Kemp Made ‘Stalking Horse’ Deal With Bush Camp, Robertson Says

Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson Friday called New York Rep. Jack Kemp a “stalking horse” for Vice President George Bush, claiming his two opponents have cut a deal to block him from the GOP nomination.

Robertson made the charge as he pulled out of a Dallas debate, which he said was “stacked” in favor of the vice president.

The charges, made on Robertson’s arrival in Dallas, represent his strongest assertion to date that Bush and Kemp are in collusion against him. The former religious broadcaster has asserted that the two men conspired in Michigan to cheat him out of delegates in that state’s contentious delegate-selection process last month.

But Friday, he escalated his battle with his rivals, contending that the payoff for Kemp may be selection as Bush’s running mate. He also charged that the two staffs “are working in conjunction behind the scenes on some other matters.”

‘Only One in the South’

Speaking to reporters in the lobby of the Dallas Morning News, one of the debate’s sponsors, Roberston said: “I believe that what is happening now is that Jack Kemp is more or less a stalking horse for Bush to try to hurt me because I’m the only one in the South who can beat him.”

Robertson had gone to the newspaper to meet with editors, who tried to persuade him to participate. However, Robertson said he expressed a “strong concern” that too many of the debate’s 2,400 tickets were allocated to Bush supporters and asserted that questions were leaked.

Barbara van Pelt, marketing director for the Morning News, called Robertson’s charges “absolutely unfounded,” saying each campaign received 60 tickets to the debate and that the others were distributed among the state and local GOP, elected officials, the Secret Service and students at Southern Methodist University, site of the debate.

‘Audiences Stacked’

Nevertheless, Robertson said, “I have seen audiences stacked over and over again” in favor of Bush, claiming that on occasion television technicians have failed to provide lighting for him during debates, “so I was hardly visible when the television lights were on.”

He said he was “not going in with George Bush and maybe his potential vice presidential nominee.”

The remaining GOP candidate, Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, also pulled out of the debate. Robertson acknowledged that the Dole campaign and his own had discussed refusing to participate in the debate.

Asked why Dole’s decision to stay out influenced him, Robertson said that without Dole he would be left alone in a “cross fire” between Bush and Kemp.

Instead of showing up at the debate, Robertson held a rally at his Dallas hotel at the same time Bush and Kemp were squaring off against each other.

“I’d rather be here with you,” Robertson told a hastily organized crowd of about 700 enthusiastic supporters.

In a 20-minute speech interrupted frequently by cheers and shouts, Robertson touched on his standard campaign themes of quality education, fiscal responsibility and moral values.

The rally was an effort to portray Robertson as a victim of the GOP establishment, represented by Bush, whose ties to Texas run deep. Bush was elected to Congress from Houston and is a heavy favorite to win this state’s primary on Super Tuesday, March 8, when 111 delegates will be at stake--the biggest prize among 20 states holding contests that day.

Still, Robertson has scheduled a whirlwind tour of Texas today, contending he has a chance to cut into Bush’s support.

Southern states are so important to Robertson’s effort that he has decided not to leave the region before Super Tuesday, not even for stops in Minnesota, South Dakota, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming or Kansas, all of which hold contests before March 8.

Campaign aides said Robertson organizations are working in those states, but Robertson himself will work the South--where he declares he has “thrown down the gauntlet” to his rivals.

In a parting shot about the debate dispute, Robertson told the rally: “I believe in fairness, and we’re going to fight this thing fairly. When it’s all finished, I want all of you to give me the satisfaction of seeing the news anchors’ faces when they have to report that Pat Robertson won Texas.”’

That drew perhaps the loudest cheers of the evening.