Cuomo, Simon, Gephardt Join Dukakis’ ‘Stampede’ : Babbitt Also Endorses the Party Choice

On the heels of his big California victory, Michael S. Dukakis today picked up the endorsements of three former fellow candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination--Paul Simon, Richard A. Gephardt and Bruce Babbitt--and, in one of the great anticlimaxes of the campaign, New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo.

“I endorse him, I endorse him, I endorse him,” Cuomo told persistent reporters.

Cuomo once was the subject of almost daily rumors that he would make a belated entry into the campaign, and for months his endorsement was coveted by all the active candidates.

“The primaries and caucuses are now history. The verdict is in. I will vote for Michael Dukakis at the convention and will do everything I can to advance his candidacy after the convention,” Sen. Simon (D-Ill.) said at a Washington news conference.

‘Time to Come Together’

The bow-tied liberal Democrat, who had put his fading campaign on hold two months ago, urged his 150 or so remaining delegates to vote for Dukakis unless they felt strongly that they should support Jesse Jackson.

Dukakis was picking up formal support later in the day in St. Louis from former rival Rep. Gephardt of Missouri. Former Arizona Gov. Babbitt offered his backing in a televised interview in California, saying, “It’s time to come together. He’s a good man and I’ll endorse him.”.

The Massachusetts governor started off the day in Los Angeles, saying, “I feel terrific. Here I am as the Democratic nominee,” while Vice President George Bush relished his unneeded victories in the final four GOP primaries but insisted, “I’m the underdog now.”

No One ‘Due an Offer’

Jackson, meanwhile, renewed his claim on the Democrats’ No. 2 spot but Dukakis said no one “is due an offer.”

Jackson, Dukakis’ last remaining opponent, promised in interviews broadcast today that he will continue the nomination fight all the way to the convention in Atlanta. But Jackson, implicitly conceding that the fight is really over, said repeatedly that he has earned a Dukakis offer of the vice presidential spot.

“I’ve earned an option to accept it or turn it down,” he said on CBS in an interview taped earlier. On ABC-TV he said: “Consideration does mean an offer; it does not mean just in passing. We have earned consideration.” He did not say whether he would accept such an offer.

Dukakis, making no promises, said on ABC, “I don’t think anyone is due an offer.”

“Now we’ll be going into the major-league ballgame and I am ready on the issues,” declared Bush, who locked up the GOP nomination more than a month ago and cruised to uncontested wins in the four states voting Tuesday.

‘I’m Fighting Back’

Confronted by polls saying Dukakis is the current choice of a majority of voters, Bush said: “I’m fighting back. I’m the underdog now.”

In Washington, President Reagan promised today to do “everything I can” to help Bush win the presidency and added that “I’ll be pretty handicapped” if Bush should lose to Dukakis.

Reagan took a backhanded slap at Dukakis when he was asked how he’d advise Bush to deal with his underdog status in the polls.

“I’d say, ‘George, wait until you and I get out there on the trail and start pinning him down on the things he claims, which we know are not true,’ ” Reagan said, adding that they would then list their own accomplishments.

He said of Dukakis, “You know, if I listen to him long enough, I would be convinced that we’re in an economic downturn, and that people are homeless, and people are going without food and medical attention, and that we’ve got to do something about the unemployed.”