Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 22, 1995 TAG: 9509220104
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
President Clinton, going on line and on the air, proposed Thursday that every school in the nation be linked to the computer Internet by 2000. He called for an ``enormous effort'' such as the one mounted to build the nation's rail and highway systems.
Clinton also said his presidency wouldn't be diverted by the attention given to a possible presidential bid by retired Army Gen. Colin Powell. But in a live radio interview with Larry King, Clinton said Powell would make a formidable candidate who has ``a very compelling life story.''
On a cross-country, weeklong blitz to raise funds for his re-election campaign, Clinton said he hasn't decided yet when he'll announce his candidacy - but he said it doesn't matter. ``Everyone knows I intend to run again.''
Clinton put a focus on high-tech education during his 20th visit to California, announcing an initiative for a government-industry venture to link the nation's schools by computer by the end of the century.
Announcing the program at a science museum in San Francisco, Clinton said that developing schoolchildren's computer skills is ``just as essential as teaching them to read and write and the new math.''
Administration officials said specifics of the plan would be announced later in the fall, but the overall goal was Internet access for all elementary and high schools.
The program was expected to rely heavily on contributions from the communications, information and computer industries.
Clinton followed up the announcement with the radio interview with King, in which he not only took questions from callers but responded to ones sent to the show via the Internet.
Fielding questions for more than an hour, Clinton:
Reiterated that Vice President Al Gore would again be his running mate, as long as he wanted a spot on the ticket.
Suggested Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and House Speaker Newt Gingrich were dragging their feet on bringing to a final vote legislation giving him line-item-veto authority, even though they had advocated the concept.
Defended the U.S. justice system against a suggestion that it should be overhauled in the light of the O.J. Simpson trial. He said the system shouldn't be judged on that case alone.
by CNB