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Dorothy Ridings | Moderator | Good evening from the Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Im Dorothy Ridings, president of the League of Women Voters, the sponsor of tonights vice- presidential debate between Republican George Bush and Democrat Geraldine Ferraro. Our panelists for tonights debate are John Mashek, correspondent for U. S. News & World Report; Jack White, correspondent for Time magazine; Norma Quarles, correspondent for NBC News; and Robert Boyd, Washington bureau chief for Knight- Ridder Newspapers. Sander Vanocur, senior political correspondent for ABC News, is our moderator tonight. Sandy. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Thank you, Dorothy. A few words about the order of our format tonight. The order of questioning was determined by a toss of the coin. Congresswoman Ferraro won the toss. She elected to speak last. Therefore Vice President Bush will get the first question. The debate will be built upon a series of questions from the four reporters on the panel. A reporter will ask a candidate a question, a follow- up question and then the same to the other candidate; then each candidate will get to rebut the other. The debate will be divided into two parts. Therell be a section, the first; one, on domestic affairs; the second on foreign affairs. Now the manner of address was decided by the candidates. Therefore it will be Vice President Bush, Congresswoman Ferraro. And we begin our questioning with Mr. Mashek. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Thank you, Dorothy. A few words about the order of our format tonight. The order of questioning was determined by a toss of the coin. Congresswoman Ferraro won the toss. She elected to speak last. Therefore Vice President Bush will get the first question. The debate will be built upon a series of questions from the four reporters on the panel. A reporter will ask a candidate a question, a follow- up question and then the same to the other candidate; then each candidate will get to rebut the other. The debate will be divided into two parts. Therell be a section, the first; one, on domestic affairs; the second on foreign affairs. Now the manner of address was decided by the candidates. Therefore it will be Vice President Bush, Congresswoman Ferraro. And we begin our questioning with Mr. Mashek. | John Mashek | Moderator | John Adams, our nations first vice- president, once said; “Today I am nothing. Tomorrow I may be everything. ” With that in mind, Id like to ask the following question; Vice President Bush, four years ago, you ran against Mr. Reagan for the Republican nomination. You disagreed with him on such issues as the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, and you labeled his economic policies as voodoo. Now you apparently agree with him on every issue. If you should be called upon to assume the presidency, would you follow Mr. Reagans policies down the line or would you revert to some of your own ideas. |
John Mashek | Moderator | John Adams, our nations first vice- president, once said; “Today I am nothing. Tomorrow I may be everything. ” With that in mind, Id like to ask the following question; Vice President Bush, four years ago, you ran against Mr. Reagan for the Republican nomination. You disagreed with him on such issues as the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, and you labeled his economic policies as voodoo. Now you apparently agree with him on every issue. If you should be called upon to assume the presidency, would you follow Mr. Reagans policies down the line or would you revert to some of your own ideas. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I dont think theres a great difference, Mr. Mashek, between my views and President Reagans. One of the reasons I think were an effective team is that I believe firmly in his leadership. Hes really turned this country around. We agree on the economic program. When we came into office, why, inflation was 21, 12 1/2 percent interest was wiping out every single American were 21 1/2 percent if you can believe it. Productivity was down. Savings was down. There was despair. In fact, the leadership of the country told the people that there was a malaise out there. And this president turned it around and Ive been with him every step of the way. And of course I would continue those kinds of programs because its brought America back. Americas better off. People are going back to work. And why Mr. Monad cant understand that theres a new enthusiasm in this country, that America is back, theres new strong leadership, I dont know. He has one answer to the problem. Raise everybodys taxes. He looked right into that lens and he said out there in San Francisco, he said, “Im gonna raise your taxes. ” Well hes had a lot of experience in that and hes sure gonna go ahead and do it. But I remember a statement of Lyndon Johnsons when he was looking around, why his party people werent supporting him, and he said, “Hey, they painted their tails white and they ran with the antelopes. ” Theres a lot of Democratic white tails running with the antelopes. Not one single Democrat has introduced the Mondale tax bill into the Congress. Of course I support the presidents economic program and I support him in everything else. And Im not sure, because of my concept of the vice presidency, that if I didnt, Id go doing what Mr. Mondale has done with Jimmy Carter; jump away from him. I couldnt do that to Ronald Reagan, now, next year or any other time. I have too much trust in him. I have too much friendship for him. And Id feel very uncomfortable doing that. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I dont think theres a great difference, Mr. Mashek, between my views and President Reagans. One of the reasons I think were an effective team is that I believe firmly in his leadership. Hes really turned this country around. We agree on the economic program. When we came into office, why, inflation was 21, 12 1/2 percent interest was wiping out every single American were 21 1/2 percent if you can believe it. Productivity was down. Savings was down. There was despair. In fact, the leadership of the country told the people that there was a malaise out there. And this president turned it around and Ive been with him every step of the way. And of course I would continue those kinds of programs because its brought America back. Americas better off. People are going back to work. And why Mr. Monad cant understand that theres a new enthusiasm in this country, that America is back, theres new strong leadership, I dont know. He has one answer to the problem. Raise everybodys taxes. He looked right into that lens and he said out there in San Francisco, he said, “Im gonna raise your taxes. ” Well hes had a lot of experience in that and hes sure gonna go ahead and do it. But I remember a statement of Lyndon Johnsons when he was looking around, why his party people werent supporting him, and he said, “Hey, they painted their tails white and they ran with the antelopes. ” Theres a lot of Democratic white tails running with the antelopes. Not one single Democrat has introduced the Mondale tax bill into the Congress. Of course I support the presidents economic program and I support him in everything else. And Im not sure, because of my concept of the vice presidency, that if I didnt, Id go doing what Mr. Mondale has done with Jimmy Carter; jump away from him. I couldnt do that to Ronald Reagan, now, next year or any other time. I have too much trust in him. I have too much friendship for him. And Id feel very uncomfortable doing that. | John Mashek | Moderator | Well some Republicans have criticized Mr. Mondale for now claiming he disagreed privately with Jimmy Carters decision to impose the grain embargo. Have you ever disagreed with any decision of the Reagan Administration and its inner circles? And in following that up, where in your judgment does loyalty end and principle begin? |
John Mashek | Moderator | Well some Republicans have criticized Mr. Mondale for now claiming he disagreed privately with Jimmy Carters decision to impose the grain embargo. Have you ever disagreed with any decision of the Reagan Administration and its inner circles? And in following that up, where in your judgment does loyalty end and principle begin? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | I owe my president my judgment and then I owe him loyalty. You cant have the president of the United States out there looking over his shoulder wondering whether his vice president is going to be supporting him. Mrs. Ferraro has quite a few differences with Vice- President Mondale and I understood it when she changed her position on tuition tax credits. Theyre different on busing; she voted to extend the grain embargo; he now says that he was against it. If they win – and I hope they dont – but if they win, shell have to accommodate some views. But shell give him the same kind of loyalty that Im giving President Reagan. One, were not far apart on anything. Two, I can walk into that Oval Office anytime and give him my judgment and he might agree or he might not. But he also knows I wont be talking about it to the press or I wont be knifing him in the back by leaking to make me look good and complicate the problems of the president of the United States. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | I owe my president my judgment and then I owe him loyalty. You cant have the president of the United States out there looking over his shoulder wondering whether his vice president is going to be supporting him. Mrs. Ferraro has quite a few differences with Vice- President Mondale and I understood it when she changed her position on tuition tax credits. Theyre different on busing; she voted to extend the grain embargo; he now says that he was against it. If they win – and I hope they dont – but if they win, shell have to accommodate some views. But shell give him the same kind of loyalty that Im giving President Reagan. One, were not far apart on anything. Two, I can walk into that Oval Office anytime and give him my judgment and he might agree or he might not. But he also knows I wont be talking about it to the press or I wont be knifing him in the back by leaking to make me look good and complicate the problems of the president of the United States. | John Mashek | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your opponent has served in the House Of Representatives, hes been ambassador to the United Nations, ambassador to China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and now hes been vice president for four years. How does your three terms in the House of Representatives stack up against experience like that? |
John Mashek | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your opponent has served in the House Of Representatives, hes been ambassador to the United Nations, ambassador to China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and now hes been vice president for four years. How does your three terms in the House of Representatives stack up against experience like that? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Well, let me first say that I wasnt born at the age of forty- three when I entered Congress. I did have a life before that as well. I was a prosecutor for almost five years in the district attorneys office in Queens County and I was a teacher. Theres not only what is on your paper resume that makes you qualified to run for or to hold office. Its how you approach problems and what your values are. I think if one is taking a look at my career theyll see that I level with the people; that I approach problems analytically; that I am able to assess the various facts with reference to a problem, and I can make the hard decisions. Im intrigued when I hear Vice- President Bush talk about his support of the presidents economic program and how everything is just going so beautifully. I, too, recall when Vice President Bush was running in the primary against President Reagan and he called the program voodoo economics, and it was and it is. We are facing absolutely massive deficits; this administration has chosen to ignore it; the president has failed to put forth a plan to deal with those deficits and if everything believes that everything is corning up roses, perhaps the vice- president should join me as I travel around the country and speak to people. People in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, are not terribly thrilled with whats happening in the economy because theyre standing in the light of a closed plant because theyve lost their jobs. The people in Youngstown, Ohio, have stores that are boarded up because the economy is not doing well. Its not only the old industries that are failing, its also the new ones. In San Jose, California, theyre complaining because they cant export their high- tech qualities – goods – to Japan and other countries. The people in the Northwest – in the state of Washington and Oregon – are complaining about whats happening to the timber industry and to the agriculture industry. So, so things are not as great as the administration is wanting us to believe in their television commercials. My feeling, quite frankly, is that I have enough experience to see the problems, address them and make the tough decisions and level with people with reference to those problems. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Well, let me first say that I wasnt born at the age of forty- three when I entered Congress. I did have a life before that as well. I was a prosecutor for almost five years in the district attorneys office in Queens County and I was a teacher. Theres not only what is on your paper resume that makes you qualified to run for or to hold office. Its how you approach problems and what your values are. I think if one is taking a look at my career theyll see that I level with the people; that I approach problems analytically; that I am able to assess the various facts with reference to a problem, and I can make the hard decisions. Im intrigued when I hear Vice- President Bush talk about his support of the presidents economic program and how everything is just going so beautifully. I, too, recall when Vice President Bush was running in the primary against President Reagan and he called the program voodoo economics, and it was and it is. We are facing absolutely massive deficits; this administration has chosen to ignore it; the president has failed to put forth a plan to deal with those deficits and if everything believes that everything is corning up roses, perhaps the vice- president should join me as I travel around the country and speak to people. People in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, are not terribly thrilled with whats happening in the economy because theyre standing in the light of a closed plant because theyve lost their jobs. The people in Youngstown, Ohio, have stores that are boarded up because the economy is not doing well. Its not only the old industries that are failing, its also the new ones. In San Jose, California, theyre complaining because they cant export their high- tech qualities – goods – to Japan and other countries. The people in the Northwest – in the state of Washington and Oregon – are complaining about whats happening to the timber industry and to the agriculture industry. So, so things are not as great as the administration is wanting us to believe in their television commercials. My feeling, quite frankly, is that I have enough experience to see the problems, address them and make the tough decisions and level with people with reference to those problems. | John Mashek | Moderator | Despite the historic aspects of your candidacy, how do you account for the fact that a majority of women – at least according to the polls – favor the Reagan- Bush ticket over the Mondale- Ferraro ticket? |
