‘Fired Up’ Bush Heads West, Blasts Clinton on Trust Issue : Republicans: He speaks of his disdain for national media, assails foe over a broken promise to voters of Arkansas.

President Bush began a final nine-day campaign swing Sunday in a combative but upbeat mood, disparaging the media, scorning the polls and denouncing Democratic rival Bill Clinton with a newly aggressive zeal.

As he left Washington for the last time before the Election Day Nov. 3, Bush pronounced himself “fired up.” He assured a wildly supportive outdoor rally here that he remains “absolutely confident” of winning reelection.

Although his campaign found itself sidetracked by a new dispute with independent candidate Ross Perot, Bush devoted his public appearances to the pursuit of what now appears to be a last-ditch strategy to portray Clinton as untrustworthy and to dismiss criticism of himself as unfair.

As he headed west, he spoke more bluntly than ever of his disdain for a national media that he and his aides blame for some of his current troubles. He even borrowed an attack line from a former President to reinforce his complaint.

“I do remember what Harry Truman said about 50 reporters,” he said. “They couldn’t pound sand in a rat hole if they had to.”

As he aimed a new fusillade of attacks at what he calls Clinton’s “pattern of deception,” Bush also called attention for the first time to the fact that the Arkansas governor broke a promise to his state’s voters by entering the presidential race. And he pressed with new vigor his contention that the Democrat had been less than candid about his Vietnam-era draft record.

“I think you’re entitled to know whether he had a draft notice or whether he didn’t,” he told a crowd that packed a fairgrounds exposition center in Sioux Falls, S. D. “ . . . It is not right to play both sides of the issue to protect your own political neck.”

As local residents listened, some of them unable to get inside the packed hall, Bush also for the first time attacked his opponent for breaking his promise not to seek higher office.

Suggesting that his rival’s deception reflected a deeper, more troubling flaw, Bush won huge cheers as he said: “If they ever put this guy on Mt. Rushmore, they’ll have to have two faces for him.”

Bush had stopped in Detroit earlier in the day to assure an International Assn. of Police Chiefs meeting of his own support for anti-crime measures, while portraying Clinton as unenthusiastic about a get-tough approach.

He said he believes Clinton’s record on crime has been “wrong for Arkansas, and, clearly, it would be wrong for America.” But as he went on to sign new legislation toughening laws against car-jacking--the commandeering of vehicles from drivers with the use of force--he incorrectly suggested that he had played a key role in winning its passage. In fact, his first public mention of the issue on Sept. 30 came on the day that the Senate approved the bill.

After spending last week claiming the Atlanta Braves as inspiration for his promised comeback, Bush was forced Sunday morning to confront the hard truths of at least the sports world. With the Toronto Blue Jays triumphant over the Braves in the World Series, Bush telephoned Jays Manager Cito Gaston to tell him: “America is proud of you.”

Dan Quayle, Bush’s vice president, meantime stumped in Georgia, traveling to Savannah and Augusta for appearances at Republican rallies. He has been trying to fire up conservative audiences in what has become a close presidential race in the state.

In Savannah, the vice president attended services at Calvary Baptist Temple, a posh upper-income church. Later, Quayle also appeared at a GOP rally at the Savannah Christian Preparatory School, plugging, among other things, Bush’s proposal to provide government financing for private school tuition.

Times staff writer Art Pine contributed to this story from Savannah, Ga.