ADVISERS IN BATTLE MODE AS THEY DEFINE STRATEGY.

Byline: Ron Fournier Associated Press 

Catching their breath after a dizzying string of events, President Clinton's closest advisers are settling in for ``a fight to the death'' against prosecutor Kenneth Starr and, if necessary, Monica Lewinsky.

They hope the president can lie low, issuing blanket denials and absolutely no details, until the controversy dies down. In the meantime, Clinton's newly formed crisis team is searching for ways to counter secret tapes, salacious rumors and accusations that could bring down his presidency.

Their strategy includes trying to speed up the start of Paula Jones' sexual harassment trial, blaming accusations on ``this vast right-wing conspiracy'' and - as a last resort - picking through Lewinsky's background.

The battle-ready mood is a stark contrast to last week, when a stunned Clinton awoke to an ugly headline: ``Starr probes whether president told woman to deny alleged affair.''

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton says Clinton woke her up and said, ``You're not going to believe this, but . . .''

Tepid denial

Hours later, the president tepidly denied the reports. His favorability ratings plunged, and Democrats discussed the matter in dire terms.

Clinton telephoned donors and Democratic activists across the country, giving vague assurances that the accusations were false.

Reprising her get-it-together act from the period after the 1994 Republican congressional landslide, the first lady reached out to trusted friends who have weathered past Clinton crises. Former Commerce Secretary and politically savvy lawyer Mickey Kantor soon joined the legal team, acting as the go-between for Clinton's political and legal shops.

Harold Ickes, slighted by the president after engineering the 1996 re-election campaign, received the next call. He is a brass-knuckles political operative urging Clinton to fight fire with fire against Starr and - if push comes to shove - Lewinsky.

Harry Thomason, a TV and movie producer with Arkansas ties, will help Clinton tell America about his relationship with Lewinsky - once the lawyers give him the go-ahead.

Though not in the inner circle, disgraced consultant Dick Morris also has talked to Clinton recently. Incredibly, Morris popped off in a California radio interview Tuesday, speculating about the Clintons' sex life and predicting that it would be hard to prove obstruction of justice by the president but ``they might possibly be able to prove the charge of adultery - and therefore perjury.''

With the team in place, the once-warring political and legal teams agreed that Clinton had to issue a more unequivocal denial Monday. Once he did, telephones in the White House political offices rang almost nonstop with offers of help from Democrats who had been close to deserting Clinton.

Democratic polls conducted overnight showed that his favorability rating stopped falling and actually began to inch up. Democratic and Republican pollsters alike said Clinton so far has lost only his ``soft support,'' swing voters he had worked for months to win over.

The political hemorrhaging had slowed, the showdown delayed.

No elaboration

Some aides now think Clinton will go weeks, maybe months, without elaborating on his denial. He certainly will wait to see whether Lewinsky is granted immunity to testify against him, and might wait until Starr's investigation ends one way or another.

``We're settled in for a long, legal battle to the death with Ken Starr,'' said a senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In the meantime, Clinton's team wants to shore up its core supporters. With that in mind, the first lady called American politics ``mean-spirited,'' complained of a media ``feeding frenzy'' and chalked it all up to ``this vast right-wing conspiracy.'' Presidential spokesman Mike McCurry called Starr's investigation ``a very hostile, adversarial proceeding.''

In an NBC interview Tuesday, the first lady vowed to ``stand as firmly as I can'' behind her man. The line was aimed at female voters.

``If they start taking after the intern . . . that is going to start eroding his female base,'' predicted GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio.

That is why the legal team is being quiet about its efforts to research Lewinsky's background. An official familiar with the effort said they are gathering information about her past relationships, family history and work habits.

The official said such a review is standard for civil cases and might never be used against her.

Lewinsky's attorney, William Ginsburg, suggested it would be difficult for the White House to discredit his client after the administration gave her a job with security clearance at the Pentagon and she received job recommendations from presidential confidant Vernon Jordan.

Clinton's lawyers also are seeking to get an early trial date for Paula Jones' sexual harassment trial. The reasons are twofold: to show that Clinton is unafraid of the allegations and to give his attorneys an early crack at Lewinsky and at Linda Tripp, who brought the alleged affair to Starr's attention.