Bush campaign seeks to temper McCain fallout

Friday, March 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

AUSTIN - George W. Bush and his advisers scrambled Thursday to repair damage from interviews the day before in which the governor ruled out concessions to former rival John McCain on campaign finance reform.

Bush campaign manager Joe Allbaugh called a top McCain adviser Thursday to assure him that the Texas governor wants to unify the Republican Party.

And, campaigning in Illinois, Mr. Bush offered an olive branch to his vanquished opponent, saying Mr. McCain had "highlighted the need for reform."

The overtures followed interviews published Thursday in The New York Times and The Dallas Morning News in which Mr. Bush served notice that he will not embrace the Arizona senator's call for a ban on unlimited "soft money" in political campaigns.

Asked by The News whether he anticipated accommodating Mr. McCain on his signature issue of campaign finance, Mr. Bush said, "No, I don't."

In his interview with The Times, Mr. Bush said his positions on issues had not changed as a result of the bruising primary battle against Mr. McCain and his reform agenda.

When reminded that Mr. McCain helped turn out record numbers of voters in this season's primaries, Mr. Bush told The Times, "Well, then, how come he didn't win?"

McCain supporters, warning that the dismissive tone could further alienate the senator and his independent-minded voters, said Mr. Bush had damaged efforts to quickly unify the party for the fall election.

"Obviously, we're disappointed by the remarks," said McCain spokesman Howard Opinsky.

"Bush needs to be thinking about how he wins the election, and that entails winning over significant numbers of reform-minded voters who were supporting McCain," he said.

Regarding the phone call from Mr. Allbaugh to the McCain camp, Mr. Opinsky noted: "He said he regretted the way the governor's remarks were reported. He didn't say he was sorry. He just said he regretted it."

Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer said that both newspaper articles included conciliatory language.

During a campaign appearance in Illinois on Thursday, Mr. Bush praised Mr. McCain. "I appreciate the ideas that he brought forth in the campaign," he said. "He and I agree on a lot, and it starts with this: The best reform for America is to end the Clinton-Gore era in Washington, D.C."

Mr. Opinsky said shared opposition to Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee, is not enough to unify the party.

"Our supporters aren't just going to walk with us just because we suddenly decide to change our mind on Bush," he said. "[Bush strategists] are the ones in this competitive process trying to win this election. We're willing to help, but we're looking to see some movement and at least some attempt to reach out."

U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who switched allegiance from Mr. Bush to Mr. McCain during primary races last month, was particularly critical of Mr. Bush's refusal to consider changing his views to attract McCain supporters.

"He won the nomination, fine, but to win the White House he has to reach out to McCain and his voters, and he's not going to do that with macho talk about no concessions," he said.

The senator was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Mr. Opinsky repeated Thursday that it was up to the Bush campaign to take the next step toward rapprochement. "That's our position. The ball is in their court," he said.

Mr. Bush dismissed that idea when asked Wednesday whether he agreed with McCain aides that his side had the ball.

"What does that mean?" Mr. Bush said abruptly in his interview with The News. "I don't know where the ball is. What I'm worried about is uniting our party and moving on."
Asked whether he would personally sit down with Mr. McCain to discuss common ground, the Texas governor said: "We'll see. Let's see what happens when he gets back."

Privately, senior Bush advisers are divided over the need to court Mr. McCain and the concern that any capitulation on major policy issues would make the Texas governor appear weak.

Mr. Bush said in his interview that he had no problem having Mr. McCain speak at the Republican National Convention, but he has privately told advisers he won't turn over the convention or the party platform to his rival, according to several aides.

Reiterating another point from his interview with The News, Mr. Bush said Thursday in Springfield, Ill., that a top National Rifle Association official had "gone too far" by accusing President Clinton of having "blood on his hands" for not enforcing gun-control laws.

Mr. Bush spoke after the NRA's executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, suggested Mr. Clinton shared the blame for the murder of a basketball coach because of lax follow-up on background checks under the Brady gun law.

"There's ways to debate the issue without casting aspersions on the president like that. I just think they've gone too far," Mr. Bush said Thursday.