Jackson Wants Carter Help in Mediating Tiff

Jesse Jackson said today that he has received an apology from a top aide to Michael S. Dukakis but is asking former President Jimmy Carter to step in and help ease continuing tension between their two camps.

Jackson said Carter could play “a real role in facilitating a meeting between the appropriate parties. He has gained the respect of all of us.”

Despite sending conciliatory signals to the Dukakis camp, Jackson said, “We will exercise all of our rights,” and, he added, “we are prepared to deliberate and debate, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday” during next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Apology Not Necessary

At a news conference before heading to Atlanta, Jackson said he did not want a “personal apology” for Dukakis’ allowing him to learn first from a reporter that Dukakis had selected Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate, but rather a role for his supporters.

“Presently, I do not know the proposed strategy to win. At this point, my constituency has no place on the team,” he said.

“Mr. Bentsen symbolizes one wing of our party. I represent the other wing of the party. On a number of issues, our views are opposite. That’s all right. There is room for both. It takes two wings to fly, and so far, our wing is not connected.”

In what a Jackson aide called a “good start” to mending relations between the two men, Dukakis telephoned Jackson on Wednesday to try to ease misunderstandings.

Call From an Aide

Earlier today, top Dukakis aide Paul Brountas called Jackson on the same subject.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul Kirk said today in Atlanta that Dukakis had talked to Jackson by telephone “within the last 24 hours” in an effort to rebuild frayed relations.

“I know there has been a conversation between the two candidates and several conversations between the two campaigns,” Kirk said. “I think we’ll be moving forward to make sure there are continuing discussions, and hopefully we’ll be able to resolve any differences on substantive matters.”

Jackson convention manager Ron Brown, also in Atlanta, said Dukakis and Jackson agreed in their conversation to keep in touch between now and Sunday, when both men are in Atlanta.

“It was an important call and a good start,” Brown said.

Asked if the call mollified Jackson, Brown said: “I guess his reaction is the same as mine.

“It just seems to us that the most important thing the Dukakis campaign had to do during this process was consult with Jesse Jackson and keep him informed. They failed to do either. That is a very significant oversight.”