Policy Luncheon, July 21, 1992
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- Title (Dublin Core)
- Policy Luncheon, July 21, 1992
- Date (Dublin Core)
- 1992-07-21
- Date Created (Dublin Core)
- 1992-07-21
- Congress (Dublin Core)
- 102nd (1991-1993)
- Policy Area (Curation)
- Congress
- Creator (Dublin Core)
- Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021
- Kasten, Robert W., 1942-
- U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
- Record Type (Dublin Core)
- agendas (administrative records)
- reports
- Rights (Dublin Core)
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
- Language (Dublin Core)
- eng
- Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)
- https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=26&q=
- Physical Location (Dublin Core)
- Collection 007, Box 404, Folder 16
- Institution (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
- Archival Collection (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Republican Leadership Collection, 1985-1996
- Full Text (Extract Text)
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Page 1:
POLICY LUNCHEON AGENDA
Tuesday, July 21, 1992
Schedule:
· Interstate Transportation of Municipal Waste Act -- Pending.
· Senator Coats may want to comment.
· Senator Specter may also want to comment.
· Lots of amendments expected -- but Committee will move to table all but relevant amendments.
· Energy Bill -- vote on Cloture on Motion to Proceed scheduled to occur Wednesday -- at a time to be determined.
· Senator Rockefeller's coal provisions are a major problem but it appears that we are close to a compromise.
· Senator Wallop may want to comment.
Other Likely Issues:
· Consideration of Appropriation's bills likely to start early next week as bills become available.
· Senator Hatfield may want to comment.
· Freedom of Choice Act will likely follow Energy.
· Senator Hatch may want to comment.
· Urban Aid package among those issues Senator Mitchell wants to bring up.
Other:
· Only 17 working days to August recess.
· Senator Mitchell is threatening votes at any time -- 5 days a week.
Page 2:
Poll Watch
A Review of Recent National Polling Data
From the Office of the GOP Conference Secretary
Bob Kasten, Secretary
Bill Canfield, Staff Director
Rick Dearborn, Deputy
202-224-3496
Contents
7/21/92
Handwritten: B.C.C. (illegible)
1) Who Were the Dem Convention Delegates ?
(Wash.Post Poll: 496 delegates to the Dem Convention surveyed 6/22-7/8; margin of error +/- 4.5%; rel. Wash. Post 7/12/92)
2) The Economy: Its Current Status
(The Withlin Group Poll: 1,054 adults interviewed 7/8-10; margin of error +/- 3.01% ; Wirthlin Group rel. July, 1992)
3) If the Election Were Held Today…
(L.A. Times Poll: 1,067 RVs -- 295 Perot supporters surveyed 7/16-17; margin of error +/- 4%)
4) Who Are Perot's Supporters ?
(L.A. Times Poll: 7/17/92)
5) Issues of the Most Concern to Perot Supporters
(L.A. Times Poll: 7/17/92)
6) Single Most Important Issue Facing the U.S.
(The Wirthlin Group Poll: July 1992)
Page 3:
1
1) WHO WERE THE DEM CONVENTION DELEGATES ?
