Livingston prepares to take over speakership

Two weeks after Republicans tapped him to succeed the resigned Newt Gingrich, Livingston spends his days mapping the House's legislative plans, schedule and other details with colleagues and staff. He also has met with influential outsiders including Jesse Jackson, conservative consultant Ralph Reed and White House chief of staff John Podesta.

AP PHOTO Speaker of the House elect Bob Livingston has kept a low profile in the two weeks since his appointment.

The Louisiana Republican has received a secure, portable phone for emergency conversations with the president. He has been briefed by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Defense Secretary Bill Cohen and Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

But Livingston has all but gone underground in terms of public appearances, a stark contrast with Gingrich (R-Ga.), who burst on the scene with the GOP's takeover of the House on Election Day 1994 and immediately filled the air waves. So far, Livingston has made just one public speech and conducted one prolonged interview on network television, making him what one Republican aide happily called "the anti-Newt."

Livingston has been so quiet that the White House and congressional Democrats accused him and Gingrich yesterday of letting the House Judiciary Committee's expanding impeachment probe run amok.

"I think no one is in charge," said House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (R-Mo.)

Livingston and his aides insist he is playing no role in guiding the probe headed by Judiciary Committee Chairperson Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), Gingrich spokesperson Christina Martin said yesterday that Gingrich has played no impeachment role, making it "a matter for Chairman Hyde and Speaker-elect Livingston."

With the judiciary panel expected to vote next week on articles of impeachment, Livingston aides will not comment on what role he will play if the matter shifts to the full House. Almost everyone assumes that Livingston will step in at that point and take the lead in an issue he wants finished before he becomes speaker in January.

"Ultimately, this comes to rest at his feet," said Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.).

When Gingrich became speaker-to-be four years ago, hardly an issue arose that he didn't weigh in on. Within weeks of the GOP's Election Day triumph, he had spoken of rebuilding orphanages, giving laptop computers to all schoolchildren and drug usage by, he said, one-fourth of Clinton's White House aides.

Gingrich's GOP colleagues tired of his often-controversial pronouncements. Livingston's advisers say his first weeks avoiding the spotlight demonstrate his determination not to repeat the Gingrich pattern.

"I've encouraged him to be speaker of the House and not a national talking heads star, where every Sunday morning you create a new controversy for the entire week," said Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.) a Livingston friend.

By avoiding publicity, Livingston has avoided extensive comment about two unpleasant topics for Republicans: their loss of five House seats in the Nov. 3 voting and the impeachment probe. But allies suggest his low profile has more to do with his personality and his instinct for focusing on the mechanics of running the House and leaving publicity to others.

In a brief tiptoe before the cameras, Livingston plans to answer a few questions today with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), an old colleague who as a House member represented a district that abutted Livingston's.

Livingston also will honor a long-standing commitment to speak at Southeastern Louisiana University, in his district, on Dec. 12.

But other than making closed-door speeches to various groups, he has said little publicly since he answered a few questions shortly after Republicans nominated him speaker Nov. 18 and delivered a speech to Republican governors that evening - watched by reporters - via closed-circuit television.

He has talked only fleetingly about the House's agenda for next year, saying he will seek to bolster Social Security, cut taxes and the size of government and improve education, health care and defense.

In contrast to Gingrich's frigid relationship with Gephardt, Livingston has already met with the Democratic leader and told him that despite inevitable policy clashes, he wants them to have a warm working relationship.

"He listens with both ears," said civil rights leader Jackson, who spent an hour with Livingston two weeks ago and elicited a promise for Livingston to attend a January conference on increasing Wall Street's role in poor communities. "He knows politics is the science of the possible."

Livingston is having a problem with GOP lawmakers over his scheduling plans.

Unhappy with Congress' late passage of spending bills and failure to approve a budget this year, he has been thinking of expanding the House's three-day week of votes to five days and shortening recesses. Desiring more time in their districts, 66 Republicans have sent him a petition against longer weeks.

12-03-98