ELECTIONS ’92 : Perot Downplays Dirty Tricks Claim : Politics: The candidate focuses on economy during rally. He dismisses criticism over charges of GOP misdeeds as ‘silly putty’ that does not worry voters.

In his first public foray since controversy erupted over his unsubstantiated allegations of Republican dirty tricks, Ross Perot obeyed his own promise Wednesday to ignore the firestorm and stick to his prescription for a better economy.

“OK, let’s get right to it,” Perot said as he stepped onto the stage of the civic auditorium Wednesday night. “Are you ready to put America back to work?”

More than 5,000 people gave the independent presidential candidate a rousing two-minute ovation--waving banners or American flags and chanting, “We Want Ross!”

“Is there any question in your mind that we can make the words ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ the world standard for excellence once again?” he said. “We’re destroying our children’s dreams and that’s what this campaign is all about.”

Perot said earlier this week he would no longer talk about the controversy he started over the weekend by alleging that President Bush’s Republican campaign had planned to disrupt his daughter’s wedding and smear her with a fake photograph. He told CBS’ “60 Minutes” and two rallies on Sunday that the threats had prompted him to withdraw from the race in July. At the same time, he said the matter was unimportant and the presidential race should concentrate on the issues.

But that proved difficult, if not impossible. White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater called Perot “paranoid,” and the President called the allegations “crazy.” Several Perot aides, including his running mate, James B. Stockdale, tried to back up Perot’s story by saying he had told them of the threats before he pulled out of the race.

On Monday, Perot descended into a press briefing at his Dallas headquarters to upbraid journalists for questioning his story--thereby helping to prolong it another day.

And Wednesday, the chairman of Bush’s Texas campaign called a press conference to accuse Perot of trying to entrap him into doing something illegal.

Jim Oberwetter said Perot had a vendetta against him because of a critical statement Oberwetter made earlier this year about Perot’s presidential campaign. He contended that Perot enlisted the FBI and a private citizen in the unsuccessful effort.

Also Wednesday, the Dallas Morning News quoted unidentified police sources as saying that Perot also tried to enlist the Dallas police in the entrapment effort. But the story was denied by Dallas Police Chief Bill Rathburn and Clay Mulford, Perot’s son-in-law and counsel to the presidential campaign.

Perot has said he went to the FBI with evidence of an alleged Bush campaign plot to wiretap his telephones, but he has never acknowledged asking authorities to entrap Oberwetter.

He has said the sources for his information about the alleged dirty tricks were two Republican friends, whom he refused to identify, and Scott T. Barnes, 38, a man who has claimed that he was contacted by the Bush campaign about wiretapping Perot’s office. Barnes is known to authorities as a discredited gadfly who specializes in offbeat investigations.

Oberwetter conceded that he was relying on circumstantial evidence in blaming Perot.

Despite the allegations, Perot found plenty of support at the Denver rally, where the audience shouted, “We trust you!” Perot made only an indirect reference to the controversy, calling it “silly putty” that does not worry voters.

“We’re taking lots of heat today, but it doesn’t bother me--does it bother you?” he said. “It is all silly putty . . . and I just sit here and marvel at it.”

He blamed the criticism on the rival campaigns of Republican Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton.

And, trying to reverse his opponents’ hints that a vote for him would be wasted, Perot told the crowd that there is no point in voting for Bush.

“The only way not to throw your vote away is to vote for me,” he said. “. . . Bush, he can’t win.”

Perot aired a 30-minute infomercial Wednesday night on the same theme. Telling Americans it is a waste to vote for “politics as usual,” he urged people to vote their consciences. The ad included several individuals saying they planned to do just that.

Perot has concentrated his campaign on television, where he is expected to spend as much as $5 million a day during the next week. But he plans a few more public appearances, including in Los Angeles on Sunday. The sites have not been announced.

Some supporters at the Denver rally said they were concerned by Perot’s allegations. But they added that their vote was intended as a protest of the gridlock and economic programs of the major candidates--and that is still the case.

“I don’t think a person should vote for who is going to win; I think they should vote their conscience,” said Democrat Glen Golden, a 40-year-old civil engineer from the Denver suburb of Lakewood. “For most of the voting population, he still needs to answer it before the election. But not for me; I’m going to vote for him anyway.”

Bob Kinsey, 31, a registered independent voter and a communications worker, said he believes Perot’s allegations and remains an enthusiastic supporter.

“What purpose would he have to lie? He’s not going to win votes by the allegation,” he said. “This is obviously an intelligent guy.”

Lesher reported from Denver, Fritz from Dallas. Times researcher Ann Rovin, in Denver, contributed to this story.

Today on the Trail . . .

Gov. Bill Clinton campaigns in Toledo, Ohio; Detroit, and Jersey City and Secaucus, N.J.

President Bush campaigns in Dearborn, Grand Rapids and Southgate, Mich., and Nashville.

Ross Perot has no public events scheduled.

TELEVISION

Clinton, Bush and Perot are on ABC’s “Prime Time Live” at 10 p.m. PST.

Al Gore is on ABC’s “Good Morning America” at 7 a.m. PST and on CNN’s “NewsHour” at 9 a.m. PST.

Independent vice presidential candidate James B. Stockdale is on ABC’s “Good Morning America” at 7:30 a.m. PST.

Tipper Gore is on CBS’ “This Morning” at 7:30 a.m. PST.

Bush is on CBS’ “This Morning” at 8 a.m. PST.

Perot is on CNN’s “Larry King Live” at 6 p.m. PST.