Speech by Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole
- Transcript
Thank. You Very Much. Thank you. I think we have some more chairs. We are going to find some more. Got a couple of pair of them like come up here. I wanted to ask a special friend of mine who just happens to be in town today to come up and to say a word about Iowa. My friend Senator Grassley is one of my Midwest Germany he's up here visiting the Patrol INS and he just happened to run into him in Congress Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa come on up here. Well first of all I want to bring you the good news that next February. Bob Dole will come out on top in a big way in Iowa as a first step to New Hampshire and those two steps to making the next president of the United
States. I'm proud I'm proud to work with Bob Dole in the United States Senate. I know a person who knows how to put things together to get the job done. It's leadership that this country needs because he has a way of bringing people together. And I think what America needs today is somebody who can bring us together and also think America needs somebody today who can bring the world together in the sands of the United States continuing its world leadership a world leadership which has been lost under a president who hasn't had a set of principles upon which to guide his foreign policy. But most importantly in the Midwest those of us who know Bob Dole because of his leadership in Kansas. We know him because he is one of us in the sense of knowing where his roots are and we think that that's what it takes to make a president because we don't want somebody that goes to the inside the Beltway and forgets about his people.
Bob Dole remembers those he won't forget those roots and those roots are important to the meaning of America the meaning of America as a world leader of bringing our people together enhancing our economy. And the bottom line is enhancing individual freedom so I'm glad to support Bob Dole and I look forward to working with him to a victory in Iowa. And you know the last time I came from Iowa to New Hampshire where the. In 88 I left at the end of the day I'm going to stay around a little while longer. Well Senator Grassley you are a very good friend his wife Barbara's here too and they're taking a little vacation much needed vacation. And. I said no I would say that there is no hardworking United States senator than Senator Grassley who goes all over the state.
I don't how many times a year that twice. And that's why I get so bad. He gets a big vote and I've got a lot of confidence a lot of friends in both parties and he does his homework. But I want to say first of all that I appreciate very much this opportunity we are sort of on vacation. They haven't told me when it starts and I keep waiting maybe today maybe tomorrow. But I was sitting out on the dock today at Lake Winnipesaukee for three hours. I never had a more beautiful day in New Hampshire than today. And the grasses are going enjoyed very much. I know a lot of them here as do millions of other people who come up to New England and New Hampshire and around all the great lakes and and has such a wonderful time. And my wife's got a little 24 hour flu bug so she's not with me right now but nothing I cooked or anything is something else. I will tell you where we ate out.
I think they're for me. But in any event you know. I think both the bills and often Charley and Senator Grassley touched on something. And I want to make a point because I was I'm Ninus lost on people who failed to understand the importance of Iowa and New Hampshire. Now whether you like it or not but I do like it. I was going to be the first caucus state and New Hampshire is going to be the first primary state. A lot of other states have been jockeying around and it's not going to happen you're going to be first. And that makes it makes it very. Difficult. And along with that comes responsibility responsibility because you're going to have a special response. Look at all of us. The last time I checked there were 10 Republican candidates one announced today and they're all friends of mine. But let's be very candid about it. In my view this race is not going to last too long when it starts in Iowa and then a few days later New Hampshire it could be over
or it could be over the next week in New York or Colorado or down. Everybody has moved up their primaries. The point I want to make and so some of the states have come say in April or May Nebraska for example or June New Jersey for example it's going to be over unless something unforeseen happens. So you have a special responsibility because you're going to be voting for a lot of people who won't have the opportunity when you select somebody in New Hampshire. When you say I'm supporting Bob Dole you'd need an example I got a nice ring to it. It's going to have an impact all across America. And I remember 1988 coming out of Iowa I'd been elected president of Iowa and it felt good like Senator Grassley came along we had a big. And we thought were going to win. My pollsters said your 20 points ahead and came in one day whistling Hail to the chief. And I was the only one there. And I lost by eight points. I haven't seen him since. But he is a nice man
but something happened. So that's history. And I became a loyal lieutenant to President Bush. I'm very loyal. I like politics and I like government. And I know how the system works. And when you lose you've got a couple of choices you can go off in a corner and pout and say well it wasn't fair. Life isn't fair. I said want you to or you can get up off your whatever and go to work for the nominee. And that's what this process is all about. Now I know other polls and I know other surveys are out people out there looking for the perfect candidate somebody a little agree with them on everything would be a perfect candidate for some people somebody who's never been in politics would be a perfect candidate for some people but for a lot of people they're looking for someone with experience. Someone who has had to make tough decisions. Someone who has maybe had sort of a hard scrabble life and know what it's like to be poor and to seen the other side and
know that people in America can have problems and people in Concord can have problems and people in this room can have problems. And I know about some of them. No I'm not going to stand and say I'm going to solve everybody's problem because we had a big revolution in 1994 and I want to commit to this audience whether you're for me or against me or passing through town or came at the wrong meeting whatever the case may be. We live in the greatest country on the face of the earth. A lot of people have made sacrifices for American fact almost everybody has. If you're a parent you make sacrifices your grandparents made sacrifices because you want your children and your grandchildren to have better opportunities. So you got to be very certain come next February. When you look at us and you look us in the eye and you ask us a question we don't duck we don't dodge we don't know the answer we don't know the answer.
