ALLIES, STAFFERS DEFEND CLINTON; PUBLIC URGED NOT TO RUSH JUDGMENT.

Byline: Brian McGrory and Ann Scales The Boston Globe

Several senior White House officials Sunday adamantly repeated President Clinton's denials that he had any sexual relationship with former intern Monica S. Lewinsky, in an orchestrated campaign to convince a skeptical nation to withhold judgment until Clinton has had time to forge a legal defense.

The officials, fanning across the television dial, said Clinton had no intentions of or even discussions about resigning from office over the allegations. Still, they offered neither a detailed defense nor an explanation of the relationship between Clinton and Lewinsky, opting instead to criticize the way independent counsel Kenneth Starr is conducting his probe.

Clinton strategist James Carville declared war against Starr, saying, ``Friends of the president are disgusted by these tactics, and we are going to fight.''

White House Counselor Paul Begala accused Starr of ``firing off subpoenas as if he's got an Uzi.'' He added, ``There is an awful lot behind this that is political.''

The protestations were set against the backdrop of more revelations that threaten Clinton's ability to govern, and even his presidency. ABC News reported Sunday that Starr's office is investigating the possibility there is a corroborating witness who walked in on an intimate act between Clinton and Lewinsky in a private area of the White House in the spring of 1996.

According to the report, Lewinsky was moved from the White House to the Pentagon's public affairs office shortly after the incident.

White House spokesman Michael McCurry said Clinton's lawyers contacted former Clinton Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, who had constant access to Clinton, and former Deputy Chief of Staff Evelyn S. Lieberman, who had initially insisted on Lewinsky's transfer from the White House, to ask if either were the possible corroborating witness. Each of them ``categorically denied'' any role, according to McCurry. Panetta and Lieberman issued statements late Sunday denying any knowledge of an affair.

``I am unaware of an event witnessed by anyone else,'' McCurry said last night.

Relief for Lewinsky

Lewinsky's lawyer, William Ginsburg, immediately hailed the ABC report as potential relief for his client, alleviating a so-called ``he said, she said'' scenario between the president and Lewinsky. But Ginsburg also said it might cause Starr to be less willing to offer Lewinsky full prosecutorial immunity, because her testimony would become less critical to the case.

Ginsburg said negotiations over immunity for his client have reached an impasse, but he hinted that her future testimony would be substantive.

``She wants to tell her story,'' Ginsburg said on CBS' ``Face the Nation.'' ``She wants to talk to the independent counsel and unload everything she has. Everything.''

Ginsburg confirmed the existence of what he described as a ``dress that might be forensically important in terms of DNA evidence.'' He was referring to a dress Lewinsky turned over to the FBI that may have a presidential semen stain.

Both Clinton and Starr worked late into the night preparing for Tuesday, a critical day for several reasons. Starr is due to present evidence to a federal grand jury on the allegations, including testimony from Vernon Jordan, Clinton's friend who allegedly also tried to influence Lewinsky's testimony, and Betty Currie, Clinton's private secretary. Clinton, meanwhile, is due to deliver the State of the Union address, the most significant policy speech of the year.

In other developments Sunday:

Clinton tentatively plans to make another public denial of any sexual relationship with Lewinsky in a brief appearance on Monday, according to a senior White House official, though the president does not plan to offer any more details or elaboration of his defense.

As of last night, Clinton did not intend to acknowledge the controversy in Tuesday night's nationally televised State of the Union address, though aides stressed the decision remained fluid.

Asked when Clinton might face the news media to explain his relationship in greater detail, a second senior official said: ``Not for some time.''

Senate majority leader Trent Lott said Sunday that White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles had discussed with him the possibility of delaying the State of the Union address, and Lott recommended it go forward as planned. White House aides admitted they are nervous about the reception Clinton might receive from lawmakers when he arrives in the House chamber but said they have not seriously considered delaying the speech.

Republicans, meanwhile, said Clinton will likely receive a cordial, if restrained, reception. ``It's going to be fascinating to watch,'' said Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on ABC's ``This Week with Sam and Cokie.'' ``The Democrats will either have exaggerated enthusiasm or restraint. I hope we are civil. I hope we are restrained, I hope we are polite.''

Hyde, who would preside over any hearings, specifically laid out possible impeachment scenarios, though he cautioned other lawmakers to wait until Starr concludes his probe before taking action.

``I think suborning perjury, I think tampering with the witness, obstructing justice might well be considered impeachable offenses,'' Hyde said on CNN's ``Late Edition.'' ``But a matter of having sex in the White House, I don't think so.''

Democratic National Committee Chairman Steve Grossman said in an interview that he has been flooded with calls of support for Clinton from contributors. He also expressed optimism that Clinton would attend several scheduled fund-raisers in the next few weeks. Some Democratic operatives have said the current crisis could cripple the party's efforts to rid itself of debt and raise money to be competitive in the November congressional elections.

``I have no doubt in the president's focus, that the president will conduct himself so as to accomplish each task he has in front of him supremely well,'' Grossman said. ``Being a leader of the party and a successful fund-raiser, that's a role he takes very seriously.''

On a sunny, brisk day in the capital, Clinton took a respite from his preparations for the State of the Union and his constant meetings with legal advisers to attend services at the Foundry United Methodist Church in downtown Washington. In a highly unusual move, Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, left the White House in their limousine without alerting the pool of reporters, photographers and cameramen who accompany him whenever he travels.

Coming out of church, with bells pealing above and the sun streaming against the gray stone of the historic building, Clinton clutched a Bible and gave a wave to a few onlookers, then ducked into the car with his wife. He made no comment.

An emotional bond

Clinton has reportedly been telling close friends that he had formed an emotional bond with Lewinsky over the past two years, but has denied any sexual involvement. A source who listened to a significant portion of the audio tapes in which Lewinsky discussed having oral sex with Clinton told The Boston Globe over the weekend that it was a strong emotional relationship only partly based on sex - so strong that Lewinsky had fallen in love with the president.

As Clinton attended church, his aides filled the airwaves in his defense. They each repeated the new White House mantra that the country should ``take a deep breath,'' as part of a strategy designed to stave off the media furor over the controversy and create a cushion of time to devise a defense.

According to administration officials, the internal polling at the White House reflects other media polls, showing a plunge of more than 10 percentage points in Clinton's favorability rating in the last week. But most officials said they believe polling doesn't mean much at this point because all the facts are not known by the public.

``The American people are not rushing to judgment as quickly as the press is,'' a senior administration official said. ``The public wants more answers before making final judgments.''

One Democratic consultant noted that President Nixon's popularity had fallen to below 30 percent before his resignation, and that Clinton's approval, while falling, still hovers around 50 percent in most polls.

``Where Clinton is today is where Reagan was throughout most of his second term,'' the consultant said. ``This is not to say there won't be legal issues that develop. But there is a great deal the public still doesn't know.''

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Photo

Photo: An unidentified man kisses Hillary Rodham Clinton as she and President Clinton leave church Sunday.

Associated Press