ON A recent episode of the Tonight television show, host Jay Leno produced two little piglets. He held one and gave the other to his guest, the House Speaker, Mr Newt Gingrich, who likes to project a positive image by cuddling small animals.
However, while Leno's piglet snuggled quietly in his arms, the Speaker's squealed and shrieked in fear.
It was a revealing metaphor for the misfortunes which have befallen the Georgia Congressman who a year ago was the shining star of the Republican revolution. After a series of setbacks, including his capitulation in the budget showdown with President Clinton last autumn, Mr Gingrich's lustre has dimmed.
The Republican Presidential candidate, Senator Bob Dole trailing more than 20 points behind Mr Clinton in opinion polls is now seeking to distance himself from Mr Gingrich fast.
His national campaign co chairman, Senator Alfonse D'Amato attacked Mr Gingrich repeatedly at the weekend, accusing him of hurting Republicans with his harsh conservative agenda.
Reacting to polls showing that people believed the Republican revolution had either failed or was wrong readed, the New York Senator accused the Speaker of misreading he 1994 elections which swept Republicans into power in Congress.
Mr Gingrich fired back, saying he did not know what Mr D'Amato was talking about, and his ally, the House Majority leader, Mr Dick Armey, snapped on television: "You know his Mama apparently didn't teach him" not to bite the hand that feeds him.
But after 18 months in power and with only 44 working days left before the next Congressional election in November, the Republicans have failed to overcome Democratic vetoes, and reduce taxes, reform welfare, shut down federal agencies and fundamentally change public spending.
Two in three people now disapprove of the way Congress is run, the same figure as two years ago when Democrats were in similar bad odour and facing defeat, according to a New York Times poll on Sunday. The internal sniping has only served to strengthen the image of the Republican party as fractious and out of touch.
Recently the abortion debate has heated up in the party, with moderate Republicans, including Governors Todd Whitman of New Jersey and Pete Wilson of California, making clear their intention of amending or dropping its pro life plank at the Republican convention.
They face strong opposition from right wing commentator, Mr Pat Buchanan, defeated by Mr Dole in the primary elections, whom Senator D'Amato dismissed as someone "who beats up on women, beats up on gays and beats up on immigrants". Mr Buchanan warned if the moderates tried to amend the platform "they'll regret it".
The internecine war on abortion poses a problem for Mr Dole who faces a cultural civil war at the convention in San Diego. His aides appear to be trying to provoke both sides now, in order to have the battle fought and over before San Diego in August.
But the real problem for the Republicans is the lacklustre campaign of Mr Dole (72) who has failed to articulate a Republican vision for the end of the 20th century and is now the butt of countless "ageist" jokes on radio and television.
Mr Leno feigned incredulity on hearing Mr Dole had "senior aides", speculating that they must be aged 90 or 100. "Dole 96" is portrayed as the senator's age.
The Democratic Party is using only slightly less subtle tactics, emphasising the word "old" at every opportunity to describe Mr Dole's policies without directly citing his advanced age. The Kansas senator has also found that highlighting his second World War record, instead of reminding voters of Mr Clinton's draft avoidance, has only served to underline his membership of a passing generation.
Mr Dole has responded by stepping up his attacks on Mr Clinton. Over the last few days he has accused the President of taking America down "a dangerous road of weakness and stagnation."