If we don't agree with you we don't agree with you. And I find most people will long as you're honest and candid because that's all we have in our business and once your word is gone you're gone. In politics or business or anything else. So I feel very strongly about what I'm doing. I feel very strongly and I'm prepared. I feel very strongly that I have the experience. I've been a mainstream conservative ever since I've been in politics. I come from a small town in Kansas about 5000 people used to be about eight but it's gone down a little. We live in western Kansas where we went through the dust bowl and all those things that we had in those days out in the Midwest you escape here. But we've had our ups and downs you've gone through a ringing recession in the 80s in New England and just now beginning to come out of it. We got our alert here. We've been out of it for a few years and we've got great opportunities in this country. Opportunities for our children and our grandchildren
and I believe most Americans regardless of party and my parents were Democrats in our little town. We just voted for the person and we had a fellow of the Democrat wanted to run for Congress. And my parents were active in politics so they thought Mr. Holden be a good member of Congress. And they they became Democrats took me a while to get him back after I ran but there they're no longer here but they were good supporters of mine and I believe I have the ability to reach out to people independents Democrats and yes Republicans. I believe as a ability to instill confidence in what I say because I keep my word. And make it very clear as I've said many times you know people fuss about the garden and what the government does a lot of good things. Some of them is old enough to remember the G.I. Bill of Rights. Some of us wouldn't a gone to school without it. Some of us know about Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid and all the other programs
that we have in this government of ours. Charlie Bass and Bill Xlib and Judd Gregg and Bob Smith are on our way out to try to Chuck Grassley to destroy the government. What we want to do is what you want to do. We want to make it more efficient. It's your money. We want to make it more responsive. It's your government. So we want to make it smaller and more sensitive to rein in the government a little bit like you do your business or your household whatever it is when you can't pay all the bills and we don't pay the bills we charge them to your kids and your grandkids and generations not even born yet. So we're trying to bring that together. We're trying to balance the budget by the year 2002 and we're going back next week in the Congress and we have to make some tough decisions by the 22nd of September. The deal with Medicare and Medicaid and program farm programs that affect people in the Midwest.
And people like me in New England and we like to produce food for people in New England. And we know we have the best food bargain in the world. So all these saying that we think we're on the right track. We also want to reconnect this government of ours with the people with the people because I think sometimes people hate the government so remote and so distant. They don't care about us anymore. You get there at five o'clock the doors close you have to drive 40 miles tomorrow. Sort of reconnecting the garment with people out there who have to work and send your kids to school or maybe they're a nurse or maybe they were going to help source. We just left that great place. They told us what was happening all over New England and how they're lowering the cost of health care and still getting just as good or better care. And the point of touch Chuck Grassley touched on is sort of reasserting ourselves as a nation around the world. We're the greatest country on the face of the earth. Make no mistake
about it. Everybody wants to be like America. Unfortunately everybody wants to come to America not everybody but a lot of people want to come to America and we have to have limits and we have to have restrictions and working on welfare reform. And it's going to restrict some of the benefits for illegal aliens because we can't afford it. You can't afford it you're the taxpayers. You know I went out to Hollywood made a speech here a couple of months ago about Hollywood about the entertainment industry. I made a speech in 93 on the Senate floor. Nobody cared. I made a speech in 94. Nobody cared. But in 95 when I went to Hollywood it touched a nerve. And I said at that time you know Time Warner has been a very responsible corporate citizen. But then it got into understanding that money was more important than anything else more important in your
kids. And so we had all this violence and loveless sex and all of things. We have a TV you have these awful CDs you can. Any child can buy. I wouldn't repeat the lyrics and you wouldn't want me to. I remember asking Tim Russert on Meet the Press when and why don't we repeat these on Meet the Press. No way I've got a nine year old son and all. So the parent understands and we're not asking for legislation. We don't believe in censorship. This is America. But shame is a powerful weapon. And that's all we've got. First Amendment rights. We can do anything. When we first amend we can be outraged too. That's a first amendment right. We can disagree with what they do. That's the first amendment right. And I'm pleased to see that Time Warner is making some changes. Three or four top people have been fired. They're thinking about selling off Interscope because they decided maybe being a good corporate citizen is more important. How many dollars you make. How much profit you rack
up at the expense of children. And I see President Clinton when I'm when I when I watch President Clinton say smoking is bad for teenagers. I agree. But I'm a little confused because his surgeon general had said before she left that we ought to legalize marijuana. And I couldn't put the two together let the government regulate smoking but legalize marijuana. That's why the American people are confused. That's why this election is so important and that's why I believe that we have opportunities as we look down the road. So I would just say to this audience that I'm going to take questions. This is like Iowa Chuck. You don't go to New Hampshire without taking questions. You may leave without answering but you don't take no. And that's the way the system ought that's called democracy but I just want to make one statement I want to reemphasize what I said at the outset.
