Clinton, GOP Leaders Meet in a Spirit of Cooperation

In their first prolonged encounter since before the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal, President Clinton and Republican congressional leaders met Tuesday at the White House and pledged to set aside any bitterness from the impeachment battle.

But top Republicans later declined to say that they trust the president. The meeting came just 11 days after the end of Clinton’s Senate trial, after which Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) questioned whether he could trust Clinton. Asked repeatedly about that opinion as they exited the White House, neither Lott nor House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) would say he did.

“I’ll tell you what I trust,” Lott said. “I trust the ability of the people here in the Congress, in the government, to work together to do what we need to do for the people. That’s where the real trust should be, the trust in us doing the job.”

“We are starting to work to put together ideas, and that’s the first step,” Hastert added.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said Clinton trusted the GOP leaders and believed he could work with them.

The meeting, Clinton’s first with congressional leaders since July 15, 1997, did produce signs of possible cooperation but also disputes over how much of anticipated budget surpluses should be used to bolster Social Security and Medicare, aides said.

Republicans said Clinton twice mentioned that he understands he has a responsibility to lead, as lawmakers decide how to strengthen Social Security. And Hastert repeatedly spoke of being flexible on such issues as tax cuts and Social Security.

Before Tuesday’s meeting began, Clinton and the leaders discussed vacations and white-water rafting, and there were “warm handshakes all around,” Lockhart said.

Also on Tuesday, Clinton kicked off a national Insure Kids Now campaign, which seeks to educate families about how to get coverage under Medicaid and the new Children’s Health Insurance Program. The goal is to enroll the millions of children nationwide thought to be eligible.

The campaign will include public service ads to begin airing on television today. The effort’s toll-free number, (877) 543-7669 will be printed on items ranging from grocery bags to child safety seats.