But bondholder groups, angered by what they see as the government's failure to negotiate seriously, showed little interest.
"I expect them to come to the table and negotiate seriously before the deadline of the strike on Monday," he said.
Republican leaders today demanded that President Clinton stop playing politics and negotiate seriously on the budget.
"It forces the governor to face his own inadequacies or, for the first time, to negotiate seriously."
The only option we have is to negotiate seriously, both in the six-party talks and directly with the North.
Without it, as we have seen, America is slow to move, and other nations are unwilling to negotiate with us seriously.
New thinking would allow a year or two in which to negotiate seriously.
Perhaps by the time he leaves office, he'll finally be willing to negotiate seriously with the North Koreans.
Let us now negotiate seriously and with a sense of our historic responsibility.
Both parties are negotiating seriously, and so long as the Iranians continue to take part in the talks there will be a chance of success.