The Michigan Daily VoL LXXXVI, No. 26-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Thursday, June 10, 1976 Ten Cents Twelve Pages Carter gains backing of former rivals DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL contender Frank Church stands outside his suburban Washington home yesterday after announcing his plans to remain in the race. Church clings to candidacy By JEFF RISTINE sp~eeia To The Daily BETIESDA, Md. -Frank Church re- fused to withdraw completely from con- tention for the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday morning, saying he will delay a final decision until after the dust has settled from Jimmy Carter's battle for convention delegates. "We need to wait a few days to see if uncommitted delegates or those pledged to defeated candidates are going to now move toward the frontrunner in suffi- cient numbers to assure him a first bal- lot victory" at next month's nominating convention in New York City, said the Idaho senator. BUT CHURCH noted it was "likely" that uncommitted delegates would sup- port the Georgia governor, and said he would not actively attempt to deny Car- ter the nomination. Church made his announcement yes- terday before Senator Henry Jackson, Alabama Governor George Wallace, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley pledged their support for Carter. Church, who some observers believe has been jockeying for the vice-presi- dential slot, said he knew of "no major differences" between himself and Carter which would prevent him from accept' ing an offer to be included on the Carter ticket. BUT BEFORE accepting such an offer, Church said, he would want to discuss foreign policy with Carter and also de- termine "what role Governor Carter plans for his vice-president to play." The senator, speaking from the wooded backyard of his suburban Maryland home, said "I could have done very well" in the presidential primaries had he formally entered the race earlier. Church delayed his official announcement of candidacy this year until after the SEE SLUMPING, Page 10 fly e Associated Press Jimmy Carter's bandwagon be- came an express toward the Dem- ocratic presidential nom- ination yesterday as defeated riv- als signed aboard. Carter said they were delivering more than enough votes to guarantee him top spot on the ticket. But Gov. Edmund Brown of California wasn't among them. He vowed to continue his campaign for the White House, saying "I don't think the process should pre- maturely come to a close." CARTER WAS closing in on a nomi- nating majority. He needed 379 more delegates to reach the 1,305 that would assure his nomination. New found allies like Sen. Henry Jack- son of Washington and Gov. George Wal- lace of Alabama had more than that in their columns. Wallace asked his delegates to sup- port Carter and Jackson indicated he wiil do so next week. . MAYOR Richard Daley of Chicago pledged Carter his own convention vote -and a substantial number of Illinois delegates are sure to follow his lead. Sen. Adlai Stevenson III of Illinois re- leased his 86 favorite son delegates. Sen. Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota said Carter was "virtually certain" to become the nominee. Humphrey said he would not authorize any presidential campaign activity in his own behalf, al- though he didn't quite quit. REP. MORRIS Udall of Arizona said he would end his effort to recruit Demo- cratic delegates, but would not with- drtw, release the delegates he already hts, or endorse Carter. :en. Frank Church of Idaho said he vw'uld wait a while before deciding what to do about his candidacy, then talked about the possibility of vice presidential nomination on a Carter ticket.. Florida Gov. Reuben Askew switched his support from Jackson to Carter, say- ing "it is important to close ranks." THE MOVEMENT toward Carter came with surprising speed after he won 218 of the S40 Democratic delegates awarded in Tuesday's final balloting of the long primary election season. Carter won Ohio in a landslide, but Brown trounced him in California and an uncommitted slate of Brown and Humphrey supporters beat him three to one in New Jersey delegate competi- tion. Nonetheless, the primary wind-up put Carter's delegates commitments at 1,126, and if his new supporters would deliver their delegates, he had more than enough for first ballot victory. THE NUMBERS: -Wallace asked his 168 delegates to swing to Carter. -Jackson s'opped short of releasing his 248 delegates, but said he would be talking with them and would make a recommendation next week. "I hope all the candidates .. . will join in a united appeal to get behind Gov. Carter, who See WALLACE, Page 7 Ford predicts first ballot victory WASHINGTON ' ) - President Ford predicted yes- terday he will win a first-ballot nomination but said he wants to do it by a sizeable vote and will try to woo uncommitted convention delegates by telling hem he is electable and can help other Republicans win on his coattails. lord told reperters at a news conference in the White House Rose Garden that the Republican primar- ies, which ended Tuesday, were rough competition. But he doubted they did much damage to GOP efforts atainst the Democratic choice, who he acknowledged looks like Jimmy Carter. THE PRESIDENT said he is pleased to see his etpublican challenger, Ronald Reagan, indicate he has traditionally supported his party's nominee and will an. Ford interpreted that to mean Reagan will line Up behind him if he is nominated. "I would say It's been a tough contest," Ford said. "Competition has been rough. We expected to win When we started out; we think we'll win in Kansas City, We've had some disappointments, but we've done well in Ohio and New Jersey." Ford and Reagan go to Springfield, Mo., tomorrow to make personal pitches on the eve of the selection of 19 at-large delegates in Missouri's Republican con- vention. Reagan, former governor of California, spent yesterday at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif. LOOKING AhEAD to the Republican national con- vention at Kansas City in August, the President said every state is vitally important to his nomination ef- fort. "We want all of the delegates from all of the states that we can possibly get," Ford said. "I am electa'le," he said. "I can bring in more members of the Congress and state legislators . . . The delegates want to pick a winner who can help elect more members of the House and Senate and more state legislators." Expressing confidence in his efforts to win uncom- mitted delegates, Ford declared flatly: "I'll just say we are going to win on the first ballot. "I ALWAYS prepare for the worst and the best will take care of itself," he said. "Winning by 1,131 dele- gates is good, buc I'd like to win by more than that on the first ballot." Ford said "the polls as a whole indicate that I am electable." He conceded "we have an occa- sional poll that shows a dip here, a dip there." But if one takes the consensus of all polls," the President said, "it proves beyond any doubt that I am elect- able." In reply to a question he said he has no plans to reinstate his earned-clemency program for Vietnam era draft dodgers and deserters who have fled the country. HE DESCRIBED his goals if he is elected in No- vember as being along the lines of what he sees as his administration's achievements in his 22 months in the White House so far. He ticked off maintaining peace, increasing pros- perity and restoring confidence and trust in the presi- dency. But Ford gave no specifics and declined to do so. "We'll get into details of programs, but that is pre- mature at the present time," Ford said.