Duke's Aides Pleased With Iowa Visit

BOSTON--Home from Iowa, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis went back to work yesterday, while his presidential campaign aides assessed the results of Dukakis' first visit to Iowa since announcing he will seek the White House.

Dukakis, who planned to take off again today for an afternoon of campaigning in New Hampshire, chaired a cabinet meeting, celebrated Greek Independence Day, denounced auto theft, met with realtors and attacked the paperwork that piled up during his two-day visit to Iowa.

Before leaving Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Dukakis said he would not accept any funds from political action committees in the long and expensive campaign for the presidency, because he does not want special interests to dominate the political process.

Phil Roeder, spokesman for the Iowa Democratic Party, said Dukakis' position places him in line with at least one other major candidate, former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart.

"The only one I know of is Gary Hart--he did not take PAC money in 1984 and will not take it in 1988," Roeder said in an interview from Des Moines. "The others either haven't said, or they are accepting PAC funds."

Dukakis explained his stance on PAC funds in response to a question from one of about 50 unionists, educators and social service activists. He said he was not sure whether he would accept in-kind PAC donations of volunteer work or supplies, but he clearly ruled out any cash contributions from any PACs.

That policy will make it somewhat more difficult for Dukakis to raise the millions of dollars he will need to stay in the race through the Iowa presidential caucuses and the New Hampshire primary early next February.

On his Iowa visit this week, Dukakis, who is a latecomer to the Democratic field, was concentrating on more basic matters than fundraising. He needed to make favorable contacts with the inner circle of Iowa Democrats--legislators, labor leaders, party officials and activists.

On that score, Dukakis and his aides said they were pleased and pointed particularly to a Monday lunch in Des Moines that drew more than 200 people on just four days' notice. Among the guests were a majority of the Democrats considered most influential in Polk County.

"For the first day of the first campaign in Iowa, that's a big step," Dukakis press aide Steve Crawford said yesterday.

Roeder agreed, saying Dukakis made "a good first impression" and reached "a good chunk" of the right people.

"Any time you can fill a hotel ballroom on four days' notice, that's a plus. People are impressed by that," he said.

Roeder also said Dukakis used his time well by devoting most of one day to meeting Iowa's legislators, because the representatives and senators are expected to play a larger role than ever in the caucus process.

One of those legislators, Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Jochum, Publicly endorsed Dukakis this week, as did attorney Gerry Crawford, a former Polk County Democratic chairman.

"You're not going to get a long list on one trip," Roeder observed.

Since Dukakis left Iowa on Tuesday, the state has been visited by at least two other presidential hopefuls--Democrat Bruce Babbitt of Arizona and Republican Al Haig.