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Press Conference of the Vice President at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Press Conference of the Vice President at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Digitized from Box 31 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 29, 1976
Office of the Vice President
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
PRESS CONFERENCE.OE.THE VICE PRESIDENT
AT THE PITTSBURGH HILTON HOTEL
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
(AT 1:55 P.M. EDT)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Ladies and gentlemen, a pleasure.
I am sorry to be late. But I got a little bit behind. I am
delighted to be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I love
Pennsylvania, right next to New York. We have had very close
ties over the years.
This is a key State. This State and New York were
pivotal States at the convention in terms of President Ford's
nomination. I think they are going to be pivotal in his
reelection.
I would like to say in my opinion, he is going to
be elected on November 2, because when people get in that booth
they are going to say to themselves when they are alone with
this responsibility, "In whose hands do we want to place our
trust for the next four years to meet the problems at home
and abroad?"
I think they are going to say, on the basis of the
record in the last two years, it is an extraordinary record of
achievement of restoring the prestige and respect of the
American people, in the Executive and the White House, stop-
ping inflation or cutting it in half, getting the economy
rolling with four million new jobs in the last 16 months, with
the growth rate that is going to carry the unemployed back
on to the rolls of private industry where there are good
jobs for the future and the restoration of respect for America
in the world, and peace for America.
Those are the factors which I think are going to be
the key factors. I think they are going to determine the
decision of the American people. So, I am optimistic. I
am just delighted to be here.
I would just like to say that I think the head of
the ticket in Pennsylvania, John Heinz is a man of out-
standing ability. He has a proven record of independence,
courage in the Congress. I think that he is going to lead
the State ticket both for the nation in the consensus of the
Senate and the Congress and the local ticket, here in
Pennsylvania.
I would be glad to answer any questions.
QUESTION: Governor Rockefeller -- excuse me.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Governor is my security
blanket. Thank you.
QUESTION: You are familiar with big city politics
and what it can do. Do you think there is a recall that is
going to have an effect on Ford's chances in Philadelphia?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I am familiar with big city
politics. But I have long since recognized that when I was
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Page 2
Governor of New York, I wasn't crazy about people coming
from the outside and telling me about problems of New York.
I am sure the people feel the same. Therefore, seeing this
is a situation I really don't know intimately, I really
would prefer not to comment on it, and just let developments
take place. Whatever happens in the courts anyhow, time
will tell whether the question you ask is going to be any
factor.
QUESTION: Governor, you have repeatedly said that
one of the things Ford has done is to restore respect and
integrity in government.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
QUESTION: Do you feel that President Ford's
apparent reluctance to discuss openly the g-o-l-f situation
and Senator Scott's --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What is g-o-l-f?
QUESTION: Getting free golf --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Oh, golf.
QUESTION: Golf, I am from Pittsburgh. I am sorry.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I am from a progressive school.
I am not a very good speller. I didn't know whether you were
talking about initials that I hadn't heard of before. Golf?
QUESTION: Golf, the game of golf situation and
Scott's apparent reluctance to discuss with the public his
involvement, or whatever it was in the Gulf Oil thing. Does
that alter your feelings at all about this apparent resur-
gence of integrity in government?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I think you have to take both
those situations and take a look at them. In Senator Scott's
case, there was nothing illegal about what he did. He is
the leader of the party in the Senate and received funds
that were given to him as contributions from private
individuals.
He made those available to others. He let it go
at that. The committee looked into it, the Ethics
Committee in the Senate and found nothing and determined that
the investigation should be concluded.
As far as golfing is concerned, you know, this
country, we sort of live by tribal customs. For many, many
years you played golf with your friends. You can call them
mores if you want, or traditions. But you really didn't think
too much about whether your friend was a newspaper reporter
or whether he was an executive or whether he was a politician
or whatnot. You just were with your friend.
Since Watergate that has taken on a whole new
sort of sinister aspect. I think we are overreaching on it.
