From: clarinews@clarinet.com (HELEN THOMAS, UPI White House Reporter)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.news.politics,biz.clarinet.sample
Followup-to: biz.clarinet.sample
Subject: Bush orders aides to stay away from sleaze issues
Keywords: usa federal, government, politics
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 14:02:37 PDT
ACategory: washington
Slugword: bush-politics
Priority: regular
Format: regular
ANPA: Wc: 489; Id: z5801; Sel: xxngw; Adate: 4-10-5ped
Codes: yngwrxx., ynp.rxx.

	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- President Bush said Friday he had given specific
instructions in writing to his staff and re-election officials ``to stay
out of sleaze issues'' in the presidential campaign.
	He made the remarks in a nationally televised news conference when
asked if the ``character'' issue was valid in the campaign and after a
reporter suggested that some of the allegations against Democratic
presidential contenders had been planted by Republican supporters.
	``I hope not,'' he replied. ``I gave specific instructions to our
people to stay away from sleaze issues,'' adding he would prefer to 
``stick to the hard issues'' in the campaign.
	The president also said that he would refrain from commenting on
opposition candidates until the nominating process ``disgorges'' a
candidate who will battle him for the White House.
	Bush has refused to discuss the possible candidacy of fellow Texan H.
Ross Perot, a multimillionaire, who may run as an independent.
	He also has sidestepped for weeks questions concerning the Democratic
front runner, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, as various allegations rose
against Clinton of marital infidelity, avoiding the draft in the Vietnam
War and some of his business affiliations.
	``I'm not going to comment until I get ready,'' he told reporters. He
said that until the nominating process is over, ``I don't feel
comfortable about doing it.''
	In the main, the president generally stayed on the high road when
challenger Patrick Buchanan attacked him for breaking his ``no new
taxes'' pledge and for moving away from Reaganite conservativism.
	The questions of character have dominated the Democratic campaign
with Clinton's key opponents, former California Gov. Edmund ``Jerry''
Brown and, before he stepped down, former Sen. Paul Tsongas, indicating
that Clinton was not ``electable'' because of an alleged credibility
problem.
	Bush, who ran a ``take no prisoners'' campaign in 1988 against
Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, also told the American Society of
Newspaper Editors Thursday that he would like to see the campaign focus
on the issues ``and not on some of the sleaze quesitons.''
	``I know that we will try hard,'' he told the editors, ``but I also
know that this is about the ugliest political year I've ever seen
already. And I don't know what it's going to hold, but I will try to
keep my head up and try to do my job as president and try to do it with
a certain sense of decency and honor.''
	However, Bush refused to make a firm commitment to abstain from
negative campaigning, telling editors ``I don't know what's negative and
what's not these days.''
	``If it's just ripping down somebody's character or tearing them
apart, I don't want to do that,'' he said. ``If it's factual and brings
out something that hasn't been brought out, I think that's fair.''
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