(Wash. Post/ABC Poll: 496 delegates to the Dem Convention interviewed 6/22-7/8; margin of error +/- 4.5 %; rel. 7/12/92 -- Wash. Post)
1992 Dem. delegates to the convention General Population
Democrats Overall
Liberal vs. Conservative:
Very Liberal 12% 3% 2%
Liberal 40 31 25
Moderate 42 39 38
Conservative 3 19 26
Very Conservative -- 4 6
Education:
High school or less 10% 66% 61%
Some college 18 18 18
College graduate 28 11 15
Postgraduate 44 5 6
Age:
18-24 1% 13% 14%
25-29 3 11 11
30-39 19 21 24
40-49 31 16 17
50-59 28 12 12
60+ 18 27 22
Religion:
Non-Catholic Christian 51% 62% 63%
Catholic 36 29 28
Jewish 9 3 2
Other non-Christian 1 2 2
Labor Union Members:
Yes 28% 20% 18%
No 72 80 82
Employment:
Employed 83% 64% 68%
Employed full-time 75 52 56
Employed part-time 8 12 13
Unemployed 2 7 6
Laid off -- 2 1
Retired 11 19 17
Full-time homemaker 3 6 6
Student 1 2 1
Race:
White 74% 69% 82%
Black 17 21 10
Hispanic (may be of any race) 6 8 6
Other 3 2 2
Income:
Under $30,000 12% 59% 51%
$30,000-$50,000 20 26 27
More than $50,000 68 15 22
Page 4:
2
2) THE ECONOMY: ITS CURRENT STATUS
(The Wirthlin Group Poll: 1,054 adults interviewed 7/8-10; margin of error +/- 3.01%; rel. Wirthlin July)
Q: “Compared to a YEAR AGO, do you think the national economy has gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?”
Gotten better 10%
Gotten worse 61
Stayed the same 28
Don’t know/Refused 1
Q: “And thinking about a YEAR FROM NOW, do you think the national economy will get better, get worse, or be about the same as it is now?”
Get better 33%
Get worse 24
Stay the same 38
Don’t know/Refused 5
3) IF THE ELECTION WERE HELD TODAY…
(L.A. Times Poll: 1,067 RVs – 295 Perot Supporters surveyed 7/16-17; margin of error +/- 4%)
Q: “If the election for President were being held today and the candidates were Bill Clinton, the Democrat and George Bush, the Republican, for whom would you vote: Clinton or Bush?”
Candidates ALL 7/17/92 7/17/92 Perot Supporters: Post-Perot Withdrawal
Bill Clinton 52% 59%
George Bush 32 21
Perot 2 7
Someone else 1 2
Don’t know 13 11
Page 5:
3
4) WHO ARE PEROT’S SUPPORTERS?
(L.A. Times Poll: 1,326 adults surveyed; 1,067 RVs – 295 answered as Perot supporters 7/16-17; margin of error +/- 4%)
Perot Supporters
Party Affiliation
Democrat 27%
Independent 30
Republican 25
Political Ideology
Liberal 37%
Middle 26
Conservative 26
Gender of Respondent
Male 32%
Female 24
Age of Respondent
18-25 34%
26-44 30
45-64 28
65+ 20
Income of Respondent
Less than $20,000 24%
$20,000-$40,000 29
$40,000-$60,000 27
More than $60,000 30
Ethnic/Racial Groups
White 29%
Black 22
Education
High school graduate/less 26%
Some College 28
College/more 32
Location of Home
City 23%
Suburb 38
Small town 29
Rural 22
Regions of the Country
East 28%
Midwest 26
South 28
West 35
Respondent Union Membership
Member/in-Household 30%
Not member/not in-household 27
Page 6:
4
5) ISSUES OF THE MOST CONCERN TO PEROT SUPPORTERS
(L.A. Times Poll: 7/17/92)
Q: “What issue or problem would you particularly like to hear discussed by the candidates running for President this year?”
Issues Perot Supporters
Economy 32%
Unemployment 28
Health care 12
Taxes 11
Deficit 11
Poverty 7
Crime 6
Family Leave 5
Abortion 5
Foreign Policy 5
Environment 4
Trade 4
Cities 4
Other/Under 4% response 31
6) SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THE U.S.
(Wirthlin Poll: July 1992)
Q: “What is the SINGLE MOST important problem facing the United States today?”
Pocketbook/Economy 44%
The Economy/recession 17
Unemployment 16
Deficit/Fed. Debt 7
Other 4
Social 33%
Drugs 6
Crime 4
Health care costs 4
Poverty/homelessness 4
Education 3
Environment/pollution 3
Racial Problems/discrimination 2
Other 5
Foreign Policy 5%
Too much foreign aid 3
Foreign policy (general) 1
International trade/Imports 1
Other 16%
Decline in moral values 7
AIDS 2
Government Corruption 2
Other (vol.) 5
Page 7:
U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
Talking Points
July 21, 1992
Don Nickles, Chairman
Kelly D. Johnston, Staff Director
The Democratic Platform: At Odds With Itself
"Our party platform is out of the mainstream. It is on the far left. It is radical. It is extreme and does not represent the view of a majority of the people in this country."
