Perot Aide Confirms Interviews With Reagan, Carter Operatives

The spokesman for Texas businessman Ross Perot on Thursday confirmed reports that Perot’s advisers had interviewed a number of seasoned national political operatives, including former Ronald Reagan strategist Edward J. Rollins and Jimmy Carter campaign manager Hamilton Jordan about coming to work for a Perot presidential campaign.

James Squires, Perot’s spokesman, said: “We are talking to Rollins and Jordan, among others.” At this stage, he said, “they come in and meet Perot and talk about what the job is and leave” without a job offer being extended.

“We’re in various stages of talk with people,” he said, but indicated that the organization had not decided on who would fill the top slots.

Squires also said that the burgeoning organization now had 50 paid staffers, in addition to scores of volunteers, and had opened a Washington office staffed by volunteers.

One pollster, a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns who had been through the interview process at Perot headquarters in Dallas, said he came away with the belief that Perot wanted to keep his professional staff balanced between Democrats and Republicans to avoid giving the impression that he was too close to either party.

This source said it was difficult to assess how much influence any outside operative would have on shaping strategy for Perot, who is known for his penchant for doing things his own way. But he said the disclosure that well-known political consultants were talking with Perot could be beneficial to Perot’s cause if it lent a sense that the effort was acquiring expertise.