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many people elsewhere in the world. How Remarks in , much time have I spent as your President October 28, 1996 in the Middle East, in Northern Ireland, in Bosnia, sending troops to Rwanda to save The President. Thank you. Thank you. hundreds of thousands of lives, where people Thank you so much. It is always, always good are fighting all over the world because they’re to be back in Chicago. Senator Moseley- of different races, religions, tribes, creeds. Braun, thank you so much. And, Mr. Mayor, How many people are there in the world who thank you for your strong support, your get up every day, and the only way they can friendship, and your very moving history les- get through the day is to say, ‘‘Well, whatever son about the times when your father was you think about me, at least I’m not them.’’ here with President Kennedy. Maybe a week from tomorrow we can reclaim a lot of our They look down on them. great hopes and take them into the 21st cen- How much hatred will we have to endure tury with pride and energy and vigor. before we finally say, ‘‘Enough’’? That is what I want to thank Congressman , I have worked for in Bosnia, what I worked Congresswoman , Congress- for in Haiti, what we’re working for in the man for being here. And I know Middle East at this very moment. In Amer- that there are some other congressional can- ica, that is why I’ve fought those church didates other than those that burnings and the desecration of the syna- mentioned: Clem Balanoff, my friend Danny gogues and the Islamic centers. That is why. Davis, and . We’re going to Now, in Minnesota, I want you all to say win that seat back to Congress. Thank you, this election is also about whether we’re Cook County Board President John Stroger, going to treat each other with respect, be- Assessor Tom Hynes, State Chair Gary cause I want to be able to say we’re going LaPaille, our attorney general candidate, to build this bridge, and it’s going to walk Dick Devine—thank you all for being here. across to the 21st century, to the era of great- I want to thank Kevin Cronin, Koko Tay- est possibility ever known. And all I need lor, the Children—Children’s Choir, the to know about you is whether you believe Lennox Family, and Perfect Harmony who in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the sang for us tonight and performed. I also Declaration of Independence, and whether want you to know that in addition to Mayor you’re willing to show up and do your job Daley we have some other mayors here. It’s nearly heresy to say there is another mayor tomorrow. If you are, I don’t want to know besides Mayor Daley in Chicago, but we have anything else about you. You’re part of my here a very large number of mayors from all America. over the Midwest who have endorsed Al Let’s join hands and walk into a bright new Gore and Bill Clinton for reelection today, future. Will you help us build that bridge? including the great mayor of the city of De- Will you help us? Will you be there on Tues- troit, Dennis Archer, who is over here, Mayor day? [Applause] Carlton Finkbeiner of Toledo, who had a God bless you, Minnesota. Thank you. rally with 25,000 people for me late in Toledo Thank you. one night, thank you—Mayor Gordon Bush from East St. Louis, Mayor Sharon Sayles NOTE: The President spoke at 2:40 p.m. at the Belton from Minneapolis, Mayor Kernan Target Center. In his remarks, he referred to Hu- from South Bend, Indiana, and many others bert H. Humphrey III, Minnesota attorney gen- who are here. Thank you, all the mayors, for eral, and Mary Rieder, candidate for Minnesota’s coming and for your support. First Congressional District. A portion of these You know, on St. Patrick’s Day of 1992, remarks could not be verified because the tape the people of Illinois gave me a great victory was incomplete. in the Democratic primary for President and

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sent me on the way to a nomination and to office, has dropped all 4 years for the first ultimate victory in November, again led by time in the 20th century and is now going the strong support of the people from Illinois to be $107 billion this year. Now, for you, and the strong support of the people from for you that’s meant lower interest rates. It Chicago. One week from tomorrow, I want means more investment and more jobs. It to ride home to victory for America on the means lower car payments, lower home shoulders of the people from Illinois one mortgage payments. It means lower college more time. loan payments. That’s what that means. I want to say to you how glad I am tonight Now, when we were debating the eco- that so many of you in this audience are nomic plan in 1993, all of our friends on the young. I thank the young people for coming other side, all of our friends on the other tonight. And I want to say how grateful I side voted against it. They said it would in- am for all the various groups of people who crease the deficit. They said it would wreck are represented here: the labor people, the the economy. They said it was a terrible business people, the union leaders, the veter- thing. Dick Durbin voted for it and provided ans’ leaders, the Haitian-Americans, the the decisive vote. His courage has given us Asian-Americans, the African-Americans, the the economy we have today, and he deserves Hispanic-Americans, the Irish-Americans, your vote for the Senate. the Polish-Americans—all of us. And then all Audience members. Durbin! Durbin! the rest of us like me, and whatever is left. Durbin! I say that because you will have to make The President. Not only that, this is about two great decisions in that election a week from tomorrow. It is the last election of the more than economics. The FBI reported last 20th century and the first Presidential elec- week that crime is at a 10-year low in Amer- tion of the 21st century, and you must decide ica, that crime has gone down in each of the whether in that election you believe our best last 4 years. Now, we all know it’s still too days are before us, you believe as I do we high, but it’s moving in the right direction. are entering a great age of possibility, and And one reason is, our administration has you are determined to see us build a bridge formed a partnership with the city of Chi- to the future, not a bridge to the