You've got to keep in mind that your party voting for 10 people when you vote in the primary up here maybe 10 maybe more but they're somebody will do a survey and say I was wrong on the 12 or 11 or 9 and whatever but a lot of people. So they're counting on the people in New Hampshire. They're counting on the people of Iowa and the three or four other early primaries because that could be it. I may be wrong maybe it'll go down to the wire may be a long way down to June 20th I think that's when New Jersey is you'll forgotten by the time it reaches New Jersey and many states have moved theirs up in early March because they want to be part of the action. And I watched somebody look at a map the other day where the electoral votes and how is Clinton going to win in 96. He's going to have to win the West Coast California Oregon Washington New York Rhode Island Massachusetts West Virginia maybe Arkansas then he's going to have to fight for it in the upper Midwest in Ohio and Illinois and Michigan and
Minnesota and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania New Jersey. He has to win almost all of those states if you took a poll today because you'd have about 60 electoral votes and the Republican nominee would have 200 and some. And you need 270 to win. And I don't believe you carry a single southern state. Maybe Arkansas but even in Arkansas he's not that far yet. So I want to make that point. And I want to make the point too because again as you know somebody has been a lot of time today with somebody who wanted to do a profile. You always want to worry people want to do a profile because journalists and I call them defiles but they call them pro-pot. We'll see what happens. Two and a half hours I spent with this person. But the point I try to make to him is it is a very critical time in American it is always critical. We elect our presidents a very critical time and critical choice. We're about to go into another century the next century the one we think is going to be better
better for us and better for everybody else. Why not. This is America. We are the leader of the free world. We do have the responsibility. And when all these foreign leaders come to America they don't come in knocking the door and hold out their hand for foreign aid. They know we don't have it. They want to sit down talk to you. How do you do it in America. Can you give us technical assistance. Well there's technology or agriculture and almost without exception three or four years ago and they leave your office they say in a different way but they'd say it with some tears rolling down her cheeks and Arab men and their women they're young and they're old and some have been locked up for doing what I'm doing today speaking out against the government and had gotten out of jail and now they've had their party and they lead their country like like once it. And what did they say to us. Very simple. We want to be like America 500 million people in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Now I have a little taste of freedom because of American leadership and because you paid your taxes and we build up our defenses. And because of
Ronald Reagan and George Bush and yes President Carter we never backed off. And then the wall collapsed in Berlin and communism collapsed. In the Soviet Union and now you've got 15 republics it's you and everybody wanting a little freedom. And you got Poland and Czechoslovak in Hungary a check and Slovak now all wanting a little taste of freedom. And they all want to be like America. So now they can vote only half of us vote more than half of them vote and they can go to church and they can pick up the telephone and call somebody and they can get on an airplane and travel to America without waiting six months or six years in somebody. And they pick up the phone nobody tapped it on the other end. So all these little basic things that we take for granted. Five hundred million people are getting a little taste because of us. Because of our leadership and our allies leadership. And that's important. It's going to
avoid future conflicts is going to go our sons and grandsons and be on maybe getting caught up in some moral conflict somewhere in the next 10 15 20 years. So that's what this election is all about is trying to expand democracy around the world trying to make it grow and make it flourish. Not talking about foreign aid we don't have any money and they know it. But by setting an example for our children and children around the world and leaders around the world. And I think we make a great contribution. Richard Nixon said in his last book if you took a survey which he had done in America over half the people said we don't want that leadership anymore cost too much money. Let some other country pay for it for a while. And you say well which country. Japan. No China no Germany no it all comes back to us. We are the only country at this time in history with a potential to provide world leadership. And it's in our interest that we do so.
