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- NATION, Page 29American NotesGOVERNORSTwo Dukes Bow Out
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- State politics on both coasts got unexpected jolts last week
- when Massachusetts' Governor Michael Dukakis and California's
- George Deukmejian walked away from probable re-election
- victories in 1990, announcing their decisions within two days
- of each other. Their withdrawals set off stampedes among
- politicians in both states eager to, uh, duke it out to replace
- them.
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- In a hastily called Boston news conference, Dukakis revealed
- he would not seek an unprecedented fourth term and would instead
- concentrate on wiping out his state's $636 million budget
- deficit. Said a philosophical Dukakis: "There comes a time when
- you have to let go." His withdrawal fueled speculation that
- Dukakis wants to avenge his stinging loss to George Bush last
- November by mounting another, probably unwelcome, presidential
- bid in 1992. The Governor refused to rule out such a replay,
- coyly observing, "I've learned -- occasionally painfully --
- never to say never in politics."
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- Deukmejian had much less difficulty saying goodbye.
- Rejecting the pleas of California Republicans, the two-term
- Governor, 60, who now earns an $85,000 salary, insisted he
- wished to return to private life. Concluded a political
- observer: "The bottom line is that he's tired and wants to make
- some money."
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