Jackson Chides Bush, Dukakis on Campaigns

Former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson today chided George Bush and Michael S. Dukakis for running what he termed campaigns highlighting one-liners and charges of sleaze.

“This campaign ought to focus on direction and not on dirt,” Jackson told reporters after having breakfast on Capitol Hill with Democratic members of the House.

“I hope the campaign will stay at the level of what can be done to begin to build affordable housing . . . to fight a serious war on drugs . . . to enforce laws at the Justice Department to protect people’s vital interests,” Jackson said.

“This campaign boils down to Bush attacking Dukakis with one-liners every day, and Dukakis is becoming preoccupied with the Bush-Noriega connection, the Bush-Iran-Contra connection, of exchanging drugs for arms,” Jackson said. “If it gets warped into sleaze, then there will be no hope left for the people.”

‘Rather Token Gesture’

Jackson, who was Dukakis’ final foe for the Democratic nomination, criticized as “a rather token gesture” President Reagan’s selection Tuesday of Lauro F. Cavazos, president of Texas Tech University, to be secretary of education.

Reagan was trying to send a signal to the Latino community on the selection of one of their own, Jackson said. “But after eight years, the fact that he did not find a Hispanic person to be a Cabinet officer is a sure measure of their (the Republicans’) regard for that segment of our population,” he added.

House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas gave the breakfast for Jackson.

“We had a very interesting discussion this morning,” Wright said. “All our members were thrilled and strongly motivated” by Jackson, whom the Speaker called “one of the great thinkers of our party, not afraid to say what needs to be said.”

Wright said members and Jackson talked about legislation calling for expedited voter registration, sanctions against South Africa and underlying problems in the economy.