Bush-Dole Feud Could Split GOP : Protracted Fight Would Threaten Unity in Fall

The campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, in the aftermath of the New Hampshire primary, has become an increasingly bruising and potentially protracted struggle that threatens to divide the party.

And, if carried far enough, the Bush-Dole feud could complicate the task of reuniting the GOP for the fall campaign once a nominee is selected.

Reflecting the bitter spirit that has begun to dominate the GOP contest, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole and his campaign chairman unleashed a slashing attack on Vice President George Bush Wednesday, and former religious broadcaster Pat Robertson declared that he is “throwing down the gauntlet” to both of them in the South.

‘A Mean George Bush’

Dole, bitter over his decisive loss to Bush in New Hampshire on Tuesday and still fuming over what he says were knowing distortions of his record by the vice president’s campaign during the final days before the primary, declared Wednesday: “I think you’re seeing a mean George Bush,” and he vowed to carry the fight to his adversary.

Bush, his once-faltering campaign back in high gear after a victory attributed in part to his negative television ads attacking Dole, blandly told reporters that he would keep his campaign on a high ethical plane. And, in a barb aimed at Dole, he added: “People in New Hampshire like clean campaigns, and they endorsed me overwhelmingly.”

Despite the nasty tone of relations between Bush and Dole, the vice president insisted that he would emphasize issues in his campaign and would not be drawn into continuing exchanges with the Senate leader.

Nevertheless, some Republican strategists warned that the feud could develop into a prolonged fight that damages the party and weakens its eventual nominee for President.

“Anything that makes it difficult for the top two candidates to get together at the convention and be supportive of one another is very harmful to the party and the nominee,” said Douglas Bailey, a Republican political consultant. “You’re talking to a guy who spent time in the (Gerald R.) Ford campaign in 1976 when it was difficult to get now-President Reagan to be as aggressive in supporting the ticket as he might have been.

“In a close election, that means a lot,” Bailey said. “These things leave wounds.”

GOP Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. insisted that, so far, he sees no evidence that the Bush-Dole feud is causing any lasting or deep divisions in the party, but he conceded that “you can’t rule it out altogether.”

Du Pont May Pull Out

Meanwhile, Dole, Bush, Robertson and Rep. Jack Kemp are fanning out for crucial campaigning in the biggest test of all--the March 8 Super Tuesday contests in 20 states, including 14 Southern and Border states. And former Delaware Gov. Pierre S. (Pete) du Pont IV, who finished fourth in New Hampshire and had a weak showing in Iowa, has called a press conference for today and appears on the verge of announcing his withdrawal from the race.

Bush planned to visit Missouri today, and Dole tentatively planned to campaign in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.

Robertson, who finished second in Iowa ahead of Bush but fell to fifth in New Hampshire, got a jump on the other candidates in the South by campaigning Wednesday in South Carolina and Florida.

South Carolina’s Republican primary is on March 5--three days before Super Tuesday. Robertson, who has a strong organization in the state, has predicted that he will beat both Bush and Dole there and rally his right-wing constituency, made up largely of evangelical Christians, throughout the South.

Robertson’s Back Yard

“We played in Iowa in Bob Dole’s back yard, and I beat George Bush there,” Robertson declared. “We played in New Hampshire, which George Bush said is his back yard, and he won there. . . . We’re going into the South, and they’re going to be playing in my back yard!”

Robertson plans to meet tonight in Miami with Cuban-Americans, who apparently approved of his controversial statement during a debate in New Hampshire that Soviet-supplied nuclear missiles are based in Cuba. Bush and the Reagan Administration have labeled the statement false, and both Bush and Kemp have criticized Robertson for making it.

However, Robertson, in an apparent reference to his statement about the missiles, told supporters after the New Hampshire results were clear that something he said in the debate “may well be the key to victory in Florida.” The Cuban-American population in South Florida represents a large voting bloc.

Bush, Dole, Kemp and Robertson are also vying for delegates in two contests next Tuesday: a caucus in Minnesota and a primary in South Dakota.

Dole has campaigned extensively in both states and Bush has made frequent appearances in South Dakota, although he has not campaigned in Minnesota, where Dole and Kemp have been expected to run a close 1-2.

Anti-Abortion Movement

Robertson remains a wild card in both states, as he does in so many other contests. Kemp has one of the best campaign organizations in Minnesota and his state campaign chairwoman, Evie Axdahl, said she expects him to do well. But his showing, she said, could be affected by Robertson, who in Iowa demonstrated his ability to turn out supporters for a caucus. Minnesota, normally considered a relatively liberal state, may be fertile ground for Robertson because the anti-abortion movement is strong there.

The Bush-Dole feud continued to dominate post-New Hampshire discussions by political analysts Wednesday, and Dole and his aides made it clear that they intend to pursue charges that Bush unfairly portrayed Dole as supporting tax increases and Social Security cuts in last-minute television ads aired during the weekend.

Dole accused the Bush camp of first trying “character assassination.”

“In Iowa, it was personal attacks on my character and my wife’s,” he said, referring to an incident in the Iowa campaign in which a Bush campaign official had called Dole “mean-spirited” and raised questions about his wife’s trust fund.

“Here,” Dole said, “it’s a record-assassination effort that’s totally distorting my record. I don’t think you have to take that just because you’re a candidate.”

Former Labor Secretary William E. Brock III, Dole’s national campaign chairman, said the campaign would be more aggressive with Bush from now on but was vague on exactly what he meant.

Assails ‘Childish’ Tactics

“We’re not going to get into personal attacks against George Bush,” Brock said. But, in almost the same breath, he vowed not to “wallow in the mud” with Bush and lambasted the vice president’s campaign for what he called “cheap,” “childish” and “petulant” tactics in assailing Dole’s personal and political lives.

From now on, Brock said, if Bush tries to “put somebody down,” the Dole campaign will “respond very, very forcefully.”

Staff writer Bob Secter contributed to this story.

DELEGATES’ PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCES Current breakdown of presidential preference of delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Based on delegates’ public statements or binding state laws or party rules.

DEMOCRAT

Total Babbitt Dukakis 454.50 Gephardt 39 Gore 10.55 Hart 0 Jackson 9.80 Simon 33 Others 0 Uncommitted 274.40

Needed to nominate: 2,082 Total Delegatee votes: 4,162 Chosen thus far: 415.25 Yet to be chosen: 3,746.75 REPUBLICAN

Total Bush 61 Dole 42 du Pont 2 Haig 0 Kemp 35 Robertson 8 Others 0 Uncommitted 8

Needed to nominate: 1,139 Total delegate votes: 2,277 Chosen thus far: 156 Yet to be chosen: 2,121 Source: Associated Press