Bush hits Dukakis on Guard // Assails challenge to training mission

HOUSTON While civil rights marchers in Washington chanted,"Where is George?" Republican presidential nominee George Bushcampaigned here Saturday, praising his running mate, Sen. Dan Quayleof Indiana, as "a tremendous asset" to the GOP ticket.

Bush, who had been invited to attend a march marking the 25thanniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"speech, declined to take part and spent the day campaigning in Texas.

Without mentioning the controversy over Quayle's National Guardservice, Bush needled Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis forchallenging the sending of his state's Guard units to Latin Americafor training.

"Every governor shouldn't have a veto over whether the presidentdeploys the National Guard," Bush told about 200 Texas campaignofficials and workers. "I believe that is the right of the president.

"I believe in a strong president," he said. He said he wouldfight against congressional encroachment of presidential powers: "Iwill fight against it, including insisting that the president has theright to deploy the National Guard, a big difference with myopponent."

In January, when a request to have the Massachusetts NationalGuard detachment excused from a two-week assignment to Panama andHonduras was denied by the Pentagon, Dukakis and state AttorneyGeneral James Shannon filed suit, contending that the orders violatedthe constitutional provi sion that left the training of the "militia" in the hands of thestates.

A U.S. District Court ruled against the suit May 6 and upheldthe assignment. The ruling has been appealed to the 1st U.S. CircuitCourt of Appeals.

The detachment left on its two-week training assignment May 28.Dukakis' press secretary, James Dorsey, said the governor did notseek to block the departure because he could not prove the detachmentwould suffer irreparable harm.

Bush lavished praise on Quayle, who has been bedeviled withquestions about his membership in the National Guard during theVietnam War. But supporters listening to Bush were silent when hementioned Quayle's defense credentials.

"Dan Quayle is an expert on defense," Bush said. "He's served onone of those key committees in the U.S. Senate. He'll be at my sidein harness, going in the same direction. . . . I'm proud to have himat my side.

"He is going to be a tremendous asset to this ticket," Bush saidof the 41-year-old senator.

The supporters applauded when Bush praised Quayle as arepresentative of "the new generation" and when he lauded his"concern and compassion" in co-authoring job-training legislation.