Robert Casey, Governor, Democrat of Pennsylvania, McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, July 13, 1992
"A New Covenant with the American People," the 20-page 1992 Democratic platform, calls for "a revolution in government." That revolution, it promises, will decentralize the federal government; restore America's economic greatness; put government back on the side of working people; restore basic American values; and face up to "tough choices."
But what starts as a revolution turns into a full scale retreat toward failed Democratic platforms of the past: more government, higher taxes, and values counter to those shared by most Americans. As in 1988, the Democratic platform may be more noteworthy for what it doesn't say than what it does.
It is a platform at odds with itself; "facing up to tough choices," but failing to make a single one. It promises to "make government more decentralized" but creates several new federal programs without eliminating a single one. It honors business as a "noble endeavor" and vows "to create a far better climate for firms," but proposes little tax relief and no regulatory relief for America's job-creating entrepreneurs and businesses. It calls for creating jobs through more government spending, not more private investment.
Orwellian Contradictions
Government Growth: Less is More
The platform says, "We vow to make government more decentralized . .. take power away from entrenched bureaucracies and narrow interests in Washington."
Page 8:
But the platform calls for the expansion or growth of several existing federal programs and the creation of at least five new ones, including:
· A civilian research agency to manage research in new technologies
· "A national public works investment and infrastructure program";
· "A national apprenticeship-style program" for the non-college bound
· "A civilian conservation corps"; and
· A National Police Corps
Additionally, Democrats call for statehood for the District of Columbia and "support fair participation for Puerto Rico in federal programs."
The Deficit: Sacrifice with More
The platform says, "Addressing the deficit requires fair and shared sacrifice of all Americans for the common good."
But the platform's strategy for addressing the deficit is to "generate more revenues" through economic growth and making "the rich" pay more taxes. The only cut: a 3 percent annual reduction in "federal administrative costs" over four years and "nonproductive programs."
Additionally, the Democrats provide for economic growth almost entirely through more government spending. The only tax incentives proposed include an investment tax credit - the President has already proposed a 15% investment tax allowance - and "a capital gains reduction for patient investors in emerging technologies and new businesses."
As for taxes on the so-called "rich," most small businesses file individual income tax returns - many of which will pay those higher taxes called for by the Democratic platform and its nominees for President and Vice President.
Restoring Community: Blame Where Credit is Due
On one page of the Democratic Platform, "Republican leaders" are criticized for urging "Americans to turn inward, to pursue private interests without regard to public responsibilities."
But in the very next paragraph, they acknowledge that the "resources required to solve our problems" can be found in "America's non-profit sector, which has grown rapidly over the last decade," while Republicans were in charge of the White House.
2
Page 9:
National Defense: Something for Nothing?
The platform says, "America is the world's strongest military power and we must remain so." It calls for a "survivable nuclear force" but endorses a comprehensive test ban that some say could prohibit America's ability to ensure the safety of America's nuclear weapons.
Additionally, it calls for "substantial savings beyond those promised by the Bush Administration,"- the Clinton Economic Strategy calls for $58.5 billion in cuts over four years, above the $50 billion proposed by President Bush over the next five years - but "strengthening our rapid deployment capabilities" and "maintaining the superiority of our military personnel and of our technology," and maintaining a U. S. troop presence in South Korea.
The source of its "substantial savings" is not listed; no weapons programs are suggested for elimination. The only specific reduction that is mentioned: "Reducing the size of our forces in Europe, while meeting our obligations to NATO." The platform also calls for creating jobs in law enforcement at home for departing military personnel.