John Mashek | Moderator | Despite the historic aspects of your candidacy, how do you account for the fact that a majority of women – at least according to the polls – favor the Reagan- Bush ticket over the Mondale- Ferraro ticket? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I dont. Let me say that Im not a believer in polls and let me say further that what we are talking about are problems that are facing the entire nation. Theyre not just problems facing women. The issues in this campaign are the war- peace issues; the problems of deficits; the problems of trade deficits. We are now facing a $120 billion trade deficit in this country. Were facing problems of the environment. I think what were going to be doing over the next several weeks – and Im absolutely delighted that the League is sponsoring these debates and that we are, we are able to now speak to the American public and address the issues in a way such as this. I think youre going to see a change in those polls. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I dont. Let me say that Im not a believer in polls and let me say further that what we are talking about are problems that are facing the entire nation. Theyre not just problems facing women. The issues in this campaign are the war- peace issues; the problems of deficits; the problems of trade deficits. We are now facing a $120 billion trade deficit in this country. Were facing problems of the environment. I think what were going to be doing over the next several weeks – and Im absolutely delighted that the League is sponsoring these debates and that we are, we are able to now speak to the American public and address the issues in a way such as this. I think youre going to see a change in those polls. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice President Bush, you have one minute to rebuttal. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice President Bush, you have one minute to rebuttal. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I was glad to get that vote of confidence from Mrs. Ferraro in my economic judgment. So let me make a statement on the economy. The other clay she was in a plant and she said to the workers, Why are you all voting for, why are so many of you voting for the Reagan- Bush ticket. And there was a long, deathly silence and she said come on, we delivered. Thats the problem. And Im not blaming her except for the liberal voting record in the House. They delivered. They delivered 21 ® percent interest rates. They delivered what they called malaise. They delivered interest rates that were right off the charts. They delivered take- home pay, checks that were shrinking, and weve delivered optimism. People are going back to work; 6 million of them. And 300, 000 jobs a month being created. Thats why there was that deathly silence out there in that plant. They delivered the wrong thing. Ronald Reagan is delivering leadership. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I was glad to get that vote of confidence from Mrs. Ferraro in my economic judgment. So let me make a statement on the economy. The other clay she was in a plant and she said to the workers, Why are you all voting for, why are so many of you voting for the Reagan- Bush ticket. And there was a long, deathly silence and she said come on, we delivered. Thats the problem. And Im not blaming her except for the liberal voting record in the House. They delivered. They delivered 21 ® percent interest rates. They delivered what they called malaise. They delivered interest rates that were right off the charts. They delivered take- home pay, checks that were shrinking, and weve delivered optimism. People are going back to work; 6 million of them. And 300, 000 jobs a month being created. Thats why there was that deathly silence out there in that plant. They delivered the wrong thing. Ronald Reagan is delivering leadership. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, one- minute rebuttal. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, one- minute rebuttal. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I, I think what Im going to have to do is Im going to start correcting the vice- presidents statistics. There are 6 million more people who have jobs and thats supposed to happen in a growing economy. In fact in the prior administration, with all their problems, they created 10 million jobs. The housing interest rates during this administration, for housing for middle- class Americans, was 14. 5 percent. Under the prior administration, with all their problems, the average rate was 10. 6 percent. If you take a look at the number of people living in poverty as a result of this administration, 6 million people, 500, 000 people knocked off disability rolls. You know, its, you can walk around saying things are great and thats what were going to be hearing, weve been hearing that on those commercials for the past couple of months. I expect they expect the American people to believe that. Ill become a one- woman truth squad and well start tonight. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I, I think what Im going to have to do is Im going to start correcting the vice- presidents statistics. There are 6 million more people who have jobs and thats supposed to happen in a growing economy. In fact in the prior administration, with all their problems, they created 10 million jobs. The housing interest rates during this administration, for housing for middle- class Americans, was 14. 5 percent. Under the prior administration, with all their problems, the average rate was 10. 6 percent. If you take a look at the number of people living in poverty as a result of this administration, 6 million people, 500, 000 people knocked off disability rolls. You know, its, you can walk around saying things are great and thats what were going to be hearing, weve been hearing that on those commercials for the past couple of months. I expect they expect the American people to believe that. Ill become a one- woman truth squad and well start tonight. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Mr. White. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Mr. White. | Jack White | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, I would like to ask you about civil rights. You have in the past been a supporter of tuition tax credits for private parochial schools. And also of a constitutional amendment to ban busing. Both these measures are opposed not only by your running mate but by about every educational and civil rights organization in the country. Now that youre Mr. Mondales running mate have you changed your position on either of those? |
Jack White | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, I would like to ask you about civil rights. You have in the past been a supporter of tuition tax credits for private parochial schools. And also of a constitutional amendment to ban busing. Both these measures are opposed not only by your running mate but by about every educational and civil rights organization in the country. Now that youre Mr. Mondales running mate have you changed your position on either of those? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | With reference to the busing vote that I cast in 1979, both Fritz Mondale and I agree on the same goal and that is nondiscrimination. I just dont agree on the same direction he does on how to achieve it. But I dont find any problem with that. I think thats been something thats been handled by the courts, and not being handled by Congress and will not be handled by the White House. But we both support nondiscrimination in housing and integration of neighborhoods. The goals we both set forth. With reference to tuition tax credits, I have represented a district in Queens which is 70 percent Catholic. I represented my district. Let me say as well that I have also been a great supporter of public school education and that is something that Fritz and I feel very, very strongly about for the future of this country. And this administration over the past several years has gutted the educational programs available to our young people. It has attempted to knock out Pell Grants, which are monies to young individuals who are poor and who cannot afford to go to college. It has reduced by 25 percent the amount of monies going into college education and by a third those going into secondary and primary schools. But Fritz Mondale and I feel very strongly that if you educate your children that thats an effort and the way that you build up and make a stronger America. With reference to civil rights I think youve got to go beyond that and if you take a look, also, at my record in the Congress and Fritz Mondales record, both in the Senate and as vice president, we both have extremely strong civil rights records. This administration does not. It has come in in the Bob Jones on the side of segregated academies. It came in in the Grove City case on the side of discrimination against women, the handicapped, and the elderly. As a matter of fact, in the Congress we just passed overwhelmingly the Civil Rights Bill of 1984 and this administration, the Republican- controlled Senate, just killed it in the last week or two in Congress. So there is a real difference between how the Mondale- Ferraro administration will address the problems of civil rights and the failure of this administration specifically in that particular area. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | With reference to the busing vote that I cast in 1979, both Fritz Mondale and I agree on the same goal and that is nondiscrimination. I just dont agree on the same direction he does on how to achieve it. But I dont find any problem with that. I think thats been something thats been handled by the courts, and not being handled by Congress and will not be handled by the White House. But we both support nondiscrimination in housing and integration of neighborhoods. The goals we both set forth. With reference to tuition tax credits, I have represented a district in Queens which is 70 percent Catholic. I represented my district. Let me say as well that I have also been a great supporter of public school education and that is something that Fritz and I feel very, very strongly about for the future of this country. And this administration over the past several years has gutted the educational programs available to our young people. It has attempted to knock out Pell Grants, which are monies to young individuals who are poor and who cannot afford to go to college. It has reduced by 25 percent the amount of monies going into college education and by a third those going into secondary and primary schools. But Fritz Mondale and I feel very strongly that if you educate your children that thats an effort and the way that you build up and make a stronger America. With reference to civil rights I think youve got to go beyond that and if you take a look, also, at my record in the Congress and Fritz Mondales record, both in the Senate and as vice president, we both have extremely strong civil rights records. This administration does not. It has come in in the Bob Jones on the side of segregated academies. It came in in the Grove City case on the side of discrimination against women, the handicapped, and the elderly. As a matter of fact, in the Congress we just passed overwhelmingly the Civil Rights Bill of 1984 and this administration, the Republican- controlled Senate, just killed it in the last week or two in Congress. So there is a real difference between how the Mondale- Ferraro administration will address the problems of civil rights and the failure of this administration specifically in that particular area. | Jack White | Moderator | In the area of affirmative action, what steps do you think government can take to increase the representation of minorities and women in the work force, and in colleges and universities, and specifically, would you support the use of quotas to achieve those goals? |
Jack White | Moderator | In the area of affirmative action, what steps do you think government can take to increase the representation of minorities and women in the work force, and in colleges and universities, and specifically, would you support the use of quotas to achieve those goals? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I do not support the use of quotas. Both Mr. Mondale and I feel very strongly about affirmative action to correct inequities, and we believe that steps should be taken both through government – for instance, the Small Business Administration. We have supported set- asides for minority and womens businesses. Thats a positive thing. We dont feel that youre in any way hurting anybody else by reaching out with affirmative action to help those whove been disenfranchised. On the contrary, if you have a growing economy, if you create the jobs, if you allow for small business the opportunity with lower interest rates to reach out and grow, there will be more than enough space for everybody. And affirmative action is a very positive way to deal with the problems of discrimination. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I do not support the use of quotas. Both Mr. Mondale and I feel very strongly about affirmative action to correct inequities, and we believe that steps should be taken both through government – for instance, the Small Business Administration. We have supported set- asides for minority and womens businesses. Thats a positive thing. We dont feel that youre in any way hurting anybody else by reaching out with affirmative action to help those whove been disenfranchised. On the contrary, if you have a growing economy, if you create the jobs, if you allow for small business the opportunity with lower interest rates to reach out and grow, there will be more than enough space for everybody. And affirmative action is a very positive way to deal with the problems of discrimination. | Jack White | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, many critics of your administration say that it is the most hostile to minorities in recent memory. Have you inadvertently perhaps encouraged that view by supporting tuition tax credits, the antibusing amendment, and siding with Bob Jones University in a case before the Supreme Court, your original opposition to the Voting Rights Act extension and so forth? |
Jack White | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, many critics of your administration say that it is the most hostile to minorities in recent memory. Have you inadvertently perhaps encouraged that view by supporting tuition tax credits, the antibusing amendment, and siding with Bob Jones University in a case before the Supreme Court, your original opposition to the Voting Rights Act extension and so forth? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, Mr. White, I think our record on civil rights is a good record. You mentioned the Voting Rights extension; it was extended for the longest period of time by President Reagan. But we have some problems in attracting the black vote, and I think our record deserves better. We have done more for black colleges than any previous administration. We favor enterprise zones to give – and its been blocked by Tip ONeill and that House of Representatives, those liberals in that House blocked a new idea to bring jobs into the black communities across the country. And because its not an old handout, special federal spending program, its blocked there – a good idea. And Id like to sec that tried. Weve brought more civil rights cases in the Justice Department than the previous administration by far. We believe in trying something new to help these black teenage kids; the minimum wage differential that says, “Look, ” to an employer, “hire these guys. And, yes, theyre willing to work for slightly less than the minimum wage. Give em a training job in the private sector. ” We threw out that old CETA that didnt train people for jobs that existed, simply rammed them onto the government payroll, and we put in a thing called the Job Training Partnership Act. Wonderful new legislation thats helping blacks more and more. We think of civil rights as something like crime in your neighborhoods. And, for example, when crime figures are going in the right direction thats good, thats a civil right. Similarly, we think of it in terms of quality of life, and that means interest rates. You know, its funny, Mr. Mondale talks about real interest rates. The real interest rate is what you pay when you go down and try to buy a TV set or buy a car, or do whatever it is. The interest rates when we left office were 21% percent. Inflation! Is it a civil right to have the going right off the chart so youre busting every American family, those who can afford it the least? No, weve got a good record. Weve got it on civil rights legislation, minority set- asides, more help for black colleges, and weve got it in terms of an economy thats offering people opportunity and hope instead of despair. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, Mr. White, I think our record on civil rights is a good record. You mentioned the Voting Rights extension; it was extended for the longest period of time by President Reagan. But we have some problems in attracting the black vote, and I think our record deserves better. We have done more for black colleges than any previous administration. We favor enterprise zones to give – and its been blocked by Tip ONeill and that House of Representatives, those liberals in that House blocked a new idea to bring jobs into the black communities across the country. And because its not an old handout, special federal spending program, its blocked there – a good idea. And Id like to sec that tried. Weve brought more civil rights cases in the Justice Department than the previous administration by far. We believe in trying something new to help these black teenage kids; the minimum wage differential that says, “Look, ” to an employer, “hire these guys. And, yes, theyre willing to work for slightly less than the minimum wage. Give em a training job in the private sector. ” We threw out that old CETA that didnt train people for jobs that existed, simply rammed them onto the government payroll, and we put in a thing called the Job Training Partnership Act. Wonderful new legislation thats helping blacks more and more. We think of civil rights as something like crime in your neighborhoods. And, for example, when crime figures are going in the right direction thats good, thats a civil right. Similarly, we think of it in terms of quality of life, and that means interest rates. You know, its funny, Mr. Mondale talks about real interest rates. The real interest rate is what you pay when you go down and try to buy a TV set or buy a car, or do whatever it is. The interest rates when we left office were 21% percent. Inflation! Is it a civil right to have the going right off the chart so youre busting every American family, those who can afford it the least? No, weve got a good record. Weve got it on civil rights legislation, minority set- asides, more help for black colleges, and weve got it in terms of an economy thats offering people opportunity and hope instead of despair. | Jack White | Moderator | Along those lines, sir, many recent studies have indicated that the poor and minorities have not really shared in the new prosperity generated by the current economic recovery. Was it right for your administration to pursue policies, economic policies, that required those at the bottom of the economic ladder to wait for prosperity to trickle clown from people who are much better off than they? |
