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7345111
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Exchange of remarks between the President and John Connally [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7345111
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document
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Exchange of remarks between the President and John Connally [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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27
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1976-07-27
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1976
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Digitized from Box 29 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 27, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCHANGE OF REMARKS
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT
AND
JOHN CONNALLY
THE WEST WING LOBBY ENTRANCE
3:50 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.
I have a very old and very good friend. I have
known John Connally since 1961, when he was Secretary of
the Navy and I was on the Mahon subcommittee. He was an
outstanding Secretary of the Navy. I followed his political
career as Governor of the State of Texas for three terms.
He came down to be Secretary of the Treasury.
I have had a number of onportunities to work with
him as the Minority Leader of the Republican Party in the
House of Pepresentatives. Over the years John Connally and
I have not only had a professional relationship in a political
sense but we have also been close personal friends.
We have had a number of meetings over the last two
years, and we had a meeting this afternoon that followed in
the natural course of events.
He was in town, and I asked him to stop by.
I think Governor Connally has an announcement
that may be of some interest to you, and I want to thank him
for what I think he is going to say.
GOVERNOR CONNALLY: Mr. President, you don't
know exactly what I am going to say because I am not sure
I do myself, except I came to tell the President that
notwithstanding my neutrality in the Presidential primaries
all spring, I think the time has now come when no useful
purpose has been served by my maintaining that position
but rather, the best interests of the country will be
served by my stating my unequivocal position that I do
support President Ford for the nomination and will support
him in the election with every resource that I have and all
the ability that I have.
MORE
Page 2
I am delighted to make that announcement
and I just hope that I can be helpful to him in
securing the nomination and I certainly hope that I can
contribute something as a Republican in the effort to
win the Presidency in November and to capture additional
seats in the Congress in both the House and the Senate.
QUESTION: How about getting on the ticket?
GOVERNOR CONNALLY: That subject was not dis-
cussed today. I do not know what the President proposes
with respect to his running mate. He has not told me. He
has not hinted who it might be. I have not asked him, nor
will I ask him.
QUESTION: Can we ask you, Mr. President, have
you made up your mind?
QUESTION: Did Mr. Reagan's announcement yesterday
have anything to do with your announcement today?
GOVERNOR CONNALLY: Yes, Governor Reagan's
announcement yesterday does have something to do with
my announcement today, only in the sense that I think it
is quite clear that as between the two men it is quite
clear now that the President is unmistakably the better
choice, not only for the party but for the country, and
so his announcement yesterday certainly does have something
to do with my statement today.
QUESTION: Mr. President, would you like to have
the Governor on the ticket with you as a Vice Presidential
candidate?
THE PRESIDENT: I said repeatedly that I don't
exclude any potential Republicans as my Vice Presidential
running mate. I have indicated my long association and
great respect for Governor Connally, but I think it is
premature to make any comment because there are others,
of course, that I will talk to as I have talked to Governor
Connally on this occasion.
QUESTION: But his announcement here today
certainly does not hurt his chances.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, let the future speak for
itself.
GOVERNOR CONNALLY: May I add to that my state-
ment here today has nothing to do with the chances -- good,
bad or indifferent -- so far as I am concerned. I am
doing this because I think I should do it. I think the
time has come when I think we ought to try to end this
nomination as quickly as we possibly can, and I think it
should be ended with President Ford being the nominee. The
sooner that can be made clear, the better it is for the
party and for the country.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END
(AT 3:56 P.M. EDT)