If you get to a point where you can't associate with anybody
except if they are in the same business you are in, whether
it is politics or industry or something, I think we are
getting to a point where really we are losing sight of
integrity. Either someone has honesty and integrity inside
and is not influenced by whom he has a ride in a car with,
or who he has dinner or lunch with, or he may be dishonest or
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Page 3
she may be dishonest and see nobody and then still misrep-
resent the responsibilities of the office. It is symbolism
and I don't think you can legislate morality.
The founding fathers were very sensitive, to me,
on this subject. They recognized human weaknesses as well
as human strengths. Therefore, they organized our government
on a basis so that if a President went off and did something
that was out of line, then the Congress and the courts were
there to take the action necessary to protect the people.
This is what happened. I honestly think the best
way to answer all these problems is to select decent, honest
people to run for office and elect them. You just cannot
legislate by these symbols of integrity because what you
really could do is to say, make it so complicated that a lot
of people think it is too complicated and then someone who
is a real crook and is smart enough to get around all of
this, gets in and then you are in worse trouble. Excuse me
for a long answer.
QUESTION: You seem to be genuinely enjoying being
on the campaign trail.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You got it.
QUESTION: Do you have any regrets it is not you
running for the Vice Presidency this year?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, none at all. I took the
Vice Presidency and was very honored by President Ford's asking
me because we were in a constitutional crisis. I thought if
I could lend even a small amount of stability and sense of
confidence at a critical moment, a constitutional crisis in
our country, I would do it.
But I am not one for standby equipment. Let's face
it. That is the role of a Vice President. I have turned
it down on previous occasions, although I was honored, because
I am an activist. That is not the spot for an activist.
QUESTION: What is your next spot?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: The next spot is to get back
and catch up with Happy and the two little boys and my own
family affairs. Then having an interest in people and an
interest in problem-solving, maybe I could get interested in
politics in one form or another. There are lots of ways you
could serve your country.
QUESTION: Mr. Vice President, have you had
counsel with Senator Dole on what he could expect of the job?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: What have you told him?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Just what I have told you.
But Senator Dole is an unusual man. He has been a local
prosecutor in the county. He has been a State legislator.
He has been a member of the House of Representatives. He
has been in the Senate. He still is in the Senate. He was
a war hero. He is a man of great compassion, a strong
advocate of civil rights, a strong advocate of the defense
of the integrity of Israel, a man who is deeply concerned
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Page 4
about the physically handicapped. He lost the use of one
arm himself. He was on the McGovern-Dole bill to provide
food stamps for those in need and not for those who weren't.
Here is an unsuaul man who is a great speaker. He
is coming here next week, is it -- Tuesday. He is a man
with a great sense of humor. He has always been on the
legislative side. I have always been on the executive. It
is a little different.
I think he will have a very interesting period.
He is qualified, should anything -- God forbid -- happen to
the President, to take the Presidency. But he can have a
very interesting period, first in getting updated on all of
the international problems which you do in that spot, and
the national decisions.
Then I think he will enjoy communicating with
the American people which he is awfully good at. He has a
great sense of humor. He is a great speaker. I think he
will enjoy moving around the country and communicating.
Communication is an important part of politics.
QUESTION: Is it a job where you can actually
see yourself accomplishing something? It seems sometimes
to be thankless.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Really, if we are totally
simple about it, it is really standby equipment, which is
what I called it in 1960. You are there just like you have
a standby generator in the hotel, maybe here, in case the
circuit goes out. You can activate the generator to take
over and keep the lights on. That is really what the job
is for.
I studied this for President Eisenhower once
when I was Chairman of his Committee on Government Organi-
zation. He asked me to study what he could give Vice Presi-
dent Nixon to do. So, we studied it for about three months
and came back with the conclusion that under the Constitution
the only function was presiding over the Senate, which is a
great honor.
Beyond that he had no function. All the power went
to the President. The only way the President could give him
a job was to delegate some of his part to the Vice President.
If he delegated too much, he then could create a competitive
center in the Executive Branch of government, or in the
government, a political center where you could start to get
a conflict of loyalties and it could be a confusing situation.