Jack White | Moderator | Along those lines, sir, many recent studies have indicated that the poor and minorities have not really shared in the new prosperity generated by the current economic recovery. Was it right for your administration to pursue policies, economic policies, that required those at the bottom of the economic ladder to wait for prosperity to trickle clown from people who are much better off than they? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Mr. White, its not trickling down. And Im not suggesting theres no poverty, but I am suggesting the way to work out of poverty is through real opportunity. And in the meantime, the needy are getting more help. Human resource spending is way, way up. Aid for Dependent Children spending is up. Immunization programs are up. Almost every place you can point, contrary to Mr. Mondales – I gotta be careful – but contrary of how he goes around just saying everything bad. If somebody sees a silver lining, he finds a big black cloud out there. Whine on harvest moon! I mean, theres a lot going on, a lotta opportunity. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Mr. White, its not trickling down. And Im not suggesting theres no poverty, but I am suggesting the way to work out of poverty is through real opportunity. And in the meantime, the needy are getting more help. Human resource spending is way, way up. Aid for Dependent Children spending is up. Immunization programs are up. Almost every place you can point, contrary to Mr. Mondales – I gotta be careful – but contrary of how he goes around just saying everything bad. If somebody sees a silver lining, he finds a big black cloud out there. Whine on harvest moon! I mean, theres a lot going on, a lotta opportunity. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your rebuttal. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your rebuttal. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | The vice- president indicates that the President signed the Voting Rights Act. That was after he was – he did not support it while it was in the Congress, in the Senate, it was passed despite his opposition, and he did sign it because he was required to do so. In the civil rights cases that he mentioned, the great number of cases that they have enforced, the reason they enforced them because under the law theyre required to do that. And Im delighted that the administration is following the law. With reference |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | The vice- president indicates that the President signed the Voting Rights Act. That was after he was – he did not support it while it was in the Congress, in the Senate, it was passed despite his opposition, and he did sign it because he was required to do so. In the civil rights cases that he mentioned, the great number of cases that they have enforced, the reason they enforced them because under the law theyre required to do that. And Im delighted that the administration is following the law. With reference | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Excuse me – this will be out of my time, not yours – knowing and cherishing the people of this city and knowing their restraint and diffidence about emotion especially of athletic contexts of which this is not one, I beseech you, try to hold your applause please. Im sorry. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Excuse me – this will be out of my time, not yours – knowing and cherishing the people of this city and knowing their restraint and diffidence about emotion especially of athletic contexts of which this is not one, I beseech you, try to hold your applause please. Im sorry. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I just have to correct in my thirty seconds that are left the comment that the vice- president made with reference specifically to a program like AFDC. If you take AFDC, if you take food stamps, if you take – oh, go down the line on poor peoples programs, those are the programs that suffered considerably under this administrations first budget cuts and those are the ones that in the second part of their part of their term, we were able to restore some of those terribly, terribly unfair cuts to the poor people of this country. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I just have to correct in my thirty seconds that are left the comment that the vice- president made with reference specifically to a program like AFDC. If you take AFDC, if you take food stamps, if you take – oh, go down the line on poor peoples programs, those are the programs that suffered considerably under this administrations first budget cuts and those are the ones that in the second part of their part of their term, we were able to restore some of those terribly, terribly unfair cuts to the poor people of this country. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice- President Bush. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice- President Bush. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, maybe we have a factual – maybe we can ask the experts to go to the books. Theyll do it anyway. Spending for food stamps is way, way up under the Reagan administration, AFDC is up under the Reagan administration, and Im not going to be found wrong on that. I am sure of my facts, and we are trying to help and I think were doing a reasonable job, but we are not going to rest until every single American that wants a job and until this prosperity and this recovery thats benefiting many Americans, benefits all Americans. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, maybe we have a factual – maybe we can ask the experts to go to the books. Theyll do it anyway. Spending for food stamps is way, way up under the Reagan administration, AFDC is up under the Reagan administration, and Im not going to be found wrong on that. I am sure of my facts, and we are trying to help and I think were doing a reasonable job, but we are not going to rest until every single American that wants a job and until this prosperity and this recovery thats benefiting many Americans, benefits all Americans. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Miss Quarles. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Miss Quarles. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, one of the most emotional issues in this campaign has been the separation of church and state. What are your views on the separation of church and state specifically with regard to abortion, and do you believe it was right for the archbishop of Philadelphia to have a letter read in 305 churches urging Catholics to fight abortion with their votes? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, one of the most emotional issues in this campaign has been the separation of church and state. What are your views on the separation of church and state specifically with regard to abortion, and do you believe it was right for the archbishop of Philadelphia to have a letter read in 305 churches urging Catholics to fight abortion with their votes? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | I do believe in pluralism. I do believe in separation of church and state. I dont consider abortion a religious issue. I consider it a moral issue. I believe the archbishop has every right to do everything he wants in that direction, just as I never faulted Jesse Jackson from taking his message to the black pulpits all across this country, just as I never objected when the nuclear arms, the nuclear freeze or the antinuclear people – many of those movements were led by priests. Suddenly, because a Catholic bishop or an evangelist feels strongly on a political issue, people are saying its merging of church and state. We favor – and I speak confidently for the president – we favor separation of church and state. We favor pluralism. Now somebody says you ought to restore prayer in schools. You dont think its right to prohibit a kid from praying in schools. For years kids were allowed to pray in schools. We dont think thats a merger of church and stare to have nonmandatory voluntary, nongovernment- ordered prayer. And yet some are accusing us of injecting religion into politics. I have no problem with what the archbishop does, and I have no problem with what the evangelists on the right do and I have no problem what the priests on the left do. And it didnt bother me when during the Vietnam War much of the opposition to the government – Democrat and Republican governments – was led by priests, encouraging people to break the law and the adage of the – you know – the civil disobedience thing. So our position, separation of church and stare, pluralism, so no little kid with a minority religion of some sort is going to feel offended or feel left out or feel uncomfortable. But, yes, prayer in school on a voluntary basis worked for many, many years until the Supreme Court ruled differently And Im glad we got this question because I think theres been too much said about religion and politics. We dont believe in denominationally moving in. It wasnt our side that raised the question about our president whether he was a good Christian or not and so I, so thats our position – separation of church and state, pluralism, respect for all. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | I do believe in pluralism. I do believe in separation of church and state. I dont consider abortion a religious issue. I consider it a moral issue. I believe the archbishop has every right to do everything he wants in that direction, just as I never faulted Jesse Jackson from taking his message to the black pulpits all across this country, just as I never objected when the nuclear arms, the nuclear freeze or the antinuclear people – many of those movements were led by priests. Suddenly, because a Catholic bishop or an evangelist feels strongly on a political issue, people are saying its merging of church and state. We favor – and I speak confidently for the president – we favor separation of church and state. We favor pluralism. Now somebody says you ought to restore prayer in schools. You dont think its right to prohibit a kid from praying in schools. For years kids were allowed to pray in schools. We dont think thats a merger of church and stare to have nonmandatory voluntary, nongovernment- ordered prayer. And yet some are accusing us of injecting religion into politics. I have no problem with what the archbishop does, and I have no problem with what the evangelists on the right do and I have no problem what the priests on the left do. And it didnt bother me when during the Vietnam War much of the opposition to the government – Democrat and Republican governments – was led by priests, encouraging people to break the law and the adage of the – you know – the civil disobedience thing. So our position, separation of church and stare, pluralism, so no little kid with a minority religion of some sort is going to feel offended or feel left out or feel uncomfortable. But, yes, prayer in school on a voluntary basis worked for many, many years until the Supreme Court ruled differently And Im glad we got this question because I think theres been too much said about religion and politics. We dont believe in denominationally moving in. It wasnt our side that raised the question about our president whether he was a good Christian or not and so I, so thats our position – separation of church and state, pluralism, respect for all. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, four years ago you would have allowed federal financing of abortions in cases of rape and incest ass well as when the mothers life was threatened. Does your position now agree with Reagan who in Sundays debate came very close to saying abortion is murder? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, four years ago you would have allowed federal financing of abortions in cases of rape and incest ass well as when the mothers life was threatened. Does your position now agree with Reagan who in Sundays debate came very close to saying abortion is murder? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | You know, there has been – I have to make a confession – an evolution in my position. Theres been 15 million abortions since 1973, and I dont take that lightly. Theres been a million and a half this year. The president and I do favor a human rights amendment. I favor one that would have an exception for incest and rape, and he doesnt, but we both – only for the life of the mother. And I agree with him on that. So yes, my positions evolved, but Id like to see the American who faced with 15 million abortions isnt rethinking his or her position and Ill just stand with the answer. I support the presidents position – and comfortably – from a moral standpoint. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | You know, there has been – I have to make a confession – an evolution in my position. Theres been 15 million abortions since 1973, and I dont take that lightly. Theres been a million and a half this year. The president and I do favor a human rights amendment. I favor one that would have an exception for incest and rape, and he doesnt, but we both – only for the life of the mother. And I agree with him on that. So yes, my positions evolved, but Id like to see the American who faced with 15 million abortions isnt rethinking his or her position and Ill just stand with the answer. I support the presidents position – and comfortably – from a moral standpoint. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | So you believe its akin to murder? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | So you believe its akin to murder? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, I support the presidents position. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, I support the presidents position. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Fine. Congresswoman Ferraro, what are your views on the separation of church and state with regard to abortions, and do you believe it was right for the archbishop of Philadelphia to have those letters read in the pulpits and urged the voters to fight abortion with their vote? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Fine. Congresswoman Ferraro, what are your views on the separation of church and state with regard to abortions, and do you believe it was right for the archbishop of Philadelphia to have those letters read in the pulpits and urged the voters to fight abortion with their vote? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me say first of all I believe very, very sincerely in the separation of church and state. Im taking it from the historical viewpoint, if you go back to the 1600s when people came here, the reason they came to this country was to escape religious persecution, and thats the same reason why people are coming here today in the 1940s to escape Nazism, now in the 1980s and 1984 when they can get our of the country to escape communism so they can come here and practice their religion. Our country is founded on the principle that our government should be neutral as far as religion is concerned. Now whats happened over the past several years, and quite frankly Im not going to let you lay on me the intrusion of state politics into religion or religion into politics by my comments with reference to the presidents policies, because it started in 1980 when this administration was running for office and the Reverend Jerry Falwell became very, very involved in the campaign. What has happened over the past four years has been I think a real fudging of that line with the separation of church and state. The actions of the archbishops let me say to you I feel that they have not only a right but a responsibility to speak up, and even though Ive been the person that theyre speaking up about, l feel they do have the responsibility to do so, and I have no problem with it, no more than I did a priest who marched at the time of Vietnam and no more than I did at the time when Martin Luther King marched at the time of the civil rights marches. I have absolutely no problem with them speaking up, I think they have an obligation as well as a right. But what I do have a problem with is when the president of the United States gets up in Dallas and addresses a group of individuals and said to them that anybody who doesnt support his constitutional amendment for prayer in the schools is intolerant of religion. Now there are numerous groups who dont support that prayer in the school, numerous religious groups. Are they intolerant of religion? Is that what the president is saying? I also object, when I am told, that the Reverend Falwell has been told that he would pick two of our Supreme Court justices. Thats going a little bit far. In that instance, let me say to you it is more than a fudging at the line, it is a total intrusion, and I think that its in violation of our Constitution. