SORRY, NEWT

"If I genuinely hurt their feelings, I'm really sorry and surprised," President Clinton said today of House Speaker Newt Gingrich's complaint that he and Bob Dole had been snubbed on the airplane trip to Yitzhak Rabin's funeral last week. But White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta had a different reaction: "I think all of this is outrageous that they would use that kind of pettiness to shut down the federal government." Later, Gingrich sought to downplay the incident as just one of many factors blocking consensus. But TIME's Viveca Novak notes the Speaker's recent outbursts are taking a toll. "After the string of successes the Speaker has had this year, a remarkable record by any measure, at this, his moment of truth, Gingrich isn't holding it together that well. Some of his colleagues in the GOP are not only noticing it but beginning to speak about it publicly."