Clinton Heads West, Reacts To Perot Decision

By Claire Shipman/CNN

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WASHINGTON (Sept. 17) -- As the president headed west on another campaign swing, his aides made no secret of their disappointment about the Commission on Presidential Debates' decision to exclude Ross Perot, and said they'll continue to push for his inclusion in at least one debate.

The Clinton campaign team from the top down viewed Perot's participation as a boost to the president, who offered high praise for Perot as he toured a vocational center in Westland, Mich.

"I enjoyed having him in there in '92, I thought he made a valuable contribution -- it was a good debate," Clinton told reporters. (288K AIFF or WAV sound)

Conventional White House wisdom is that Perot's presence would take some of the spotlight from Dole, and would highlight economic issues that could help the president. Top campaign aides said they're not hopeful Perot will be included, but that the issue will remain on the table in a negotiating session between the two camps -- if nothing else, as one official conceded, as a bargaining chip.

A number of issues are yet to be decided. The Clinton camp wants no more than three debates at an hour and a half each -- that's been the traditional length. The Dole team wants at least four hour-long sessions. And Dole wants to start next week, while Clinton has a speech planned for the United Nations and wants to wait until the first week of October.

Otherwise, Clinton's day on the campaign trail unfolded as planned in the Midwest, talking education and pension portability.

"I want to mobilize an army of mentors and reading teachers to work with our schools and our teachers and our parents to make sure by the year 2000 every eight-year-old can look at a book and say, 'I can read it all by myself,'" Clinton told an enthusiastic crowd.

This morning, Clinton announced a move by the Treasury Department to ease rules on pension portability, so that workers with 401k programs, or other defined benefit programs, will have more flexibility when they change jobs.

The White House said the move will give employees more investment options should they decide to leave their funds with their former company, and it should be easier for their new employers to accept their pension plan money should they want to transfer it. No legislation is required, just a matter of the Treasury Department tweaking the rules. Officials estimate it could affect up to 5 million people a year who change jobs.

And, as promised, Clinton hit back at criticism from Dole on the youth drugs issue with a commercial of his own.

"President Clinton is fighting drugs," the ad states, "appointing a four-star general drug czar. Dole voted against even creating the office of drug czar."

Clinton Heads West, Reacts To Perot Decision

Debate On Debates

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