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me say first of all I believe very, very sincerely in the separation of church and state. Im taking it from the historical viewpoint, if you go back to the 1600s when people came here, the reason they came to this country was to escape religious persecution, and thats the same reason why people are coming here today in the 1940s to escape Nazism, now in the 1980s and 1984 when they can get our of the country to escape communism so they can come here and practice their religion. Our country is founded on the principle that our government should be neutral as far as religion is concerned. Now whats happened over the past several years, and quite frankly Im not going to let you lay on me the intrusion of state politics into religion or religion into politics by my comments with reference to the presidents policies, because it started in 1980 when this administration was running for office and the Reverend Jerry Falwell became very, very involved in the campaign. What has happened over the past four years has been I think a real fudging of that line with the separation of church and state. The actions of the archbishops let me say to you I feel that they have not only a right but a responsibility to speak up, and even though Ive been the person that theyre speaking up about, l feel they do have the responsibility to do so, and I have no problem with it, no more than I did a priest who marched at the time of Vietnam and no more than I did at the time when Martin Luther King marched at the time of the civil rights marches. I have absolutely no problem with them speaking up, I think they have an obligation as well as a right. But what I do have a problem with is when the president of the United States gets up in Dallas and addresses a group of individuals and said to them that anybody who doesnt support his constitutional amendment for prayer in the schools is intolerant of religion. Now there are numerous groups who dont support that prayer in the school, numerous religious groups. Are they intolerant of religion? Is that what the president is saying? I also object, when I am told, that the Reverend Falwell has been told that he would pick two of our Supreme Court justices. Thats going a little bit far. In that instance, let me say to you it is more than a fudging at the line, it is a total intrusion, and I think that its in violation of our Constitution. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, as a devout Catholic, does it trouble you that so many of the leaders of your church disagree with you, and do you think that youre being treated unfairly in any way by the Catholic church? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, as a devout Catholic, does it trouble you that so many of the leaders of your church disagree with you, and do you think that youre being treated unfairly in any way by the Catholic church? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me tell you that I did not come to my position on abortion very lightly. I am a devout Catholic. When I was running for Congress 1978 I sat and met with a person I felt very close to, a monsignor currently a bishop. I spoke to him about my personal feelings that I would never have an abortion, but I was not quite sure if I were ever to become pregnant as result of a rape if I would be that self- righteous. I then spoke to him; he said, Gerry, thats not good enough. There you cant support that position. I said okay. Thats my religious view; I will accept the teaching of the church, but I cannot impose my religious views on someone else. I truly take an oath as a public official to represent all the people in my district, not only the Catholics. If there comes a time where I cannot practice my religion and do my job properly, I will resign my job. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me tell you that I did not come to my position on abortion very lightly. I am a devout Catholic. When I was running for Congress 1978 I sat and met with a person I felt very close to, a monsignor currently a bishop. I spoke to him about my personal feelings that I would never have an abortion, but I was not quite sure if I were ever to become pregnant as result of a rape if I would be that self- righteous. I then spoke to him; he said, Gerry, thats not good enough. There you cant support that position. I said okay. Thats my religious view; I will accept the teaching of the church, but I cannot impose my religious views on someone else. I truly take an oath as a public official to represent all the people in my district, not only the Catholics. If there comes a time where I cannot practice my religion and do my job properly, I will resign my job. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, your rebuttal. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, your rebuttal. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well I respect that statement, I really and truly do. We have difference on a moral question here on abortion. I notice that Mr. Mondale keeps talking in the debate and now its come here about Mr. Falwell. And I dont know where this canard could have come from about Mr. Falwell picking the Supreme Court justices. Ronald Reagan has made one super outstanding, the only one hes made, appointment to the Supreme Court and that was Sandra Day OConnor, and Mr. Falwell opposed her nomination. We still have respect for him, but he opposed it, and so I hope this lays to rest this slander against the president. We want justices who will interpret the Constitution, not legislate it. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well I respect that statement, I really and truly do. We have difference on a moral question here on abortion. I notice that Mr. Mondale keeps talking in the debate and now its come here about Mr. Falwell. And I dont know where this canard could have come from about Mr. Falwell picking the Supreme Court justices. Ronald Reagan has made one super outstanding, the only one hes made, appointment to the Supreme Court and that was Sandra Day OConnor, and Mr. Falwell opposed her nomination. We still have respect for him, but he opposed it, and so I hope this lays to rest this slander against the president. We want justices who will interpret the Constitution, not legislate it. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your rebuttal? |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your rebuttal? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Yes, I still find it very difficult to believe because in the platform, which this Republican party passed in Dallas – one of the things they was they said that this position on abortion would be a litmus test, not only for Supreme Court justices but for other federal justices. That, again, seems to me a blurring of the line of the separation between church and state. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Yes, I still find it very difficult to believe because in the platform, which this Republican party passed in Dallas – one of the things they was they said that this position on abortion would be a litmus test, not only for Supreme Court justices but for other federal justices. That, again, seems to me a blurring of the line of the separation between church and state. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | The next questioning from Mr. Boyd. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | The next questioning from Mr. Boyd. | Robert Boyd | Moderator | Like many Americans, each of you has recently had an unhappy experience with the Internal Revenue Service. Im going to prolong your ordeal. Congresswoman Ferraro, you disagree with the rule that says that a candidate must report the income or assets of his or her spouse if you get any benefit from them. Your husbands tax return showed that yon did benefit because he paid the mortgage and the property taxes on your home. Now the ethics committee is examining this question, but it wont report its findings until after the election. Would you be willing to ask that committee, which is controlled by Democrats, to hurry up its work and report before the election. |
Robert Boyd | Moderator | Like many Americans, each of you has recently had an unhappy experience with the Internal Revenue Service. Im going to prolong your ordeal. Congresswoman Ferraro, you disagree with the rule that says that a candidate must report the income or assets of his or her spouse if you get any benefit from them. Your husbands tax return showed that yon did benefit because he paid the mortgage and the property taxes on your home. Now the ethics committee is examining this question, but it wont report its findings until after the election. Would you be willing to ask that committee, which is controlled by Democrats, to hurry up its work and report before the election. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me say to you that I already did that. I wanted them to move ahead. If you recall, I spent about an hour and 45 minutes speaking to 200 reporters on August 21, which is the day after I was required to file my financial statement, and I sat for as long as they had questions on the issue, and I believe that they were satisfied. I filed more information than any other candidate for a national office in the history of this country. Not only did I agree to file my tax returns, after a little bit of prodding my husband also agreed to file his with the – not only the ethics committee but the FEC. Bur the action that youre speaking about with the ethics committee was started by a right- wing legal organization – foundation – knowing that I would have to – that there would be an automatic inquiry. We have filed the necessary papers, I have asked them to move along. Unfortunately, the House, I believe, went out of session today, so I dont know if they will move. But quite frankly, I would like that to be taken care of anyway, because I just want it cleared up. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me say to you that I already did that. I wanted them to move ahead. If you recall, I spent about an hour and 45 minutes speaking to 200 reporters on August 21, which is the day after I was required to file my financial statement, and I sat for as long as they had questions on the issue, and I believe that they were satisfied. I filed more information than any other candidate for a national office in the history of this country. Not only did I agree to file my tax returns, after a little bit of prodding my husband also agreed to file his with the – not only the ethics committee but the FEC. Bur the action that youre speaking about with the ethics committee was started by a right- wing legal organization – foundation – knowing that I would have to – that there would be an automatic inquiry. We have filed the necessary papers, I have asked them to move along. Unfortunately, the House, I believe, went out of session today, so I dont know if they will move. But quite frankly, I would like that to be taken care of anyway, because I just want it cleared up. | Robert Boyd | Moderator | Since that famous August 21 press conference on your family finances, you filed a new report with the ethics committee, and this showed that your previous reports were full of mistakes and omissions. For example, you failed to report about twelve trips that were paid for by special interest groups. In at least eighteen cases your holdings were misstated. Do you think it showed good leadership or attention to duty to blame all this on sloppy work by your accountant? |
Robert Boyd | Moderator | Since that famous August 21 press conference on your family finances, you filed a new report with the ethics committee, and this showed that your previous reports were full of mistakes and omissions. For example, you failed to report about twelve trips that were paid for by special interest groups. In at least eighteen cases your holdings were misstated. Do you think it showed good leadership or attention to duty to blame all this on sloppy work by your accountant? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Well, what it showed was that – and it was truly that I hired an accountant who had been with our family for well over forty years. He was filling our those ethics forms. I did not spend the time with him – I just gave him my tax information and he did it. I have to tell you what we have done since I have hired a marvelous accountant. Ive spent a lot of money having him go through all those ethics forms and he will be doing my taxes over the next eight years while were in the White House so that the American public can be sure its all been taken care of. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Well, what it showed was that – and it was truly that I hired an accountant who had been with our family for well over forty years. He was filling our those ethics forms. I did not spend the time with him – I just gave him my tax information and he did it. I have to tell you what we have done since I have hired a marvelous accountant. Ive spent a lot of money having him go through all those ethics forms and he will be doing my taxes over the next eight years while were in the White House so that the American public can be sure its all been taken care of. | Robert Boyd | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, last year you paid less than 13 percent of your income in federal taxes. According to the IRS, someone in your bracket normally pays about 28 percent of his income. Now what you did was perfectly legal, but do you think it was fair, and is there something wrong with our tax laws that allows such large deductions for wealthy taxpayers? |
Robert Boyd | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, last year you paid less than 13 percent of your income in federal taxes. According to the IRS, someone in your bracket normally pays about 28 percent of his income. Now what you did was perfectly legal, but do you think it was fair, and is there something wrong with our tax laws that allows such large deductions for wealthy taxpayers? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | What that figure – and I kind of like the way Mrs. Ferraro and Mr. Zaccaro reported – because they reported federal taxes, state and local taxes – gives people a clearer picture. That year I happened to pay a lot of state and local taxes, which as you know are deducted from the other, and so I looked it up the other day, and we had paid – I think its 42 percent – of our gross income in taxes. Now Mr. Mondale the other night took what I – Ill be honest – I think it was a cheap shot – at me, and we did a little looking around to see about his. We cant find his 198I tax return – it may have been released. Maybe my opponent knows whether Mr. Mondale released it. But we did find estimates that his income for those three years is a million, four hundred thousand dollars, and I think he paid about the same percentage as I did in total taxes. He also made a reference that troubled me very much, Mr. Boyd. He started talking about my chauffeur, and you know, Im driven to work by the Secret Service – so is Mrs. Ferraro – so is Mr. Mondale – they protected his life for four years and now theyve done a beautiful job for Barbara and mine. They saved the life of the president of the United States. I think that was a cheap shot – telling the American people to try to divide class – rich and poor. But the big question isnt whether Mrs. Ferraro is doing well. I think theyre doing pretty well, and I know Barbara and I are doing well. And its darn sure that Mr. Mondale is doing well, with a million four in income, but the question really is – after we get through this disclosure – is the tax cut fair? Are people getting a fair break, and the answer is the rich are paying 6 percent more on taxes and the poor are getting a better break. Those lower and middle- income people that have borne the burden for a long time. So yes, I favor disclosure. Ive always disclosed. This year I had my taxes and everything I own in a blind trust – so blind – blinder than the presidents, so I didnt even sign my tax return. But there seemed to be an interest in it so we went to the government ethics committee – they agreed to change the trust. The trust has been revealed, and I was sure glad to see that I had paid 42 percent of my gross income in taxes. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | What that figure – and I kind of like the way Mrs. Ferraro and Mr. Zaccaro reported – because they reported federal taxes, state and local taxes – gives people a clearer picture. That year I happened to pay a lot of state and local taxes, which as you know are deducted from the other, and so I looked it up the other day, and we had paid – I think its 42 percent – of our gross income in taxes. Now Mr. Mondale the other night took what I – Ill be honest – I think it was a cheap shot – at me, and we did a little looking around to see about his. We cant find his 198I tax return – it may have been released. Maybe my opponent knows whether Mr. Mondale released it. But we did find estimates that his income for those three years is a million, four hundred thousand dollars, and I think he paid about the same percentage as I did in total taxes. He also made a reference that troubled me very much, Mr. Boyd. He started talking about my chauffeur, and you know, Im driven to work by the Secret Service – so is Mrs. Ferraro – so is Mr. Mondale – they protected his life for four years and now theyve done a beautiful job for Barbara and mine. They saved the life of the president of the United States. I think that was a cheap shot – telling the American people to try to divide class – rich and poor. But the big question isnt whether Mrs. Ferraro is doing well. I think theyre doing pretty well, and I know Barbara and I are doing well. And its darn sure that Mr. Mondale is doing well, with a million four in income, but the question really is – after we get through this disclosure – is the tax cut fair? Are people getting a fair break, and the answer is the rich are paying 6 percent more on taxes and the poor are getting a better break. Those lower and middle- income people that have borne the burden for a long time. So yes, I favor disclosure. Ive always disclosed. This year I had my taxes and everything I own in a blind trust – so blind – blinder than the presidents, so I didnt even sign my tax return. But there seemed to be an interest in it so we went to the government ethics committee – they agreed to change the trust. The trust has been revealed, and I was sure glad to see that I had paid 42 percent of my gross income in taxes. | Robert Boyd | Moderator | Mr. Vice- President, how can you claim that your home is in Maine for tax purposes and at the same time claim that your home is in Texas for voting purposes? Are you really a Texan or a New Englander. |
