Quayle Skips Controversy, Plugs Jobs

Republican vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle began his first solo campaign trip today by ignoring the controversy over his Vietnam-era military service and instead urging creation of “real jobs” for millions of needy Americans.

The Indiana senator also told an audience of Midwestern state legislators that “Congress could stand a little bit of perestroika” --a reference to Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s policy of economic restructuring--in the way it drafts the federal budget.

Quayle made only an oblique reference to the persistent controversy over his 1969 entry into the Indiana National Guard and reports of a Florida golfing weekend he spent in 1980 with a female former lobbyist.

“Those of you thinking of running for vice president,” he said, “I want you to know that taking out your trash is a photo opportunity.”

‘Outright Lies’

It was while Quayle was taking out his trash at his McLean, Va., home in the Washington suburbs Tuesday that waiting reporters and cameramen pounced on him for comment about the controversy swirling around him.

Quayle denounced the allegations as rumor, gossip and “outright lies” that were preventing him from showing the public how he intends to work with nominee George Bush to promote GOP goals of “jobs, peace, freedom.”

Quayle spokesman David Prosperi said that in a speech tonight to the Enlisted Assn. of the National Guard in St. Louis, “the senator will talk about his service in the National Guard.”

In his Cincinnati speech, Quayle stressed his support for a job training bill he co-sponsored in the early 1980s, which he said has created millions of jobs for women, minorities and disadvantaged workers.

Two-Year Budgets

“These aren’t make-work, makeshift types of jobs,” he said. “They are real jobs.”

Quayle also proposed that the federal budget be written every two years rather than going through the current laborious process every year in a crisis atmosphere.

He said the budget process should be simplified, and the President should be given line-item veto authority to reject objectionable portions of legislation rather than requiring veto of an entire bill.

From Cincinnati, Quayle flew to Lexington, Ky., where he had an airport encounter with his Democratic counterpart, vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. Bentsen had just addressed the same group of Southern state legislators that was waiting to hear from Quayle.

“I’ve warmed up the crowd for you,” Bentsen said.

“I hope you said good things about me,” Quayle said.

“I don’t want to wish you that much good luck,” Bentsen replied.

The two men laughed and shook hands.