PRESSURING PATAKI

Four GOP presidential hopefuls --Phil Gramm,Pete Wilson,Arlen Specterand Bob Dornan - have asked New York Gov. George Pataki to derail Bob Dole's attempt to keep them off the state's primary ballot. Pataki has joined most other high-ranking New York Republicans in backing Dole for president.TIME chief political correspondent Michael Kramerexplains that under New York election rules, Dole could keep other names off the ballot in certain key congressional districts, unless his opponents engage in ruinously-expensive grass-roots efforts. Dole learned this trick the hard way back in 1988, when Vice President George Bush used the rules to keep him off the ballot in most NY districts; as President, Bush did it toPat Buchananin 1992.Campaign '96 File