Robert Boyd | Moderator | Mr. Vice- President, how can you claim that your home is in Maine for tax purposes and at the same time claim that your home is in Texas for voting purposes? Are you really a Texan or a New Englander. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Im really a Texan. But I got one house. And under the law, every taxpayer is allowed, when he sells a house, and buys another house, to get the rollover. Everybody, if it turns out, and I may hire, I notice she said she has a new good accountant. Id like to get his name and phone number because I think Ive paid too much in the way of taxes. And residence, Mr. Boyd, legal residence, for voting, is very different. And the domicile, they call that, very different, than the house. That they say youre living in the vice- presidents house. Therefore you dont get what every – Ive got problems – what every other taxpayer gets. I got problems with the IRS, but so do a lot of people out there. I think Ive paid too much. Nothing ethical. Id like to get some money back. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Im really a Texan. But I got one house. And under the law, every taxpayer is allowed, when he sells a house, and buys another house, to get the rollover. Everybody, if it turns out, and I may hire, I notice she said she has a new good accountant. Id like to get his name and phone number because I think Ive paid too much in the way of taxes. And residence, Mr. Boyd, legal residence, for voting, is very different. And the domicile, they call that, very different, than the house. That they say youre living in the vice- presidents house. Therefore you dont get what every – Ive got problems – what every other taxpayer gets. I got problems with the IRS, but so do a lot of people out there. I think Ive paid too much. Nothing ethical. Id like to get some money back. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your rebuttal please. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, your rebuttal please. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me just say that Id be happy to give the vice- president the name of my accountant, but I warn you, hes expensive. I think the question is whether or not the tax cuts and the tax system thats currently in our government, that our government uses, is fair; I think the tax system is unfair. But its not something that we can address in the short term. The tax cuts that Vice- President Bush and I got last, three years ago, that this president gave out, no, thats not fair. If you earn $200, 000 a year, you got a $25, 000 tax cut. If you earned between $20, 000 and $40, 000, you may have gotten about $1, 000 between ten and twenty, close to a hundred dollars and if you made less than $10, 000 with all the budget cuts that came down the line, you suffered a loss of $400. Thats not fair. Thats basically unfair and not only is it unfair, but economically it has darn near destroyed this country. Theres a $750 billion tax cut over a five- year period of time. Thats one of the reasons were facing these enormous deficits that we have today. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me just say that Id be happy to give the vice- president the name of my accountant, but I warn you, hes expensive. I think the question is whether or not the tax cuts and the tax system thats currently in our government, that our government uses, is fair; I think the tax system is unfair. But its not something that we can address in the short term. The tax cuts that Vice- President Bush and I got last, three years ago, that this president gave out, no, thats not fair. If you earn $200, 000 a year, you got a $25, 000 tax cut. If you earned between $20, 000 and $40, 000, you may have gotten about $1, 000 between ten and twenty, close to a hundred dollars and if you made less than $10, 000 with all the budget cuts that came down the line, you suffered a loss of $400. Thats not fair. Thats basically unfair and not only is it unfair, but economically it has darn near destroyed this country. Theres a $750 billion tax cut over a five- year period of time. Thats one of the reasons were facing these enormous deficits that we have today. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Mr. Vice- President. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Mr. Vice- President. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, I think Ive said all I want to say. I do, I didnt fully address myself to Mr. Boyds question no disclosure, I led the fight, I think, in 1968, in the House – I was in the House of Representatives for a couple of terms – and I led the fight for disclosure. I believe in it. Before I went into this job, I disclosed everything we had. We didnt have any private corporations, but I disclosed absolutely everything. Arthur Andersen made out an assets and liabilities statement that I believe went further than any other one. And then, to protect the public interest, we went into this blind trust. I believe in the blind trust because I believe a public official in this kind of job ought not to know whether hes gonna benefit, directly or indirectly, by some holding he might have or something of that nature. And, no, I support full disclosure. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, I think Ive said all I want to say. I do, I didnt fully address myself to Mr. Boyds question no disclosure, I led the fight, I think, in 1968, in the House – I was in the House of Representatives for a couple of terms – and I led the fight for disclosure. I believe in it. Before I went into this job, I disclosed everything we had. We didnt have any private corporations, but I disclosed absolutely everything. Arthur Andersen made out an assets and liabilities statement that I believe went further than any other one. And then, to protect the public interest, we went into this blind trust. I believe in the blind trust because I believe a public official in this kind of job ought not to know whether hes gonna benefit, directly or indirectly, by some holding he might have or something of that nature. And, no, I support full disclosure. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Thank you. That ends the part of this debate devoted to domestic affairs. We will now turn to foreign affairs and will begin the questioning with Mr. Mashek. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Thank you. That ends the part of this debate devoted to domestic affairs. We will now turn to foreign affairs and will begin the questioning with Mr. Mashek. | John Mashek | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, since your administration came to power the President has threatened a stern response against terrorism, yet murderous attacks have continued in Lebanon and the Middle East. Whos to blame, and youve been director of the Central Intelligence Agency. What can be clone to stop it? |
John Mashek | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, since your administration came to power the President has threatened a stern response against terrorism, yet murderous attacks have continued in Lebanon and the Middle East. Whos to blame, and youve been director of the Central Intelligence Agency. What can be clone to stop it? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Terrorism is very, very difficult to slop. And I think everybody knows that. We had ambassadors killed in Sudan and the Lebanon some time ago, a long time ago. When you see the Israeli building in Lebanon after the death of our marines you see that, hit by terrorism, the Israelis, with all their experience fighting terrorism, you know its difficult. When you see Khomeini wraith his radical Islam resorting to government- sponsored terrorism, its very difficult. The intelligence business can do a good job, and Im always one that defends the Central Intelligence Agency. I believe we ought to strengthen it and I believe we still have the best foreign intelligence business in the world. But it is very difficult to get the source information that you need to go after something as shadowy as international terror. There was a difference between Iran and what happened in Lebanon. In Iran you had a government holding a U. S. embassy; the government sanctioning the takeover of that embassy by those students; the government negotiating with the United States government for their release. In Lebanon, in the terror that happened at the embassy, you have the government there, Mr. Gemayel, that wants to help fight against terrorism. But because of the melee in the Middle East, its there today and has been there yesterday and the day before, and everyone thats had experience in that area knows, it is a very different thing. So what weve got to do is use absolutely the best security possible. I dont think you can go assigning blame. The president, of course, is the best Ive ever seen at accepting that. Hes been wonderful about it in absolutely everything that happens. But I think fair- minded people that really understand international terror know that its very hard to guard against. And the answer then really lies in the Middle East and terrorism happening all over the world, is a solution to the Palestine question, the follow on to Camp David under the umbrella of the Reagan September of 1982 initiative. That will reduce terror, it wont eliminate it. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Terrorism is very, very difficult to slop. And I think everybody knows that. We had ambassadors killed in Sudan and the Lebanon some time ago, a long time ago. When you see the Israeli building in Lebanon after the death of our marines you see that, hit by terrorism, the Israelis, with all their experience fighting terrorism, you know its difficult. When you see Khomeini wraith his radical Islam resorting to government- sponsored terrorism, its very difficult. The intelligence business can do a good job, and Im always one that defends the Central Intelligence Agency. I believe we ought to strengthen it and I believe we still have the best foreign intelligence business in the world. But it is very difficult to get the source information that you need to go after something as shadowy as international terror. There was a difference between Iran and what happened in Lebanon. In Iran you had a government holding a U. S. embassy; the government sanctioning the takeover of that embassy by those students; the government negotiating with the United States government for their release. In Lebanon, in the terror that happened at the embassy, you have the government there, Mr. Gemayel, that wants to help fight against terrorism. But because of the melee in the Middle East, its there today and has been there yesterday and the day before, and everyone thats had experience in that area knows, it is a very different thing. So what weve got to do is use absolutely the best security possible. I dont think you can go assigning blame. The president, of course, is the best Ive ever seen at accepting that. Hes been wonderful about it in absolutely everything that happens. But I think fair- minded people that really understand international terror know that its very hard to guard against. And the answer then really lies in the Middle East and terrorism happening all over the world, is a solution to the Palestine question, the follow on to Camp David under the umbrella of the Reagan September of 1982 initiative. That will reduce terror, it wont eliminate it. | John Mashek | Moderator | You mention Khomeini. Some Republicans charge the previous administration with being almost helpless against Khomeini and Libyas Quaddafi. Why hasnt your administration done something to take action against Arab states that foment this kind of terrorism? |
John Mashek | Moderator | You mention Khomeini. Some Republicans charge the previous administration with being almost helpless against Khomeini and Libyas Quaddafi. Why hasnt your administration done something to take action against Arab states that foment this kind of terrorism? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | What weve done is to support Arab stores that want to stand up against international terror, quite different. We believe in supporting, without jeopardizing the security of Israel in any way, because they are our one strategic ally in the area, they are the one democracy in the area and our relations with them has never been better. But we do believe in reaching out to the, what they call the GCC, those Gulf Cooperative Council State, those moderate Arab states in that world, and helping them with defensive weapons to guard against international terror or radical Islam perpetuated by Khomeini. And because weve done that and because the Saudis chopped down a couple of those intruding airplanes a while back, I think we have helped keep the peace in the Persian Gulf. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | What weve done is to support Arab stores that want to stand up against international terror, quite different. We believe in supporting, without jeopardizing the security of Israel in any way, because they are our one strategic ally in the area, they are the one democracy in the area and our relations with them has never been better. But we do believe in reaching out to the, what they call the GCC, those Gulf Cooperative Council State, those moderate Arab states in that world, and helping them with defensive weapons to guard against international terror or radical Islam perpetuated by Khomeini. And because weve done that and because the Saudis chopped down a couple of those intruding airplanes a while back, I think we have helped keep the peace in the Persian Gulf. | John Mashek | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, you and former Vice- President Mondale have criticized the president over the bombings in Lebanon, but what would you do to prevent such attacks? |
