Dole Takes Indirect Swings At Clinton’s Trustworthiness

Olympic athletes at his sides and skydivers overhead, an energized Bob Dole told Republicans in smalltown Ohio on Friday that the White House would be his because Americans want a president they can trust.

“I want to be No. 1 - and we’re going to make it,” he declared.

Five times in his 10-minute speech at a lively noontime rally, the Republican nominee offered himself as the only presidential candidate to be trusted.

Dole said of President Clinton, “He is going to lose this election because Americans want somebody they can trust, somebody who will keep their word.”

Dole’s emphasis on trust without directly assailing the president’s integrity were characteristic of his restrained jabs as he tries to overtake Clinton’s lead in the campaign’s final weeks.

“Some people think I’m not tough enough - but I’m working on it,” he chuckled to a noisy rally in Lima.

Earlier in the week, Dole had delivered a barrage of criticism on Clinton’s integrity, including this dismissal: “His word is no good.”

In subsequent campaign appearances, however, Dole blunted his criticism even as his focus stayed on trust.