Mondale Tells Quayle Not to Be ‘Trivialized’

WASHINGTON —  Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale met today with Dan Quayle and said he advised the vice president-elect to fight against being “trivialized” with assignments that other officials should do.

The two had breakfast at Quayle’s request as he continued to seek advice from others who have held the position he will fill under George Bush.

Quayle was belittled by Democrats during the campaign as a terrible choice for the nation’s No. 2 post. But Mondale said after their private meeting, “I believe he can do it, and I believe he wants to do it. He’s been elected by the people of the United States and we all better hope that he does a good job.”

Mondale said it was apparent Quayle had been reading, discussing and thinking about how to handle the job. Quayle sought ideas on how much time he should spend on Capitol Hill, on administrative matters and on official functions, Mondale said.

“He’s obviously serious about this job,” the former vice president said.

He acknowledged that Quayle had used harsh campaign rhetoric against him and former President Jimmy Carter. But “I wasn’t too flattering about him, either,” Mondale said. “We just kind of called that even.”

“I told him I thought a big danger of the vice presidency is to be trivialized, to be given a number of functions, to prove they’re important when in fact we have other agencies to do that work,” Mondale said.

“He ought to use his time to work on the really important matters. . . . After all, Mr. Quayle might become President. He ought to be working on issues of significance.

“There’s going to be pressure on him to take on a lot of little functions to prove he’s doing something. I said, reject that advice and just stay on the big issues,” Mondale said.

Quayle will see former President Gerald R. Ford next week. Ford was former President Richard M. Nixon’s second vice president, after Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace before Nixon resigned in disgrace.