HE IMPORTANCE THE PRESS HAS GIVEN TO GINGRICH IS,
as of this moment, out of proportion to his actual accomplishment. It may prove to be justified, but right now it is vastly inflated. It's so inflated that if you look at Gingrich in the overall scope of American history or the American Congress, it bears little relationship to historical reality. He may want to be President, but what he is right now is a legislator. And the only measure of legislative leadership is legislation, the laws you get passed. Right now, Gingrich's sum total of realized accomplishment is minuscule.

There have been three great Speakers in American history: Thomas Brackett Reed (1839-1902), Joseph Cannon (1836-1926) and Sam Rayburn (1882-1961). For almost two decades, Rayburn held power in Washington. Presidents came and went: Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy. But whoever was President, Sam Rayburn was Speaker. His power over one branch of government was so immense that it spilled over into the other branches.

Lyndon Johnson once said, "If you want to be President, you've got to do it through Sam Rayburn." No one got onto any committee in the House unless Rayburn wanted him on that committee. He had a fearsome temper. He was a broad, massive man with a very hard face, and when he was in a bad mood he would come down the hall and Congressmen would be afraid to even talk to him because they were afraid of saying the wrong thing. He was like a stone coming through a wave. People would part before him.

Yet the contrasts with Gingrich are fantastic. Rayburn was absolutely silent. He gave very few speeches. If he really wanted to say something, he would step down from the Speaker's platform and go into the well of the House. And he only did this a handful of times. When he did it, he would say, "Do this for me." And they would do it for him. So far, Gingrich has great control over his party, but let's see what happens now that things are turning against him.

I'm not saying Gingrich will not achieve major things. If he were to be Speaker for 17 years, as was Rayburn, he might, at the end of that time, have achieved what he wanted. But I wouldn't say that right now.