Knoxville News-Sentinel, The (TN)
August 8, 1996 
 
Section: A Section
Page: A1

THOMPSON SAYS DOLE CAMPAIGN IS ERRING

Author: MICHAEL SILENCE, NEWS-SENTINEL STAFF WRITER

As the Republican's big show in San Diego nears, U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson on Wednesday chided Bob Dole's presidential campaign staffers for continually ``stepping on their own story.'' Thompson also said speculation Dole backed off abortion language to buffer the possible pick of an abortion-rights running mate is plausible. However, he added, that implies ``a well-thought-out move'' on the part of the Dole campaign.

The Tennessee Republican, in Knoxville to laud law enforcement and tour the Moses Teen Center, said he and other Republicans are frustrated over continued missteps by the Dole campaign. ``They just keep stepping on their own story,'' he said. Thompson cited as an example Dole's announcement Monday of a plan for a major tax cut and to balance the budget. Later that day, word came the Dole campaign had dropped Dole's ``tolerance'' proposal for the GOP convention next week. Dole had insisted on new language in the Republican platform specifically acknowledging differences of opinion on the abortion issue and calling for tolerance on the subject. The appeasing of social conservatives by dropping the tolerance proposal knocked ``an extremely important and very good'' economic and tax proposal off the front pages of newspapers across the country, Thompson said. ``It should have been foreseen this (the abortion issue) would take away'' from the impact of a major tax-cut proposal.

Thompson said the theory the abortion language was dropped to dampen the possible controversy of picking an abortion-rights running mate is reasonable thinking. But he added: ``That implies a calculated, well-thought-out move, and I hope there is some of that going on.'' He said he's not necessarily criticizing the Dole campaign -- ``Sometimes there are things going on we can't see'' -- but he did say it was another example of continued missteps that detract from Dole's message.

Thompson is seeking re-election after completing the last two years on a six-year Senate term left open after Vice President Al Gore was elected with President Clinton. A former actor and lawyer, Thompson is being opposed by West Tennessee lawyer Houston Gordon, a Democrat. Thompson, who will speak at the convention, has been dubbed a rising star among the freshmen in Congress, resulting in speculation Dole might pick him as a running mate. Asked about the chances of that happening, Thompson said, ``Zero possibility.'' ``You can't be your own man,'' he said.