Dukakis Told to Distance Self From Resigned Manager

Angry supporters of former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware called on Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis on Saturday to distance himself from the aide who distributed an “attack video” that helped push Biden out of the race.

Dukakis, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, reiterated that his former campaign manager, John Sasso, made a “very, very serious mistake,” but defended Sasso as “one of the most extraordinary public servants who has served in the state of Massachusetts.”

The confrontation, which occurred in a meeting with Democratic activists here, underscored the resentment Dukakis must overcome if he hopes to attract former Biden supporters and move beyond the controversy.

Dukakis told reporters that he expects questions about the video’s distribution to persist for “weeks if not months” but insisted he will not back away further from Sasso, a longtime aide. Sasso resigned from the campaign last week after admitting that he secretly distributed a video showing Biden borrowing the rhetoric of British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

Gene Freund, 54, former county co-chairman of the Biden campaign here, told Dukakis that he was troubled by the candidate’s refusal to rule out a role for Sasso in a future Administration.

“I’m as angry and as unhappy as any of you about this. . . . “ Dukakis replied. But he said it was “too early” to say whether, if elected, he would include Sasso in his Administration, and told Freund he would not comment further.

Sheila Amdor, 36, another Biden supporter, told Dukakis that in 1982 Sasso had embarrassed him by showing a reporter a tape lampooning Dukakis’ then-Democratic primary opponent, incumbent Gov. Ed King.

“I guess what bothers me is that in 1982 he pulled the same type of a deal. . . . This has damaged the Democratic Party,” she said. “Why did you allow this person to stay with you?”

Dukakis told her that the 1982 incident was a “single exception,” and praised Sasso as “one of the best people, one of the most open, one of the most honest, one of the most helpful people I have ever worked with.”

“He made a very, very serious mistake,” Dukakis said. “I accept responsibility for it as the candidate and we’re just going to go on from here.”

Freund told reporters that he was not satisfied with Dukakis’ explanation. “He’s got to distance himself more from John Sasso because I don’t want dirty tricks in the White House,” Freund said.

In an interview, Dukakis said he had hoped to be at least the second choice of many Iowa voters so he could pick up their support as other candidates dropped out or failed to get enough votes to win delegates at the Feb. 8 presidential caucuses. The fury over the video set that effort back, he conceded.

He described the uproar as “very painful” for him and his former aide, who he said was “distraught” when he confessed that he had distributed the video. Although the resignations of Sasso and campaign political director Paul Tully have hurt, Dukakis said: “We’re not going to miss a step in terms of the work that’s planned.”

He also said he believes that the media have been “absolutely fair” in their coverage of the video incident. “The press has every right to criticize and hold us accountable and hold me accountable,” he said.