Hart Hedges but Aide Says He Won’t Run

Former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart on Friday refused to confirm or deny a report that he was considering reentering the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but a longtime personal aide said Hart has absolutely no such plans.

The aide, William Shore, said he had telephoned Hart in Ireland, where he is vacationing with his son.

“I’m not a candidate. I don’t have any intention of being a candidate,” Shore quoted Hart as saying.

Won’t ‘Confirm or Deny’

Hart was quoted by Cable News Network on Friday as denying that he would reenter the race. But, also on Friday, Hart told the Irish radio network that he would “not confirm or deny the claim.” Shore said in a telephone interview from Denver that he thought Hart did not understand the reaction the report was generating and that he intended to contact Hart again and urge him to make his position clearer.

Hart’s former campaign manager, William Dixon, started the flurry Thursday by predicting that Hart would reenter the race “in the next 30 to 60 days.” Hart was the front-runner for the Democratic nomination before withdrawing last May amid reports that he was involved with Miami model Donna Rice.

Other former Hart aides said Dixon had not been in touch with Hart and that Dixon did not know what he was talking about.

Still, the report stirred considerable comment Friday among Democrats concerned about what a revived Hart candidacy could mean.

“We’ve just gotten to the point of passing the Seven Dwarfs look-alike image,” one party professional told Reuters, referring to the relatively low recognition level of the Democratic candidates now in the field.

‘Not Going Anywhere’

“A return by him now would overshadow the others with an obviously failed campaign. He’s not going anywhere.”

Geraldine A. Ferraro, the failed Democratic vice presidential candidate in 1984, publicly warned Hart that he could succeed only if “the American voters have a short memory.”

“It isn’t that short,” she said on Cable News Network. “If he were to get back into this race, I would question his sanity.”