Clinton Knocks GOP Tax-Cut Plan

By TERENCE HUNT, AP

ASPEN, Colo. (AP), President Clinton, mingling with big-money Democratic donors, described the Republicans' tax-cutting plan in doomsday terms Saturday, saying it would ``imperil the future stability of the country.''

``It doesn't make sense,'' Clinton said, asserting that the GOP program would soak up money needed to fix Social Security, Medicare and other social programs. He said Republicans were engaged in a childish tax-cut bidding war.

``It's almost like the arguments we used to have when I was at school,'' the president said. He mocked the Republicans as saying, ``Our tax cut is bigger than your tax cut.''

The president attacked the GOP plan in fund-raising speeches and his weekly radio address.

In reply, a top Republican praised the $792 billion tax cut passed last week as returning surplus federal money to the people to keep it from being spent in Washington.

Clinton arrived early Saturday morning in this swank resort town for what was supposed to be a leisurely weekend of hobnobbing with contributors who gave at least $50,000 to the Democratic Party.  But the president decided to cut the Colorado weekend short - compressing two days of schmoozing into about five hours - to fly overnight to Morocco for Sunday's funeral of King Hassan II. He was to be accompanied by his wife, Hillary.

The president praised Hassan as ``a great friend of the peace process'' and a personal friend.

Hassan, who helped forge Middle East peace and ruled Morocco for 38 years, died Friday of a heart attack at age 70. He was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Sidi Mohamed.

The Democrats' weekend retreat gave donors a chance to rub elbows with Clinton, the first lady and members of his Cabinet. It was expected to raise $1 million.

Clinton said Republicans have changed their tune about him, saying they can reclaim the White House when he leaves.  ``After telling everybody for 6   years what a bad guy I was, they're now basically saying, `Oh, well, you know, Bill Clinton is like Michael Jordan, he just jumps higher than the other guys.'''

Later, however, Clinton told reporters, ``no one in their right mind could compare me to Michael Jordan ... I can't jump four inches.''

In his speech, Clinton said the Republicans hope that when he's gone, they can put the Democrats ``in the cellar again. There's a sort of a cynical, political thing. ... I could not have done anything, anything in the last six years if our ideas hadn't been right and if I hadn't had the help of Al Gore and Hillary and Dianne Feinstein,'' the Democratic senator from California.  The president mixed with donors at a sprawling cedar ``cabin'' owned by Feinstein and her husband, Dick Blum. Under a brilliant sun, guests listened to a Western band and strolled among aspen trees and wild flowers.

On the radio, the president opened up a new line of attack against the Republicans' 10-year, $792 billion tax-cut plan.  ``Their reckless tax plan would threaten law enforcement across the board, forcing reductions in the number of federal agents and cutting deeply into support for state and local law enforcement,'' Clinton said.

He announced the award of $50 million in Justice Department grants to hire 680 law enforcement officers in 64 communities. In addition, the District of Columbia will get $15 million to hire 200 new community police officers and 40 new federal prosecutors.  Under the grants, Phoenix will receive $7.5 million to hire 100 officers; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., $10.8 million to hire 144 officers; Detroit $9 million to hire 120 officers; and Austin, Texas, $3.7 million to hire 50 officers.

The Republicans' own radio address credited Americans with producing the economic bounty that enables a tax cut at all.  The GOP plan helps fix an unfair tax system by making it financially easier to get married and save money for children's education or other long-term needs, House Majority Leader Dick Armey said.

The plan would ease taxation on interest accrued from savings and reduce the ``marriage penalty,'' Armey said.  ``The prosperity you created brought us the first budget surplus in 39 years,'' he said. ``We must return that money to you so it isn't spent in Washington on more big government.''

In an almost straight party-line vote Thursday, the House approved a measure that would cut taxes over 10 years. Senate Republicans plan to pass a tax cut next week that is the same size as the House bill but differs in detail.

Clinton has threatened to veto such deep cuts and instead favors a tax cut in the range of $250 billion.

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