Dukakis, Jackson Debate Turns Into Attack on GOP

In one of their mildest confrontations in the 1988 presidential race, Democratic candidates Michael S. Dukakis and Jesse Jackson sparred briefly Wednesday night over Dukakis’ lack of specifics on some issues but otherwise used a debate here to hit the Reagan-Bush Administration in one of its most vulnerable spots.

“It is the height of hypocrisy for people in the current Administration or anyone else to advocate the death penalty for drug pushers while (attempting to make a deal with) Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega,” said Dukakis when asked by the debate moderator why he opposes capital punishment even for drug dealers.

The Reagan Administration’s much-criticized efforts to deal with Noriega despite evidence that he has been involved in illegal drug trade was referred to a number of times by Dukakis and Jackson in the nationally televised debate.

Vice President George Bush, the expected Republican nominee, recently broke with Reagan on the dealings with Noriega but did not get the Administration to change its proposal to drop drug charges against Noriega if he will leave Panama.

Dukakis, who is expected to easily defeat Jackson in the California primary on June 7, also made it clear that this fall he will bring up other issues potentially troublesome to Bush as the vice president attempts to keep the loyalty of working-class Democrats won over by Reagan.

On requiring plants to give employees notice when they plan to close, for example, Dukakis assailed Reagan’s veto this week of a bill that included such a provision.

“In the United States of America the idea that an employer has to tell its employees 60 days in advance before they throw them out in the street is one whose time has come and then some,” Dukakis said.

“I find it rather interesting that an Administration would veto a responsible trade bill passed with bipartisan support because of this (plant-closing) provision but is prepared to give Noriega 120 days’ notice and a plea-bargain. That doesn’t make any sense at all,” Dukakis continued.

The Massachusetts governor also said that as President he would hope to require all employers to provide some health insurance for their workers, an idea that he implemented in his state.

Jackson, who released a proposed federal budget Tuesday, tried in vain to get Dukakis to offer a glimpse of his own budget ideas.

Uses Cautious Strategy

But Dukakis stuck to the cautious strategy that has virtually clinched the Democratic nomination.

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong with this approach (of offering a budget now),” Dukakis said. “Within the last week or two, states and federal government have discovered we are not going to have anywhere near the revenue we thought we would. . . . So what happens to Jesse’s budget or anyone else’s?

”. . . You don’t make a budget now for next year,” Dukakis continued. “You lay out your priorities, and I’ve made it very clear where I would cut and where I would spend.”

In that regard, Dukakis may have provided some ammunition for Bush because the cuts he listed were in major defense items, including the Midgetman missile and some aircraft carriers that Bush is certain to argue are necessary to keep the country strong.

More Comfortable

Dukakis seemed more comfortable and forceful than he has been heretofore in two areas that are bound to come up in the fall election.

On foreign policy, the governor, who has been accused of being naive and inexperienced in this area, said he would not hesitate to use military force against terrorist bases.

Crime is also an issue that could dog Dukakis, since for some years his state has had a special furlough program that released some convicted murderers.

Pushed on this Wednesday night, Dukakis pointed out that the program was begun before he came to office and continued after he left office for four years in the early 1980s.

Dukakis also said crime in Massachusetts had dropped 14% in the last five years.

The debate, the first between the two Democrats in a month, was sponsored by KQED-TV and the Hearst Corp. and held at KQED’s studios.

Asked About Agreement

After the debate, Dukakis and Jackson held a joint press conference. When Jackson was asked if the two were working out an agreement that would satisfy his supporters should Dukakis win the nomination and not put Jackson on the ticket, he replied:

“We are keenly aware of our joint responsibility to make sure that we have a direction and thrust that will leave our party hopeful.”