GINGRICH RULES OUT TOP ROLE IF DEMOCRATS WIN.

Byline: Associated Press 

Speaker Newt Gingrich has no plans to run for Republican leader next year if the Democrats retake control of the House, but he does intend to stick around in Congress.

``I think I'd be a relatively effective back bencher,'' the combative Gingrich said with a smile during an interview Friday.

After traveling to an estimated 150 congressional districts on behalf of GOP congressional candidates, Gingrich said, ``I'm not worried'' about Democrats taking control. In fact, he predicted GOP gains in the House.

But during a break while campaigning for re-election in his own congressional district, he repeated what he's said elsewhere in recent weeks - that he won't seek another term as party leader if Republicans are cast into the minority Nov. 5.

Gingrich said he'd want to ``pick my projects and my targets and things I'd want to do.'' As an example, he said he'd work on issues such as diabetes and Medicare and perhaps seek a seat on the Intelligence Committee.

He predicted that whoever is minority leader would be ``drowning in the minutiae every day'' of trying to block Democratic legislation and what he said would be a ``cover-up'' of Clinton administration misdeeds.

``I just would not want to deal with that,'' he said. While campaigning in Mississippi on Thursday, he had said he didn't believe his strengths as a political leader lie in that area.

Hailed by Republicans two years ago as the visionary who led them into power after 40 years as the House minority, Gingrich suffers from low ratings in the polls. Many GOP candidates seeking re-election this fall are stressing their independence from him.

Gingrich also faces a continuing probe by the House ethics committee, although the panel has said it hopes to wrap up its work on the matter before the new Congress convenes.

As for his own race, Gingrich said a new poll commissioned by his campaign showed him ahead of his rival, cookie millionaire Michael Coles, by 25 percentage points, although another survey last week found a closer contest.

He sounded confident of victory when addressing a Republican audience in Jackson, Miss., on Thursday, saying to laughter: ``I do have to go home and finish baking his cookies.''

Gingrich rejected the notion, speculated about recently, that he might resign his House seat if the GOP lost its majority. Without a word, he shook his head.

Ironically, Gingrich first positioned himself to run for GOP leader when Republicans were in a seemingly perpetual minority. As party whip two years ago, he was heir apparent when Minority Leader Bob Michel, R-Ill., decided to retire.

Republicans won a majority in 1994, though, and Gingrich became speaker instead of minority leader.