Hawaii GOP Calls Off Caucuses; Poll Leader Robertson Protests

Republican officials in Hawaii abruptly called off caucuses that were to be held next Wednesday, prompting angry protests Friday from presidential candidate Pat Robertson, who had appeared headed for victory in a caucus straw poll.

Robertson described the postponement decision--made by the Hawaii GOP’s executive committee in closed session Thursday night--as “banana republic” politics and said Vice President George Bush was to blame.

Bush’s aides said, however, that the move was engineered by Kansas Sen. Bob Dole’s campaign to avoid an embarrassing setback at Robertson’s hands. Dole campaign officials pointed the finger at the Bush forces.

Robertson supporters in Honolulu said they would hire an attorney to investigate possible legal steps, but there was no indication when the caucuses would be rescheduled.

In Washington, Robertson campaign spokesman Scott Hatch said the cancellation was “an affront to the Democratic process.”

‘Being Stolen’

“When a Robertson win seems apparent, someone clouds the issue, boycotts or tries to cancel,” he said. “The election is being stolen from us.”

Hatch said the campaign has no evidence who that “someone” is in this case. but that “somebody’s got to be leaning on somebody . . . . The appearances are pretty self-explanatory,” suggesting that the Bush campaign was behind the cancellation.

The Hawaii GOP executive committee, in announcing the indefinite postponement, cited concerns about rules and procedures for the caucuses.

Pete Teeley, a spokesman for Bush, said the idea for a postponement of the Hawaii caucuses came from a Dole supporter, and the Bush forces flatly rejected the idea. “We didn’t have anything to do with it,” he said.

“Dole was running around for months claiming he was going to win Hawaii,” said Teeley. “Then the Robertson people walked in and stole his lunch.”

Controversies Cited

Teeley, citing controversies about Dole’s wife’s blind trust and ballot petition forgeries in Texas, said: “Every time they get in trouble they try to blame us. Dole has got to begin to take some responsibilities for his campaign and his personal affairs. He says he’s a leader. What kind of leadership is that?”

Dole, predictably, had a different view. “Another operation by the Bush forces to take control of the state committees,” said the Kansas senator. “Obviously they (Bush forces in Hawaii) don’t have the votes. Every time he has a problem, he (Bush) postpones the vote.”

Whatever the facts, GOP National Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. said the mess would have to be resolved in Hawaii. “There’s no entity for them to appeal to” in Washington, he said.

Fahrenkopf added that any dispute over the delegates eventually chosen could be appealed to the Republican National Convention credentials committee in August.

Michigan Fight

The feud was similar to an intra-party fight in Michigan, in which Robertson’s unexpected gains threatened to take away a victory Bush was seeking in county conventions. “It is Michigan all over again,” said Hatch.

In the Michigan case, Bush responded with a series of lawsuits contending the Robertson camp was seeking improper changes in the rules. Bush prevailed in court, and won the bitterly contested county conventions as well.

On Friday in Michigan, meanwhile, there were signs that a conservative coalition composed of supporters of Robertson and New York Rep. Jack Kemp appeared to be dissolving.

Although Kemp denied reports that he was abandoning the coalition, he indicated that he would send his people only to the official state convention next weekend, which will be dominated by Bush backers, and not to an alternative “rump” convention being organized by some members of the conservative coalition.

“There is no deal. I am solidly behind the coalition. I want the coalition to stick together,” Kemp said during a campaign appearance in Manchester, N.H. But he added: “I’m not going to go to a rump convention.”