Clinton Urges Americans to Seek ‘Common Ground’ : Politics: President says the nation needs a ‘chorus of harmony’ rather than ‘shrill voice of discord.’ He declares his readiness to debate opposition leaders.

President Clinton on Thursday urged Americans to “move beyond division and resentment to common ground” and declared that he is ready again to debate opposition leaders as he did House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in New Hampshire last month.

Urging a new civility in public discourse, Clinton told an audience at Georgetown University that at a time of social division and economic trouble for many, Americans need a “chorus of harmony” rather than “the shrill voice of discord.” He called for stronger bipartisanship among political leaders.

“Conversation, not combat, is what I tried to do with the Speaker in New Hampshire, and I want to do more of it with others,” he said. “I’m willing if they are. I think it would be good for America.”

The need for bipartisanship has been an increasingly strong theme for Clinton in recent months, reflecting in some measure his strengthened tie to political consultant Dick Morris. A Republican, Morris has pressed Clinton to show that he appreciates the strong public desire for Washington politicians to work together, even as many Democrats have been calling for the White House to draw sharper lines between the two parties’ philosophies.

A survey conducted for NBC News and the Wall Street Journal after last fall’s midterm election showed that by a margin of 67% to 28%, Americans wanted Clinton to alter his original agenda to find common ground with the GOP. The same survey found by a margin of 87% to 9% that the public wanted the GOP to “work with Clinton.”

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In his hourlong address, Clinton also spoke of the need for Americans to approach people of different viewpoints with an open mind. When talking with those who have opposing views, he said, Americans should ask themselves: “Is it the language of respect, or the language of a suspect?”

Clinton’s calls for bipartisanship have come at a time when he has also strongly denounced opponents for their stands on such issues as abortion, gun control, welfare reform and the environment. And as he talked of seeking common ground, Clinton lashed out again at the political opposition.

For a second day, Clinton assailed Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) for Helms’ suggestions that the federal government spends too much on AIDS research. Helms reportedly said that the disease was brought on by “deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct.”

Clinton said: “Gay people who have AIDS are still our sons, our brothers, our cousins--our citizens. . . . They’re obeying the law and working hard. They’re entitled to be treated like everybody else.”

Clinton also trained his fire on the National Rifle Assn., which has become a target in almost every speech. He contrasted today’s NRA, which is fighting to reverse the Clinton-sponsored ban on some assault weapons, with “the NRA that I knew as a child” when “they actually helped save people’s lives and solved a lot of problems.”

The differences between Clinton and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill were underscored Thursday by House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), who announced his proposal for an income-tax plan that would cut the rate for most Americans to 10% and abolish all major deductions except for mortgage interest.

Three-quarters of Americans would pay lower and simpler taxes under the plan, but upper-income Americans, who tend to make heavy use of deductions and credits, would pay more, including higher rates.

“At its heart, the debate we are now in asks whether Democrats will fight for our defining values or whether we will simply surrender to resurgent Republicans or perhaps only seek to amend and ameliorate the worst of their ideas,” Gephardt said.