The original documents are located in Box 3, folder “11/1/74 - Wichita, GOP Rally” of the President’s Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

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WI CHI TA, KANSAS GOP RALLY

SATU RDAY, I\JOVEMBER I, 1974

.~. ~,r.

••

• ~- ... - I ­

"'-'",­ THAI\J~U, , FOR THAT KI ND I NTRODUCTI ON.

I AM HONORED, I AM PRI VI LEGED, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THI S

OPPORTUI\JI TY TO VI SI T THE STATE THAT HAS BEEN THE HOME OF ONE OF THE

FINEST PRESI DENTS THIS NATION HAS EVER KNOWN -- THAT GREAT

STATESMAN FROM ABILENE -- DWI GHT D. EI SENHOWER!..

I KE SET A STANDARD OF I NTEGRITY AND ACHIEVEMENT THAT

I S AN EVERLASTI NG TR I BUTE TO THE- MAN.. AI\JD TO HIS STATE. I PLEDGE

TO YOU THAT I WI LL DO MY BEST TO FOLLOW I N THE PATH OF HI S VERY •

LONG FOOTSTEPS! - - 2 ­

I HAVE ANOTHER REASON WHY I ENJOY COMING TO KANSAS.

THE CAMPAI GNS HERE ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE FUI\J THAN IN ¢

OTHER STATES. TAKE THE RAGE FOR GOVERNOR. SOMEBODY JUST TOLD <'

ME THE LATEST REPU BLI CAN SLOGAN. I T GOES: "LET'S PUT BOB BENNETT , -

IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT -- AND KEEP VERN MILLER IN THE TRUNK!" ------~,-

• - 3 ­

YOU HAVE A GREAT CANDI DATE I N BOB BENNETT. p

HE HAS HONES.!Y.~ELlABILITY. ~GRITY -- THE ONLY THING THAT

BOB BEI~NETT HAS EVER COVERE~ UP I S HI S CHI N! t) -r

ITIS A REAL PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE HERE I N WI CHI TA TH IS

EVENI NG TO PAY TR I BUTE TO A GREAT STATE, KANSAS, AND A GREAT SLATE, ------~# p = •

THE KANSAS REPUBLI CAN TI CKET •

• - 4 ­

BUT I AM NOT JUST HERE BECAUSE OF PARTY LABELS.

THERE IS SOMETH ING MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT. ITIS MY

PERSONAL AFFECTION AND RESPECT FOR A GROUP OF MEN I KNOW TO BE

GOOD FR IENDS AND GREAT AMERI CANS •

• - 5 ­

TAKE BOB DOLE, FOR EXAMPLE. I GOT TO KNOW BOB

VERY WELL WHEN WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR 8 YEARS I N THE HOUSE OF REPRESEf\lTATI VES. . I SAW THE SAME QUALI TI ES IN HIM THEN­ THAT HAVE SI NCE MADE HI M SUCH AN OUTSTANDI NG SENATOR... •

• - 6 ­

BOB I S SMART, HE IS HARD-WORKI NG AND HE I S INDEPENDENT.

WHEN HE DISAGREES WI TH YOU, HE REALLY LETS YOU

KNOW -- AND BEll EVE ME, I'M SREAKI NG FROM PERSONAL EXPERI ENCE

WHEN I SAY THAT.

• - 7 ­

BOB KNOWS HI S STATE AND HE KNOWS AGRI CULTURE.

HE KNOWS HOW TO GUARD THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE HE REPRESENTS.

AND I N THE 94th CONGRESS HE WH.L BE THE RANKI NG REPU BLI CAN

ON THE SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMIT~E. THAT I S NOT JUST GOOD

NEWS FOR KANSAS FARMERS. IT I S GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE ELSE

I N THE STATE WHERE AGRI CULTURE I S THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN

THE ECONOMY AND THE BIGGEST SINGLE I NOU STRY •

• - 8 ­

BUT THERE I S ANOTHER REASON WHY BOB DOLE I S SO

IMPORTANT -- NOT JUST TO KANSAS, BUT TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

AI\JD THAT I S WH~T BOB HAS DONE AS THE ONLY FI RST -TERM

REPU BLI CAN, ON THE SENATE BUDGET COMMI TTEE AND AS AN IMPORTANT

MEMBER OF THE SENATE FI NANCE COMMI TTEE. - 9 ­

BOB I S A FI GHTER, A TOUGH, HOI\JEST, UPRI.. GHT MAN WHO

HAS SERVED HI S COUNTRY WITH HONOR I N BOTH WAR AND PEACE.

AND HE IS 11\1 A TOUGH FI GHT RI GHT NOW -- PERHAPS THE

TOUGHEST OF HI SLIFE. BUT I KNOW HE CAN DO IT, I F ALL OF US DO

OUR SHARE TOO. AND I KNOW HE DESERVES OUR SUPPORT.