past. cago, the other cities represented here. And then you must decide, as you look We’re putting 100,000 more police on the around this great crowd tonight, whether we street. We’re taking assault weapons off the are going forward in that future together. street. We passed the Brady bill. The Brady How many times have we seen America be bill has kept 60,000 felons, fugitives, and put back when we became divided against stalkers from getting handguns. And we just one another? But when all of these different said if you beat up your spouse or your child, people here show up in one crowd and join you can’t buy a handgun either. That’s what hands, with shared values, shared hopes, and we did. shared dreams, respecting our differences Now, the leaders of the other party, they and cherishing our common values, there is fought us. The toughest crime bill in history nothing that can stop America. We’re going with all the law enforcement organizations forward together into that 21st century. in the country behind it, and they wouldn’t You know, I remember so many things help. They fought us. They said we were over the last 4 years, and I always get terribly going to take people’s guns away, and they nostalgic when I come to Chicago. But I want walked away from an historic opportunity to to say a few things about what’s happened make our children, our streets, our neighbor- that affect you and your decision that involve hoods, our schools, our homes safer. Dick Durbin. But Dick Durbin didn’t walk away. He You know, when I came here 4 years ago, stood up to bat and helped us hit it out of even though Hillary was from Chicago, you the park. And that’s why the crime rate’s sort of took me on faith. Well, now there down and why he has earned your support is a record. Today we announced that the for the for the future deficit, which was $290 billion when I took of Illinois. Will you help him? [Applause]

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Audience members. Durbin! Durbin! Americans? [Applause] We want to see all Durbin! of our children learning in our schools. We The President. Folks, you heard Senator want to see every 12-year-old able to hook Moseley-Braun and Congressman Durbin up to the Internet. And we want to see every talking about the budget fight we had before. 18-year-old in America able to go to college. We did have a difficult budget fight. They If you give us a chance, that’s what we’ll do. did shut the Government down. They wanted Finally, are we going to do the right thing to cut education on the verge of the 21st cen- about going forward together? Look around tury. They wanted to paralyze our ability to this crowd tonight, just look around. Look protect the environment. They wanted to re- around. We’ve got all kinds of people here move a 30-year guarantee of health care to tonight. We even have some folks here for poor families, to older people in nursing the other candidates tonight. You’re wel- homes, to families who have members with come; we’re glad to have you here. We’re disabilities. They wanted to take all of it away. glad you’re here. Look around. We said no. They shut the Government You just think—just think about this world down. We said no again. But the real reason we’re moving into: the cold war in the back- it worked is that people like Dick Durbin ground; no Russian missiles pointed at the were there to say we’re going to uphold the children of the United States for the first President’s veto. We’re not going to let them time since the dawn of the nuclear age. But divide our country and take us back. what threatens us? Racial, ethnic, religious, So now you have the future out there. You tribal hatred; terrorism fueled by those have the future out there, and you have to hatreds. People all over the world who be- decide, are we going to balance the budget lieve their life only has meaning if they can in a way that protects our investment in our look down on someone else—‘‘At least I’m future and our obligations to each other, or not in that racial group, that ethnic group, are we going to adopt their risky tax scheme that religious group.’’ that would blow a hole in the deficit, raise Look at the Middle East and Northern Ire- taxes on 9 million people, and bring back all land and Bosnia and Rwanda and Burundi those cuts again even more? We’re going to and Haiti, and all these places where the do the right thing and balance the budget United States had tried to stand up for free- and build that bridge to the 21st century. dom and human dignity and peace. We dare That’s what we’re going to do. not let that happen here. It should be thrill- Are we going to do the right thing and ing to you that you can look around this keep going until we put those 100,000 police crowd and see Americans from every con- on the street, help the cities take on the tinent. It should be thrilling to you that ex- gangs, ban those bullets whose only purpose cept for the Native Americans, we all come is to pierce the bulletproof vests of police from someplace else, and we need to respect officers? Let’s do the right thing and keep each other. building that bridge to the 21 century. So I say to you, that future out there in Are we going to do the right thing and the 21st century will be the greatest age of keep protecting our environment and clean human possibility we have ever known. More up all those toxic waste dumps that are of our children will have a chance to live out threatening our children’s future? [Applause] their dreams than any time in history if we Let’s don’t turn back. Let’s build that bridge make the right decisions. The decision we to the 21st century. make a week from tomorrow will have a pro- Are we going to do the right thing and found impact on how we go into that new help our families? Are we going to expand century, on whether we say, ‘‘We’re going the family leave law so that parents can go forward together’’ or whether we say, ‘‘You’re to their children’s parent conferences at the on your own;’’ on whether we say, ‘‘I hope school and take their kids to the doctor? I you can make it, but we’re too busy to help,’’ think we’re going to do the right thing. or whether we say, ‘‘We do think it takes a Are we going to do the right thing and village to raise our children and build our open the doors of college education to all future, and we’re going to do it.’’

