Manatt to Run Simon Campaign

WASHINGTON — Former Democratic Party chief Charles T. Manatt signed on as national chairman of Sen. Paul Simon’s presidential campaign today, calling the Illinois senator “a man you can trust” and the most electable of the Democrats.

Manatt, appearing at a news conference with Simon, quipped, “It’s not every day you can get a balanced-budget populist to support for President of the United States.” Manatt, chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1981 to 1984, was a national chairman of front-runner Gary Hart’s campaign, which ended abruptly in May after the revelation of Hart’s liaison with model Donna Rice.