Missing in the Democratic Platform
Here are at least seven issues missing from the Democratic Platform:
· Balanced Budget. The Democrats make no mention of balancing the federal budget.
· Line-item veto. A key element of the Clinton Economic Strategy is the use of the line-item veto - denied to President Bush by Congress -to cut $10 billion in "pork barrel projects." Mention of the line item veto was excluded in the Democratic platform.
· Legal reform. No mention of liability or tort reform that could lower health care costs and improve America's economic competitiveness.
· Regulatory reform. No mention of easing government regulation of the economy.
· Veterans. No mention of the past contributions made by America's veterans, except that "we will honor and support our veterans" who lose their jobs due to Democratic cuts in defense spending. Veterans are not mentioned in the platform's "Affordable Health Care" section.
· POW-MIA's. Despite recent attention to and new developments regarding Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from past wars, no mention is made of any effort or commitment to account for them.
· Honey Price Support Program. The only federal program specifically singled out for elimination by the Clinton Economic Strategy - "end taxpayer subsidies for honey producers"- was excluded from the Democratic platform. Clinton's running
3
Page 10:
mate, Al Gore, has consistently supported the honey program in the Senate, including an April 25, 1992, vote to table a Brown amendment to eliminate it.
Welcome Aboard
The Democratic platform embraces the following Republican initiatives:
Enterprise Zones
"We will encourage the flow of investment to inner city development and housing through targeted enterprise zones."
Resident Management and Homesteading
"We support tenant management and ownership, so public housing residents can manage their own affairs and acquire property worth protecting."
Helping Emerging Democracies
"Promoting democratic institutions by creating a Democracy Corps to send American volunteers to countries that seek legal, financial and political expertise to build democratic institutions ... " (President Bush in 1989 created the Citizens Democracy Corps, chaired by former Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, to help spur private investment in emerging democracies).
Observations About the Democratic Platform
"Every alcoholic knows the first step to a cure is to admit the problem. With the 1992 campaign platform . . . the Democratic Party bids to enter the Betty Ford Clinic for liberal additions."
Editorial, The Wall Street Journal, July 14, 1992
"I have a hunch, that they' re [Clinton and Gore] much more liberal underneath and will prove it when they' re elected."
George McGovern, The New York Times, July 14, 1992
"The Clinton platform is a passionate argument for using government again to solve social and economic problems."
E. J. Dionne Jr., The Washington Post, July 14, 1992
Staff Contact: Kelly Johnston, 224 – 2946
4
Page 1:
POLICY LUNCHEON AGENDA
Tuesday, July 21, 1992
Schedule:
· Interstate Transportation of Municipal Waste Act -- Pending.
· Senator Coats may want to comment.
· Senator Specter may also want to comment.
· Lots of amendments expected -- but Committee will move to table all but relevant amendments.
· Energy Bill -- vote on Cloture on Motion to Proceed scheduled to occur Wednesday -- at a time to be determined.
· Senator Rockefeller's coal provisions are a major problem but it appears that we are close to a compromise.
· Senator Wallop may want to comment.
Other Likely Issues:
· Consideration of Appropriation's bills likely to start early next week as bills become available.
· Senator Hatfield may want to comment.
· Freedom of Choice Act will likely follow Energy.
· Senator Hatch may want to comment.
· Urban Aid package among those issues Senator Mitchell wants to bring up.
Other:
· Only 17 working days to August recess.
· Senator Mitchell is threatening votes at any time -- 5 days a week.
Page 2:
Poll Watch
A Review of Recent National Polling Data
From the Office of the GOP Conference Secretary
Bob Kasten, Secretary
Bill Canfield, Staff Director
Rick Dearborn, Deputy
202-224-3496
Contents
7/21/92
Handwritten: B.C.C. (illegible)
Who Were the Dem Convention Delegates ?
(Wash.Post Poll: 496 delegates to the Dem Convention surveyed 6/22-7/8; margin of error +/- 4.5%; rel. Wash. Post 7/12/92)
The Economy: Its Current Status
(The Withlin Group Poll: 1,054 adults interviewed 7/8-10; margin of error +/- 3.01% ; Wirthlin Group rel. July, 1992)
3) If the Election Were Held Today...
