Pubdate: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 Source: Reuters Copyright: 1999 Reuters Limited. Author: Kay Henderson BUSH SLAMS DIRTY POLITICS AMID COCAINE ALLEGATION DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush decried ``trash-mouth politics'' on Thursday, as newspapers highlighted his refusal to discuss unsubstantiated allegations he once used cocaine. The issue sprung up after Democratic Senate Leader Tom Daschle Wednesday complained to reporters that the media was giving Bush an easy ride, compared to the treatment it meted out to first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Bush, the governor of Texas and son of former President George Bush, has declined on a number of occasions to speak about what he may or may not have done when he was younger. His usual response is to say, ``When I was young and irresponsible, I behaved that way. I'm not going to inventory what I did.'' He has acknowledged heavy drinking but said he gave up alcohol many years ago. Campaigning in Iowa ahead of a nonbinding ``straw poll'' of Republicans next weekend, Bush told an audience of several hundred cheering supporters: ``I don't like trash-mouth politics. I don't like tearing somebody down.'' ``I believe so strongly about changing America. That's what I want to talk about. I'm not going to tear down my opponents,'' Bush added. ``This campaign can elevate politics to a new level.'' In Chicago, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley said he hoped the campaign would revolve around serious issues rather than rumormongering. ``I would hope we don't go down that road ... I think there are plenty of positions that would allow people to make their judgements,'' he told reporters. Daschle's remarks at a breakfast with reporters prompted one headline in the conservative Washington Times that read: ''Daschle urges media to go after Bush; says cocaine rumors need to be probed.'' The South Dakota lawmaker issued a statement Thursday saying he had been misquoted. ``I said, and I believe, that it is absolutely appropriate and acceptable for Gov. Bush to refuse to answer questions about his past personal behavior. What's not so acceptable is for the media to arbitrarily hold one public figure to one standard of disclosure and another public figure to a far higher or lower standard,'' Daschle said. Democrats have privately complained that Bush has received soft treatment from the media since entering the presidential race in June. Some were particularly put out by a seven-part series on Bush that ran in the Washington Post last week which revealed little that was new. The New York Daily News used Daschle's comments as a peg to inquire of all the other presidential candidates from both parties whether they had used cocaine. ``Eleven of 12 leading presidential candidates yesterday denied ever using cocaine. The only candidate who refused to answer the question was Republican front-runner, Texas Gov. George W. Bush,'' the newspaper reported. The Iowa straw poll, open to Republicans who pay a $25 entry fee, has taken on added importance after Bush said he wanted to win with 5,000 votes and 50 percent of the poll. A poor performance by some of the other candidates might force them out of the race. Bush currently leads the Republican field by a large margin and has a huge money advantage over all his rivals except millionaire publisher Steve Forbes, who would be able to finance his campaign largely out of his own pocket. - --- MAP posted-by: manemez j lovitto