Dole Campaign Says Clinton's Character Is Off-Limits, But Is It?

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Oct. 12) -- If you say you're not going to mention your friend's dyed hair, didn't you just mention it?

That's been a dilemma for the Bob Dole campaign camp. They want to make ethics, integrity and character into issues against President Clinton, but are reluctant to make it the thrust of their campaign strategy, for fear of turning off voters.

Dole's camp publicly is swearing off the character attacks. But by listing the issues Dole claims are off-limits, the Republicans are managing to keep them in the public eye -- the way vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp did Saturday.

Clinton campaign officials contended, in response, that the Dole campaign was resorting to such approaches because "they have no message."

"I think all of this public rumination about whether or not to go negative is for your benefit," Clinton campaign press secretary Joe Lockhart told reporters. "And -- not anyone here -- you're doing a good job of publicizing it. They want to keep the story alive for a couple more days."

Lockhart was responding Saturday to comments made Friday by Dole campaign vice chairman William Bennett that "indictments are possible" in the Clinton administration after the election.

Different rules for Kemp

Kemp apparently has no qualms about criticizing the White House as part of his campaign strategy.

"The ethics of this administration publicly are less than that what it should be, in terms of the high standard set by President Clinton when he announced that he was going to have the highest ethical administration probably in this century, and he has not nor have they lived up to those standards and the American people know it," Kemp told CNN's Evans and Novak.

That was an apparent about-face for Kemp, who previously renounced the idea of attacking Clinton's character when asked about personal and ethical differences.

"In my opinion, it is beneath Bob Dole to go after anyone personally," Jack Kemp said in the vice presidential debate.

Lockhart said what was good for the goose ought to be good for the gander.

"If Jack Kemp thought it was beneath Bob Dole to do this, I'd think it equally applies to him," Lockhart said.

Clinton is sticking with his campaign themes of the environment, crime, education and building a bridge to the future. Campaign officials say they don't plan to lose their lead by losing their cool.

"We're not going to be diverted by insults or personal attacks that come disguised as, 'I don't want to talk about it, but ... ,'" Ann Lewis, Clinton-Gore deputy campaign manager, told CNN Saturday Morning.

Dole strategizes

Dole stayed off the campaign trail Saturday to convene a campaign strategy session in Washington. The discussion centered on "strategic" options, not the message, according to a senior member of the campaign.

The source says Dole stayed for the entire hour-long meeting. An open struggle has emerged among Dole advisers, some of whom are urging him to get tougher on Clinton.

The senior strategist said the feeling "is that [campaign manager Scott] Reed's memo laid out the rules of engagement," a reference to a Friday memo outlining which topics the campaign deems appropriate to discuss.

But after the latest meeting, Dole communications director John Buckley said Bennett's comments Friday were the kind that were off-limits.

"That's precisely what we don't want to talk about. We don't want to be talking about the president and first lady's legal situation," Buckley said. "It's just not right for us to and we're not going to do it."

Clinton campaigns

Clinton stopped in Denver on Saturday and heads Sunday to New Mexico for some down time and debate preparations. He and Dole meet Wednesday in a town hall format in San Diego.

Clinton did well in the Rocky Mountain region four years ago, and though Clinton has a lead in most of the states, the area is seen as competitive. Polls in Colorado have placed the president's lead between 6 and 13 points.

Clinton maintains a comfortable lead in Saturday's CNN/USA Today/Gallup tracking poll. He is the choice of 57 percent of 750 likely voters compared to Dole's 34 percent. The survey was done Thursday and Friday. Reform Party candidate Ross Perot attracted 4 percent.

The president is regarded nearly as credible as his challenger in the latest CNN/Time magazine poll.

More character questions

Asked whether the candidates were honest and trustworthy enough to be president, 58 percent supported Dole, and 55 percent backed Clinton. The 1,387 likely voters were questioned Thursday and Friday.

The poll indicates voters are divided on whether the Dole campaign can milk more out of being more negative. Asked whether the candidates had made too many attacks on their opponents, 49 percent said Dole had, compared to 44 percent who said he had not. Twenty-two percent said Clinton had been too negative, against 71 percent who disagreed.

The question of trust may still be a problem for the Democrats, but Clinton is gaining ground. Of those asked whether his word was no good, 35 percent agreed; 59 percent disagreed.

Correspondents Claire Shipman and Bob Franken contributed to this report.

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