Bush Wishes for Iran-Contra Acquittals

Vice President George Bush, jumping into a controversy President Reagan ignited last month, said Tuesday that he hopes Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North and retired Rear Adm. John M. Poindexter are found innocent of criminal counts stemming from the Iran-Contra affair.

“I hope--my own personal hope is they are found innocent of any wrongdoing,” Bush told local television reporters here.

In New York and earlier Tuesday in Syracuse, however, Bush declared that a pardon for either man should not be discussed until their cases are decided.

“Way too premature to discuss pardon--you know why?” Bush said in Syracuse. “Pardoning imputes guilt. . . . Let the system work all that out.

“I think they made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean one is guilty of some crime until the system works.”

‘Innocent Until Proved’

In New York, Bush added: “The American system, after all, is innocent until proved guilty.”

Bush expressed his hope that North and Poindexter will be found not guilty a month after President Reagan said he did not consider the men “guilty of any lawbreaking or any crime.”

Legal authorities immediately criticized Reagan’s remark, saying it could influence potential jury members.

Bush’s campaign press secretary, Peter Teeley, said that the vice president’s comments differed from Reagan’s because Bush acknowledged that the two men had made mistakes.

Teeley described Bush’s hope of exoneration for the men as “not . . . an uncommon position” among Americans.

Poindexter, who was Reagan’s national security adviser, and North, a White House aide on Poindexter’s staff, were indicted last month along with two associates. They are accused of conspiring to defraud the government and stealing government property in secretly supporting Nicaragua rebels with profits from sales of arms to Iran.

All four have entered innocent pleas.

Campaign Contradiction

The affair has dogged Bush’s presidential campaign, largely because he claims to be well-involved in White House operations yet contends he was not apprised of many of the details of the Iran-Contra matter.

Bush also has refused to discuss what advice he gave Reagan, except to say that he had “reservations” about the activities.

As late as Tuesday afternoon, the vice president said he believes his Democratic opponent will try to use the affair against him in the general election campaign.

“It is with great regret I inform them they got nothing to work on,” Bush said.

He also reiterated Tuesday that he considers North to be a hero. “Anybody who wins three Purple Hearts and gets a Silver Star fighting for his country and bleeding for it in Vietnam is a hero--absolutely,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Bush, who has tried to squelch speculation about who might become his running mate, opened the door to the possibility of sharing the ticket with his former rival, Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, or with Dole’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Hanford Dole.

A Dole in Future?

Bush usually will not discuss potential running mates by name, but when a reporter asked him in Syracuse, “Is there a Dole in your future?” the vice president replied:

“There could be.”

Bush added: “But the question relates, I’m sure, to the vice presidency, and I have vowed that I am not going to discuss or really even contemplate who to select until after the Democratic convention.”

Still, he went on: “In terms of a Dole, let me just say that I had a very cordial meeting last week with Bob Dole. He’s pledged his all-out support, and that sends a good strong signal nationally as to how unified our party is.”

About Elizabeth Dole, Bush said: “Great respect for Elizabeth. . . . Bob tells me she really wants to help, too.”

Visits to 3 Cities

Bush’s campaign day, midway through a three-day New York swing in advance of the primary here next Tuesday, included stops in Schenectady and Syracuse before he arrived in New York City.

At Shea Stadium, Bush tossed out the first ball in the New York Mets’ home opener, then stayed for three innings of the Mets-Expos game.