John Mashek | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, you and former Vice- President Mondale have criticized the president over the bombings in Lebanon, but what would you do to prevent such attacks? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me first say that terrorism is a global problem, and let me say secondly that the – Mr. Bush has referred to the embassy that was held in Iran, Well, I was at the White House in January, I guess it was, in 81, when those hostages, all fifty- two of them, came home alive. It was at that time that President Reagan gave a speech welcoming them home – as America did, we were so excited to see them back. But what he said was; The United States has been embarrassed for the last time. Were going to stand tall and if this ever happens again, theres going to be swift and immediate steps taken to address the wrong that our country has founded – has suffered. In April of J983 I was in Beirut and visited the ambassador at the embassy. Two weeks later, that embassy was bombed. At that time – take a look at the crazy activities of terrorists, you cant blame that on anybody. Theyre going to do crazy things and you just dont know whats going to happen. The following October, there was another bombing and that bombing took place at the marine barracks, where there were 242 young men who were killed. Right after that bombing occurred, there was a commission set up called the Long Commission. That commission did a study of the security arrangements around where the marines were sleeping and found that there was negligence, that they did not have proper gates up, proper precautions to stop those trucks from coming in. And so the Long Commission issued a report, and President Reagan got up and he said; Im commander in chief. I take responsibility. And we all waited for something to be done when he look responsibility. Well, last month we had our third bombing, The first time, the first embassy, there was no gate up, The second time, with our Marines, the gate was open. The third time, the gate was there but it had not been installed. And what was the presidents reaction? Well, the security arrangements were not in, our people were placed in that embassy in an unsecured time, and the marines who were guarding it were left to go away and there were other people guarding the embassy. Again the president said; I assume responsibility. Id like to know what that means. Are we going to take proper precautions before we put Americans in situations where theyre in danger, or are we just going to walk away, throwing our arms in the air now – quite a reversal from the first time, from the first time when he said he was going to do something? Or is this President going to take some action? |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me first say that terrorism is a global problem, and let me say secondly that the – Mr. Bush has referred to the embassy that was held in Iran, Well, I was at the White House in January, I guess it was, in 81, when those hostages, all fifty- two of them, came home alive. It was at that time that President Reagan gave a speech welcoming them home – as America did, we were so excited to see them back. But what he said was; The United States has been embarrassed for the last time. Were going to stand tall and if this ever happens again, theres going to be swift and immediate steps taken to address the wrong that our country has founded – has suffered. In April of J983 I was in Beirut and visited the ambassador at the embassy. Two weeks later, that embassy was bombed. At that time – take a look at the crazy activities of terrorists, you cant blame that on anybody. Theyre going to do crazy things and you just dont know whats going to happen. The following October, there was another bombing and that bombing took place at the marine barracks, where there were 242 young men who were killed. Right after that bombing occurred, there was a commission set up called the Long Commission. That commission did a study of the security arrangements around where the marines were sleeping and found that there was negligence, that they did not have proper gates up, proper precautions to stop those trucks from coming in. And so the Long Commission issued a report, and President Reagan got up and he said; Im commander in chief. I take responsibility. And we all waited for something to be done when he look responsibility. Well, last month we had our third bombing, The first time, the first embassy, there was no gate up, The second time, with our Marines, the gate was open. The third time, the gate was there but it had not been installed. And what was the presidents reaction? Well, the security arrangements were not in, our people were placed in that embassy in an unsecured time, and the marines who were guarding it were left to go away and there were other people guarding the embassy. Again the president said; I assume responsibility. Id like to know what that means. Are we going to take proper precautions before we put Americans in situations where theyre in danger, or are we just going to walk away, throwing our arms in the air now – quite a reversal from the first time, from the first time when he said he was going to do something? Or is this President going to take some action? | John Mashek | Moderator | Some Democrats cringe at the words spying and covert activity. Do you believe both of them have a legitimate role in countering terrorist activity around the world? |
John Mashek | Moderator | Some Democrats cringe at the words spying and covert activity. Do you believe both of them have a legitimate role in countering terrorist activity around the world? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I think they have a legitimate role in gathering information. And what has happened was the CIA, in the last bombing, had given information to our administration with reference to the actual threats that that embassy was going to be bombed. So it wasnt the CIA that was at fault. Theres legitimate reason for the CIA to be in existence, and thats to gather intelligence information for our security. But when I see the CIA doing things like theyre doing down in Central America – supporting a covert war – no, I dont support that kind of activity. The CIA is there, its meant to protect our government; not there to subvert other governments. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I think they have a legitimate role in gathering information. And what has happened was the CIA, in the last bombing, had given information to our administration with reference to the actual threats that that embassy was going to be bombed. So it wasnt the CIA that was at fault. Theres legitimate reason for the CIA to be in existence, and thats to gather intelligence information for our security. But when I see the CIA doing things like theyre doing down in Central America – supporting a covert war – no, I dont support that kind of activity. The CIA is there, its meant to protect our government; not there to subvert other governments. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice- President Bush. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice- President Bush. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, Im surprised. I think I just heard Mrs. Ferraro say that she would do away with all covert actions, and if so, that has very serious ramifications, as the intelligence community knows. This is serious business. And sometimes its quiet support for a friend, and so Ill leave that one there. But let me help you with the difference, Mrs. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon. Iran – we were held by a foreign government. In Lebanon you had a wanton, terrorist action where the government opposed it. We went to Lebanon to give peace a chance, to stop the bombing of civilians in Beirut, to remove 13, 000 terrorists from Lebanon – and we did. We saw the formation of a government of reconciliation and for somebody to suggest, as our two opponents have, that these men died in shame – they better not tell the parents of those young marines. They gave peace a chance. And our allies were with us – the British, the French, and the Italians. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, Im surprised. I think I just heard Mrs. Ferraro say that she would do away with all covert actions, and if so, that has very serious ramifications, as the intelligence community knows. This is serious business. And sometimes its quiet support for a friend, and so Ill leave that one there. But let me help you with the difference, Mrs. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon. Iran – we were held by a foreign government. In Lebanon you had a wanton, terrorist action where the government opposed it. We went to Lebanon to give peace a chance, to stop the bombing of civilians in Beirut, to remove 13, 000 terrorists from Lebanon – and we did. We saw the formation of a government of reconciliation and for somebody to suggest, as our two opponents have, that these men died in shame – they better not tell the parents of those young marines. They gave peace a chance. And our allies were with us – the British, the French, and the Italians. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me just say, first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy. Ive been a member of Congress for six years; I was there when the embassy was held hostage in Iran, and I have been there and Ive seen what has happened in the past several months; seventeen months of your administration. Secondly, please dont categorize my answers, either. Leave the interpretation of my answers to the American people who are watching this debate. And let me say further that no one has ever said that those young men who were killed through the negligence of this administration and others ever died in shame. No one who has a child who is nineteen or twenty years old, a son, would ever say that at the loss of anybody elses child. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me just say, first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy. Ive been a member of Congress for six years; I was there when the embassy was held hostage in Iran, and I have been there and Ive seen what has happened in the past several months; seventeen months of your administration. Secondly, please dont categorize my answers, either. Leave the interpretation of my answers to the American people who are watching this debate. And let me say further that no one has ever said that those young men who were killed through the negligence of this administration and others ever died in shame. No one who has a child who is nineteen or twenty years old, a son, would ever say that at the loss of anybody elses child. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Mr. White. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Mr. White. | Jack White | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, youve repeatedly said that you would not want your son to die in an undeclared war for an uncertain cause. But recently your running mate, Mr. Mondale, has suggested that it may become necessary to erect a military quarantine or blockade of Nicaragua. Under what circumstances would you advocate the use of military force, American combat forces, in Central America? |
Jack White | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, youve repeatedly said that you would not want your son to die in an undeclared war for an uncertain cause. But recently your running mate, Mr. Mondale, has suggested that it may become necessary to erect a military quarantine or blockade of Nicaragua. Under what circumstances would you advocate the use of military force, American combat forces, in Central America? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I would advocate the use of force when it was necessary to protect the security of our country, protect our security interest or protect our people or protect the interests of our friends and neighbors. When president – Im jumping the gun a bit, arent I? – when Mr. Mondale, Mr. Mondale referred to the quarantine of Central America, a country in Central America, what he is referring to is a last resort after all other means of attempting to settle the situation down in that region of the world had been exhausted. Quite frankly now what is being done by this administration is an Americanizing of a regional conflict. Theyre moving in militarily instead of promoting the Contadora process, which, as you know, is the process that is in place with the support of Mexico and Colombia and Panama and Venezuela. Instead of supporting the process, our administration has in Nicaragua been supporting covert activities to keep that revolution going in order to overthrow the Sandinista government; in El Salvador was not pushing the head of the government to move toward correction of the civil rights; human rights problems that existed there, and now this administration seems almost befuddled by the fact that Nicaragua is moving to participate in the Contadora process, and El Salvador is, through its President Duarte, is reaching out to the guerrillas in order to negotiate a peace. What Fritz Mondale and I feel about the situation down there is that what you do is you deal first through negotiation. That force is not a first resort but certainly a last resort in any instance. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I would advocate the use of force when it was necessary to protect the security of our country, protect our security interest or protect our people or protect the interests of our friends and neighbors. When president – Im jumping the gun a bit, arent I? – when Mr. Mondale, Mr. Mondale referred to the quarantine of Central America, a country in Central America, what he is referring to is a last resort after all other means of attempting to settle the situation down in that region of the world had been exhausted. Quite frankly now what is being done by this administration is an Americanizing of a regional conflict. Theyre moving in militarily instead of promoting the Contadora process, which, as you know, is the process that is in place with the support of Mexico and Colombia and Panama and Venezuela. Instead of supporting the process, our administration has in Nicaragua been supporting covert activities to keep that revolution going in order to overthrow the Sandinista government; in El Salvador was not pushing the head of the government to move toward correction of the civil rights; human rights problems that existed there, and now this administration seems almost befuddled by the fact that Nicaragua is moving to participate in the Contadora process, and El Salvador is, through its President Duarte, is reaching out to the guerrillas in order to negotiate a peace. What Fritz Mondale and I feel about the situation down there is that what you do is you deal first through negotiation. That force is not a first resort but certainly a last resort in any instance. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | A follow- up, please. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | A follow- up, please. | Jack White | Moderator | Many times in its history the United States has gone to war in order to defend freedom in other lands. Does your answer mean that you would be willing to forgo the use of military force even if it meant the establishment of a Soviet- back dictatorship so close to our own borders? |
Jack White | Moderator | Many times in its history the United States has gone to war in order to defend freedom in other lands. Does your answer mean that you would be willing to forgo the use of military force even if it meant the establishment of a Soviet- back dictatorship so close to our own borders? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | No, I think what you have to do is work with the government – I assume youre speaking about the government of Nicaragua – work with that government to achieve a pluralistic society. I mean they do have elections that are coming up on November 4. I think we have to work with them to achieve a peaceful solution to bring about a pluralistic country. No, Im not willing to live with a force that could be a danger to our country. Certainly, I would see that our country would be there putting all kinds of pressure on the neighboring countries of Honduras, of Costa Rica, of El Salvador, to promote the kind of society that we can all live with and security in this country. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | No, I think what you have to do is work with the government – I assume youre speaking about the government of Nicaragua – work with that government to achieve a pluralistic society. I mean they do have elections that are coming up on November 4. I think we have to work with them to achieve a peaceful solution to bring about a pluralistic country. No, Im not willing to live with a force that could be a danger to our country. Certainly, I would see that our country would be there putting all kinds of pressure on the neighboring countries of Honduras, of Costa Rica, of El Salvador, to promote the kind of society that we can all live with and security in this country. | Jack White | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, both Cuba and Nicaragua are reported to be making extensive preparations to defend themselves against an American invasion, which they claim could come this fall. And even some of your Democratic opponents in Congress have suggested that the administration may be planning a December surprise invasion. Can you tell us under what circumstances a reelected Reagan administration would consider the use of force in Central American or the Caribbean? Bush; We dont think were to be required to use force. Let me point out that there are 2, 000 Cuban military and 7, 500 so- called Cuban advisers in Nicaragua. There are 55 American military in El Salvador. I went down, on the instructions of the president, to speak to the commandants in El Salvador and told them that they had to move with Mr. Magana, then the president of El Salvador, to respect human rights. They have done that. Theyre moving well. Im not saying its perfect, but the difference between El Salvador and Nicaragua is like the difference between night and day. El Salvador went to the polls, Mr. Duarte was elected by 70 percent of the people in 70 percent voting in a certifiably free election. In Nicaragua, you have something very different. You have a Marxist- Leninist group, the Sandinistas, that came into power talking democracy. They have aborted their democracy. They have humiliated the Holy Father. They have cracked down on the only press organ there, La Prensa, censoring the press something that should concern every American. They have not had any human rights at all. They will not permit free elections. Mr. Cruz, who was to be the only viable challenger to Nicaragua, the Sandinistas, to the junta, to Mr. Ortega, went down there and found that the ground rules were so unfair that he couldnt even wage a campaign. One country is devoid of human rights. The other is struggling to perfect their democracy. We dont like it, frankly, when Nicaragua exports its revolution or serves as a conduit for supplies coming over from such “democracies” as North Korea, Bulgaria, the Soviet Union and Cube, to try to destabilize El Salvador. Yes, were concerned about that. Because we want to see this trend toward democracy continue. There have been something like thirteen countries since weve come in move toward the democratic route, and let me say that Grenada is not unrelated. And I have a big difference with Mrs. Ferraro on that one. We gave those four tiny Caribbean countries a chance. We saved the lives, and most of those thousand students said they were in jeopardy. Grenada was a proud moment because we did stand up for democracy. But in terms of threat of these countries, nuclear, I mean, weapons, no. Theres not that kind of a threat. Its Mr. Mondale that proposed the quarantine, not Ronald Reagan. |
