Dole Complains Voters Not Giving Him a Fair Hearing

Striking a plaintive tone, Bob Dole complained Monday that two weeks before the election, voters have yet to take a good look at him and suggested they have been fooled by President Clinton’s effort to take credit for the country’s economic recovery.

“A lot of people haven’t focused” on the campaign, Dole mused during a rally in Detroit. “Maybe there’s no interest in politics, maybe nobody cares or maybe they’re just getting around to focus on it and they’re making up their minds.”

The event was designed to give Dole a chance to persuade Americans that the nation’s Republican governors are responsible for the improving economy--not Clinton. And the Republican presidential nominee used the forum as another opportunity to attack Clinton’s integrity.

“Clinton’s a great talker,” said Dole, who was flanked by eight GOP governors. “He goes right past the facts. The facts never get in the way of President Clinton.”

Dole criticized Clinton for continually claiming credit for the estimated 10.5-million new jobs created since he took office and a decline of two-million people from the nation’s welfare rolls, arguing that those accomplishments are the result of taxes that have been lowered and regulations that have been loosened by Republican governors.

“Maybe we’ve done too good of a job at the state level,” said Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, one of those campaigning with Dole.

Conspicuously absent from the group was Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. Once mentioned prominently as a possible Dole running mate, Thompson recently has been criticizing Dole campaign officials, in part because of their decision to not seriously contest Wisconsin.

Thompson, in turn, came under fire from his counterparts. “Some people have got to cover their rear end in their own states,” Gov. George Voinovich of Ohio said.

Dole spent less time Monday attacking Clinton for questionable campaign contributions than he had in recent days. But at his final rally of the day, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Dole scored the Democratic party officials for reiterating Monday that controversial fund-raiser John Huang would not answer questions from the news media, despite indications on Sunday by party chairman Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut that Huang would be made available to reporters.

“Why doesn’t John Huang have a press conference,” Dole complained. “First they said they would. Now they said they wouldn’t. They’re going to stonewall it. They believe the American people are not going to revolt between now and Nov. 5.”

From Detroit, Dole embarked on a two-day bus tour across Michigan--one of the states where the former senator has devoted much of his time and resources. He appeared to be struggling hard to ignore the message of the polls, which show him trailing both in Michigan and nationally. Dole on Monday also had to overcome the effects of a cold, which left him hoarse and congested.

Still, Dole let his self-deprecating humor shine through several times. He complained that Democratic television ads that accuse Republicans of being against the elderly are making it hard for him to ensure a “big, big landslide.”

He also joked about a lesson his running mate, Jack Kemp, had shared with him from the latter’s days as a football player. “Kemp gave me some good advice,” Dole said. “Don’t watch the scoreboard. If you watch the scoreboard, someone is going to fumble. It might be the quarterback or it might be the running back. Whatever role we’re playing these days.”