(L.A. Times Poll: 1,067 RVs -- 295 Perot supporters surveyed 7/16-17; margin of error +/- 4%)
4) Who Are Perot's Supporters ?
(L.A. Times Poll: 7/17/92)
5) Issues of the Most Concern to Perot Supporters
(L.A. Times Poll: 7/17/92)
6) Single Most Important Issue Facing the U.S.
(The Wirthlin Group Poll: July 1992)
Page 3:
1
WHO WERE THE DEM CONVENTION DELEGATES ?
(Wash. Post/ABC Poll: 496 delegates to the Dem Convention interviewed 6/22-7/8; margin of error +/- 4.5 %; rel. 7/12/92 -- Wash. Post)
1992 Dem. delegates to the convention
General Population
Democrats
Overall
Liberal vs. Conservative:
Very Liberal
12%
3%
2%
Liberal
40
31
25
Moderate
42
39
38
Conservative
3
19
26
Very Conservative
--
4
6
Education:
High school or less
10%
66%
61%
Some college
18
18
18
College graduate
28
11
15
Postgraduate
44
5
6
Age:
18-24
1%
13%
14%
25-29
3
11
11
30-39
19
21
24
40-49
31
16
17
50-59
28
12
12
60+
18
27
22
Religion:
Non-Catholic Christian
51%
62%
63%
Catholic
36
29
28
Jewish
9
3
2
Other non-Christian
1
2
2
Labor Union Members:
Yes
28%
20%
18%
No
72
80
82
Employment:
Employed
83%
64%
68%
Employed full-time
75
52
56
Employed part-time
8
12
13
Unemployed
2
7
6
Laid off
--
2
1
Retired
11
19
17
Full-time homemaker
3
6
6
Student
1
2
1
Race:
White
74%
69%
82%
Black
17
21
10
Hispanic (may be of any race)
6
8
6
Other
3
2
2
Income:
Under $30,000
12%
59%
51%
$30,000-$50,000
20
26
27
More than $50,000
68
15
22
Page 4:
2
THE ECONOMY: ITS CURRENT STATUS
(The Wirthlin Group Poll: 1,054 adults interviewed 7/8-10; margin of error +/- 3.01%; rel. Wirthlin July)
Q: "Compared to a YEAR AGO, do you think the national economy has gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?"
Gotten better 10%
Gotten worse 61
Stayed the same 28
Don't know/Refused 1
Q: "And thinking about a YEAR FROM NOW, do you think the national economy will get better, get worse, or be about the same as it is now?"
Get better 33%
Get worse 24
Stay the same 38
Don't know/Refused 5
IF THE ELECTION WERE HELD TODAY...
(L.A. Times Poll: 1,067 RVs - 295 Perot Supporters surveyed 7/16-17; margin of error +/- 4%)
Q: "If the election for President were being held today and the candidates were Bill Clinton, the Democrat and George Bush, the Republican, for whom would you vote: Clinton or Bush?"
Candidates
ALL 7/17/92
7/17/92 Perot Supporters: Post-Perot Withdrawal
Bill Clinton
52%
59%
George Bush
32
21
Perot
2
7
Someone else
1
2
Don't know
13
11
Page 5:
3
WHO ARE PEROT'S SUPPORTERS?