So that's what it's all about. That's what makes America great and the people in it so great because we're the first ones called. If there's a disaster they call us or they call the Red Cross and Elizabeth calls us whatever in. One way or the other they get to us. So thank you very much for coming. I'll be very happy to respond to question. And Bill and Charlie are two of you have any questions them. Yes. Right. I've introduced long term care legislation most recently I think in 1980
he was 84 along with Senator Packwood and were working beyond that now long term care is essential. I mean people have to have long term care. You've got to figure out some way to provide it. What we're trying to do now is to get young people in the workplace. You know it's hard to convince somebody when they're 20 years old or 25 just going in the workforce and they're going to need long term care someday or that they're going to get older. I think it's always going to be 25 35 40. I'm just reading a new book called The longevity factor. I want to now everybody here who thinks you may be getting a little older. You don't really start your second adulthood until you reach 50 and you don't get to middle age until you're in your 70s. So take heart. Anybody that out there. And. I gave the book to Senator Thurmond last week to 3. He said I wrote it. He's 92. You're right. Long term care. Health care. We wouldn't buy. President Clinton's plan last year becomes a government run system. But we've got some obligations on health
care and there will be a Republican bill introduced this year. Yes. And. I'll be happy to have a copy I know one. Well let let me just try to answer that. We've we've tried to do something about it. But no question in some cases there's a
lot of fraud a lot of. And any big government program whether it's food stamps whether it's welfare whether it's Medicare Medicaid agriculture. Somebody is going to rip off this is like war. Now let me. Well let me just make a statement General that we are investigating and is it done in a nonpartisan way. I've been part of the investigation and going back and look at double billing. A lot of these things Senator Collins from Maine was going to be part of our if not welfare reform part of our health care plan on fraud and abuse in Medicare Medicaid where they get people the wrong prosthetic the the wrong leg and charge and hundred you got
example after example where somebody is ripping off the system. Now we're never going to stop all that. I mean Ronald Reagan used to run on balancing the budget on fraud waste and abuse. Well you can't do it all with that but you can certainly lower the cost. And we're going to make a special effort to do it. We've made efforts in the past. But I tell you when you've got a big program you're going down. I was down in Miami here about two months ago and the Miami Herald had done an investigative piece on taxicabs taking seniors to see their doctor. They determined as one taxi driver was paid so much he had had to drive one hundred twenty seven miles an hour and never make any stops and never pick anybody up. And he got hundreds of thousands of dollars from the government. So you're right. But let me have the article. Yes. Go for fuels or ground you
know. But I would lift the arms embargo so people have a right to defend themselves. You know. By the in fact I was just asked by somebody. There were three dozen people killed this morning in Sarajevo. Well that's a long way off. We don't know any of those people. They were children. They were women. They were helpless. They were defenseless. So you know it's a long way off. So we don't we can't be everybody's policeman. But Bosnia is an independent nation. Remember the United Nations or their little country in Bali people forget if they just go away. In fact a lot of the Western powers and I can not go away because they've been a problem. I think President Clinton likes the Bosnia go. It's a problem because he said one thing in the campaign lifting arms embargo and he got to like his oh don't lift the arms embargo under Article 51 of the United Nations
charter an independent nation has a right to self-defense. And that's always a guess but it seemed to me there ought also be a NATO response from time to time not talking about American troops. We keep telling these people like you just give up this safe haven and give up garage sale or give up this will take care of you if there's any strikes on Syria. So today there is a strike on Syria able and there's no response. So what are the what are the aggressors going to. They're going to say well nobody cares. So my view is you don't send American troops. The president's already committed to send 25000 if they get a peace agreement but that need at our time getting that through Congress. They would want to be sure what the peace agreement was. But the answer is no. Yes. Well that's that's the very reason a lot of people are frustrated and cynical about that government.
And you know my view is having served in the military and having watched what happened in Vietnam when the veterans came home there almost you know pushed aside and their bodies some Korean veterans. You talk about the forgotten war it was Korea. Fifty six thousand Americans died there. We finally got a memorial put up six weeks ago in Washington D.C.. And I attended the moving wall ceremony and married just two days ago a very moving tribute to veterans of Vietnam. And we have a special obligation to veterans those who served in the Gulf War those who served and we have service connected disability. And my view is that as I said to the national VFW convention last week in Phoenix. That's an ongoing responsibility. And I was told there and I don't want to check it. Maybe Chuck could tell me back there that we've still got men in uniform
having to go to welfare offices because they can't support their family. Now if that's the case because Ronald Reagan changed it in my view that's a tragedy. Anybody in the uniform our uniform ought to be paid enough to take care of his family or her family. And we're checking that out in the bill a follow up on this. That when
I'm just going to try to guess I'd have to check and get back to you but I think it was an amendment offered by Senator Kohl from Wisconsin and I know I'm certain you know what I'll have to check the vote on a deal which I'll do. So you'll have the vote. But I agree with the Supreme Court. Yeah. Yeah. You know that's a problem. You say the government does a lot of good things they get a lot of things that they don't belong in. And that's one thing you don't belong in lots of states. What about states can regulate that. And I think the president's going to go back and try to do it again. But. Yes. Well you mean it's for the last 10 20 30 40 years the the billions
this year how much you got it now. You cut it how much. Yeah. And we're bought into this. We're cutting it back about I'd say about 20 percent this year in the House and the Senate. We've got the biggest aid recipients as you know are Egypt Israel and Jordan because we're trying to get the Mideast peace settlement there. And I assume that if that happens people would be taking a look at those programs. But I think there has been a fact right now we're trying to we're trying to rearrange the whole State Department. And I can't get the Democrats a lot of vote on. We to try to invoke cloture three times. We'd like to eliminate four or five of these agencies AIG being one of them and the arms control being another one and merging into one. Five former secretaries of state testified they were kind of useless things that ought to be eliminated. But President Clinton had on a we got to keep everything we can eliminate anything. That in itself would reduce the
