Clinton Replaces His Wife as Health Czar

FORESHADOWING plans to produce moderate health-care legislation, President Clinton is relieving his wife, Hillary, and her aide Ira Magaziner from coordinating his health-care reform strategy.

Carol Rasco, who is Mr. Clinton's domestic-policy adviser, and Robert Rubin, the head of the National Economic Council, will take the lead in fashioning a new health-care package to present to Congress next year, White House officials said Wednesday. Ms. Rasco and Mr. Rubin will coordinate the effort while operating within the normal White House operation.

@HEADBRIEF = Poll: GOP stronger on issues, turnout

OTERS think Republicans are better equipped than Democrats to deal with crime, taxes, the economy, according to a poll that also suggests GOP voters are more likely than Democrats to turn out in next week's elections.

Among likely voters, Democrats and Republicans ran dead even at 47 percent when asked in the latest ABC-Washington Post poll which candidate they intend to support in their House election Tuesday. And 27 percent of respondents to the ABC-Post poll said the country was on the right track - while 69 percent said it was on the wrong track.

Among likely voters, Republicans had a 70 percent to 15 percent on the issue of taxes, a narrow edge on crime, and a 49 percent to 37 percent advantage on the economy. The only issue where Democrats scored better was health care, with a 74-14 advantage.

The ABC-Post telephone survey of 1,015 adults nationwide was taken Oct. 27-31 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.