Perot Opens Conference, Appeals to Parties...

Insisting he had no plans to run for president again, Ross Perot opened a weekend speech-a-thon Friday that attracted politicians in droves but fewer of his own followers than he had anticipated.

Those who did come, however, still carried the cantankerous, anti-politician mood that helped Perot to his 19% showing in the 1992 presidential race. So even as they settled in to hear two marathon days of courting by the major political parties, most predicted in advance they would not be satisfied.

“They will come here and promise us everything we want but then they won’t do any of it,” said Patricia Coker of Tennessee, who carried a placard urging formation of a third party.

Many others on hand shared that sentiment, and wore “Third Party Now” buttons as a sign of their determination to create one, with or without Perot’s help.

“It’s overdue,” said Yvonne Battaglia, a member of Perot’s United We Stand America who is running for the state Assembly under the banner of the fledgling New Jersey Conservative Party. “We’ve tried everything else.”

Nodding in agreement, Bernadette McKaskey, also a part of the New Jersey effort, said bluntly: “We are not waiting for Mr. Perot. He can’t dictate it if he wants it, and he can’t keep us from doing it if he doesn’t want it.”

At least for now, Perot says he has no interest in forming a third party, and he opened the conference with an appeal for Democrats and Republicans to put aside their partisanship and slogans.

“This meeting could be called a Joe Friday meeting--’Just the facts ma’am,’ ” Perot said.

As he planned the conference, Perot moved it from a hotel to the Dallas convention center because he anticipated 8,000 or so people would attend. But the number was closer to 3,000 at Friday’s opening session, and would have been lower were it not for several student groups and others who took advantage of Perot’s decision to waive conference fees for students, the elderly, firefighters, law enforcement officials and health care workers.

Little new ground was broken in Friday’s presentations by budget, Social Security and Medicare experts, and members of Congress who outlined ideas to balance the budget, maintain a stable dollar, overhaul the tax code and prepare America’s military for the 21st century. They also took a minute to pay homage to United We Stand’s independent-minded voters.

“The independent movement you launched three years ago is a big part of the change that is shaking Washington like nothing I have ever seen,” said House Majority Leader Richard Armey, (R-Tex.).

Perot reveled in the spotlight, serving as master of ceremonies and heaping praise on each of the speakers--even though many are leaders of the political system he so often criticizes. At one point, he shared a few playful moments on stage with another potential 1996 independent presidential candidate, Jesse Jackson.

Jackson was harshly critical of GOP budget priorities, saying the new Republican Congress was trying to boost defense spending and give tax cuts to the rich while cutting spending on schools, summer jobs and heating assistance for the elderly. “This is immoral,” he said to considerable applause. Jackson gave no hints of his plans, but suggested his Rainbow Coalition and Perot’s United We Stand had a lot in common.

President Clinton’s emissary, senior adviser Thomas (Mack) McLarty, searched for common ground, too, saying Clinton and Perot shared the goals of balancing the budget, improving schools and delivering campaign finance and lobbying reforms.

Acknowledging Clinton’s bitter disagreement with Perot over the NAFTA and GATT trade agreements, McLarty said beneath the policy fight was a shared goal of “good jobs through exports; a level playing field for America’s goods and services.”

At Friday’s evening session, both national party chairmen and the Democratic and Republican congressional leaders were making competing pitches to Perot and his followers.

“No--that’s not what it’s all about,” Perot said when asked if the session was a springboard to another run. “Please.”

But some supporters weren’t convinced.

“I believe he will run and that is one of the main reasons he had this--to see what the other candidates are going to be talking about,” said Bruce Long, a 27-year-old Tennessee laborer who said he has never voted but recently joined United We Stand.