We recommended he do nothing. I was well-prepared
for taking this job.
QUESTION: To go on to a different area, Secretary
of State Kissinger seems to be having tremendous success in
South Africa, which once again points up the importance of
the position of the Secretary of State. Perhaps this is a
loaded question but there are a lot of rumors floating around
that if the President is to be elected he will send the name
of William Scranton to the Senate to replace Dr. Kissinger.
Are you aware of that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: The President has a tremen-
dously high regard for Bill Scranton. That I know. Bill
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Page 5
has been one of his advisors and counselors. He is an
outstanding person. The President has always said that as
long as he is in office he would like to have Secretary
Kissinger stay there. I happen to feel that he is one of
the most brilliant, if not the most brilliant Secretary of
State this country has ever had.
His extraordinary capacity to negotiate the most
delicate decisions, and this one in Rhodesia that he has
just come back from is perhaps one of his greatest triumphs.
So, if for some reason he didn't stay, I am sure that Bill
Scranton would be high on any list the President would have.
QUESTION: Mr. Vice President, earlier today you
said that the Presidential race was close in spite of
mistakes attributed to the Carter campaign of late. When
you said that were you taking into consideration the McCarthy
campaign?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir. I think that is a
very real factor. The polls indicate four, five, six percent
could go to McCarthy and that most of those come from the
Democratic camp on the progessive wing that would otherwise
go to the Governor. I think that is a real factor.
QUESTION: Are you saying that the McCarthy campaign
could hurt Governor Carter's chances that much more in the
event of a close final vote count?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: They would be more decisive
in the event of a close count. They will have the same
effect regardless of what it is, but it could be decisive would
be my guess.
QUESTION: Mr. Vice President, at the airport I
heard you say this is not the time for on-the-job training,
meaning Jimmy Carter. Exactly what did you mean by that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I meant the problems facing
this nation at home and abroad in a period of accelerating
change the likes of which we have never seen before, of
accelerating technology which is revolutionizing many aspects
of life. Plus the growing interdependence among nations
is such that for someone who has had almost no experience in
this field either domestically on the national scene or
internationally on the international scene, and who in his
discussions has taken some pretty widely varying stands on
single issues such as the Humphrey-Hawkins bill which he was
warmly and openly supporting in the beginning, and then he
has now said he is going to have a balanced budget by 1980
and he might have to postpone those new programs.
These are indications, to me, of a certain uncertainty
in his own thinking which I can understand because these are
all areas which he has not had to deal with on a national
basis or an international basis before. Therefore, it is hard
to know just exactly what his position would be were he the
President. I think this is going to be increasingly a matter
of concern to voters.
QUESTION: Senator Mondale indicated this morning
that the decline of the economic indicators in August shows
that the Ford economic policies have not been that strong,
as strong as the Ford-Dole ticket has indicated. How do
you feel about that? They apparently do indicate some
problems this winter, at least.
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Page 6
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I just made a speech at lunch
using about five or six of those indicators, all of which are
up. The major problem has been in an increase in the number
of so-called "unemployed." The interesting fact is that
employment has been going up and so has unemployment. That
is a statistical question.
What happened is a month ago there were 400,000
new jobs that month but during that same month, 700,000 people
registered for jobs which to me is evidence of the growing
confidence in our economy. Most of them were women, which is
also an interesting factor. Forty-five percent of the work
force today in the United States is comprised of women.
So, we have a changing economy, a changing society,
changing mores and I think that if one takes the statistics
without examining them, one could try and come to a conclusion
such that Mr. Mondale made.
On the other hand, my own feeling is that we are
seeing an extraordinary phenomenon in the past two years of
where the President has been able to control inflation and
reactivate the economy in terms of employment, both at the
same time which the economists thought was impossible, that
you couldn't do both at the same time.
