Bush Shrugs Off Influence of 2 Conservative Voices

Vice President George Bush said in an interview published today that two of the nation’s well-known and outspoken conservatives are fringe elements whose support isn’t necessary for victory in the presidential election.

Bush, interviewed by the New York Times at his ocean-side retreat in Kennebunkport, Me., shrugged off the influence of Richard A. Viguerie, a writer and direct-mail specialist, and Howard J. Phillips, head of the Conservative Caucus.

“There’s only one or two that polarize, and Viguerie and Howie Phillips are two of them; it doesn’t matter in terms of total vote,” the vice president said.

“There is only a handful of Richard Vigueries out there,” said Bush, the all-but-certain Republican presidential nominee.

Asked if he has to do business with Viguerie to win the election, he said: “I don’t believe that.

But Bush said he has earned and retained the support of most other conservative Republicans.

“If he wants to go around attacking conservatives he’s going to dig himself a deeper hole,” Viguerie said early today in response to Bush’s comments. “I want all of us to unite behind him and run a conservative campaign. . . . All we want to do is hold his feet to the fire that Ronald Reagan lit in 1980.”

“If he doesn’t run a polarizing election, he’s history. . . . If he doesn’t run a campaign to polarize, that polarizes the country along liberal and conservative lines, then he has no chance of winning,” Viguerie added.

Viguerie, who said he plans to vote for Bush, said he thinks that Bush was reacting to pressure that he select a conservative as his vice presidential running mate.