CAMPAIGN ’88 : Dukakis Denies Report About Running Mates

Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, seeking to squelch speculation about who his running mate might be, strongly denied a published report Thursday that his campaign had already begun discussions about the vice presidential slot and had focused early attention on New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley and Ohio Sen. John Glenn.

“There’s not a word of truth in that article, as far as I know,” said Dukakis, who insisted his campaign would not begin to choose a running mate until after the last presidential primaries on June 7.

Dukakis’ aides and allies have made a concerted effort to discredit the article, which was published by the Washington Post. Dukakis campaign manager Susan Estrich even called Bradley to tell him there was no basis for the story, a source close to the campaign said.

The article cited interviews with campaign advisers as the basis for its conclusion. But Dukakis, questioned about the vice presidency at a news conference in Camden, N.J., insisted: “At this point I haven’t thought about it, nobody else is thinking about it, and anybody who suggests they are doesn’t understand what’s going on out there.

“The only person who’s been authorized to talk about the subject is the guy you’re looking at . . . ,” Dukakis added. “I would strongly urge all of you who report the news not to rely on people who don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Dukakis flew on later Thursday to open two days of California campaigning with a rally before 250 politically active women supporters at the American Federation of Musicians Hall in Hollywood.

But the festive atmosphere there turned tense as Dukakis’ speech was repeatedly interrupted by heckling from gay activists, who loudly demanded that the candidate discuss his position on AIDS and then chanted “liar” as he tried to tout his Massachusetts record on the issue.

It was the second time in less than a week that a Los Angeles campaign event by Dukakis, whose relations with gay activists have been troubled, was disrupted by gay rights protesters.

Peter Cashman, a spokesman for the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, which organized the demonstration, said its members would seek to disrupt future campaign events attended by Dukakis and Vice President George Bush, whose positions are viewed by the group as anti-gay.