CAMPAIGN ’88 : Rights Leader Predicts Eager Dukakis Support

A group of top civil rights leaders met Wednesday with Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis in Boston, and afterward one said the majority of black voters will enthusiastically support the Democratic ticket in the fall even if the Rev. Jesse Jackson is not on it.

Benjamin Hooks, executive director of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, said: “I cannot conceive of any condition, if the Democratic Party treats him with the right respect, that he (Jackson) will not be an enthusiastic supporter of the Democratic ticket. And I think his followers, though some will be disappointed, will follow his leadership.”

In addition to Hooks, the group that met with Dukakis included Coretta Scott King, Joseph Lowery, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and John Jacob, president of the National Urban League.

“We talked with him about putting blacks on the transition team, about budget priorities and several other things and he did not in his response indicate disagreement with any of the questions that were asked,” Hooks said.

Hooks said Jackson had urged the group to meet with Dukakis “and ask him the hard questions about where he stood.”

Dukakis also met with his fourth prospective running mate in three days, Indiana Rep. Lee H. Hamilton. Hamilton called it a “very relaxed” session, and said he would accept if asked.

Addresses Convention

Later, Dukakis addressed the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Congress, which was holding its convention in Boston. The likely Republican nominee, Vice President George Bush, was to address the same group today.

In his speech, Dukakis said the announcement by Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III that he was resigning was a step in the right direction--but not enough to make up for ethics breaches by Reagan Administration officials.

“Yesterday, we lost an attorney general, but we gained a measure of self-respect,” Dukakis said. “If someone in my administration is caught breaking the law, we won’t make excuses for him--we’ll prosecute him. . . . The way to clean up Washington is to clean out those who are indifferent to breaches of the public trust and the public laws.”

Meanwhile, a new poll found that 56% of Massachusetts voters believe Dukakis has been ineffective as governor since seeking the presidency in 1987, while 36% approved of his job performance. However, the poll by KRC Research said 51% of Massachusetts voters would choose Dukakis for President, against 37% for Bush.