On The Grapevine

Avoiding combat. For Pat Robertson, March 8 marks not only Super Tuesday but also the date his libel suit against Pete McCloskey is scheduled to go to trial. Robertson is suing McCloskey for claiming that he sought help from his father Senator A. Willis Robertson to avoid combat duty in Korea. A review of evidence collected by McCloskey's lawyers reveals that Robertson may be in for a blitzkrieg of bad publicity. Several fellow Marine officers corroborate McCloskey's claim, and a letter from Robertson's father to Marine General Lemuel Shepherd expresses his pleasure that Pat "will get more training before engaging in combat duty in Korea." If the suit is settled before trial, Robertson may have to pay McCloskey's legal fees.

Limited partner. Bob Dole likes to joke that he opposes a Dole-Dole ticket because "I don't want to be Vice President." But when asked what Elizabeth would do as First Lady, he describes a more traditional role, like championing the cause of "abused children." Such presumption rankles Mrs. Dole, who says she would explore the "universe of options." The message: she will decide.

Hang in there, Paul -- or else. After finishing third in New Hampshire, Paul Simon announced that he would bow out of the race unless he won either Minnesota or South Dakota. The following day, however, he said he would stay | in at least until after his home state's primary on March 15. Behind the flip- flop was some arm twisting by Illinois supporters. State Democratic Chairman Vince Demuzio collared Simon at Chicago's Midway Airport last week. "I told him I almost cut off my nose shaving when I read what he had said," says Demuzio. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan groused about being left "high and dry" and hinted that Simon's Senate re-election chances might be hurt if he abandoned the race early.

Advice from the sidelines. As the contest between Bush and Dole turned nasty, Mario Cuomo told Democratic National Chairman Paul Kirk: "Tell your candidates to go out on the stage and stand there holding hands and humming The Star-Spangled Banner. Hum it -- don't sing it, because then they would have to open their lips."

Personal shots. Last week Gephardt Campaign Manager William Carrick apologized to Al Gore and Fred Martin, Gore's campaign manager, for calling them "bastards" in a Washington Post interview. The bad blood dates back to Gore's December win in the South Carolina straw poll. To hype the victory, the Gore camp issued a press release declaring that Carrick had personally led the Gephardt effort in the state. In fact, Carrick had returned twice to his native South Carolina, but only to visit his ailing mother.

What's an actress to do? Poor Morgan Fairchild. The sultry TV star can't make up her mind. A delegate to the California State Democratic Convention, she has questioned all the candidates save one, but has yet to make an endorsement. "It's like going to a dance and waiting for that look across the room that says, 'This is it.' " Apparently, the feeling is mutual. "I met Gary Hart many times, and he never made a pass at me. I feel like chopped liver."