DOLE TELLS FORMER COLLEAGUES HE STILL CAN WIN.

Byline: Katharine Q. Seelye The New York Times

Bob Dole returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to reassure those he called ``the faint-hearted'' that he had the determination to raise himself from the political near-dead because he had once raised himself from the literal near-dead.

Addressing about 120 of his former House and Senate colleagues, Dole spoke of his 39-month recuperation from paralyzing combat wounds in World War II. He read a letter written in 1945 to his father from an Army hospital in Michigan, where Lt. Bob Dole lay motionless.

``At the present time,'' a hospital official wrote, ``it would appear that his recovery is somewhat questionable.''

Dole fought back to become the longest-serving Republican majority leader in Senate history and is now one election away from either becoming president or closing out his life in politics.

Dole, who is trailing President Clinton by double digits in the polls, contended Wednesday that he had emerged from ``tough spots'' before and would do so again this Election Day.

``I want to say to those faint-hearted people in the audience, though there aren't very many, don't worry about this election,'' he said. ``We're going to win, we're going to win, we're going to win.''

But there was a pragmatic edge to the message from this campaign warhorse, who has been winning elections for nearly half a century. Dole acknowledged up front that his coattails, if any, might be very short indeed. ``Wherever we can help - or if we can't help, you can tell us that - but wherever we can help, we're going to be there,'' he said.

And he opened a small window onto his view of his responsibility at the top of a flagging ticket, saying his duty was to remain optimistic.

``Each of us have been in close races, tough races, the polls go up and down, and people get discouraged,'' he said. ``But the candidate can never get discouraged. The candidate has to be optimistic.''

Quoting from his acceptance speech in San Diego, he said: ``I'm the most optimistic man in America.''

Dole had been greeted warmly by the Republican senators and House members who had responded to the campaign's urgent fax message, sent with only one day's notice, to turn out Wednesday morning for a display of unity with the top of the ticket.

Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the majority leader, hailed Dole and his running mate, Jack Kemp. Lott led the cheerleading, telling Dole that it was not until he and other Republicans had dinner with Dole on Saturday did he realize, that ``There was an aura around Bob.''

But in interviews after the speech, some members expressed concern about the Dole campaign and how to mesh their own campaigns with it.

Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., a maverick freshman, said: ``I'm assuming our basic message is correct but the messenger is not connecting.''

He added that Wednesday's event was staged for the media because the Dole campaign and the Republican National Committee ``are concerned that congressional candidates are drifting into independence - they know we see the polls.''

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PHOTO GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole gives the ``thumb s-up'' sign before addressing a joint Senate-House Republican conference.

Associated Press