Dole Accuses Clinton of Co-Opting His Themes

Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole accused President Clinton on Wednesday of trying to co-opt his GOP campaign themes and he predicted that his rival will endorse capital-gains tax cuts and tougher drug controls at his convention speech tonight.

“One thing I’ve learned about President Clinton is that he’s flexible,” Dole told a crowd of several hundred supporters. “If I’m for it today, he’s for it tomorrow.”

Dole also predicted that Clinton will propose a cut in capital-gains taxes for people who sell their homes and invest the money elsewhere.

“Well, welcome to the club,” he said. “We’ve had it out there for weeks and weeks and weeks.”

Dole brought his presidential campaign and anti-drug message to the playground of the Temple Christian School in Ventura, where he blamed the Clinton administration for a recent upsurge in adolescent drug abuse.

Flanked by Gov. Pete Wilson and Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, Dole vowed to restore moral leadership in the White House and use the bully pulpit to warn kids and others away from dangerous drugs.

Dole and other Republican officials praised former First Lady Nancy Reagan as a model of success for inspiring teenagers to reject peer pressure to experiment with drugs.

“A lot of people made fun of her ‘Just Say No’ program, but it worked,” Dole said. “We have a problem if we don’t stand up and say, ‘This has got to stop in America.’ ”

Dole also joined Lungren, Wilson and others in condemning California’s Proposition 215, a ballot measure that if approved by voters in November would legalize the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana for medical uses prescribed by a physician.

“My view is that drugs are wrong, you shouldn’t use drugs. You shouldn’t smoke cigarettes,” Dole told the crowd. “Let’s just throw them all out at the same time.”

Asked later why he linked drugs with tobacco in his speech, Dole responded: “I didn’t say anything about cigarettes. I talked about drugs. I said you shouldn’t smoke either. That’s all I said.”

The Clinton White House, Dole said, has been conspicuously silent on drug issues for the past 3 1/2 years.

“I know when President Clinton speaks tomorrow, he’s going to mention kids 55 times,” Dole said.

“And he’ll probably mention his war on drugs which he’s going to start next year. It’s too late, Mr. President.”

Democrats, in response, handed out leaflets at the Ventura rally questioning Dole’s sincerity and asking why he voted to slash 50% of the money for federal drug prevention and education programs.

During this week’s Democratic National Convention, Dole has been on a “working vacation” in Santa Barbara, making occasional appearances at rallies to keep his name in the news.

Today Dole heads to San Luis Obispo for a campaign event and then on to Orange County.

Dole and running mate Jack Kemp plan to attend a major rally at 8 a.m. Friday at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.