Clinton says wife's opponents are taking a last shot at him

MIAMI - Raising $175,000 for his wife's campaign war chest, President Clinton said Tuesday that special interests ''would like to whip her'' and many of them ''think it's their last chance at me.''

Clinton flew to Florida for two days of fund raising on behalf of Hillary Rodham Clinton, running for a Senate seat in New York, and other Democratic candidates for Congress.

Despite Clinton's efforts, figures that came out Saturday showed that Mrs. Clinton's Republican Senate opponent, Rep. Rick Lazio, has raised $10.7 million over the previous five weeks and still had $6.1 million on hand as the campaign entered the critical final month. She reported raising $2.6 million during that time and having $2.5 million in the bank.

In Buffalo, N.Y., the first lady said she had to take time away from preparing for her second debate with Lazio to raise money.

''I haven't had time yet to do very much at all,'' she said. ''I've been busy raising more money, as you might have noticed.''

''He will outspend me, I estimate, maybe 3-1, or at least 2-1 in these last five weeks,'' the first lady told reporters. ''That's a very significant advantage for him. His message will be pounded in on radio and television to voters - five, 10, 15 times a day. There's no way I can compete with that.''

Clinton arrived in Miami in a soaking rain and slogged through several inches of water to enter the posh home of Irene and Chris Korge, where he spoke to about 60 guests. In all, they contributed $75,000 to the first lady's Senate campaign.

''There are a lot of interests that would like to whip her,'' Clinton told his wife's donors. ''I think half of them think it's their last chance at me.''

''But she's doing well,'' he said. ''I'm immensely - I'm so proud of her. But it's very important that she not be outspent 3-1 the way in. In politics, you can get outspent but you have to have enough to get your message out.''

Clinton also railed against a prescription drug plan proposed by Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush as a boon for the pharmaceutical industry, not the ailing elderly. He said if he were going to remain as president, he would tell drug companies to stop ''sticking it to the American senior citizens.''

Bush has proposed a $158 billion plan to cover prescription drugs for the elderly poor and to subsidize drug plans that cover other Medicare beneficiaries. Democrat Al Gore has proposed adding a $253 billion prescription drug plan to Medicare to give free complete coverage to elderly poor and a cost-sharing benefit to others.

''The Republicans would help a few of our seniors because we have moved the debate so far and they don't want to be out there, three sheets to the wind, lost in it,'' Clinton said. ''But they don't want to help all of them, because they're afraid that if Medicare can buy drugs for seniors in the private market place .... (drug companies) can't make up any of the cost of production in Europe or Canada.''

Banging on the lectern for emphasis, Clinton said insurance companies ''told the Republicans from the get-go their idea would not work.''

''What I would do if I were still in office, I'd go to them and say 'Look, this is not a way to solve your problems. Sticking it to the American senior citizens is not a legitimate way to solve your problems. This insurance deal is phony,''' Clinton said.

Later Tuesday, Clinton arranged to greet a more intimate gathering - about 10 guests - to bring in $100,000 for his wife's campaign coffer. Then he was attending a dinner that was to raise $750,000 for Democratic congressional candidates.