LET'S MAKE SURE HE GETS IT, SO THAT KANSAS AND AMERI CA

GET THE BEST MAN AVAI LABLE FOR THE JOB -- SENATOR BOB DOLE •

• - 10 ­

I REMEMBER A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT LAST NOVEMBER AT

THE HEI GHT OF THE ENERGY CRI SI S, WHEN BOB WORKED TOGETHER

WI TH ANOTHER GREAT KANSAS ~AWMAKER, MY OLD FRI END

REPRESENTATI VE GARNER SHR IVER, DEAN OF THE KANSAS HOU SE

DELEGATION. THE GOVERNMENT HAD DEC I DED TO SEVERE LY REDUCE

FUEL FOR GENERAL AVI ATI ON -- A DECI SI ON THAT COULD HAVE COST

THOUSANDS OF JOBS HERE I N WI CHITA AND THROUGHOUT KANSAS •

• - II ­

BUT BOB DOLE AND GARNER SHRI VER WERE ON THE JOB.

THEY WORKED LI TERALL Y DAY AND NI GHT TO HELP REVERSE THAT DECI SI ON.

THEY WENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TO THE CABII\lET AND THEY STATED THE

CASE FOR ~ANS!.S -- AND FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF GENERAL AVIATIO~.

AND THEY SUCCEEDED. THEI RACTIONS WERE RES PONS I BLE

FOR GETTI NG THOSE FUEL ALLOCATIONS I NCREASED AND SAVI NG THE JOBS

OF A LOT OF KANSANS. - 12 ­

LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE KEEP BOB AND GARI\JER 01\J THE

JOB SO THEY'LL BE THERE TO HELP THE NEXT TI ME THEY'RE NEEDED.

I HAVE THREE OTMER GOOD FRI ENDS ON THE KANSAS

DELEGATIOI\J -- , LARRY WII\JN AI\JD KEITH SEBELI US a" •

WHO DESERVE TO BE RETURNED TO CONGRESS. - 13 ­

I HAVE KNOWN JOE SKUBITZ- SI NCE HE CAME TO THE COI\JGRESS

IN 1963. I KNEW HI M AS A HARD WORKER, AS A FI GHTER FOR HI S

DI STRI CT. JOE HAS BUI LT UP VALUABLE SENIORITY FOR KANSAS AND

FOR HIS CONSTI TUENTS. - 14 ­

LARRY WI NN AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER EVER SI NeE

THE 90TH CONGRESS, MORE THAN 7 YEARS AGO. HE I S THE KI ND

OF GUY YOU CAN COUNT ON. 'THE KI ND OF GUY YOU CAN TRUST TO

GI VE HIS HONEST OP I f\l1 01\J, WHETHER HE AGREES WI TH YOU OR I\JOT.

HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB FOR KANSAS AND FOR THE COUNTRY.

, - 15 ­

KEI TH SEBELI US IS LI KE THAT, TOO. TI ME AND AGAII\J,

HE HAS VOTED TO HOLD THE LI NE ON WASTEFUL SPEND ING. HE HAS

FOUGHT THE BI GSPENDERS AND 'HE HAS FOUGHT INFLATI ON. I AM

COUNTI NG ON HI M TO BE BACK AGAI N I\JEXT YEAR. - 16 ­

WE NEED -- YOU NEED I N KANSAS -- THI S GREAT

REPU BLI CAN TEAM BACK I N CONGRESS. WE NEED THEM BECAUSE

THERE ARE BI G PROBLEMS FACII\JG US -- PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN

BUILDING LIKE STORM CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON FOR A VERY LONG TIME -­

AND WE MU ST HAVE RES PONS I BLE AND RES PONS IVE LEADERSH I PIN THE

CONGRESS. - 17 ­

THERE ARE BIG CHALLENGES -- CHALLENGES TO OU R

ECOI~OMY, OUR II~STI TUTI ONS AND, MOST DANGEROUS OF ALL,

CHALLENGES TO OUR FAI TH IN OURSfLVES.

, - 18 ­

BI G PROBLEMS MEAN TOUGH DECI SIONS. AND WHENEVER

YOU HAVE TO MAKE A TOUGH DEC I SION, SOMEONE IS GOI NG TO DISAGREE,

SOMEONE IS GOI NG TO BE UNHAPPy'•

• - 19 ­

BUT THE BEST I CAN DO, OR ANYONE CAN DO WHO I S CALLED

ON TO LEAD I N A DI FFI CULT TI ME, I S OUR HONEST BEST. AND THE BEST

ANYONE CAN ASK FOR I S THE HELP AND ADVI CE OF HONEST, ABLE MEN LI KE

BOB DOLE, GARNER SHRIVER, JOE SKUBITZ, AND ------~. .