cost of the foreign aid administrative cost by a substantial amount. So that's right. That's right. Well we had some help from Egypt and some of the other Middle Eastern companies and somebody knows who had three sons in the Gulf. You know and I've had a lot of people say why didn't President Bush go ahead and do it why didn't he just go to Baghdad. I mean we're that close. Well the problem is he didn't make the decision for every country and that he made that decision. It's my understanding that France have pulled out immediately and it would have happened in any event but sooner or later Saddam Hussein is going to be history. Now we've got defections in his
own family maybe that will hasten it a little bit. And. I think we have to be very careful and I must say I support President Clinton. If Saddam Hussein ever thinks we're not serious about our resolve we're going to deal with him again. And we have to rush 25000 American troops over there protect Kuwait or maybe Saudi Arabia or maybe maybe Israel maybe somewhere else. But I think he understands our resolve. He doesn't. Then he will. But I don't know if anybody has any plans for you know any take. And you can't you know in the old days you used to be able to do it to eliminate people you know but you can't do that anymore because they have an executive order that just disappears overnight. Yes. Are still buying helium 2 we got a 50
year supply helium. Yeah. Well part of our training in government at least my view would be to eliminate not only energy but commerce which have been around since 1983 and is going 170 17 duplicated offices in the government and it's sort of a fundraising arm for the president United States. But the secretary generally does. And we think we can eliminate that education. I didn't vote for education. We eliminate that they have a Jimmy Carter's pay off to the teachers union. And then you get rid of HUD. Jack Kemp was Secretary is it. Get rid of some of the stuff you might have to pull in most of it. Some of the energy you make you put over in defense. Maybe the laboratories Los Alamos whatever but much most of it most of it
doesn't serve any useful purpose. And we're talking about billions of dollars billions of dollars in education. The money you saved could somehow be directed back to states and local communities and you'd be a lot better off. Well I hope nothing I mean. The one we passed the Senate we try to be very very careful to not trample on the Bill of Rights because I said on the Senate floor we've got to be certain the bill we passed is not in response to some terrible tragedy in Oklahoma City we've got to be able to look at this bill a year from now or five years from now and say we did the right thing. No I don't think we've compromised anybody right. You know no doubt about it we could not could've passed anything a day or two after that Oklahoma City tragedy anything. Well I don't think it trampled on the Bill of Rights. That's
my view. Now the House has some reservation. That's why they haven't taken it up yet. They'll pass their bill will go to conference with them. But is there anything in there if you know of a provision that you think somehow violates one of the amendments or the Bill of Rights. One of the ten amendments that I'll be happy yet. I don't know there are no gun control and there's no Second Amendment. What I call Waco I think same thing Bill Zoloft called it another tragedy where we had excessive force use which could go to the highest levels. But I you know I'd be glad to talk to you about it. I'd be glad to send you but I've got a copy of you got a copy of ours. You've got a copy of the bill we passed it. Yes. I think they're very good. And let let me explain. I don't want to be defensive about
this but we have 54 Republican senators and we have 46 Democratic senators. And our founding fathers in their wisdom made us different than the house. They want us to be a deliberative body and they can sleep in peace because we deliberate everything. You know we've kept our word to the founding fathers. We debate everything. Twenty two days on a balanced budget amendment we spent. House spent two days. We call our bill the work Opportunity Act of 1995 not welfare the work opportunity back in 1995. And let me also say I introduced the first workfare amendment in 1988 that passed in the Senate Balma helped Senator Grassley and Senator Armstrong from Colorado we passed. The Democrats couldn't beat us. We got to pass what we wanted to help dignified people get people back in the workforce. I think most people want to work now. They're babies they can work and if they're senior citizens they can work. But a lot of others can
work. We're talking about real jobs in the private sector not leaf raking not makework not government jobs. We're also trying to address this very critical issue of babies having babies. What are you going to do when teenagers have children. Do you take them out of their home set them up in their apartment and get food stamps and Medicaid. And we say no. Leave them in the home with their parents. They've got to have some supervision. The child doesn't know any better and I feel sorry I reached for that child could be anybody's child. But in many cases in the ghettos in the slums or in the cities where nobody cares about their kids they're born that's the last attention they ever get from anybody. So we're trying to make it make it work. But I think we have 50 Republican votes if I need 60 it's going to be very difficult. Let me give you another example of how important it is to get 60 votes. We've got 59 votes for regulatory reform a cost every family in here about six thousand dollars a year and New
Hampshire's a very sensitive state when it comes the environment we understand that we're not trying to destroy the environment we're trying to bring some common sense into some of the regulations. We can't get the 60th vote to shut off debate to pass the bill. You got every Republican but so far only for Democrats. We need two more the two more votes than. So we think that will pass before we need one vote for the balanced budget amendment. One vote is one vote short a balanced budget amendment. We need 67 we got 66. Six Democrats who voted for it last year voted against it this year. Now that's politics. And I remember the debate as I said 22 days in length and I told a story which I'll repeat if you watch C-SPAN as many of you may do. Senator Byrd of West Virginia is a very bright man who knows more about dissent in anybody because he wrote most the rules. He knows more about Roman history than anybody because he's a student of Roman history. You knows more than the Romans know about Roman history but he sort of a one day to talk about
Rome and he's just published a book on Roman history. The next day talked about the battle of Benjamin. And one day as I've said he was so wound up he said if Cicero were alive today he would be opposed to the balanced budget amendment. And Senator Thurmond got up and said I knew Cicero. And he was for the balanced budget amendment. I'll try to answer the others on the way up to pull the chain let me turn it back to Bill's out there Bill. Thank you all very much. Thank you Senator Dole. And I'd like to meet with the two folks who would like to talk about the V.A. in Manchester. Are Republican primary voters in the greater degree area mailed and then some call by volunteers in the office here. Teach thanks. For. Your.
