The American Spectator

p> POLL CAT br> Alarm bells went off in Harlem over the weekend, and down in Little Rock too, when the Gallup polling firm released the results of its latest survey late last week of public perceptions of presidents past. “Clinton tanked,” says a former aide to the president, “and it bugged him a little bit.” So much so, word out of Little Rock is that the Clinton Library may undertake its own poll to buttress Clinton’s belief that he remains one of America’s most popular and respected leaders. /p>

In the latest Gallup “Retrospective Job Approval Ratings,” Clinton at 51% finished third to last, safely above Lyndon Johnson (39%) and Richard Nixon (34%), but also well below Jimmy Carter and Jerry Ford (60% each). Even more hurtful, George Bush Sr. came in at 69%, and Ronald Reagan at 73%, which rates up there with George Washington. Most hurtful: JFK scored 83%. Despite his best efforts, Clinton remains no John Kennedy.

“A lot of us are sure that President Clinton will rise in the people’s affection over time,” says the aide. “He just needs to settle down. Challenging the results of one poll with another isn’t the way to go. It just gives his enemies more ammunition.”

p> LEACH UNLEASHED br> What has happened to Rep. Jim Leach ? Eight years ago, the Iowa Republican and House Banking Committee fixture was the key force in opening investigations into Whitewater and the death of White House counsel Vincent Foster . Though a moderate, he became a hero to conservatives. But how to explain his latest project — solving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict — and his solution, which would have President George W. Bush send former Presidents George H.W. Bush ,