In 1995, when the Speaker of the House led the effort to
shut down the federal government, Nancy Pelosi could
have justifiably said of Newt Gingrich: "I think this is the
most despicable, dishonest and vicious political effort I've
seen in my lifetime. He is a trivial politician, viciously
using partisanship for the narrowest of purposes, and
he dishonors the Congress by his behavior." But she,
unlike Newt Gingrich, was too classy to say something
like that.