Today. Congressman Hathaway you're from Hungary. Let's go back to where you heard Senator Dole speak speaking just ask you in general what are you looking for. What kind of qualities are worse positions with the person have to house. We've got two grandchildren two girls OK three and six years old. And what kind of guess what kind of thinking what's going to happen to them when they get irate or even insulation for age and you know I kind of worried. You know we're worried about the way things look right now. What are you worried about. Are they going to be able to go across the country like you and I and
you're going to be able to live. And I think listening to Bob Dole now I think they're on the right track with what he's talking about as far as Social Security. It's got to stop spending somehow it's got to stop. So that's immediate concern is cutting the deficit and cutting government spending. Right. You can be in touch of the right thing. What did he say. Are you committed to voting for him now or are you considering running for now would be for him when he created by poverty. I probably was kidding with you a little bit in the beginning. I'm Bob Dole man. You know I like him like I think he's thinking that for us. And yes I'll vote for Bob Dole. And I think he's I think he's out of the
bunch. I think he's the best minds of facts to come. I think he's as honest as any of them. And he's up in our age bracket and these talks like we do. You know as far as things it's got to be done. And I guess that's what I'm thinking of I guess more. Just asking one word can't be announced today. Governor from California king wants me to announce he's running. You know much about I know nothing about nothing. And you really feel like you need to find out. I'm not satisfied. I'm very satisfied. And when you get to the size weight that way back when the first need.
Appreciate it. Thank you. Bye bye. Charity. It's. Free. The heart did you for once I didn't have it so I may be right. Nancy didn't know you. Didn't answer your question here. Well no. Well I think that he talks about the past but his interest. I've talked
with him on a one to one basis before and his interest in the disabled is there because five years ago he started to say but I feel that long term care is not only. An elderly problem. And he didn't address the use of the young person the middle age and so forth the child with cystic fibrosis were aware of where a parent is working and spending down you know till they have no money left and then they have to they have to depend on Medicaid. So what I really want to get into block grants to states and if and when and how these people are going to be given the money and if they will. MARTIN Are you satisfied with what he said and what his approach seems to be. What's your reaction please. Well I believe that he really just touched on it and he didn't go deep enough into into the question. But I plan on being here again and keep keep talking with the center because it really it has to be. It's such an important
question and it has to be brought out in the open. And if people don't ask it we're never going to hear about it. I really mean that. I. Am a huge fan. Can I ask you in general of all. These. Minutes any one Republican at this point not at this point. No. And I get your vote. What would it take. Well it would. They have to understand basically their real needs and the quality of care for people. The real needs and the quality of care of healthy people. They may be sick tomorrow. Too many people don't understand that. And it's taking five hundred billion dollars that way. That's what it's solving our budget right now is real people and real people and their health. And it doesn't matter if you're healthy today or tomorrow. So I mean it's going to be brought out in the open and I want these these candidates to know that. OK. So we have established that you are lobbying for this for the candidates. How do you feel about any one of them are you leaning towards any of these Republicans or are you leaning toward Clinton.
OK I've interviewed myself one to one not too many of them. And I. I have interviewed the president. No. It's just the primary candidates. Would any of them. Well. They're all we're like when I first started talking about health care. They all backed away and really basically didn't say anything. Senator Dole said yes probably would be a problem with block grants. But he says it will be able to work it out. But he didn't tell me what it was. Back when Senator Specter left. Left the room when I started talking about health care what it was in the beginning it was you know about a month or so ago. And. But they don't understand long term care. One person thinks it's hospitals. Another person thinks his nursing home taking your last breath. I mean come on. Long term care is does not mean that you're 95 years old and you're dying in a nursing home.
So you don't feel satisfied with any of the responses from any you so far. I feel that they should come out with answers clearcutting answers. What's going to happen to us. What's going to happen to the consumer. What's going to happen to the people that may need help tomorrow. I really think it's important. And. And and this time as I'm sure you know for devoting this budget that I'm I'm here all the time because I'm waiting for someone to come out and tell us. I think it's only right for every American to know what's going to happen to us. Where are the people. Thank you Nancy. Good luck to you so I'm trying. One person is out on the way. They can go in the motor car and go to work they could build a better stereo system in Norway. They can go the first to all of them can go the better medical care system. We should all those for anything Satis.
