Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 12, 1995 TAG: 9506120107
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
DATELINE: CLAREMONT, N.H. LENGTH: Medium
In an hour-long outdoor discussion that was more dialogue than debate, the president and the speaker showed great deference for each other in answering questions from a senior citizens group.
They were funny. They were courteous. They were expansive on their philosophy of government. When they disagreed, they were civil. But now and then they couldn't resist a good-natured jab.
Clinton said government is often so far removed from people that the only way to break through at times ``is to make extreme statements. The speaker is very good about that. He can break through like nobody I've ever seen.''
The speaker laughed and later agreed, ``I can get pretty hot at times.''
They broke much more political ground than policy ground. The joint appearance by two of the most controversial men in American politics was unprecedented and seemed to lift up both in the eyes of the group who observed.
The audience seemed genuinely appreciative of the high level of the dialogue. ``It was great,'' said Grace Curtis of Claremont. ``They were trying to work together.''
But their differences did not remain submerged. They expressed their varying approaches to cutting Medicare and disagreed on raising the minimum wage, Clinton being for it and Gingrich against.
Gingrich had sharp words for the United Nations and the U.S. role in Bosnia, while Clinton defended both.
``If my choice is three U.N. secretary generals and one [U.S.] aircraft carrier, I can tell you which one I prefer,'' Gingrich said, criticizing the U.N.'s peacekeeping ability. He called the U.N.'s system of command and control ``a nightmare. You don't send a military to be hostages, you send a military to rescue hostages.''
Clinton said the foreign-policy bill now going through Congress ties his hands needlessly, and indicated he would veto it. On the United Nations, he said, ``Sometimes as bad and as ragged as it is, the United Nations is better than nothing. And I think it is our forum.''
The most amicable moment of the meeting came at the beginning, when an audience member asked whether the two leaders could agree on naming a blue-ribbon commission for lobbying and campaign reform. Gingrich said he liked the idea.
``In a heartbeat, I accept,'' Clinton responded. ``Otherwise, we cannot pass it.''
``Let's shake hands on that,'' the speaker responded.
The commission presumably would deal with some of the major questions of political reform, such as restricting contributions from lobbyists and imposing spending limits on campaigns.
After the session, Clinton said, ``I thought it was a very good conversation. It was a very positive thing for the country.'' Gingrich expressed similar sentiments, but added it is up to the president whether there is another such forum.
The event came together partly by accident. The president had suggested it half-seriously in an interview last week, and Gingrich took him up on it. On Saturday, both sides worked out the details.
The tenor of the debate was illustrated by the speaker's praise of a prime Clinton initiative, the AmeriCorps or national service plan. ``I don't fault his vision and his desire to recruit people at all and I think it's frankly, a program that's very defensible,'' Gingrich said.
by CNB