Jack White | Moderator | Vice- President Bush, both Cuba and Nicaragua are reported to be making extensive preparations to defend themselves against an American invasion, which they claim could come this fall. And even some of your Democratic opponents in Congress have suggested that the administration may be planning a December surprise invasion. Can you tell us under what circumstances a reelected Reagan administration would consider the use of force in Central American or the Caribbean? Bush; We dont think were to be required to use force. Let me point out that there are 2, 000 Cuban military and 7, 500 so- called Cuban advisers in Nicaragua. There are 55 American military in El Salvador. I went down, on the instructions of the president, to speak to the commandants in El Salvador and told them that they had to move with Mr. Magana, then the president of El Salvador, to respect human rights. They have done that. Theyre moving well. Im not saying its perfect, but the difference between El Salvador and Nicaragua is like the difference between night and day. El Salvador went to the polls, Mr. Duarte was elected by 70 percent of the people in 70 percent voting in a certifiably free election. In Nicaragua, you have something very different. You have a Marxist- Leninist group, the Sandinistas, that came into power talking democracy. They have aborted their democracy. They have humiliated the Holy Father. They have cracked down on the only press organ there, La Prensa, censoring the press something that should concern every American. They have not had any human rights at all. They will not permit free elections. Mr. Cruz, who was to be the only viable challenger to Nicaragua, the Sandinistas, to the junta, to Mr. Ortega, went down there and found that the ground rules were so unfair that he couldnt even wage a campaign. One country is devoid of human rights. The other is struggling to perfect their democracy. We dont like it, frankly, when Nicaragua exports its revolution or serves as a conduit for supplies coming over from such “democracies” as North Korea, Bulgaria, the Soviet Union and Cube, to try to destabilize El Salvador. Yes, were concerned about that. Because we want to see this trend toward democracy continue. There have been something like thirteen countries since weve come in move toward the democratic route, and let me say that Grenada is not unrelated. And I have a big difference with Mrs. Ferraro on that one. We gave those four tiny Caribbean countries a chance. We saved the lives, and most of those thousand students said they were in jeopardy. Grenada was a proud moment because we did stand up for democracy. But in terms of threat of these countries, nuclear, I mean, weapons, no. Theres not that kind of a threat. Its Mr. Mondale that proposed the quarantine, not Ronald Reagan. | Jack White | Moderator | Considering this countrys long respect for the rule of international law, was it right for the United States to be involved in mining the harbors of Nicaragua, a country were not at war with, and to subsequently refuse to allow the World Court to adjudicate that dispute and the complaint from Nicaragua? |
Jack White | Moderator | Considering this countrys long respect for the rule of international law, was it right for the United States to be involved in mining the harbors of Nicaragua, a country were not at war with, and to subsequently refuse to allow the World Court to adjudicate that dispute and the complaint from Nicaragua? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | I support what were doing. It was supported to the Congress and under the law. I support it. My only regret is that the aid for the contras, those people that are fighting, we call them freedom fighters. They want to see the democracy perfected in Nicaragua. Am I to understand from this assault on covert action that nowhere in the world would we do something that was considered just off base when Mrs. Ferraro said shes never support it? Would she never support it if the violation of human rights was so great and quiet support was necessary for freedom fighters? Yes, were for the contras. And let me tell you another fact about the controls. Everyone thats not for this, everyone who wants to let that Sandinista government prevail, just like that Castro did, all of that, the contras are not Somozistas. Less than 5 percent of the contras supported Somoza. These were people that wanted a revolution. These people that felt the revolution was betrayed. These are people that support human rights. Yes, we should support them. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | I support what were doing. It was supported to the Congress and under the law. I support it. My only regret is that the aid for the contras, those people that are fighting, we call them freedom fighters. They want to see the democracy perfected in Nicaragua. Am I to understand from this assault on covert action that nowhere in the world would we do something that was considered just off base when Mrs. Ferraro said shes never support it? Would she never support it if the violation of human rights was so great and quiet support was necessary for freedom fighters? Yes, were for the contras. And let me tell you another fact about the controls. Everyone thats not for this, everyone who wants to let that Sandinista government prevail, just like that Castro did, all of that, the contras are not Somozistas. Less than 5 percent of the contras supported Somoza. These were people that wanted a revolution. These people that felt the revolution was betrayed. These are people that support human rights. Yes, we should support them. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I spent time in Central America in January and had an opportunity to speak to the contras after the incident in Nicaragua and in El Salvador. Let me just say that the situation as it exists now, because of this administrations policies, are not getting better. Were not moving toward a more secure area of the world. As a matter of fact the number of troops that the Sandinistas have accumulated since the administration started its covert activities has risen from 12, 000 to 50, 000, and of course the number of Soviet and Cuban advisors has also increased. I did not support the mining of the harbors in Nicaragua; it is a violation of international law. Congress did not support it and as a matter of fact, just this week, the Congress voted in cut off covert aid to Nicaragua unless and until a request is made and there is evidence of need for it, and the Congress approves it again in March. So if Congress doesnt get laid on, the covert activities which I opposed in Nicaragua, those CIA covert activities in that specific country, are not supported by the Congress. And believe it or not, not supported by the majority of people throughout the country. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I spent time in Central America in January and had an opportunity to speak to the contras after the incident in Nicaragua and in El Salvador. Let me just say that the situation as it exists now, because of this administrations policies, are not getting better. Were not moving toward a more secure area of the world. As a matter of fact the number of troops that the Sandinistas have accumulated since the administration started its covert activities has risen from 12, 000 to 50, 000, and of course the number of Soviet and Cuban advisors has also increased. I did not support the mining of the harbors in Nicaragua; it is a violation of international law. Congress did not support it and as a matter of fact, just this week, the Congress voted in cut off covert aid to Nicaragua unless and until a request is made and there is evidence of need for it, and the Congress approves it again in March. So if Congress doesnt get laid on, the covert activities which I opposed in Nicaragua, those CIA covert activities in that specific country, are not supported by the Congress. And believe it or not, not supported by the majority of people throughout the country. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice President Bush. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Vice President Bush. | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I would simply like to make the distinction again between those countries that are searching for democracy and the handful of countries that have totally violated human rights and are going the Marxist route. Ortega, the commandante who is head of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, is an avowed Marxist. They dont believe in the church. They dont believe in free elections. They dont believe in all of the values that we believe in. So it is our policy to support the democracy there, and when you have freedom fighters that want to protect that revolution, and go the democratic route, we believe in giving them support. We are for democracy in the hemisphere. We are for negotiations. $3 out of every $4 that we sent down there has been for economic aid to support the peoples chance to eat and live and be happy and enjoy life. And one- fourth only was rnilitary. You wouldnt get that from listening to Mr. Mondale. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I would simply like to make the distinction again between those countries that are searching for democracy and the handful of countries that have totally violated human rights and are going the Marxist route. Ortega, the commandante who is head of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, is an avowed Marxist. They dont believe in the church. They dont believe in free elections. They dont believe in all of the values that we believe in. So it is our policy to support the democracy there, and when you have freedom fighters that want to protect that revolution, and go the democratic route, we believe in giving them support. We are for democracy in the hemisphere. We are for negotiations. $3 out of every $4 that we sent down there has been for economic aid to support the peoples chance to eat and live and be happy and enjoy life. And one- fourth only was rnilitary. You wouldnt get that from listening to Mr. Mondale. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Miss Quarles. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Miss Quarles. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Vice President Bush, the last three Republican administrations, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Ford, none of them soft on communism, met with the Soviets and got agreements on arms control. The Soviets havent changed that much. Can you tell us why President Reagan has not met with the Soviet ministers at all and only met with Prime Minister Gromyko less than a month ago? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Vice President Bush, the last three Republican administrations, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Ford, none of them soft on communism, met with the Soviets and got agreements on arms control. The Soviets havent changed that much. Can you tell us why President Reagan has not met with the Soviet ministers at all and only met with Prime Minister Gromyko less than a month ago? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Yes, I can. The, you mentioned the Gromyko meeting, those were broken off under the Carter- Mondale days. There had been three separate Soviet leaders. Mr. Brezhnev, Mr. Andropov, and now Chernenko. During their, that, in three and a half years, three separate leaders. The Soviets have not been willing to talk. We are the ones that went to the table in INF. We had a good proposal, a moral proposal. Ban an entire generation of intermediate nuclear force weapons and if you wont do that, dont leave your allies in Europe in a monopoly position. The Soviets with 1, 200 of these things, and the alliance with none. We didnt think thats the way to deter aggression and keep the peace. The president went, the first thing he did when he came into office was make a proposal on the most destabilizing weapons of all, START. And when the the strategic weapon and when the Soviets said, well, we dont like that proposal, we said all right, well be more flexible. I at the urging of the president went to Geneva and laid on the table a treaty to ban all chemical weapons. We dont want them to have a monopoly. We said look, lets come together. You come over here and see what were doing; well go over there and see what youre doing. But lets save the kids of this world from chemical weapons. A brilliant proposal to get rid of all of them. And the Soviets nyet, nyet nyet. In the mutual balance force reduction to reduce conventional forces, theyre not even willing to tell us the base. Mrs. Ferraro knows that, and how many troops they have. Theres four sessions. We have had an agreement with them on the hot line. But Carter- Monad made an agreement, the Salt II agreement, but the Democratic Senate, they were a Democratic administration, the Democratic Senate wouldnt even ratify that agreement. It was flawed, it was unverifiable and it was not good. Our president wants to reduce, not just to stop, he wants to reduce dramatically nuclear weapons. And when the Soviets know theyre going to have this strong president to deal with, and when this new administration, Mr. Chernenko, given more than a few months in office can solidify its position, then theyll talk. But if they think the opposition, before they sit down, are going to give up the MX, give up the B- l, go for a freeze that locks in inferiority in Europe, all of these things, unilaterally, before theyre willing to talk, they may just sweat it out for four more weeks. Who knows. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Yes, I can. The, you mentioned the Gromyko meeting, those were broken off under the Carter- Mondale days. There had been three separate Soviet leaders. Mr. Brezhnev, Mr. Andropov, and now Chernenko. During their, that, in three and a half years, three separate leaders. The Soviets have not been willing to talk. We are the ones that went to the table in INF. We had a good proposal, a moral proposal. Ban an entire generation of intermediate nuclear force weapons and if you wont do that, dont leave your allies in Europe in a monopoly position. The Soviets with 1, 200 of these things, and the alliance with none. We didnt think thats the way to deter aggression and keep the peace. The president went, the first thing he did when he came into office was make a proposal on the most destabilizing weapons of all, START. And when the the strategic weapon and when the Soviets said, well, we dont like that proposal, we said all right, well be more flexible. I at the urging of the president went to Geneva and laid on the table a treaty to ban all chemical weapons. We dont want them to have a monopoly. We said look, lets come together. You come over here and see what were doing; well go over there and see what youre doing. But lets save the kids of this world from chemical weapons. A brilliant proposal to get rid of all of them. And the Soviets nyet, nyet nyet. In the mutual balance force reduction to reduce conventional forces, theyre not even willing to tell us the base. Mrs. Ferraro knows that, and how many troops they have. Theres four sessions. We have had an agreement with them on the hot line. But Carter- Monad made an agreement, the Salt II agreement, but the Democratic Senate, they were a Democratic administration, the Democratic Senate wouldnt even ratify that agreement. It was flawed, it was unverifiable and it was not good. Our president wants to reduce, not just to stop, he wants to reduce dramatically nuclear weapons. And when the Soviets know theyre going to have this strong president to deal with, and when this new administration, Mr. Chernenko, given more than a few months in office can solidify its position, then theyll talk. But if they think the opposition, before they sit down, are going to give up the MX, give up the B- l, go for a freeze that locks in inferiority in Europe, all of these things, unilaterally, before theyre willing to talk, they may just sweat it out for four more weeks. Who knows. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | You were once quoted as saying that a nuclear war is winnable. Is that still your belief, and if not, under what circumstances would you use nuclear weapons if you were president? