DOLE TALKS TRUST, QUOTAS ON STATE SWING.

Byline: Sandra Sobieraj Associated Press 

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,'' the GOP nominee declared.

Rallying a Republican crowd at an annual Steak and Oyster Feed outside Sacramento, Dole offered himself for ``mature leadership'' and suggested a second Clinton term would be cut short by an ethics blowup.

``It's the animal house; it's no longer the White House. . . . I can't believe any thinking American - except the real partisans - want four more years of this,'' Dole said.

``Ross Perot suggests, indirectly, it may not be four more years. Maybe it's going to be so serious next year, somebody might be in real trouble. I didn't say that, Ross Perot did - but I thought about it,'' Dole said.

In an NBC television interview Sunday, Perot sharply criticized what he called the Clinton administration's ethical lapses, saying they could turn into ``Watergate II'' and divert attention from running the nation.

Dole launched Day Two of his California swing with an appearance at San Jose's Van Lang Day Vietnamese-American festival.

``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.'' But Dole trod gingerly on the issue, apparently mindful of his overwhelmingly ethnic crowd.

He was careful to assure them of his support for legal immigration. ``It is good for our country, and it should always continue,'' Dole said. He neglected to mention his proposal to outlaw campaign contributions from foreigners, or his support for making English the official U.S. language.

One day earlier, Dole outlined his campaign-finance plan in the central valley's Merced, asserting that ``America is for Americans.''

On Sunday in San Jose, Dole lightened his immigration rhetoric. He accused Clinton of lax border controls that 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.

Asked offstage about the importance of immigration and affirmative action, Dole said, ``They're wedge issues.''

From Sacramento, Dole headed 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. 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.

While the candidate focused many of his remarks here on the president's ethics, his campaign deployed a heavily anti-illegal immigration strategy over the airwaves.

Khachigian said all of Dole's radio ads - and half of his television ad campaign - were exclusively on illegal immigration.

The TV ad that began airing this weekend blames Clinton for sticking California with the costs of 2 million illegal immigrants. ``We pay the taxes, we are the victims. Our children get shortchanged,'' the announcer in the ad says. ``If Clinton wins, we lose.''

A similarly focused ad last year for Gov. Pete Wilson boosted his re-election effort.

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PHOTO (color) Gov. Pete Wilson, left, Bob Dole and Attorney General Dan Lungren grill steaks for party supporters near Sacramento.

Associated Press