Charges Press Hunts Nonexistent News : Dole Doesn’t Hide His Frustration

Bob Dole is just not going to hide it.

His frustration is showing with his New Hampshire GOP primary loss and with the sprawling and formidable Southern Super Tuesday challenge lying in wait for him in only 2 1/2 weeks.

He growled repeatedly Friday at reporters who were asking about chaos in his campaign for the presidency. He said the press was searching for news where there was none.

He decided Thursday to pass up a chance to debate rivals Vice President George Bush and New York Rep. Jack Kemp Friday night, saying he feared it would become a pep rally for Bush.

Instead, he headed home to Washington to prepare for a swing through the Midwest. There, Dole expects to score a victory in South Dakota’s primary on Tuesday--allowing him to return to Dixie in the more cheerful frame of mind as a winner, not a loser.

Irritated at Questions

At press conferences here and in Miami Friday Dole seemed irritated at questions about signs of confusion in his campaign.

Since Tuesday’s election loss to Bush, for instance, Dole aides have made seemingly contradictory statements about Dole’s schedule. And there has been more confusion about his priorities in the South--such as when he said South Carolina’s pre-Super Tuesday vote on March 5 was pivotal but an aide seemed to say it was not.

“The media is out trying to write some story. But there isn’t any,” he said, scowling.

Dole’s discontent with such questions was easy enough to understand. His two-day trip across the South, arranged in a rush, was devoted almost exclusively to press conferences and small rallies designed to attract local news media coverage. Thus, press encounters that went badly added up to a trip that went badly.

Then, the Kansas senator found himself on the defensive even when his campaign was trying to get on the attack.

Tax Issue Surfaces

This occurred in Miami on the ever-touchy matter of taxes. Bush had depicted himself in New Hampshire as the man who would stand against tax increases, while charging Dole “can’t say no.”

On Friday, in the middle of Dole’s press conference, the senator’s aides distributed a two-page statement from campaign chairman William E. Brock III. It compiled several public remarks from the vice president in which Bush acknowledged he might indeed raise taxes if he had to.

Dole’s campaign statement said that in the countdown to Super Tuesday: “Bush has 18 days to make up his mind on taxes.”

Oddly, though, Dole was insistent that he was not doing the dirty work himself--that his campaign chairman was.

“I’m not saying anything. That was a statement from Bill Brock,” Dole declared.

Reminded of Bush Tactic

The senator was reminded that he resented the very same tactic when employed by Bush--the candidate shielding himself behind the sharp tongue of an aide. Just two weeks ago, Dole exploded in rage when a top Bush campaign official issued a statement accusing the senator of being “mean spirited,” among other things.

On Friday, Dole was asked why his campaign was now acting in similar fashion.

“There seems to be a media mind-set that we’re always lashing out,” he complained. “ . . . These are just public statements (made by the vice president).”

In yet another rub with reporters, Dole flatly denied reports suggesting that he was in collusion with fellow GOP candidate Pat Roberston.

One report said Dole had encouraged Robertson to join him in boycotting the Friday night debate with Bush. Another report said Dole met privately with Robertson last week and talked about how “to keep Bush from getting a lock on the nomination.”

Acknowledges Meeting

Dole acknowledged meeting with Robertson a week ago when the two were snowed in at a New Hampshire hotel. They talked about the upcoming debate, and “we talked about the campaign--that’s about it. . . .”

“But we didn’t match up and say let’s do this, A-B-C.”

As for that, Dole said: “I didn’t know anything about it until I read it in the paper. A lot of things you read in the paper aren’t accurate.”

Before leaving the region, Dole told supporters in Tampa that his strategy for the South is heavily banked on the far-away south of South Dakota.

“The next important state, the next head-on between Bob Dole and George Bush--where each candidate has spent a lot of time and a bundle of our resources--is South Dakota,” he said. “It all moves to South Dakota next Tuesday.”