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | You were once quoted as saying that a nuclear war is winnable. Is that still your belief, and if not, under what circumstances would you use nuclear weapons if you were president? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, I dont think its winnable. I was quoted wrong, obviously, cause I never thought that. The Soviet planning, I did learn that when I was director of Central Intelligence, and I dont think thered be any disagreement, is based on that ugly concept. But I agree with the president; It should never be fought. Nuclear weapons should never be fought with, and thats our approach. So, therefore, lets encourage the Soviets to come to the table as we did at the Gromyko meeting. I wish everybody could have seen that one – the President, giving the facts to Gromyko in all of these nuclear meetings – excellent, right on top of that subject matter. And Ill bet you that Gromyko went back to the Soviet Union saying, “Hey, listen, this president is calling the shots; wed better move. ” But do you know why I think well get an agreement? Because I think it is in the interest of the Soviet Union to make it, just as it is in the United States. Theyre not deterred by rhetoric. I listened to the rhetoric for two years at the United Nations. Ive lived in a Communist country. Its not rhetoric that decides agreements, its self- interest of those countries. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | No, I dont think its winnable. I was quoted wrong, obviously, cause I never thought that. The Soviet planning, I did learn that when I was director of Central Intelligence, and I dont think thered be any disagreement, is based on that ugly concept. But I agree with the president; It should never be fought. Nuclear weapons should never be fought with, and thats our approach. So, therefore, lets encourage the Soviets to come to the table as we did at the Gromyko meeting. I wish everybody could have seen that one – the President, giving the facts to Gromyko in all of these nuclear meetings – excellent, right on top of that subject matter. And Ill bet you that Gromyko went back to the Soviet Union saying, “Hey, listen, this president is calling the shots; wed better move. ” But do you know why I think well get an agreement? Because I think it is in the interest of the Soviet Union to make it, just as it is in the United States. Theyre not deterred by rhetoric. I listened to the rhetoric for two years at the United Nations. Ive lived in a Communist country. Its not rhetoric that decides agreements, its self- interest of those countries. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, you and Mr. Mondale are for a verifiable nuclear freeze. Some Democrats have said that verification may not be possible. How would you verify such an agreement and make sure that the Soviets are not cheating? |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, you and Mr. Mondale are for a verifiable nuclear freeze. Some Democrats have said that verification may not be possible. How would you verify such an agreement and make sure that the Soviets are not cheating? | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me say first of all that I dont think there is any issue that is more important in this campaign, in this election, than the issue of war and peace. And since today is Eleanor Roosevelts 100th birthday, let me quote her. She said, “It is not enough to want peace, you must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it, you must work for it. ” This administrations policies have indicated quite the opposite. The last time I heard Vice President Bush blame the fact that they didnt meet with the Soviet leader, and this is the first president in forty years not to meet with a Soviet counterpart. He said the reason was because there are three Soviet leaders in the past three and a half years. I went and got a computer printout. Its five pages of the leaders, world leaders, that the Soviet leaders have met with, and theyre not little people. Theyre people like Mitterrand of France and Kohl of Germany and President Kiprianou of Cyprus – you go down the list, five pages of people that the Soviet leaders have managed to meet with and somehow they couldnt meet with the president of the United States. In addition to not meeting with his Soviet counterpart, this is the first president – and youre right – since the start of negotiating arms control agreements who have not negotiated an arms control agreement, But not only has he not negotiated one, hes been opposed to every single one that every other president has negotiated, including Eisenhower, including Ford, and including Nixon. Now, let me just say that with reference to the vice- presidents comments about the intent and the desire of the United Sites and this administration, the Soviet Union did walk out of the talks. I agree. But it seems to me in 1982, when the administration presented its Start proposal, that it wasnt a realistic proposal. And that is the comment that was made by Secretary Haig after he left office, because what it dealt with was that it dealt just with land- based nuclear missiles, which is where the Soviets had the bulk of their missiles. But that aside, in 1982, I believe it was, their own negotiator, Nitze, came out with a proposal called the “walk- in- the- woods proposal” which would have limited the number of nuclear arms in Europe. That proposal was turned down by the administration – a proposal presented by its own administrator. Now Im delighted that they met with Mr. Gromyko, but they could have had that opportunity to meet with him in 1981 when he came to the UN, which he had done with every other president before, and in 1982 as well. I guess my – |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Let me say first of all that I dont think there is any issue that is more important in this campaign, in this election, than the issue of war and peace. And since today is Eleanor Roosevelts 100th birthday, let me quote her. She said, “It is not enough to want peace, you must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it, you must work for it. ” This administrations policies have indicated quite the opposite. The last time I heard Vice President Bush blame the fact that they didnt meet with the Soviet leader, and this is the first president in forty years not to meet with a Soviet counterpart. He said the reason was because there are three Soviet leaders in the past three and a half years. I went and got a computer printout. Its five pages of the leaders, world leaders, that the Soviet leaders have met with, and theyre not little people. Theyre people like Mitterrand of France and Kohl of Germany and President Kiprianou of Cyprus – you go down the list, five pages of people that the Soviet leaders have managed to meet with and somehow they couldnt meet with the president of the United States. In addition to not meeting with his Soviet counterpart, this is the first president – and youre right – since the start of negotiating arms control agreements who have not negotiated an arms control agreement, But not only has he not negotiated one, hes been opposed to every single one that every other president has negotiated, including Eisenhower, including Ford, and including Nixon. Now, let me just say that with reference to the vice- presidents comments about the intent and the desire of the United Sites and this administration, the Soviet Union did walk out of the talks. I agree. But it seems to me in 1982, when the administration presented its Start proposal, that it wasnt a realistic proposal. And that is the comment that was made by Secretary Haig after he left office, because what it dealt with was that it dealt just with land- based nuclear missiles, which is where the Soviets had the bulk of their missiles. But that aside, in 1982, I believe it was, their own negotiator, Nitze, came out with a proposal called the “walk- in- the- woods proposal” which would have limited the number of nuclear arms in Europe. That proposal was turned down by the administration – a proposal presented by its own administrator. Now Im delighted that they met with Mr. Gromyko, but they could have had that opportunity to meet with him in 1981 when he came to the UN, which he had done with every other president before, and in 1982 as well. I guess my – | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman, Im sorry. Speaking of limits, I have to impose a limit on you, Vice President Bush? |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman, Im sorry. Speaking of limits, I have to impose a limit on you, Vice President Bush? | George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I think theres quite a difference between Mr. Kyprianou in Cyprus and the leader of the free world, Ronald Reagan, in terms of meeting. And the Soviet Union – the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union will meet with a lot of different people. Weve been in very close touch with Mr. Mitterrand, Mr. Kohl, and others that have met with the leaders of the Soviet Union. But thats quite different than meeting with the president of the United States. The Soviets say well have a meeting when we think there can be progress and yet they left those talks. Id like to correct my opponent on the walk in the woods. It was the Soviet Union that was unwilling to discuss the walk in the woods. They were the ones that gunned it down first and the record is very, very clear on that. Miss Ferraro mentioned the inflexibility of our position on strategic arms. Yes, we offered first to get rid of all those – we tried to reduce the SS- 18s and those weapons. But then we said if thats not good enough, there is flexibility, lets talk about the bombers and planes. So thats a very important point in terms of negotiation. |
George H. W. Bush | Candidate | Well, I think theres quite a difference between Mr. Kyprianou in Cyprus and the leader of the free world, Ronald Reagan, in terms of meeting. And the Soviet Union – the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union will meet with a lot of different people. Weve been in very close touch with Mr. Mitterrand, Mr. Kohl, and others that have met with the leaders of the Soviet Union. But thats quite different than meeting with the president of the United States. The Soviets say well have a meeting when we think there can be progress and yet they left those talks. Id like to correct my opponent on the walk in the woods. It was the Soviet Union that was unwilling to discuss the walk in the woods. They were the ones that gunned it down first and the record is very, very clear on that. Miss Ferraro mentioned the inflexibility of our position on strategic arms. Yes, we offered first to get rid of all those – we tried to reduce the SS- 18s and those weapons. But then we said if thats not good enough, there is flexibility, lets talk about the bombers and planes. So thats a very important point in terms of negotiation. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman, he that taketh away has to give back. I robbed you of your rebuttal. Therefore, you will have two minutes to rebut. Forgive me. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Congresswoman, he that taketh away has to give back. I robbed you of your rebuttal. Therefore, you will have two minutes to rebut. Forgive me. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I – You robbed me of my follow- up, thats what you robbed me, so why dont I let her give me the follow- up. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I – You robbed me of my follow- up, thats what you robbed me, so why dont I let her give me the follow- up. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | All right, and then give your rebuttal. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | All right, and then give your rebuttal. | Norma Quarles | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, most polls show that the American – Americans feel that the Republicans, more than the Democrats are better able to keep the United States out of war. Weve had four years of relative peace under President Reagan. How can you convince the American public that the world would be a safer place under Carter- Mondale? [sic] |
Norma Quarles | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, most polls show that the American – Americans feel that the Republicans, more than the Democrats are better able to keep the United States out of war. Weve had four years of relative peace under President Reagan. How can you convince the American public that the world would be a safer place under Carter- Mondale? [sic] | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I think first of all, you have to take a look at the current situation. We now have 50, 000 nuclear warheads; we are building at the rate of five or six a day between us and we have been doing that since this administration came into office. I think what you can do is look at what theyve done and recognize that theyre not going to do very much in the future. And so, since theyve done nothing, do we continue to build because an arms race doesnt lead to anything, it leads to another arms race and thats that. Vice President Monad has indicated that what he would do, first of all, as soon as he. gets into office, is contact his Soviet counterpart and set up an annual summit meeting. Thats number one. I dont think you can start negotiating until you start talking. Secondly, he would issue a challenge, and the challenge would be in the nature of temporary, mutual, verifiable, moratoria to halt testing in the air, in the atmosphere, that would respond with a challenge from the Soviet Union, we hope, to sit down and negotiate a treaty. That was done in 1960. I dont know what your lights are doing, Sander. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | I think first of all, you have to take a look at the current situation. We now have 50, 000 nuclear warheads; we are building at the rate of five or six a day between us and we have been doing that since this administration came into office. I think what you can do is look at what theyve done and recognize that theyre not going to do very much in the future. And so, since theyve done nothing, do we continue to build because an arms race doesnt lead to anything, it leads to another arms race and thats that. Vice President Monad has indicated that what he would do, first of all, as soon as he. gets into office, is contact his Soviet counterpart and set up an annual summit meeting. Thats number one. I dont think you can start negotiating until you start talking. Secondly, he would issue a challenge, and the challenge would be in the nature of temporary, mutual, verifiable, moratoria to halt testing in the air, in the atmosphere, that would respond with a challenge from the Soviet Union, we hope, to sit down and negotiate a treaty. That was done in 1960. I dont know what your lights are doing, Sander. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | You have another minute. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | You have another minute. | Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Okay. Im watching them blinking. So I have another minute. What that would do is it would give us the opportunity to sit down and negotiate a treaty. That was done in 1960 by President Kennedy – in 1963. What he did was he issued a challenge to the Soviet Union. He said we will not test in space – in the atmosphere, if you will not. They did not. In two months they sat down and they negotiated a treaty. We do not now have to worry about that type of testing. It can be done; it will be done, if only you have the will to do it. Again, remember it is mutual; it is verifiable and it is a challenge that once that challenge is not met, if testing were to resume, then we would continue testing as well. |
Geraldine Ferraro | Candidate | Okay. Im watching them blinking. So I have another minute. What that would do is it would give us the opportunity to sit down and negotiate a treaty. That was done in 1960 by President Kennedy – in 1963. What he did was he issued a challenge to the Soviet Union. He said we will not test in space – in the atmosphere, if you will not. They did not. In two months they sat down and they negotiated a treaty. We do not now have to worry about that type of testing. It can be done; it will be done, if only you have the will to do it. Again, remember it is mutual; it is verifiable and it is a challenge that once that challenge is not met, if testing were to resume, then we would continue testing as well. | Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Our last series of questions on foreign affairs from Mr. Boyd. |
Sander Vanocur | Moderator | Our last series of questions on foreign affairs from Mr. Boyd. | Robert Boyd | Moderator | Congresswoman Ferraro, you have had little or no experience with military matters and yet you might someday find yourself commander- in- chief of the armed forces. How can you convince the American people and the potential enemy that you would know what to do to protect this nations security, and do you think in any way that the Soviets might be tempted to try to take advantage of you simply because you are a woman? |