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willingness to change. They believe in us. Why is it voters look so poorly on your party And we need to believe in ourselves, just as and its candidates right now? much. The President. Well, first let me say I Folks, this country is not still here so many think the surveys all show that our prospects long years after the Founders first came here are looking up. But I think what happened to Philadelphia because we took the easy way was two things. There is a lag time between out, we listened to the easy promises, we let when you accomplish something in Washing- people divide us and play on our fears. We ton and when people feel it in their own lives. are here because we voted our hopes, be- There are still a lot of voters who have jobs, cause we voted for unity, because we voted but they’re worried about whether they’ll for the future, because we had the courage lose them or they’ll lose their health care or to change. We looked to the future with hope will they ever get a raise. It’s a tough, fast- and optimism. Others look at us that way. changing global economy, and a lot of people If we will look at ourselves that way on feel personally insecure. There are also a lot November 8th, you will elect Harris of people who are worried about crime and Wofford. You will elect Mark Singel. You will social breakdown. The other big problem is, elect these Members of Congress who are when Congress is meeting and the Repub- here. licans are trying to kill everything, delay ev- Thank you, and God bless you all. erything, talk everything to death, all of the focus is on conflict, process, failure. The NOTE: The President spoke at 12:43 p.m. in the American people don’t know what’s hap- Courtyard at City Hall. In his remarks, he referred pened. to Lt. Gov. Mark Singel; Mayor Ed Rendell of Now when the Congress has gone home Philadelphia; and City Council president John Street. for the last 2 or 3 weeks, you can sense a real movement out there. People sense that they’ve got a real fundamental choice here. Interview With Don Lancer of KYW If you look at Pennsylvania—you heard the Radio, Philadelphia quote there—we’ve had 86,000 new jobs in October 31, 1994 Pennsylvania. The economy is growing; the deficit is down. We’ve done things that the Mr. Lancer. Good afternoon, Mr. Clin- Congress had refused to address for years ton. and years. We passed the family leave law The President. Hello, Don. to protect working people who have to take Mr. Lancer. Can you hear me? time off. We passed a law to expand Head The President. I can hear you fine. Can Start, one to immunize children, one to give you hear me? tax cuts for working families on modest in- Mr. Lancer. Can you hear me, Mr. Clin- comes that have children in the home so ton? they’ll never be in poverty. We’re making the The President. Yes, I can hear you. Can Government work for ordinary people again. you hear me? And we’ve expanded trade and promoted peace and security around the world. Russian Midterm Elections missiles aren’t pointing at Americans for the Mr. Lancer. Yes. Good afternoon. You’re first time since the beginning of the nuclear in the State, ostensibly, to help Harris age. Wofford win election to a full term. He re- So when you look at that record and then placed John Heinz in a special election a cou- you look at this Republican contract which ple of years ago, and he went to Washington promises to take us back to the eighties and on the matter of national health care, which would promise everybody a tax cut, especially we all know did not make it through the Con- for wealthy people, spend more money on gress this year. Polls have shown overall that defense and Star Wars, balance the budget— the Democrats are not going to do that well they’ll have to cut Social Security and Medi- in the election, come one week from tomor- care and do it steeply to pay for it. I just row on the 8th. What’s the reason for that? don’t think the American people want that,

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and I don’t think the people of Pennsylvania The President. Well, your unemployment do. rate in Pennsylvania is above the national av- Mr. Lancer. That is just my point, though. erage, but it’s a point lower than it was when In recent polls—you keep talking about the I took office. You lost 8,300 jobs in the pre- recovery that’s occurring, and I have no vious administration; you got 86,800 more doubt that there is a recovery in certain parts under our administration. They had 12 years; of the country if they just bear that out. Here we’ve had 21 months. You want to turn in the Northeast, however, there is no recov- around and give the guys that put you in the ery; at least the perception is there is no re- hole in the first place 2 more years, 4 more covery. There was a recent poll out by the years, 6 more years? You gave them 12 years. Tarrence group that shows that only a third We’ve been given 21 months, and we’ve of Americans believe the claims of a recov- turned it around. ery. My whole point to you, or my question Now, just because everybody hasn’t felt it, to you is, why is it that this is the perception? that’s not a good reason to stay home or vote It can’t simply be because Republicans are Republican. They had 12 years, and we were trying to stonewall things in the Congress so in a big hole. We also had 20 years, through there is gridlock? both parties, of stagnant wages and less se- The President. No, I think—well, I do cure jobs and losing benefits. And we have believe that people have not gotten a lot of had 30 years of rising crime and family break- the information; I think that is true. But I down. We are at least addressing all these think—keep in mind what I said first. I think things for the first time. And it’s pretty re- a lot of people may hear that there are more freshing, I think, to have a Government that jobs, but they may feel that their personal has taken on the tough problems instead of situation is not more secure. That is, they running away from them and that can at least may think, ‘‘Well, I’m still not going to get show we’re making some progress. And the a raise,’’ or ‘‘I might lose my job,’’ or ‘‘I might worst thing in the world you can do is to lose my health benefits.’’ Another million say, ‘‘Okay, we gave you these problems— Americans lost their health care last year. we had 12 years of the other party’s politics That’s why Harris Wofford and I worked so and economics, we’ve got 20 years of eco- hard to protect the health care benefits of nomic problems and 30 years of social prob- working people and to try to change the law lems—and we haven’t felt anything in 21 so that they wouldn’t lose their health care. months. So we’re going to go back to the So there is a lot of personal insecurity out people that got us in the hole in the first there. But the point I’m trying to make to place.’’ That’s not good thinking. If every- the American people is that we’re making body will just relax and look at the record, them more secure—that’s what the family they’ll vote for Harris Wofford, they’ll vote leave law was all about, that’s what these ef- for Mark Singel, and they’ll vote to keep this forts to improve the health of our children country moving in the right direction so that are all about, that’s what the crime bill is all of Pennsylvania can feel the results of all about—that our economic policy is work- these efforts. ing. So the issue is, do you want to keep Mr. Lancer. All right, sir. But there have working for something that is plainly taking been changes in the way that those figures us in the right direction, or do you want to are tallied. Anyway—— buy this Republican snake oil, you know, The President. That’s right, there have ‘‘We’re going to give everybody a tax cut and been changes. If we were living under the balance the budget and increase everybody’s same figures the Republicans had, the unem- spending, and we’ll tell you how we’re going ployment rate would have gone down over to pay for that after the election.’’ 11⁄2 percent. That’s right, you’re absolutely Mr. Lancer. Okay, let’s assume we’re right. The changes in the way the unemploy- headed in the right direction. What we in ment is tallied work against us, not for us. the Northeast would like to know is, how long Mr. Lancer. All right. We appreciate your is it going to take us to get there? taking time out from a very busy schedule

