Clinton Offers Speculation on Inman Pullout

President Clinton speculated Thursday that retired Adm. Bobby Ray Inman withdrew as the nominee for secretary of defense because “down deep inside I think maybe he wasn’t sure he wanted to go back” to government service.

Clinton, in his first public comment on Inman’s decision, said Americans “shouldn’t lose sight” of Inman’s 30 years of military service in which he rose to the rank of four-star admiral.

Clinton’s remarks came in an interview on Cable News Network’s “Larry King Live” program, held on the anniversary of his inauguration.

Inman announced Tuesday that he was giving up plans to take the top defense job because of criticism from the press and political foes. He also conceded that he had been reluctant to accept the post but agreed to do so only because the request came from the President.

In the interview, Clinton acknowledged the pressures on government officials from public scrutiny. He said a Cabinet secretary told him recently that “if he had it to do over, he wouldn’t go into public service. . . . It’s just too brutal.”

But Clinton added that he didn’t feel that way himself.

The President also said he plans to find a replacement for Inman “in a fairly quick way,” adding that the Administration has assembled a short list of candidates.

Clinton also said he was relying on Atty. Gen. Janet Reno to find a candidate for the yet-unfilled post of assistant attorney general for civil rights. “I’ll be strongly inclined to go with her judgment,” he said.

The candidacies of two lawyers, C. Lani Guinier and John Payton, have already been abandoned because of outside criticism.

On another topic, Clinton said the federal government needs to assist Southern California’s earthquake cleanup in a way that ensures that the damage--including destruction of portions of freeways--doesn’t impede the state’s economic recovery.

“We are finally beginning to see the economy turn around out there,” Clinton said. “Finally. And then this happens. So we’ve got to do this in a way that doesn’t upset the economy.”