Seattle Mayor On Fast Track For Hud Job -- Norm Rice In Washington, D.C., For Talks Regarding Cabinet Post

WASHINGTON - Seattle Mayor Norm Rice was in Washington today to meet with Clinton administration officials in a prelude to his possible nomination as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Rice, nearing the end of his second term as mayor, has emerged as the only serious candidate to take over at HUD for President Clinton's second term. Rice flew here, unexpectedly, yesterday afternoon. And though there were no official, face-to-face meetings scheduled with Clinton, the mayor was to meet this afternoon with members of the president's transition team.

Rice has expressed interest in a Cabinet appointment but has repeatedly said that, so far, no top administration official has offered him a job.

Members of the mayor's staff confirm that Rice is under FBI scrutiny, which routinely conducts background checks on anyone considered for a presidential appointment.

Until late yesterday, there had been little speculation that Clinton would name a new HUD secretary anytime soon. The current secretary, Henry Cisneros, has announced his resignation, but said he would stay on the job through the end of the year. Clinton has been under far more pressure to name a new team of national-security and foreign-policy advisers and could name new secretaries of State and Defense as early as today.

The HUD job took center stage yesterday afternoon when Rice was summoned by the White House, and cable news network CNN

speculated that his appointment as HUD secretary was imminent. A White House spokesman said that is not the case, that Rice is simply going through a series of interviews.

David Bley, an aide who accompanied the mayor here, said those interviews are scheduled for this afternoon at the White House. He would not comment on whom the meetings are with except to say they are not with anyone in a position to offer Rice the job.

"If it happens (today), I think it would be a big surprise to Norm Rice," added Seattle political consultant Bob Gogerty, a Rice confidant. Gogerty said he talked to Rice for an hour Tuesday and "I can honestly guarantee you he is not back there to get an appointment. I think he is back there for another interview."

There was speculation here, though, that Rice may meet with Clinton this afternoon. The president has office time scheduled throughout the afternoon and a meeting between Clinton and Cisneros is set for 5 p.m.

During an earlier visit, Rice met and discussed the job with Vice President Al Gore.

Interestingly, the agency Rice could head currently is investigating a complaint filed against him by the Seattle Displacement Coalition, an advocacy group for the homeless. The group alleges the mayor misled HUD officials in the city's application for a $24 million low-interest loan awarded as part of a financing package to renovate the downtown Frederick & Nelson building.

Rice's spokeswoman, Rebecca Hale, recently defended the loan application to designate the old F&N building as a case of "spot blight." She denied the mayor "intentionally falsified facts" to get the loan, as the Displacement Coalition alleges.

Seattle-based HUD officials said last week they expect pressure from headquarters to resolve the probe quickly if Clinton picks Rice.

Staff reporters Peter Lewis and David Postman contributed to this report.