Rice Meets With White House Officials

Fri., Dec. 6, 1996

From Staff And Wire Reports

Mayor Norm Rice met with the White House transition team on Thursday, but there was no announcement as to whether he would receive a Cabinet post in the second-term Clinton administration.

Rice is considered the front-runner for the job of secretary of Housing and Urban Development, replacing Henry Cisneros, who resigned.

Outside his hotel in Washington, D.C., Rice said he hadn’t been offered a post. He seemed willing to consider a variety of options.

“I’m a team player, and I think the future of America and urban cities are the things I’m most interested in. If I can fulfill that dream - there are a lot of things that can help you do that,” Rice told KING-TV of Seattle.

Incoming chief of staff Erskine Bowles also was keeping his options open when asked about Rice’s future: “Clearly, he has the credentials and the kind of experience and background we would look for to fill any number of positions.”

Rice, 53, grew up in Denver and has been Seattle’s mayor since 1989. He ran unsuccessfully this year for the Democratic nomination for governor, losing to King County Executive Gary Locke, now governor-elect.

Rice told KING-TV he was prepared for the close scrutiny that comes with consideration for a Cabinet position. “I’ve gone through my trial and tribulations. I don’t think there’s anything I would really feel badly about,” he said.

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