Bentsen Booed at VFW Speech but Target Was Dukakis

Democratic vice presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen, a bomber pilot in World War II, came to the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual convention here Thursday hoping to gain political mileage by contrasting his distinguished service record with the National Guard controversy swirling around his Republican counterpart, Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle.

Instead, Bentsen’s remarks were overshadowed when he was met by loud boos and jeers at each mention of his running mate, Michael S. Dukakis.

A pro-defense crowd that gave both Quayle and GOP presidential nominee George Bush polite receptions earlier in the week booed each reference to Dukakis so loudly that Bentsen was forced to pause and ask his hecklers to allow him to complete his speech.

Calls for Courtesy

“I’ve been a member of the VFW for a long time, and they’ve always given the courtesy to listen to their speakers,” Bentsen, a member of VFW Post 2369 of McAllen, Tex., said in rebuking the crowd.

The heckling was aimed not at the Texas senator, however, but at the absent Dukakis, who has no plans to attend the VFW convention. The jeering was led by the Massachusetts delegation, where VFW members said they oppose Dukakis both for his record on state veteran issues as a governor and for his liberal positions on national defense.

Stan King, a VFW member from Saugus, Mass., said he believed that Dukakis’ positions on defense were at odds with the assertive policy Bentsen outlined in his speech.

“They aren’t consistent, not with what is being said here,” King said. “Somebody here ought to tell Dukakis what Bentsen just said.”

Added Dennis Reardon, a VFW member from Hingham, Mass.: “If he (Bentsen) can convince Michael Dukakis of what he just said here, he might make something out of him (Dukakis).”

Surprised by Intensity

In a press conference after his speech, Bentsen said he had been warned that he might receive a cool reception, but he admitted that he was still surprised by the intensity of the booing.

“I was surprised they were that vocal, but I must say I enjoy those kinds of challenges. They get my adrenaline up,” Bentsen said.

“I think what you had was a pretty well-organized, partisan response, and they did a good job,” he added.

Bentsen blamed Republican campaign rhetoric for creating an image among veterans that Dukakis is soft on defense.

“I think as we go along and the message gets out, and we combat this really incredible rhetoric . . . we will finally have a backlash on the Republicans.”

Still, apparently concerned by the image of a pro-defense group booing their presidential candidate, Bentsen campaign aides brought out the Massachusetts commissioner of veteran affairs to tell reporters here that the jeering was led by a small group of pro-Bush veterans within the state delegation. “There are many Dukakis supporters in the VFW delegation from the state,” Commissioner John Halachis insisted.

Others Seem to Join In

Some from other states seemed to join in the booing, especially when Bentsen mentioned the Democratic Party’s record on defense and the name of former President Jimmy Carter.

Most VFW members interviewed added that they plan to vote for Bush in spite of the controversy over whether Quayle used his family’s influence to get into the Indiana National Guard to avoid serving in Vietnam.

But VFW members from other states were still influenced by the Massachusetts outburst.

“I talked to a man from Massachusetts, and he said Dukakis is definitely not a veterans man, and that tells the story right there,” Danny Crow of Sandusky, Ohio, said.

“It’s been 20 some years ago now, so you got to move on,” added Ted Hiles, a Vietnam veteran from Lorain, Ohio, who plans to vote for Bush.

‘He Offered His Service’

“I have no quarrels with that” (Quayle’s National Guard service), added Jonnie Sartor, state commander for the VFW from Mississippi. “He offered his service. . . . The National Guard has served in every war we’ve had. They are barking up the wrong tree when they bring that up.”

Despite his shaky reception, Bentsen still sought to use the forum to contrast his background with Quayle’s record.

“Recently, George Bush stood before the VFW, and told you about how he saw the qualifications for the vice presidency,” said Bentsen, paraphrasing Bush’s passionate defense of Quayle earlier in the week.

“I’m also running for vice president, and I’m here to tell the VFW I never tore up a draft card, I sure didn’t burn any American flags. . . . But I’ll tell you what I did do. I went down and volunteered as a private in the Army, I flew 34 combat missions, I volunteered for two weeks of front-line duty with the infantry airborne and I have the usual things they pin on your chest in combat when they run out of aspirin.”

Seeks to Defend Dukakis

Bentsen also sought to defend Dukakis on an issue that the Bush campaign is now stressing with some success--Dukakis’ veto in 1977 of a Massachusetts bill requiring teachers to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance.