CAMPAIGN ’88 : Dukakis-Bashing Will Backfire, Bentsen Says

Accusing Republicans of committing “character assassination” with their attacks on Michael S. Dukakis, Democratic vice presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen said Wednesday the voters ought to have “some sympathy” for his running mate.

“After what they have tried to do to (him), the things they’ve called him and the way they’ve tried to paint him, the distortions, there ought to be some sympathy for Mike Dukakis,” Bentsen said.

The Texas senator made the comments at a campaign stop in Columbia, Mo., where a reporter asked him if he feared that Dan Quayle, the Republican vice presidential nominee, might profit from a “sympathy backlash” to negative coverage of his performance in the vice presidential debate last week.

“If he does,” Bentsen said, “it will be misplaced.”

“Character assassination” was the strongest language Bentsen had used to describe the GOP’s negative campaigning. “Some of the distortions of the record have hurt,” he acknowledged, “there’s no doubt about that. But I think that getting back to the issues is going to help.”

Bentsen addressed thousands of people at outdoor rallies in Columbia, Mo., and Fayetteville, Ark., both college towns in states where the Democrats trail slightly in the polls and are making extra efforts.