(L.A. Times Poll: 1,326 adults surveyed; 1,067 RVs - 295 answered as Perot supporters 7/16-17; margin of error +/- 4%)
Perot Supporters
Party Affiliation
Democrat
27%
Independent
30
Republican
25
Political Ideology
Liberal
37%
Middle
26
Conservative
26
Gender of Respondent
Male
32%
Female
24
Age of Respondent
18-25
34%
26-44
30
45-64
28
65+
20
Income of Respondent
Less than $20,000
24%
$20,000-$40,000
29
$40,000-$60,000
27
More than $60,000
30
Ethnic/Racial Groups
White
29%
Black
22
Education
High school graduate/less
26%
Some College
28
College/more
32
Location of Home
City
23%
Suburb
38
Small town
29
Rural
22
Regions of the Country
East
28%
Midwest
26
South
28
West
35
Respondent Union Membership
Member/in-Household
30%
Not member/not in-household
27
Page 6:
4
ISSUES OF THE MOST CONCERN TO PEROT SUPPORTERS
(L.A. Times Poll: 7/17/92)
Q: "What issue or problem would you particularly like to hear discussed by the candidates running for President this year?"
Issues
Perot Supporters
Economy
32%
Unemployment
28
Health care
12
Taxes
11
Deficit
11
Poverty
7
Crime
6
Family Leave
5
Abortion
5
Foreign Policy
5
Environment
4
Trade
4
Cities
4
Other/Under 4% response
31
SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THE U.S.
(Wirthlin Poll: July 1992)
Q: "What is the SINGLE MOST important problem facing the United States today?"
Pocketbook/Economy
44%
The Economy/recession
17
Unemployment
16
Deficit/Fed. Debt
7
Other
4
Social
33%
Drugs
6
Crime
4
Health care costs
4
Poverty/homelessness
4
Education
3
Environment/pollution
3
Racial Problems/discrimination
2
Other
5
Foreign Policy
5%
Too much foreign aid
3
Foreign policy (general)
1
International trade/Imports
1
Other
16%
Decline in moral values
7
AIDS
2
Government Corruption
2
Other (vol.)
5
Page 7:
U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
Talking Points
July 21, 1992
Don Nickles, Chairman
Kelly D. Johnston, Staff Director
The Democratic Platform: At Odds With Itself
"Our party platform is out of the mainstream. It is on the far left. It is radical. It is extreme and does not represent the view of a majority of the people in this country."
Robert Casey, Governor, Democrat of Pennsylvania, McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, July 13, 1992
"A New Covenant with the American People," the 20-page 1992 Democratic platform, calls for "a revolution in government." That revolution, it promises, will decentralize the federal government; restore America's economic greatness; put government back on the side of working people; restore basic American values; and face up to "tough choices."
But what starts as a revolution turns into a full scale retreat toward failed Democratic platforms of the past: more government, higher taxes, and values counter to those shared by most Americans. As in 1988, the Democratic platform may be more noteworthy for what it doesn't say than what it does.
It is a platform at odds with itself; "facing up to tough choices," but failing to make a single one. It promises to "make government more decentralized" but creates several new federal programs without eliminating a single one. It honors business as a "noble endeavor" and vows "to create a far better climate for firms," but proposes little tax relief and no regulatory relief for America's job-creating entrepreneurs and businesses. It calls for creating jobs through more government spending, not more private investment.
Orwellian Contradictions
Government Growth: Less is More
The platform says, "We vow to make government more decentralized . .. take power away from entrenched bureaucracies and narrow interests in Washington."
Page 8:
But the platform calls for the expansion or growth of several existing federal programs and the creation of at least five new ones, including:
· A civilian research agency to manage research in new technologies
· "A national public works investment and infrastructure program";
· "A national apprenticeship-style program" for the non-college bound
· "A civilian conservation corps"; and
· A National Police Corps
Additionally, Democrats call for statehood for the District of Columbia and "support fair participation for Puerto Rico in federal programs."
The Deficit: Sacrifice with More
The platform says, "Addressing the deficit requires fair and shared sacrifice of all Americans for the common good."
But the platform's strategy for addressing the deficit is to "generate more revenues" through economic growth and making "the rich" pay more taxes. The only cut: a 3 percent annual reduction in "federal administrative costs" over four years and "nonproductive programs."
Additionally, the Democrats provide for economic growth almost entirely through more government spending. The only tax incentives proposed include an investment tax credit - the President has already proposed a 15% investment tax allowance - and "a capital gains reduction for patient investors in emerging technologies and new businesses."
