European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes Naftal debate thursday november 11,1993gore, Perot Trade Bushel of barbs escalates baffle House vote Washington a the hard fought Cam Paight Over Naftal is heading toward a House showdown after a quarrelsome debate pitting vice president Al Gore against Ross Perot a Chart for Chart and quip for sardonic quip. Quot the politics of negativism and fear Only go so far Quot Gore said during tuesday nights encounter on can s Larry King live. He suggested that billionaire. Perot s opposition to the North american free Trade agreement resulted in part Fortl his political ambitions and business interests. Quot our problem is we do the worlds dumbest Trade agree rents a countered the one time presidential candidate. He said that despite the backing of president Clinton and All living former presidents the agreement remains unpopular because it will destroy american jobs. Perot and Gore continued their running War of words wednesday morning a but in separate network interviews. Perot complained in. Lbs that Quot we were supposed to have a discussion on Naftal and it turned into just a personal  for his part Gore said Quot i Wasny to offended. I knew going into the debate that it would be rough and Tum Quot debates can get that Way. 1 was very comfortable with it a a Gore said on Abc referring to the freewheeling format. For All the one liners and disagreements Over Trade policy though there was no Clear connection Between the debate and the Fate of the agreement that would. Link Canada the United states and Mexico in the worlds largest free Trade zone. The votes that count will by cast next wednesday in the House a where supporters concede they Are Well Short of a majority a Ana later in the Senate if the legislation makes it that far. Clinton is making daily Telephone Calls to lawmakers. Gore arranged a factory tour in Denver on wednesday to tout the agreement and aides said several business executives from the Forest and paper product in a destries would express support in an appearance before White House reporters. For his part Perot lined up Media interviews for wednesday and had anti Naftal rallies scheduled in Detroit Ana Seattle Over the next several Days. Both sides arc lobbying intensely in a Battle that has divided the democratic party and thrown Linton and Many republicans into an unlikely coalition. Five declarations of support tuesday then arranged for rep. Jim Bacchus a Fia to announce his support fighting from behind the White House trumpeted voted arabic a p. Within moments of the end of the debate. Clinton and Naftal backers hoped for momentum from the debate a confrontation in which Perot and Gore sat Elbow to Elbow for 90 minutes around Kings interview table. Perot famous for using charts in his 30-Minutc Campaign commercials came to the debate with a Chart designed to show that the american Trade surplus with Mexico was less beneficial than Naftal supporters claim. But Gore had a Chart of his own designed to show the reverse. Perot had a photograph As Well a picture of slums surrounding a mexican manufacturing Plant and he said it demonstrated his claim that Mexico exploits its workers. Vice president Al Gore and Ross Perot talk during a break in their debate tuesday on Larry a Jouve in Washington. Gore countered with a photograph of two Long ago lawmakers who sponsored restrictive Trade legislation in the 1920s. Gore said that the 1930 Smoot Hawley act was one the same pro of the principal causes of the great depression and that rejection of Naftal amounted to the Recti most approach. In Gores vision of Naftal declining mexican tariffs will produce thousands of jobs for american workers. Mexicans Are hungry for american products he said adding that Wal Mart recently had opened its largest store in Mexico City with "72 Cash registers ringing constantly with people from Mexico taking products out of that  Perot saw it differently. Quot you will hear the giant sucking sound a of jobs flooding to Mexico if the agreement becomes Law he said uttering his trademark anti Naftal slogan. As for Perot a claims that mexican environmental conditions Are poor. Gore said Quot we should clean up that pollution whether we have Naftal or not. With Naftal we will have the cooperation of Mexico and other countries As Well.�?T. The debate was charged throughout. Quot Guys Quot implored Call in show Host King at one Point struggling to keep the combatants from interrupting each other during their appearance. Gore said Perot supported the Trade Deal in 1991 but then reversed course last year Quot to bring out the politics of  he also said that Perot stood to gain financially either Way Naftal goes but that a Perot family business in Texas would reap huge gains As a Trade Center should the agreement fail. A if its Good enough for him Why Isnit it Good enough for the rest of the country Quot Gore said. A i am putting my country a interests far ahead of my personal business a Perot countered. He said he stood to make Only Small gains Quot something like the trickled Waters coming Over Niagara  then he turned on the vice president. A would you even know the truth if you saw it Quot he asked Gore. Quot i done to believe you would. You be been up Here too  when Perot told the viewing audience that paid lobbyists were trying to a ram this thing Down your Throat Quot Gore pounced. He said Perot had legally hired lobbyists to influence the tax writing House ways and Means committee in the 1970s, Perot swiftly shot Back Quot you re lying. You re lying  but Gore challenged him to deny it and Perot never did hey that s Cool a like a Naftal shave lotion by the associated press no its not a Petroleum item. Or a widget from outer space. And its not a potato Topping. While most americans have at least heard of the fuss Over the North american free Trade agreement some people on the Street Are at a loss when it comes to Naftal. Quot i always thought Naftal was a byproduct of gasoline a said Paul Choc a 75-year-old Retiree from Helena Mont. No Paul. That s naphtha. It but it  be confused with rocket fuel either. Quot sounds like something on the space shuttle a said Bernice Wilkerson a Telephone installer who was watching peo be ice skating in new York City on tuesday. Her knowledge of Naftal ended with thie admission that she knew vice president Al Gore and billionaire Ross Perot were debating its merits Quot i read something in the paper about it but i did no to go into  Quot what is it Quot said Robert Forcelli 24, who runs the potato King baked potato stand in Midtown Manhattan. Quot you re asking the wrong Guy. And in a pretty much on top of things.�?�. Many of the people interviewed had at least heard of Naftal even if they did no to understand the nuances of a three nation Trade agreement that would eliminate tariffs and Trade barriers. Quot in be heard of it but i done to know what it is exactly Quot said Fred Johnson 27, of Dorchester mass. Quot i  have a due Quot said homemaker Vivian Berger 39, of Fresno Calif. Some needed just a Little bit of prodding. Quot remind me i know i be heard of it Quot said Mike tranor 26, of Manchester England who was Selling hats from a Boston Street cart. Reminded he said a ooh yeah. I suppose in a for it but i done to know that much about the ins and  a window Washer at work on the ground floor of a san Francisco building said he did no to know what Naftal stood for. Quot but it has something to do with trying to move jobs to Mexico Quot said the Man who would identify himself Only As John. Tim Pollock a new York City sales executive came close. A a it a the North american free Trade association Quot said Pollock just one word off. And he did t Stop there. Quot yeah. In a against it Quot Pollock said. A Why when they Send All these businesses Down there they said that a going to bring Money Back into the Economy but its not because when they re making 58 cents an hour they re not going to afford to buy our products unless we sell them Bubble gum. A so its a very bad