ANGRY CLINTON REFUSES TO PAY FIRED EMPLOYEES' LEGAL BILLS.

Byline: Associated Press 

Bristling with anger, President Clinton revoked White House promises to pay the legal bills of fired travel office employees Thursday, declaring, ``I never gave my word on that.''

Why should the travel office staff get help, Clinton demanded, when White House aides have incurred huge legal expenses by being ``dragooned and pulled up'' for questioning before hostile congressional committees?

``I don't believe that we should give special preference to one group of people over others. Do you? Do you?'' he snapped at a reporter. Aides said Clinton has become increasingly frustrated over his aides' mounting bills.

The president's outburst soured a Rose Garden news conference called to celebrate the economy's strong growth. As Clinton's temper rose, Vice President Al Gore and chief of staff Leon Panetta urgently signaled press aides to end the session.

As his staff followed him into the Oval Office, the president was overheard shouting in anger. Later, Clinton apologized to CBS correspondent Bill Plante, who first raised the question. Clinton blamed his temper on a lack of sleep since the TWA Flight 800 disaster two weeks ago.

Almost from the day of the firing of seven White House travel office employees in 1993, the whole affair has been a major embarrassment for Clinton, prompting congressional investigations and White House apologies - even from the president. A memo written by a former White House aide said Hillary Rodham Clinton pushed for the employees' firing; she has denied it.

Republicans quickly attacked Clinton for his latest statement.

``Clinton's long record of abuses of power, broken promises and election-year gimmicks is clearly wearing on him,'' said Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Republican Conference.

House Speaker Newt Gingrich strongly urged Clinton to reconsider. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he was ``disappointed by the president's unjustified about-face.''

Republican Bob Dole's communications chief, John Buckley, said, ``The president's anger and inability to control himself at news conferences is something that they are going to have to monitor very carefully throughout this campaign.''