Dole Ponders Presidential Prospects For 1996

INCOMING Senate majority Leader Bob Dole said on Jan. 3 he expected to take the next step toward seeking the 1996 Republican presidential nomination.

The Kansas lawmaker, running ahead of President Clinton in polls on a possible future matchup, said in a radio and television interview that he would probably make a decision on setting up an exploratory committee by early next week. Clinton orders clinic task forces

WARNING that ``our commitment to the rule of law is being tested'' by violence in the abortion controversy, President Clinton ordered police task forces to study ways to ease violence at abortion clinics.

Mr. Clinton told US attorneys on Jan. 2 to mobilize task forces with federal, state, and local law-enforcement officials to address security concerns at reproductive health clinics within their jurisdictions.

Two days after a man was arrested in a spree of East Coast clinic shootings, Clinton also told US marshals to consult with clinics in their areas about potential threats.

The remarks followed Attorney General Janet Reno's concession on Dec. 30 that the safety of workers and patients at clinics cannot be guaranteed, despite a new federal law that allows US marshals to provide protection.