Portsmouth Herald

CONFLICT SURPRISES WILSON
GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RESPONDS TO CRITICS
9/20/95 Pg. A1
 Steve Haberman, Herald Staff


    PORTSMOUTH - California Gov. Pete Wilson said the negative reaction
his announcement for the Republican nomination for president has garnered,
both from political opponents and people within his state, surprised even
him. 
   ``I have not seen anything like this kind of attack in previous New
Hampshire primaries,'' he said during a teleconference with New Hampshire
newspaper reporters yesterday.
   Wilson has come under attack from former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander
and a group called California Citizens for Responsible Government for
allegedly flip-flopping on issues such as affirmative action and gun
control, and for failing to live up to his gubernatorial campaign promise
to serve out the full four years of his second term. Both groups fielded
radio ads in New Hampshire in opposition to Wilson's candidacy. 
   Wilson addressed each of those attacks individually.
   ``It's a sign of early desperation on the part of Lamar Alexander,''
Wilson said. ``He obviously sees me as his competition, and is concerned
that as the governor of the largest state in the Union, people might find
my experience more relevant.''
   Wilson also claimed that Alexander's charges that he had made negative
statements about former President Ronald Reagan were false. 
   Concerning the criticism he has received from groups within his own state,
Wilson said he took it as a kind of compliment.
   ``There are certainly people who are concerned that I need to provide
leadership in my state, which I have,'' he said. ``Some, however, have not
focused on the idea that California would be better served by, instead of
me seeking to wrench consensus from a hostile administration, if I
replaced that administration.''
   Wilson was asked how effective his effort to replace President Bill
Clinton would be based on his reported campaign fund deficit of $1
million. Wilson said he could not confirm that deficit at this point, but
pointed to a number of fund-raising events scheduled within the next
several weeks which he said will raise approximately that amount. 
   ``We have also restructured our campaign, recognizing we did not have
the time to spend in Iowa,'' Wilson said. The California governor
announced last week he would not campaign in Iowa in anticipation of the
Iowa caucuses scheduled just prior to New Hampshire's primary. 
   ``We felt it would be better to spend the time here in the Northeast
and Florida, states that have a primary system,'' he said. ``That's where
we're putting the emphasis.''
   Asked to comment on how the Republican primary campaign is shaping up,
Wilson said he believes conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan has a
following in the state based on his strong showing against former President
George Bush in 1992. ``I believe that showing was more of a protest to
President Bush's response to the economy, but he certainly has a core
constituency here,'' he said.
   Wilson said he believes Buchanan will battle it out with Texas Sen. Phil
Gramm for that constituency in February, a battle Wilson believes Buchanan
will win.
   ``There is a great unhappiness with Sen. Gramm's attempt to speed up the
primaries in other states,'' Wilson said.
   That race will have very little to do with Wilson's candidacy, however,
he said. ``The front-runner is Bob Dole (Senate majority leader from
Kansas), but as the people of New Hampshire learn about other candidates,
I think what you will see is a dramatic shift,'' Wilson said. 
   ``I've not just been the first to address these issues (affirmative
action, illegal immigration, welfare reform), I've been the only one who
has done something about them,'' he said. 
   Wilson will spend tomorrow and Friday of this week in Concord, Keene
and North Conway, meeting voters and potential campaign contributors in
those communities.