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And so I say to you, probably no person cheerleaders, for being here. Thank you all in history who was not a child of Illinois has up there. Thank you. ever loved this State more or owed more to On the way in today, your student leaders it than I do. But I ask you one last time, gave me an Ohio State pin, your fine basket- one week from tomorrow, let’s build that ball coach gave me a jogging suit for the win- bridge to the 21st century. ter that I can run in, and I needed no re- Thank you, and God bless you all. Thank minding that your football team is having an- you. other wonderful season. Congratulations. Ladies and gentlemen, it seems almost NOTE: The President spoke at 8:15 p.m. in Daley amazing to me that it was 4 years ago that Plaza. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Rich- I came here to Ohio State, and we had a ard M. Daley of Chicago; Clem Balanoff, can- great rally outside, thousands of people, a lot didate for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District; of enthusiasm. I think I stood around for Danny K. Davis, candidate for Illinois’ Seventh Congressional District; and Rod R. Blagojevich, more than an hour to shake hands, talking candidate for Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District. to you about my hopes for the future. A tape was not available for verification of the Now, 4 years later, you are about to go content of these remarks. to the polls, just a week from today, to elect the last President of the 20th century and the first President of the 21st century. Four Remarks at Ohio State University in years ago when I came here, I came because Columbus, Ohio I was worried about how you would go into October 29, 1996 the 21st century and because I had a vision for what America ought to be like at the dawn The President. Thank you very much, of that new era: a country with the American Jennie Nelson. Your fellow student did a dream alive and well for everyone willing to good job, didn’t she, up here in front of this work for it; a country still leading the world big crowd? Give her a hand. Thank you. [Ap- toward peace and freedom and prosperity; plause] Thank you, Senator John Glenn. a country where we are coming together in Thank you, Senator Ben Espy. Thank you, the midst of all of our diversity, not being Ted Strickland, for having the courage to run driven apart and divided as so many other for the Congress again. Your courage should countries in the world are. I believe we are be rewarded, and I hope it will be, by the closer to that vision today than we were 4 people of Ohio. years ago, and I ask you to stay on the right We have a number of other people here track to build our bridge to the 21st century. with me today, including our National Treas- Our strategy of opportunity for all, respon- urer and your former State treasurer from sibility from all, an American community in Ohio, Mary Ellen Withrow. Thank you, Mary which everyone has a place at the table and Ellen. And we have another candidate for a role to play, is paying off. You heard Sen- Congress here today who is opposing the ar- ator Glenn say we have 101⁄2 million new chitect of the Gingrich-Dole budget that shut jobs; unemployment in Ohio has dropped a the Government down and would have di- third to 4.6 percent. We’ve cut the deficit vided the country. Thank you, Cynthia by 63 percent. We got the lowest combined Ruccia, for having the courage to take on that rates of unemployment, inflation, and home race for Congress. mortgages in 28 years. We have the biggest I thank Representative Charlita Tavares drop in child poverty in 20 years. We have for being here; our State Democratic chair, the highest rate of homeownership in 15 David Leland; State senate candidate Mary years. Household income is up $1,600. We Jo Kilroy; Bill Burga, the president of the have now dropping crime rates and dropping AFL–CIO; Mike Bilirakis, the president of welfare rolls for 4 years in a row. We are the Ohio Education Association; Tom Moon- moving in the right direction toward the 21st ey of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Tony century, and I ask you to stay on that track. Celebreeze, thank you for being here. And We are also breaking the barriers that will thank you, Ohio State. Thank you, band and unleash a future that we can only imagine

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