Have you heard anything satisfying on health care from any of the candidates. I. Are you a Democrat. I am what they call an independent independent and what's your reaction to the way. Are you excited about any of the Republican candidates being supportive of you. I think Senator Dole is that is the best of the group. I'm trying to avoid saying best of the bad which I think is definitely superior to draft dodgers like Phil Gramm or. No one with the balls. That you can that you can inspect Vietnam in area. The only thing you learned there was other issues. So. You were counting here. Phil Graham decided Well they put him in the paymaster's office integration economics. I went to Mississippi because that's where my country needed. He.
Can go to the paymaster's office. You can. I wish I could answer that. I kind of like I know when I see one. Tom Hanson and you from two to four five to one term Congress. I'm from Korea and where you're from. Oh thanks. I hear that's right. Thanks very much. Yeah. Yeah sure. Right right right. You. Know don't worry I haven't had a headache. I haven't got crook of all yeah. Well not quite.
I know a lot of people out there so I tell you right there. In the couple seconds I'm sorry. And now he's here and he's trying to sell the to get things done. I see the delivery. Why not. Well you know. Well welcome to the race. And secondly you don't get 178 days to go and I think we'll talk our record and look at his record all the opponents records and I think the true mainstream conservative in the race. Senator Dole I think there won't be many people
looking for an alternative by the time the election comes because of what he's talking about trying to do as president what he's done in the Senate what's coming up next few months in the Congress. I think it will be clear by then that you know clearly there'll be very few people I think looking for an alternative. So you're saying that this is not what critics are saying. No I don't think so. Not everyone in the states for us at this point but you know the campaign you know just you know getting into that retail phase and you know you're not going to win a primary with every. Everybody's support. But in terms of the mainstream conservative thought in the in the party in our philosophy and what Senator Dole is trying to accomplish just short term as well as what he wants to do when he gets into Washington in the in the White House I think he'd be very very much of a hit with him with the primary voters I think will be a very successful organization. Good message a good candidate. And I think if the other opponents stack their records up against Senator Dole's you know I think we're going to win on a clear comparison. Is there anybody that you're looking over your shoulder. You know Candy and I can turn off the tape.
No it's just really we're looking ahead. I mean we're trying to look at we're looking at President Clinton I think you know the words that were foreign a foreign head of foreign above everyone else in terms of where we are in our political scene. But our record and what we want to do in Washington in the next few months I think will demonstrate that clearly to voters. And you know our objective is to win the primary and looking forward to taking on President Clinton and we're you know hopefully not looking back now that we're taking anything for granted. We want to be talking to voters but we don't want to be talking about other candidates in terms of in a positive or negative light. We want to try to talk about what we want to do what we've done in the past and what we want to do as president. And then the voters can make their own determination. They don't need people saying well this or that. Point this out. I just think it's better to be more positive and be I think voters are a little cynical of all this name calling and pointing things out. You know the race will get rough and tumble soon enough we don't need to be doing that and Labor Day weekend. We can get clear. I forget you were in fact the senior adviser. That's
OK. But what I was wanting to clarify is I know them well. Right. And what were your guys titles. Why was director of President Bush political office. Paul was in the National Service office while he came over over to the to the political office he was deputy director and we could manage the news campaigns together and work in his office together. Do you find any kind with the best man at my wedding. I mean obviously not very convincing to him but. And Brian group and I went to high school together went to junior high together we were very close at his wedding. So obviously they've gone astray somewhere. So I have hope that by I know right after the primary they'll be onboard. So. We'll look forward to working with him again. Right. OK. Thank. You bet. You know. That house they don't work with them. They fight them tooth and nail. It seems to me that if these guys were and I know I
sound stupid because I'm not politically versed or whatever but. Once they have been appointed it's all said and done and they're in there. It shouldn't be. They should work together. They should care enough about this country to put their. You know back stabbing and all that kind of stuff aside and let's get together let's sit down compromise and get the job done. Yeah basically. That's how I feel until I see that. And I wonder if I live long. I probably won't live long and I have to say. I probably won't. I'm sorry. So. No I just don't. Forget. What would you lost any faith in government to have a positive negative on your own life. I don't see I see. Well it's not all the government's fault that I'm where I'm at. I mean don't get me wrong. Maybe it's not. All.
