CAMPAIGN ’88 : Cuomo Still Agonizes

New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, irritated by speculation in some quarters that his failure to endorse a Democratic presidential candidate means he is holding out for a convention draft, said he will decide within “a week to 10 days” whether to make an endorsement.

In an interview, Cuomo said he wants to “be of maximum influence in finding the right candidate and doing it as swiftly as possible. . . . What I don’t like is all this speculation about what I am going to do. It’s a distraction.”

Cuomo reiterated that “the Democratic nominee will come from the field. Period.” If there is a deadlock at the convention this summer: “I will be there to say no to Bradley. No to Nunn. No to Cuomo,” he said, referring to Sens. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) and Sam Nunn (D-Ga.).

Cuomo acknowledged that if he were to endorse soon and actively promote a candidate before the April 19 New York primary, he might be able to help trigger a coalescence that so far has failed to occur on its own through more than two dozen primaries and caucuses.

But Cuomo said he had to weigh those considerations against several others: He is favorably disposed toward all of the candidates, no one has broken cleanly from the pack and it might be better for him to stay neutral now and help forge a consensus around the candidate who has won the most convention delegates after the last primaries in New Jersey, California and elsewhere on June 7.