* WINNER: President Clinton for extending an olive branch to opponents after winning this week's bruising battle in Congress over the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement. Among those to whom Clinton made conciliatory phone calls were House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and chief House Whip David Bonior, both passionate NAFTA foes.
LOSER: Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen - for going out of his way to criticize Gephardt and Bonior just when Clinton was trying to smooth their ruffled feathers as well as those of labor leaders who fought NAFTA. There's always someone who is slow to get the official word.LOSERS: The labor leaders who are not only spurning Clinton's efforts to make peace after this week's House vote on NAFTA but are threatening retribution at the election polls. Some union bosses, in fact, are going so far as to accuse Clinton of bribery and to claim that some lawmakers violated their own consciences in voting for the trade pact. So much for being a good loser.
LOSERS: The independent truckers who are continuing their wildcat strike even though it was supposed to end last Wednesday and its leaders admit they circulated only vague statements of grievances and failed to articulate a coherent agenda. Some people evidently need to be told the difference between a strike and a temper tantrum.
* WINNERS: American women - for going to college in increasing numbers. Fifty-six percent of college students are now women, up from 43 percent in 1972.
LOSERS: Patients and taxpayers. Why? Because, whichever health-care plan Congress finally adopts, fraud will follow. That's the warning this week from the sleuths attending the National Health Care Fraud Association's annual conference. The tab for health-care fraud, incidentally, comes to $80 billion a year. Ouch!