President, Perot Confer Before Address : Politics: Clinton briefs former rival about his plan during a 15-minute phone call. Texas tycoon tells TV audience he liked what he heard in speech.

The moment belonged to President Clinton, but as he unveiled his economic plan Wednesday night, he ceded a small portion of the spotlight to his former campaign rival, Ross Perot.

In deference to Perot’s still large following, Clinton took the unusual step of personally calling his former adversary to brief him for nearly 15 minutes Wednesday afternoon. And Clinton’s address to a joint session of Congress was not two hours old when the former independent candidate, who is now trying to mobilize a new movement, began appearing on a string of network TV shows--starting with ABC’s “Nightline”--to offer his comments about the plan.

Clinton had good reason to court Perot’s support. His backing may not guarantee the acceptance of Clinton’s economic blueprint, but the President could be seriously injured by flank attacks from the free-shooting Texas billionaire, who won 19% of the vote as an independent candidate in November’s election.

Clinton wanted to discuss the plan with Perot because “a lot of the elements of the plan are elements Perot talked about during the campaign. . . . The President wanted to talk to him about deficit reduction and investment and honest budgeting,” said White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers.

She said Perot offered no judgment on the program. “The President didn’t ask for approval, and I don’t think Perot offered it,” she said. “I think he was happy the President called him.”

In his appearance on “Nightline,” Perot said he liked what he heard in Clinton’s address. “I thought it was a good speech, a very positive speech,” he said, “but the devil is always in the details.”

The biggest problem lay in restraining spending by Congress, Perot said. “Giving Congress more money is like giving a friend who has not stopped drinking a liquor store,” he said.

Perot also encouraged the President to give the American people quarterly, or even monthly, reports on the state of the deficit like businesses give stockholders.

This morning, Perot was scheduled to appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning,” as well as the “NBC Evening News” later in the day.

Perot can use the exposure to help bring life to his new organization, United We Stand, America, Inc. Perot is soliciting $15 donations to the organization and has filmed nearly two dozen commercials.

One goal of the organization will be to educate the public with a series of rallies and the “electronic town hall” Perot began advocating a year ago.

“Our response has been huge,” Holman said.

Perot is missing no opportunity for publicity. A press release from his organization that lays out his TV schedule notes that public television’s “Sesame Street” children’s show will feature a character based on Perot--called H. Ross Parrot--on its April 5 broadcast.

The character is a feathery bird with huge ears that wears a white business shirt and striped tie. It helps instructs children on the alphabet, then says: “I’m just doing this for you.”