THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                      REMARKS BY PRESIDENT CLINTON
                       AND KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN
                          IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

The Oval Office

11:45 A.M. EDT

Q Mr. President, I don't know if you've heard that Governor Pete Wilson is going to drop out of the presidential race this afternoon.

THE PRESIDENT: No. Are you sure? (Laughter.) Well, I -- that's a very personal decision. It's a difficult road, and I respect the judgment that he would make, or anybody would make under these circumstances, since I've been through it. I hope we will continue to be able to work together on some of our common problems. I said in Los Angeles when I was there a couple of days ago that the Governor's Office worked very closely with us when we were trying to solve the problems of the medical center for Los Angeles County, and there's a lot of important work to do and he still has a very important job.

Q Does this help your prospects in California?

THE PRESIDENT: I don't know.

Q Your Majesty, can we ask you about the Iraqi defectors -- what your long-term plans are vis-a-vis Saddam Hussein?

KING HUSSEIN: I have no long-term plans except the hope and the wish and the genuine desire to see Iraq a democracy, to see the people free from all the repression and strangulation that they have suffered from; to see pluralism, respect for human rights in that country -- and to see it stable, hopefully a part of the region, an effective part of the region in the future.

Q Do you see a breakthrough in your relationship with the GCC countries and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as a result of all of this?

KING HUSSEIN: Our relations in Saudi Arabia are on the way back to normal, and have been for a period of time. We're very happy with that.

THE PRESS: Thank you.

END 11:48 A.M. EDT