mops. And of course, Fox News helps to advance his nonsense with a feature article.

Gingrich’s innovative approach is one that would put adults who are supporting themselves and their families out of work, thus creating even more poor children to recruit into the work force. It’s sheer genius. Never mind that it would increase the unemployment rolls as well as costs associated with food stamps, housing, health care, and other welfare programs. And while impoverishing the families of the once gainfully employed janitors, it would simultaneously burden kids with responsibilities that would distract them from their studies, making it harder to get a good education and advance to college and the greater opportunities that higher education affords.

Meanwhile, privileged students who would not be similarly encumbered would sail through their academic years into the lucrative careers that are the birthright of their class. And it would ensure that the urchins from the barrios would remain safely segregated from the aristocratic set in the executive suites and suburbs.

Gingrich even goes so far as to champion the low aspirations of fast-food careers for disadvantaged kids and argues that all the successful people he knows “started their first job between nine and 14 years of age.” In that regard he seems to be equating delivering newspapers or selling lemonade to neighbors with repairing heating ducts and scouring toilets for government facilities.

The notion that it would somehow be beneficial to layoff productive adults and replace them with poor children could only have come from an upper-crust One Percenter like Gingrich. It’s absurd to suggest that such rank exploitation would prepare kids to compete with more fortunate peers who spend their formative years learning and shaping more ambitious goals. But it’s the sort of notion that typifies the Republican mindset that views children as chattel and industrious union workers as thugs. And it is affirmed by Gingrich’s stated mission:

“You’re going to see from me extraordinarily radical proposals to fundamentally change the culture of poverty in America.”

No doubt about that. And he isn’t wasting any time. Most American parents would already agree that diverting their kids from schooling to sanitation is a pretty extraordinary and radical proposal. If Newt Gingrich thinks that child labor laws are stupid, just think how stupid our children would become without them.