As for taxes on the so-called "rich," most small businesses file individual income tax returns - many of which will pay those higher taxes called for by the Democratic platform and its nominees for President and Vice President.
Restoring Community: Blame Where Credit is Due
On one page of the Democratic Platform, "Republican leaders" are criticized for urging "Americans to turn inward, to pursue private interests without regard to public responsibilities."
But in the very next paragraph, they acknowledge that the "resources required to solve our problems" can be found in "America's non-profit sector, which has grown rapidly over the last decade," while Republicans were in charge of the White House.
2
Page 9:
National Defense: Something for Nothing?
The platform says, "America is the world's strongest military power and we must remain so." It calls for a "survivable nuclear force" but endorses a comprehensive test ban that some say could prohibit America's ability to ensure the safety of America's nuclear weapons.
Additionally, it calls for "substantial savings beyond those promised by the Bush Administration,"- the Clinton Economic Strategy calls for $58.5 billion in cuts over four years, above the $50 billion proposed by President Bush over the next five years - but "strengthening our rapid deployment capabilities" and "maintaining the superiority of our military personnel and of our technology," and maintaining a U. S. troop presence in South Korea.
The source of its "substantial savings" is not listed; no weapons programs are suggested for elimination. The only specific reduction that is mentioned: "Reducing the size of our forces in Europe, while meeting our obligations to NATO." The platform also calls for creating jobs in law enforcement at home for departing military personnel.
Missing in the Democratic Platform
Here are at least seven issues missing from the Democratic Platform:
· Balanced Budget. The Democrats make no mention of balancing the federal budget.
· Line-item veto. A key element of the Clinton Economic Strategy is the use of the line-item veto - denied to President Bush by Congress -to cut $10 billion in "pork barrel projects." Mention of the line item veto was excluded in the Democratic platform.
· Legal reform. No mention of liability or tort reform that could lower health care costs and improve America's economic competitiveness.
· Regulatory reform. No mention of easing government regulation of the economy.
· Veterans. No mention of the past contributions made by America's veterans, except that "we will honor and support our veterans" who lose their jobs due to Democratic cuts in defense spending. Veterans are not mentioned in the platform's "Affordable Health Care" section.
· POW-MIA's. Despite recent attention to and new developments regarding Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from past wars, no mention is made of any effort or commitment to account for them.
· Honey Price Support Program. The only federal program specifically singled out for elimination by the Clinton Economic Strategy - "end taxpayer subsidies for honey producers"- was excluded from the Democratic platform. Clinton's running
3
Page 10:
mate, Al Gore, has consistently supported the honey program in the Senate, including an April 25, 1992, vote to table a Brown amendment to eliminate it.
Welcome Aboard
The Democratic platform embraces the following Republican initiatives:
Enterprise Zones
"We will encourage the flow of investment to inner city development and housing through targeted enterprise zones."
Resident Management and Homesteading
"We support tenant management and ownership, so public housing residents can manage their own affairs and acquire property worth protecting."
Helping Emerging Democracies
"Promoting democratic institutions by creating a Democracy Corps to send American volunteers to countries that seek legal, financial and political expertise to build democratic institutions ... " (President Bush in 1989 created the Citizens Democracy Corps, chaired by former Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, to help spur private investment in emerging democracies).
Observations About the Democratic Platform
"Every alcoholic knows the first step to a cure is to admit the problem. With the 1992 campaign platform . . . the Democratic Party bids to enter the Betty Ford Clinic for liberal additions."
Editorial, The Wall Street Journal, July 14, 1992
"I have a hunch, that they' re [Clinton and Gore] much more liberal underneath and will prove it when they' re elected."
George McGovern, The New York Times, July 14, 1992
"The Clinton platform is a passionate argument for using government again to solve social and economic problems."
E. J. Dionne Jr., The Washington Post, July 14, 1992
Staff Contact: Kelly Johnston, 224 - 2946
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