CAMPAIGN ’88 : Dukakis Appreciates Jackson Competition

Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, on the heels of twin victories in Indiana and Ohio that put him within 600 delegates of securing the Democratic nomination, refused Wednesday to say that it was time for the Rev. Jesse Jackson to end his own campaign.

“I don’t mind the competition at all,” Dukakis said at a State House news conference in Boston. He said it was beneficial to “go in and compete hard and win. It means you’ve got a good base.”

As he has after previous primary contests, he spoke by telephone Wednesday with Jackson. He refused to disclose what was said.

Dukakis--responding to what a reporter said was a suggestion by Vice President George Bush that the Democrats were running a “doom and gloom” campaign--replied, “Well, they’re trying everything.”

But, he said of the vice president: “I think he would be well-advised to begin addressing some of the issues.”

Among them, he said, was the trade legislation President Reagan has said he would veto because it contains a provision requiring some manufacturers to give 60 days’ notice before closing plants or beginning lay-offs, and an economic assistance bill that has been approved by the House but is stalled in the Senate and is opposed by the Administration.

“It might be nice to know if the vice president knows about the legislation,” Dukakis said.