Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Clinton cautious on news Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 15:00:28 EST Message-ID: Lines: 171 \SE A \HD Clinton cautious on news \SH Growth may alter short-term plans \BY Frank J. Murray \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES \DT LITTLE ROCK, Ark. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - President-elect Bill Clinton took a break from Cabinet interviews yesterday to express cautious relief that surprising new economic growth eases pressure on him to produce drastic, short-term financial cures. "It's obviously good news, but it requires a lot of analysis to see what it means for the long-term productivity of the economy," Mr. Clinton said of a new report on the gross domestic product that indicates annual growth of 3.9 percent, much higher than the estimates that President Bush was accused of exaggerating. Meanwhile, Mr. Clinton had two time-consuming physical exams that were described as routine, interviewed two possible candidates for secretary of the interior and named his transition department contacts. Those directors of "clusters" immediately became the targets of lobbyists and the objects of analysis and concern from tens of thousands of federal employees trying to get better jobs or to keep those they have. Former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt, a 1988 presidential candidate, and Rep. Bill Richardson of New Mexico made ritual visits yesterday to the Arkansas Governor's Mansion. They were summoned by what has become the hottest phone call in politics: an invitation from transition director Warren Christopher "to consult." Neither talked to reporters. Mr. Babbitt, president of the League of Conservation Voters, shares Vice President-elect Al Gore's support for drastic action to protect the environment. "The fact that global warming will occur is just that: a fact," Mr. Babbitt said while pushing an agreement that the United States declined to join before the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Richardson is among the House's most outspoken advocates of the North American Free Trade Agreement, on which Mr. Clinton has been ambivalent, and was once described in an editorial in Human Events, a weekly newspaper, as "a classic illustration of why the word 'politician' is often considered a pejorative." On Tuesday, Mr. Clinton talked with two potential Cabinet secretaries: Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas about the Treasury Department and outgoing Sen. Tim Wirth of Colorado about the Energy Department. Both posts are considered vital to long-term economic recovery proposals, which are not affected by blips in short-term indicators. Mr. Clinton also taped a Thanksgiving radio message to the nation and an interview with Greg Gumbel to be broadcast today on CBS-TV's "NFL Today" between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., and he plans a day off from the transition for a turkey dinner with his and Hillary Rodham Clinton's relatives before a four-day weekend in California. "He's spending most of his time concentrating on Cabinet appointments," communications director George Stephanopoulos told reporters yesterday, contradicting earlier statements that the past two days of visits were just policy talks with influential party leaders. But he did not cease his attempts to shroud the president-elect's appointments. "You have to protect the privacy of the people he's talking to the best you can and also preserve his flexibility as we go through this process. We'll make a case-by-case decision," Mr. Stephanopoulos said when asked to explain the rationale for keeping visitors' identities secret. Reporters and photographers stake out the mansion's rear driveway off Spring Street all day to watch the comings and goings at the relatively small, two-story red-brick Colonial. Occupants of cars are sometimes recognized as they pass, but trees and distance hamper the view when they reach the house. Selection of the coordinators of the nine clusters yesterday was billed as a preview of the Cabinet, which Mr. Clinton said "will look like America" in terms of gender, racial and ethnic background and other criteria that remain unspecified. Eight of the 10 directors, including two co-leaders of one cluster, have Washington experience. The group includes a Hispanic, three women - two of whom are black - and a black man. The leaders are Samuel Berger, national security; James Gustave Speth, environment and energy; Peter Edelman and Bernard Nussbaum, justice and civil rights; Rep. Thomas J. Downey of New York, health and human services; former Denver Mayor Federico Pena, transportation; Fannie Mae Vice Chairman Franklin Raines, economics and international trade; House D.C. Committee staff member Dietra Ford, government relations; Spelman College President Johnnetta Cole, education, arts, labor and humanities; and ex-astronaut Sally Ride, science, space and technology. When a reporter pointed out that the four known Cabinet candidates are white men, Mr. Stephanopoulos said: "The governor's made no decisions on his administration or his Cabinet positions yet. When he makes them, you will see them. And when the Cabinet is completed, it will look like America." He said Mr. Clinton still intends to name his economic team first, apparently none too soon based on the questions yesterday after a series of favorable economic statistics were released, topped by the GDP estimate. "I don't know what they mean exactly," Mr. Clinton said. "It could be that we're finally seeing the impact of low interest rates - I think a lot of refinancing. The home sales seem to have something to do with it. . . . But it could have some impact on short-term judgments." Mr. Clinton, 46, said the physicals showed that he is 10 pounds overweight but has a blood pressure of 110 over 68, "not bad for a man my age." ****PHOTOS/BOX CLINTON'S CLUSTERS President-elect Bill Clinton has chosen the heads of his nine transition teams, called "clusters," which will work up briefing books on personnel, budget and structure of agencies in their fields: Economy/trade: Franklin D. Raines, vice chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), former general partner at the investment banking firm of Lazard Freres & Co., associate director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Carter administration. State/national security: Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, on leave from partnership at Hogan & Hartson in Washington, State Department policy planning staff 1977-80, writer and Democratic Party activist. Transportation: Federico F. Pena, mayor of Denver 1982-91 in which he was considered a prime mover on the city's new airport, the world's largest, and $241 million road and bridge project, two-term member of Colorado Legislature. Science/space/technology: Sally K. Ride, a physics professor at the University of California at San Diego, who left NASA after 19 years as an astronaut including a six-day orbit on Challenger in June 1983, now director of the California Space Institute. Natural resources/ environment/energy/agriculture: James Gustave Speth, professor of environmental and constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center and president of World Resources Institute, which he founded in 1982. Education/labor/arts/humanities: Johnnetta B. Cole, president of Spelman College in Atlanta, a founding director of President Bush's Points of Light Foundation and a member of the board of NationsBank and Coca-Cola. Health/human services/housing: Rep. Tom Downey, of Amityville, N.Y., who was defeated for re-election Nov. 3, the author of child care legislation, and the vetoed Family Preservation Act, and ranking member of the House Select Committee on Aging. Justice/civil rights: Peter B. Edelman and Bernard Nussbaum. Edelman is professor of law and director of the family poverty clinic at Georgetown University Law Center where he was associate dean 1989-92. He is active in District affairs, co-chair of Americans for Peace Now, and a board member of Common Cause. Nussbaum, who was senior counsel to the House Judiciary Committee Nixon impeachment inquiry, has been with the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz in New York since 1966. Government relations: Dietra Ford, a staff member of the House District Committee since 1975. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM