WASHINGTON _ Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Paul D. Ryan, who said Wednesday he would not run for reelection, has plenty of time to consider a presidential run, especially if you measure in Sen. Bernie Sanders years, the liberal Vermont independent who is still mulling a presidential bid at the age of 76.
"He's got 28 years," Gingrich, in a phone interview from Italy, adding that Ryan can go home, spend time with his family, earn some money, run for governor of Wisconsin, and then still forge a presidential campaign. "He's got at least six presidential elections in front of him."
But Gingrich is not surprised Ryan is leaving the speakership.
"I think he's tired," Gingrich said. "I think that he loves policy and does not particularly like managing and leading 240 Republicans and trying to cope with the Senate and the White House."
Gingrich downplayed the notion that Ryan's departure signals that Republicans will lose their House majority, arguing that it will motivate the two men who are next in line to replace him, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, to work harder to elect Republican lawmakers needed to hold it.
"Part of what he'll do is he'll liberate McCarthy and Scalise to go out and campaign like crazy," McCarthy said. "That'll be a significant factor in which of them gets picked" to replace Ryan.