I got. Here. On my own I own doing. I'm just saying that you know the jobs and. You know the cost of living is so crazy and so high. And nowadays people are living from pay I'm living paycheck to paycheck. I really do. You know and I'm right there with many people. I don't have a savings account. I've got. Like an IRA type thing. Know years ago that I keep going take it out of my check and whatnot. But let's face it that's going to amount to one. You know when I retire it's. You know as the cost of living keeps going up do not get me through a week. You know. But. No I don't expect any handouts or anything but I have never ever had a out. I never even draw. I've never done. I drew unemployment for two weeks on a company that my husband and I both work that went down to Chapter
11 and. I drew for two weeks and I found a job. There was no way I was staying on that stuff. I don't like it. And I've gotten everything that I've gotten today and gotten on my own. No handouts no handouts. Even if you don't want to get from government. Is there a way that government can function properly if it was your life positively. Because I think we need health care. You know I'm looking at my future too. You know I'm going to be on medicare for you know what. Well I don't know if we have it. Definitely. I feel sorry for these people that are on Medicare today. I really do. You know and now they're talking about you know cutting and cutting this mess. Well let's stop cutting the benefits for the people who are really this is the country this is what the country is made up of. See if we go right back to let's cut elsewhere. And I'm sure we could and.
That's great. I think that I want to ask you. About It sounds to me that. You're. Exceptional in the sense that. You do think about. The State of the country and. If not politics you know just the situation that the country is. More than some people might you know just might you know watch them to forget about it and you really do think that these is and Yugoslavia thought you know sphere's many mom about when the 70 percent cut. Can you just tell me like when you sit around with your friends and your family whatever around the table or whatever. What are the main concerns like in your life. You talk about personal and political I mean what what kind of how important are you to these things. You know me like what are the main things the. Main things is jobs. And. The cost of living the cost of living you can't afford to do anything go anywhere and do anything
anymore. I don't know. How. You know. The cost of insurance. At all. It all boils down to just like did that like on a personal level. Is this the kind of. Are these the subjects that concern you on a personal level when you talk with friends about well how's it going kind of thing are these the things that come to you when I'm talking to my friends let them get jobs or whatever looking for jobs better paying jobs they don't have enough money looking for benefits and you know insurance and that it's just everybody is concerned. I think everyone is concerned as far as I'm concerned. I work at the hospital and have good insurance coverage and I make fairly good money you know. But you know one person is awful how do you know to pay rent or mortgage on a house and taxes and everything else for one person but for one
person I'm not doing that bad. I mean I'm starting you know I've come out of my problems but. I just. I would just love to see this country unite one more time. All right. Now wouldn't you like to see them. That hasn't happened. I can say I went back to I still say that's dead. The Vietnam. That tore our country apart. And I don't think we've. Ever. Ever healed from that. I really don't. Have a lot of things happening. No only the pro-war and anti-war but you. Know the credibility gap between what the government was saying was really the truth and started people get this water get it in their hands. But you know I watching it all. I'm not a cop. I'm not a. Guy who got me into that and so now I don't know. I am. I voted for Nixon the first time around but when the Vietnam game and all that stuff but I definitely I was at
that time when it came to him for his re-election. And I and they on the Vietnam situation and everything I knew every senator every congressman. I wrote it every one of them. I knew I could tell you what each one stood out. In that air. I was so mad so mad I felt so bad. Yes I was fighting Republican. Well I didn't stay Republican. That's when I changed. But I. I felt bad for those guys because they went over there. They were forced to go over there. And when they came back look at the reception they got. They should have. And I really did. I just felt so bad. I wish I could have been on the shore and just Welcome everybody I'm one of them that you know because. And what do they get out of it. Nothing. You know. And Agent Orange and nephews. And if you said back then you know you are opposed to the war. You are automatically
you know sick. You know communist. You know you hated your country and all this kind of stuff and that's true wasn't true at all the draft dodgers my heart went out to him. More power to women there and the people died. Phelps in. A position to be. Put this down because I think you know I have everything I need. I want to
- Producing Organization
- New Hampshire Public Radio
- Contributing Organization
- New Hampshire Public Radio (Concord, New Hampshire)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/503-8w3804z44d
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/503-8w3804z44d).
- Description
- Description
- Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole, introduced by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, gives a campaign speech in Concord, New Hampshire. Reaction interviews from the event follow, including interviews with poet and health care activist Nancy Denofio and Dole Senior Campaign Advisor David Keene.
- Created Date
- 1995-08-28
- Asset type
- Raw Footage
- Genres
- Event Coverage
- Topics
- Politics and Government
- Rights
- 2012 New Hampshire Public Radio
- Media type
- Sound
- Duration
- 01:06:22
- Credits
-
-
Interviewee: Denofio, Nancy
Interviewee: Keene, David
Interviewer: Hartman, Leda
Producing Organization: New Hampshire Public Radio
Release Agent: NHPR
Speaker: Dole, Robert J., 1923-
Speaker: Grassley, Charles
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
New Hampshire Public Radio
Identifier: NHPR95192 (NHPR Code)
Format: audio/wav
Generation: Master
Duration: 5:00:00
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Speech by Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole,” 1995-08-28, New Hampshire Public Radio, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed December 22, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-503-8w3804z44d.
- MLA: “Speech by Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole.” 1995-08-28. New Hampshire Public Radio, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. December 22, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-503-8w3804z44d>.
- APA: Speech by Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole. Boston, MA: New Hampshire Public Radio, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-503-8w3804z44d