Quayle Telescopes Time in Criticizing Dukakis, Caldicott
Timing may be everything in comedy and politics, but on the campaign trail time itself can become something of a flexible concept. Take Dan Quayle, the Republican vice presidential candidate.
Campaigning in Mission Viejo on Saturday, Quayle launched a stinging attack at Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis for appearing at an anti-nuclear press conference with Dr. Helen Caldicott, a leading nuclear-freeze activist.
Caldicott, Quayle charged, had uttered numerous statements that revealed her “hatred of America’s leadership,” including attacks on Congress, Administration leaders and the Defense Department.
“She referred to Communist General Secretary (Mikhail S.) Gorbachev as a ‘miracle man,’ and compared him to Jesus Christ,” Quayle said. “And in what I would regard as a sick observation, Dr. Caldicott said ‘Chernobyl should have happened here’ in America.”
Quayle went on to attack Dukakis for “joining forces with a person who holds such outrageous and radical views.”
The Dukakis appearance with Caldicott occurred in 1982. The statements that Quayle complained about were all made subsequent to that time.
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