In a welcome turnaround from his usual kow-towing and political acrobatics, President Clinton has shown remarkable backbone in recent days.

His decision to normalize relations with Vietnam, even in the face of fierce opposition, was not only a bold move, it was also a wise departure from Cold War-era politics. The Vietnamese government’s continued cooperation on the issue of POW/MIAs has more than made the case for normalizing ties.

But his greatest demonstration of leadership came with his recent announcement that he simply will not accept a budget resolution that makes deep cuts in environmental, worker-safety and assistance programs while funding a huge tax break for the rich.

As important as trimming the budget is, Clinton realizes that workers, the poor, the elderly and our nation’s children must not be the only ones making sacrifices in these financially strapped times. Far greater savings can be made by trimming corporate subsidies and needless defense expenditures, reducing the amount of tax deductions that home buyers can claim and by streamlining government agencies.

Hopefully, Clinton will continue to hold his ground on these and other issues. Doing so would not only be good politics, it would also be good for the public interest.