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Oh, I never even thought about running for mayor at that time. No, running for mayor came much later in my mind.

So it was purely to go into a more effective legislative body.

Absolutely, absolutely. I can't tell you exactly when I decided I would run for mayor, but it was long after that. Now, long after: you have to appreciate the fact that 1973 is when I ran for mayor. But after all, I became a Congressman in 1968. It's several years after I became a member of Congress, probably in my second term that I thought about it.

You've already traced that first campaign and mentioned that the Liberal party accounted for your victory. I believe you've also said that you increased your margin at subsequent elections. How do you account for that? What were the gut issues, the votegainful issues that you relied on or that you found in retrospect?

Well, let me tell you why I think that I'm a successful member of Congress. People, strangely enough -- I always find it rather unique -- think of me as being solidly seated in my district like I'm a Southern Congressman. That's the way a lot of people talk about it. I always find a good deal of pleasure in it, notwithstanding the fact that I always say, “Oh, no, no, no.” The truth is: I have turned this district around so that a seat