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today, Mr. Clinton. And thank you for joining The President. Anybody who criticizes us here on KYW News Radio this afternoon. that has never had to create a job or move The President. Thank you. a product to market. I think western Pennsyl- vania is lucky to have somebody who fights NOTE: The telephone interview began at 4:35 for improvements in the Mon River locks and p.m. The President spoke from the David Law- rence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Turtle Creek, Elizabeth and Charlie Roy and myself, and you ought to keep Harris Wofford if for no other reason. Remarks at a Rally for Democratic I read the endorsement of Senator Candidates in Pittsburgh, Wofford in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. And Pennsylvania he said, contrary to the paid ads of his oppo- October 31, 1994 nent, I want to quote: ‘‘Senator Wofford is not an advocate of mindless big Government. The President. Thank you, Senator He understands Government can’t possibly Wofford. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. solve all the problems in a nation, that per- Let me say, first of all, before we get into sonal responsibility and accountability must the speech, I want to thank the East Alle- be engendered and demanded. He remains gheny High School Band and the Pine-Rich- committed to a mission built on service and land High School Band. Let’s give them a opportunity, hope and humanity, vision and hand for playing for us tonight. [Applause] realism. Harris Wofford is a direct descend- I am proud to be here with Harris ant of the enlightened public officials who Wofford, with Congressman Coyne, with gave us Social Security and Medicare, those Governor Singel, with your State treasurer life-saving programs. His opponent is not.’’ Cathy Baker-Knoll, with Tom Flaherty and I couldn’t say it better myself. Pete Forrester, Linda Rhodes, and the con- My fellow Americans, 21 months ago I gressional nominees. I hope you will elect went to Washington with the help of an over- them. You have a chance to replace these whelming vote from the people of Pennsyl- two Members of Congress that are leaving vania, with a commitment to make Govern- with Mike Doyle and Bill Leavens, and I ment work for ordinary Americans, to get the hope you will vote for them. Audience members. Yes, we will! Yes, we economy moving again, to prepare our peo- will! ple to compete and win in the global econ- The President. Yes, you will. omy, to make the world more secure and Audience members. Yes, we will! Yes, we more prosperous for Americans to live and will! work in. I called it putting people first. Well, The President. I also want to say a word you know, we still have problems. There are about a few other people who are here to- still people who want jobs who don’t have night: the chairman of the Democratic Party, them, people who are looking for a raise that David Wilhelm, who has worked so hard for hasn’t come, people who are worried about all of us. And I want to say a special thanks losing their health care. There are still prob- to some of our friends from the labor move- lems with crime in our streets and social ment, without whom so many of our can- problems in our communities. But I’ll tell didates—[applause]. I thank especially Jerry you something, folks, look at what we found: McEntee, the president of AFSCME, who 4 years of the slowest job growth since the is here; George Becker, the president of the Depression, 12 years of trickle-down eco- Steel Workers, who is here, and Bill George, nomics that blew up the deficit and drove AFL–CIO. our jobs overseas—— You know, this election has a lot of inter- Audience members. Boo-o-o! esting choices. I heard, for example, recently The President. ——20 years of stagnant that Senator Wofford’s opponent criticized wages, 30 years of social problems. And after people who go to the Senate to fight for locks 21 months we are clearly moving in the right and dams. direction. We are in better shape than we Audience members. Boo-o-o! were before.

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