WILDER, JACKSON MEET, DISCUSS ISSUES BUT NOT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACIES

Gov. L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia met privately Saturday with Jesse Jackson, a potential rival for the White House. The Rev. Mr. Jackson later said the two discussed a number of issues but not presidential politics.Speaking to reporters after their breakfast at the Executive Mansion, both men downplayed their political rivalry and sidestepped questions about their involvement in the 1992 presidential race. Wilder declared himself a candidate for the Democratic nomination two weeks ago. Jackson has twice sought but failed to win the party's nod. "We did not discuss what would happen if [I ran], because we chose not to discuss political punditry and guessing," said Jackson, who plans to decide on another bid by early November. Asked if he was concerned about Jackson's possible entry into the race, which analysts say would undercut Wilder's support among blacks, the governor said his decision to run didn't depend "on who did or who did not get into it." Jackson said they discussed education funding, statehood for the District of Columbia, right-to-work laws, national health care, voter registration, and poverty programs. "These are the only matters I really feel like discussing today because it's what the governor and I talked about in our meeting." Both men criticized President Bush's sweeping proposals to reduce nuclear arms. Wilder said the president's proposals apply only to weapons that are already in place. "That creates no [peace] dividend at all," he said.