Confident of hitting a "Golden State jackpot," Bob Dole extended his homestretch tour of California Sunday, chipping steadily at President Clinton's integrity while calling for an end to affirmative action.
"In America, what counts is merit and character," he declared."I can feel the energy all over this state," the Republican nominee said as he launched Day Two of his California swing with an appearance at the Van Lang Day Vietnamese-American festival here.
"We're going to win the Golden State jackpot on Nov. 5, because we're going to talk about trust and leadership and ethics and things you can count on in a Dole administration that are sorely lacking now," he said.
Looking out at the sun-splashed crowd, where the yellow and red striped flags of Vietnam were only slightly outnumbered by standard-issue Dole-Kemp placards, Dole also reiterated his commitment to human rights and a full accounting of American prisoners of war in Vietnam.
Immigration was the stop's official theme, with a giant royal-blue backdrop lettered "Celebrating Legal Immigration - The American Dream." Dole followed his critique of the Clinton administration's ethics with a brief assessment of the president's immigration policies.
He was careful to assure the overwhelmingly ethnic crowd of his support for legal immigration. "It is good for our country and it should always continue," Dole said.
But, he added, Clinton's lax border controls have left thousands of Californians "victims of violent criminals who should have been stopped at the border."
Dole also hit affirmative action, another hot-button issue in this state, where a referendum is on the November ballot to end race- and sex-based preferences in public hiring, contracting and education.
"Quotas, set asides and other preferences that discriminate by race or ethnicity are simply wrong in America. They're absolutely wrong and violate the principles of our Constitution," Dole boomed.
"In America, what counts is merit and character - character does count."
Asked offstage about the importance of immigration and affirmative action, Dole said, "They're wedge issues."
From San Jose, Dole headed to Sacramento's Republican Steak and Oyster Feed, then to San Diego.
Reveling in his large and rowdy crowds on Saturday, Dole extended by one day his three-day bus tour of the state that carries 54 electoral votes - Nov. 5's biggest prize.
And, aides said he was considering an election-eve blitz through the state, hitting all major media markets.
Asked about Dole's tour of the state's most reliably Republican districts, California Attorney General Dan Lundgren commented. "We certainly haven't peaked too soon."
"It increasingly looks like we do need California to win," said Ken Khachigian, Dole's top California strategist.