Bush: Ticket ‘In Sync’ on Broader Issues

Republican presidential nominee George Bush pronounced himself unbothered Monday by seeming differences with his running mate over policies for women, parents and minorities--irresistible constituencies in the 1988 election year.

At his first press conference in more than a week, the vice president said the American public will find it enough that he and his running mate, Sen. Dan Quayle, are “going in the same general direction,” never mind if there might be issue-by-issue variances.

Bush also acknowledged that the embattled Quayle has yet to prove himself a real asset to the Republican ticket, although Bush said he was confident Quayle would.

Defense and foreign affairs were the topics Bush sought to emphasize this day. After a weekend in Texas, he traveled to St. Louis and toured a defense plant and then flew on to Nashville to visit an ROTC program and appear at a political rally. In his remarks, he pressed his efforts to unsettle voters about Democratic opponent Michael S. Dukakis’ lack of experience in foreign affairs.

More Questions About Quayle

But as might be anticipated, many of the questions Bush entertained at his press conference were about the smoke that has yet to clear around his surprise choice of the little-known Quayle as a running mate.

In particular, Bush was asked about a handful of social programs and policies which he has emphasized in his campaign and which the Indiana senator previously voted to oppose.

These involved the federal school lunch program, a proposed government study of pay equity and a nutritional program to help low-income women, infants and children, known as WIC. During this campaign, Bush has voiced support in general for these programs or policies while Quayle cast votes in 1985 and 1986 against them.

“We are so much in sync on broad issues,” Bush said. “You don’t expect someone to agree on every single ‘T’ being crossed or ‘I’ being dotted. But what the American people will look at is are we going in the same general direction to solve the problems of employment or the problems of defense.

“And they’ll be comparing that with the other ticket. So, if there are differences like that . . . it doesn’t bother me a bit.”

The vice president’s comment was reminiscent of explanations that the Democratic candidates, Dukakis and Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, have offered about their differences on issues.

Differences on Civil Rights Issues

Bush also was asked if perhaps he differs with Quayle on civil rights. Bush has strived to strike a moderate position on the issue, while Quayle was among conservative senators in 1982 seeking to protect tax exemptions for private schools that practice discrimination.

“I am convinced that Dan Quayle is not a discriminator and favors . . . leaving racial bigotry behind us,” Bush said.

Women, minorities and Americans who want a more “compassionate” government and an emphasis on education are constituencies that Bush has specially courted this election. And this was the first time since the GOP National Convention that Bush was questioned in detail about Quayle’s voting record on the subjects.

The comparisons raised Monday were not precise in that they involved broad statements by Bush and more narrowly drawn votes that Quayle cast in the Senate. Moreover, Quayle’s votes were generally in line with policies sought by the Reagan Administration, policies that Bush could have backed at the time in the private councils of the White House.

Still, the contrasts serve to broaden knowledge about the new GOP ticket, which has been battered for two weeks by intense controversy over one dominant issue--Quayle’s National Guard service during the Vietnam War.

Because of this controversy, Bush said this might not be the best time to gauge the value of his selection of Quayle.

‘Tremendous Pounding’

“He did take a tremendous pounding for several days. Everybody in the country knows that. . . . I’m not sure that was the time he could prove he was an asset or a liability,” Bush said, adding: “But I think he’s going to be a tremendous plus.”

Bush noted happily that public opinion surveys showed many Americans believe Quayle was treated unfairly.

In his visits to Missouri and Tennessee, Bush was seeking support in states he believes are tossups. Aides said his fast-changing schedule is built on campaign polling that continually strives to identify such states.

The two also are places where Bush believes there are friendly audiences for one of his most frequently voiced campaign themes: That Dukakis would cut so deeply into defense programs as to endanger U.S. security.

“We gambled once on a moderate-talking but liberal governor making vague promises,” Bush said in reference to former President Jimmy Carter. “And America simply cannot afford to make that mistake another time.”