MR ROSS Perot is right where he likes to be at the centre of American presidential politics, with his rivals wondering which way he will jump.
The Texas billionaire, who took 19 per cent of the vote in 1992, is being egged on to run again in 1996 by Democrats who believe he will help President Clinton.
But he is being begged to stay out by Republicans who think he will spoil their chance of retaking the White House.
Senator Bob Dole, who is expected to declare victory in his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination after today's California primary elections, has appealed to Mr Perot not to run this time.
Campaigning in California the Senate majority leader said Republicans had tried to enact most of the items on the agenda of Mr Perot's Reform Party but had been stymied by Mr Clinton's presidential veto.
"I would say to Ross Perot Ross, we are the reform party," said Mr Dole on a visit to former President Richard Nixon's grave at Yorba Linda. "The one barrier has been Bill Clinton. Let's not get into the race to make it more difficult for Republicans. Let's make it easier for the Republicans to send Bill Clinton back to Little Rock."
Mr Perot, who champions a balanced budget and who had been encouraged to run by Senator Chris Dodd, chairman of the Democratic Party, hinted strongly he would in fact be a candidate. If asked he said he would accept the nomination of the Reform Party which he has financed and which is on the ballot in all 50 states for the November election.
Both Democrats and Republicans were "absolutely irresponsible" for failing to pass the 1996 budget, he said.
Mr Dole also appealed to his Republican rival, Mr Pat Buchanan, to quit the race and help unite the Grand Old Party. The conservative commentator, who six weeks ago was confidently predicting victory after beating Mr Dote in the New Hampshire primary election, is now displaying signs of uncertainly about his future in the party which has spurned him in every primary since.
"I would hope that Pat Buchanan would find it in his heart as a good Republican as I know he is to join forces and close ranks," said Mr Dote.
Mr Buchanan is now publicly toying with the idea of running as an independent, which could spell more trouble for the Kansas senator. "We have a lot of people in our coalition and our constituency who are determined to go third party and are urging me to do so," he said.
At campaign stops in California, supporters called on Mr Buchanan to break from the Republican party. He replied that at the convention in San Diego in August he would ask delegates: "where are you headed? Because if you are taking a left turn to Rockafeller Republicanism, we're going straight ahead."
Mr Dole trails Mr Clinton in California by 58 votes to 37. The 72 year old senator said that unlike the former president, Mr George Bush, he would not cede the state to Mr Clinton in the presidential election.
The Green Party nominee and consumer advocate, Mr Ralph Nader, is also planning to run in California in November, and Democratic Party strategists say he could take up to six per cent of the vote from Mr Clinton. Mr Nader said he saw no difference between the two leading candidates who were "Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee", both tied to big business.
. The AFL CIO yesterday gave its earliest ever presidential endorsement to a Democratic candidate. It also approved a fundraising plan for its most ambitious drive in 50 years to elect labour friendly legislators. A special convention of the 78 union federation approved a proposal to back Mr Clinton on a voice vote over small but trenchant opposition.