Clinton, Dole Ready For Final Debate

By Candy Crowley and Wolf Blitzer/CNN

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Oct. 16) -- In the final hours before Wednesday night's final debate between President Bill Clinton and Republican nominee Bob Dole, speculation continues over Dole's possible strategy to attack the president on the issues of character and ethics.

Though Dole has previewed tough rhetoric on the campaign trail recently, accusing the president and his administration of "public ethics" violations, there is still some doubt that he will bring up such questions during tonight's debate. Political experts guess that the Dole campaign could be playing head games with its opponent.

There is some indication that Dole is happy to talk about the issues during stump speeches but is unwilling to bring them up in the public forum of a debate, in part because he doesn't like doing so. Dole was given a big chance at the last debate to open up the character issue and he did not.

When asked about his debate preparations this morning, Dole told reporters, "We talked about the future and people's problems how we're going to solve them how we're going to address the problems. It'll be over before you know it." (160K WAV sound)

And when asked about his strategy for tonight, Dole would only say, "We're going to talk a lot about our economic plan and we're going to talk about some of the things the president promised and didn't deliver and some of the things he didn't promise and did deliver."

President Clinton's aides aren't so sure that Dole will focus on the ethics issue either, and believe that even he does he won't be able to sustain a prolonged negative attack. But if it happens, they say Clinton is prepared.

The campaign is also hoping that the town hall meeting format will blunt a Dole assault, believing his heart isn't fully in it. They expect Dole will at least repeat some of his accusations of yesterday but then probably drop it if the audience reaction is negative.

On his way to the University of San Diego, the president said he's ready though he hasn't done one of these town hall meetings in a while. He noted that he still has some reading to do before the debate tonight. He toured the auditorium before heading to his hotel.

Clinton's top political strategist, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Harold Ickes, says it's unlikely that Dole's expected attack on White House ethics will work.

"I think that it's very hard," Ickes said. "I think it will show the same old Dole and I don't think the American people are interested in personal attacks on each other. I think what they're interested in is what kind of jobs are they are going to have in the future, what kind of future they are going to have in the future, and basically is there a vision for the 21st century and that's what they're going to be listening to." (224K WAV sound)

Of course, even if Dole doesn't talk about the ethics issue during the debate, he has succeeded in focusing attention on it, and perhaps scores a victory on just that point.

Clinton, Dole Ready For Final Debate

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