No western industrial nation except Germany has
had a better record than the United States. I think we are
going to see a continuing upsurge and that we are going to
see employment in private industry pick up. The real danger
is of not controlling government spending and the forces
of inflation so that we get the most dangerous, to me, result
which is inflation which erodes the earnings and savings and
buying power of those in fixed incomes and those least able
to pay.
I really think that while there has been a moment
of hesitation here we were really going too fast. We are
up to an 8.6 percent growth rate. I don't think that one
could have sustained that in this country without getting
back into inflationary pressures from the actual rate of
growth of the economy. I think there should be a healthy
pause, and then go on up.
QUESTION: Mr. Vice President, there has been a
lot of talk, as a practical politician, about the televised
debates and what effect they are going to have. Do you think
they are that substantial as far as the election itself is
concerned? Do you think they' really mean that much?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Television is a very powerful
medium. In the old days you could go on the village green
and talk to the community from there. Now, the only way is
through television in terms of their being about to see you
personally and look at you, watch you make your judgements,
your expressions in the way you answer a question, how you
look, whether your eyes smile or just your mouth; all of
those things people are interested in. They read from those,
and very rightly.
QUESTION: Perhaps I should have asked, is there
too much emphasis put on those televised debates?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I don't think there is.
I think it is a good thing. I don't think it is really a
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Page 7
debate myself. But I think it is a good thing. It is just
like being able to see somebody, you can judge them better.
That makes me think that before I go I would like you to see
so you can judge better, the next Senator from Pennsylvania's
wife, Mrs. Heinz, if she would come over here and you can see.
If you hadn't seen her you wouldn't be able to get a feeling
of her importance in this campaign for her husband. I want to
tell you, we need this kind of young, bright, independent,
attractive leadership at the head of the ticket. The mike is
yours, Mrs. Heinz.
MRS. HEINZ: I am awfully sorry my John isn't here
with the Vice President. We have been together for a day and
a half. Would you believe it, about two hours ago John out of
a press conference was called to Washington for a vote. I am
a skirt at best, but here I am. I am not obviously going to
answer any questions. I am sorry he wasn't here.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I would just like to say that
is a very modest statement, this reference to a skirt. This
has to be a brilliant, very able, extremely perceptive woman
who is a tremendous asset to her husband, and to the political
process. I would just like to thank you very much.
One more question.
QUESTION: Both you and President Ford have explained
that one of the reasons the President pardoned Richard Nixon
was to get Watergate behind us. It seems that every so often
now Nixon himself is surfacing to bring it back. Most
recently we have front page stories about his memoirs which
say Watergate was an injustice to him and he was brought to
his knees by his enemies. What kind of thing does this kind
of resurfacing of Watergate do to the Ford campaign in light of
the unpopularity of the pardon?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I am not so sure I agree with
your basic premise. I don't think the pardon is that
unpopular. I think many Americans, a very substantial number
were becoming aware of the fact that we had a tremendous number
of urgent problems ahead of us that had to be dealt with and
that we couldn't keep on reliving the past and being lost in
recriminations and preoccupations with what had happened.
This man had to leave the Presidency, let's face
it, in disgrace because of what happened. I don't know
anything about his memoirs. I hadn't heard they were out, or
is this just a preview in some magazine?
QUESTION: In the New York Times and the Pittsburgh
Post Gazette.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It wasn't in Playboy.
(Laughter.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You never know who is going to
publish these things. I would have to say that it is hard to
expect Mr. Nixon to say anything else about what happened.
It is a pretty tough thing to swallow. On his behalf, he
did some very brilliant things for this country in the inter-
national field, and was reelected by a tremendously over-
whelming majority, and then he blew it.
I don't know. Maybe he will explain it in his book.
But it is hard to understand how that happened and a tragedy,
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let's put it that way. But the exciting thing is that this
constitutional government of ours and the American people
operating under a constitutional system weathered this as
perhaps no other nation could have weathered it. The
American people stayed calm, and the Congress of the United
States in those investigations was superb. I think we have
shown the system works.
I am delighted to be here. I thank all of you
very much.
END
(AT 2:30 P.M. EDT)