Tsongas to Press On in ‘Neutral Ground’ : Democrats: Clinton rival takes his campaign to Michigan and Illinois in wake of defeats in South. He indicates bitter words will still be exchanged.

Despite crushing defeats throughout the South on Super Tuesday, a defiant Paul E. Tsongas vowed Tuesday night to press on as the Democratic presidential campaign heads to what he called the “neutral ground” of Michigan and Illinois.

Those two Midwestern states hold primaries next Tuesday, and Tsongas made it clear that the nasty words he and rival Bill Clinton have exchanged of late would be likely to continue as they battle in these major contests outside their home turfs.

Referring to Clinton, now the clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination, Tsongas said: “He’s taken his worst, not best, he’s taken his worst shot at me, and I’m still here. And now we go on.”

Tsongas late last week had begun labeling Clinton a “pander bear,” charging the Arkansas governor was willing to sacrifice his principles and tailor his message to win votes.

In a late-night appearance before a chanting, clapping crowd of hometown supporters gathered in a hotel ballroom here, the former Massachusetts senator continued to stress that line of attack.

“I’m going to tell you something, Bill Clinton. You’re not going to pander your way to the White House as long as I’m around,” he said.

Tsongas was to leave early this morning for campaign appearances during the day in Chicago and Detroit. He had an evening fund-raiser scheduled in Detroit.

Tsongas could point to some positive developments on Super Tuesday--decisive victories in his home state of Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island, and a victory in the Delaware caucuses. But in light of his poor showing Tuesday throughout the South, a solid comeback in next Tuesday’s primaries in delegate-rich Illinois and Michigan now seems vital for him.

Tsongas also demonstrated that even in defeat, he would not alter his basic message that a harsh dose of realism--such as a gasoline tax hike and opposition to a middle-class tax cut--are needed to achieve such growth.

“No giveaways. No tax breaks. No pander bears,” Tsongas shouted. “This is an era of hard choices. If we don’t make those choices, we have nothing to give our children. We have to stand for something.”

Tsongas began the day in West Palm Beach, Fla., taking an early morning swim before attending the funeral of a local police officer, Kevin Mathews, who died after he was struck by a car while directing traffic last week just moments before the Tsongas motorcade passed by.

After a bumpy three-hour flight, Tsongas landed in the late afternoon at Boston’s Logan Airport in a testy mood.

“I didn’t anticipate winning a Southern state,” Tsongas said during a brief press conference.

Referring to the one Southern Super Tuesday primary in which his campaign was hoping for a surprise, Tsongas added: “Florida is (Clinton’s) home turf. He spent a lot of money on negative advertising, and it worked.”

Clinton had hit hard at Tsongas in Florida, questioning his commitment to Israel, criticizing Tsongas’ plan to raise the gasoline tax and charging that Tsongas would cut Social Security benefits.