Hart Give In

AS THE END of the Democratic primary season nears, one thing is becoming increasingly certain: Walter F. Mondale will be the Democratic nominee for President. His opponents, Sen. Gary W. Hart (D-Colo.) and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, must now give pause to rethink just how they wish to influence the party in the weeks preceeding July's national convention in San Francisco.

Democratic Party big-wigs have raised the call for party unity, and Hart and Jackson should heed the call Hart, so far, has stubbornly refused to admit that victory for him in '84 is nearing logical impossibility.

His strong showing in Ohio Tuesday has led supporters to pronounce a comeback for the Coloradan. But delegates are the bottom line, and Mondale has collected enough of them to make a Hart resurgence very unlikely.

For his own sake--if he wishes a shot in '88--and for the party's sake--if it wishes a shot in November. Hart should pull a George Bush and quickly forget all the terrible things he said about Fritz Mondale.

Hart's has certainly been a worthy campaign, and one that has brought up some real problems with which the party must come to grips. His candidacy, if nothing else, has made Mondale a stronger, and more interesting candidate. But he can now best serve his party by restricting his campaigning to the issues that matter to him most, military reform, an end to U.S. military involvement in Central America, and a governmental policy to revitalize American industry.

Jackson's continued refusal to disavow Muslim demagogue Louis Farrakhan still poses a problem for would-be party unifiers, but even he has decided to concede some of his previous policy demands to prevent infighting at San Francisco. His recent well publicized love-in with Party Chairman Charles T. Manatt was an important symbolic step.

Hart should stop fretting and follow his example.