WELCOME BACK TO THE FRAY, MR. PEROT

Ross Perot, that diminutive Texas billionaire and former presidential candidate, is back in the news. The guy who helped George Bush lose the 1992 election to the governor from Arkansas is trying to reinvigorate his United We Stand America organization.

In assessing their failure, Bush and other Republicans can point as much to their ineffective response to Perot's drive for the White House as to their weak contest with Clinton. Perot was able to acquire Joe Sixpack votes in addition to many of the GOP faithful disgusted with Bush, who reneged on his "no new taxes" pledge and caved on a host of Democratic-inspired laws: The Civil Rights Act, Clean Air Act and Americans with Disabilities Act, to name a few.

But Perot also took votes from Clinton. Many Reagan Democrats who didn't like either choice presented by the dominant political parties cast protest votes for the Texan. Perot also brought to the table serious debate over the national debt and other issues that helped shape the 1992 campaign.

To the extent he now focuses attention on crucial issues facing the American people, we welcome his foray into national politics. When Perot visited St. Louis recently to rally United We Stand America for the fall elections he assail Clinton for a woefully inept foreign policy, particularly with regard to Haiti.

Perot charged Clinton with pressing for a Haiti invasion to get a bump in the polls, which typically occurs when the nation wages a military operation. He rightfully criticized deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide -- who Clinton wants restored to power -- as a dictator with a history of torturing political opponents.

Perot also alleged that Clinton promised members of the Congressional Black Caucus that he would invade Haiti in exchange for their votes on the recently passed crime bill. He isn't the first to make charge, but Perot is one of the few willing to publicly assert that Clinton is using our nation's military for political purposes. To us, Perot's remarks seem adroit and timely.

United We Stand America members have said morale and membership at meetings is down, which can be blamed partly on disillusionment with Perot. That disillusionment will deepen if the billionaire makes another run for president in 1996. Perot, or any independent candidate for that matter, doesn't have a chance.

A more appropriate and vital role will be to bring his faithful -- political neophytes who got their first taste of grass-roots, local activism in 1992 -- into national politics this fall and in 1996. We welcome their participation.