KEITH SEBELI US. - 20 ­

WITH THEIR HELP WE CAN MAKE IT. WE CAN LEAVE BEHIND aJ

A BETTER AMERI CA THAN THE ONE WE FOUND. I REALLY BEll EVE THI S

BECAUSE, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COUNTRY, I AM AN UNASHAMED

OPTIMI ST.

, - 21 ­

ONE REASON I AM AN OPTI MI ST I S BECAUSE I HAVE

GREAT FAITH IN YOUNG AMERICANS. AND IF YOU HAVE BEEI~

FOLLOW I NG THE RACE I N YOUR ?nd CONGRESSIONAL DI STRI CT,

WHERE JOHN PETERSON I S DOII~G SUCH A FI NE JOB, YOU WI LL KNOW

WHY. ALTHOUGH JOHN I S ONLY 26 YEARS OLD, HE HAS ALREADY

BU ILT UP A RECORD OF PU BLI C SERVI CE AI~D PROFESS I ONAL - ACHI EVEMENT THAT WOULD DO CREDIT TO SOMEONE TWI CE HI SAGE.

, - 22 ­

THE ELKS ClU B KNEW WHAT I T WAS DOl NG WHEN I T PRESENTED JOHI\J WI TH r-

THE "OUTSTAND II\JG YOUNG lEADER OF KANSAS" AWARD, AND I TH INK HE P"

f$ ALSO GOI NG TO PROVE HI MSElF AN OUTSTAND I NG YOUNG lEADER

ON THE NATIONAL SCENE.

, - 23 ­

STATE-WI DE OR NATION-WI DE, I T TAKES THE SAME

QUALITI ES AT BOTH LEVELS, WHI CH I S WHY I AM ALSO OPTI MI STI C

ABOUT BOB BENNETT. BOBIS IMPRESS IVE JOB AS PRES I DENT OF THE

STATE SENATE HAS GI VEN HI M THE KNOWHOW AND THE EXPERI ENCE TO BE A r""

GREAT GOVERNOR OF KANSAS. THI SIS ALSO TRUE OF TOM VAN SI CKLE, •

WHOSE DI STI NGU I SHED RECORD AS A YOUNG REPU BLI CAN LEADER AND

REPU BLI CAN STATE TREASURER WI LL HELP HI M TO SERVE KANSAS AS STATE- ATTORNEY GENERAL.

• - 24 ­

ONE OF THE GREAT MEN OF THI S AND ANY CENTURY WAS

WI NSTON CHURCH ILL. HE LED GRI TAl N THROUGH A PERIOD OF FAR

GREATER DANGER THAN ANYTHI NG WE FACE TODAY. BUT 'HE, TOO,

WAS AN OPTI MI ST. WHEN MANY HAD GI VEN UP -- WHEN MANY

THOUGHT THAT THE WORLD WAS ABOUT TO ENTER A NEW DARK AGE OF

TYRANNY AND DEFEAT -- CHURCHI LL STI LL HAD THE VI SI Ol~ TO SEE

THROUGH THE SHADOWS.

, - 25 ­

liDO NOT LET US SPEAK OF DARKER DAYS;" HE SAl D,

"LET US SPEAK OF STERNER DAYS. THERE ARE NOT DARK DAYS;

THESE ARE GREAT DAYS ••••••• I~

• - 26 ­

THESE, TOO, ARE GREAT DAYS THAT WE ARE LI VI NG IN.

WE ARE GOI NG TO HAVE TO WORK A LITTLE HARDER AND SACRI FI CE A

LI TTLE MORE. BUT I F WE DO OU R BEST AND KEEP FA ITH IN OU RSELVES

AND OUR VALUES, AMERI CA, AND ALL THE GREAT THI NGS AMERI CA

STAND S FOR, WI LL EMERGE STRONGER AND BETTER THAN EVER.

, - 27 ­

I AM HERE TONI GHT SUPPORTI NG THI S TI CKET NOT JUST

BECAU SE ITIS REPU BLI CAN, BUT BECAU SE I BEll EVE I TIS THE BEST

TEAM, A TEAM OF HONORABLE, AB~E MEI\J -- MEN OF CONSCI ENCE

AND SIN CE RI TY •

I URGE EACH OF YOU -- AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THI S GREAT

STATE OF KANSAS -- TO RALLY BEHI ND IT, FOR YOUR SAKE AND THE n.~~y3J

, - 28 ­

TOGETHER -- WITH YOUR HELP, YOUR PRAYERS AND

YOUR SUPPORT -- I BEll EVE WE CAN BRI NG OUT THE BEST I N OURSELVES

AND OUR COUNTRY. •

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