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4525966
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Joint Leadership Press Conference, August 5, 1966
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4525966
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document
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Joint Leadership Press Conference, August 5, 1966
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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1966-08-31
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1966
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1966-08-01
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8
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1966
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The original documents are located in Box D20, folder "Joint Leadership Press Conference,
August 5, 1966" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D20 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
STATEMENT BY REPRESENTATIVE FORD
DEMOCRATIC SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE,
ORVILLE FREEMAN, MET IN WASHINGTON LAST
WEEK IN A CLOSED SESSION WITH A NUMBER OF
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR REELECTION TO
CONGRESS, TO DISCUSS DEMOCRATIC TACTICS
AND TECHNIQUES OF THE COMING CAMPAIGN.
A REPORTER FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
WAS PRESENT AND RECORDED THAT DEMOCRATIC
POLITICAL DISCUSSION IN DETAIL. AMONG
OTHER THINGS, HE WROTE:
"SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE ORVILLE
FREEMAN HAS TOLD DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES AT A
CLOSED BRIEFING THAT THEY MUST
OVERCOME DEEP RESENTMENT IN FARM
AREAS AND SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM
DISCUSSION OF INFLATION.
QERALD R.FORD LIBRARY
- 2 -
"A CANDIDATE FROM COLUMBUS, 0.,
TOLD FREEMAN THAT A POLL IN HIS
DISTRICT SHOWED THAT THE MAJOR
ISSUE WAS INFLATION AND HE SOUGHT
ADVICE ON HOW TO HANDLE QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE INCREASED COST OF LIVING.
"I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION FOR SIX
YEARS' FREEMAN REPLIED. 'SLIP,
SLIDE, AND DUCK ANY QUESTION OF
HIGHER CONSUMER PRICES IF YOU
POSSIBLY CAN."
"DON'T GET CAUGHT IN A DEBATE OVER
HIGHER PRICES BETWEEN HOUSEWIVES
AND FARMERS,' HE CAUTIONED. 'IF
YOU DO, AND HAVE TO CHOOSE A SIDE,
TAKE THE FARMERS' SIDE. IT'S THE
RIGHT SIDE, AND BESIDES, HOUSEWIVES
- 3 -
AREN'T NEARLY AS WELL ORGANIZED."
THESE ARE UNBELIEVABLE STATEMENTS BY
THE DEMOCRATIC SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL FIND THEM
UNBELIEVABLE. AMERICA'S FARMERS AND
AMERICA'S HOUSEWIVES WILL FIND THEM NOT
ONLY UNBELIEVABLE BUT INTOLERABLE. A
STRONG REACTION TO THEM IS BOTH CERTAIN
AND DESERVED.
THE ATTITUDE REVEALED BY THESE
STATEMENTS HAS CONSISTENTLY CHARACTERIZED
THE JOHNSON-HUMPHREY ADMINISTRATION. ITS
FAILURE TO TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT
INFLATION, ABOUT VIETNAM, ABOUT TAXATION,
ABOUT THE POVERTY PROGRAM, ABOUT GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYMENT, ABOUT FOREIGN AID, ABOUT THE
BUDGET, HAS BEEN ALMOST UNEQUALED IN OUR
POLITICAL HISTORY.
GERALD R.FORD LIBRARY
- 4 -
AS THE DAYS GO BY WILL THE JOHNSON-
HUMPHREY ADMINISTRATION AND ITS DEMOCRAT-
CONTROLLED CONGRESS CONTINUE TO "SLIP,
SLIDE, AND DUCK" THE GREAT AND CRUCIAL
ISSUES THAT CONFRONT THE NATION? WILL THE
GREAT UNORGANIZED OF THE NATION -- THE
HOUSEWIVES, THE MAJORITY OF WAGE-EARNERS,
THE SMALL BUSINESSMEN, THE INDEPENDENT
PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, PARENTS AND THE YOUNG
PEOPLE BE INCREASINGLY IGNORED BECAUSE
THEY DO NOT FIT THE FREEMAN FORMULA OF
"SLIP, SLIDE, AND DUCK" UNLESS THEY'RE RE
ORGANIZED?
AMONG THE GREAT UNORGANIZED, Too, ARE
OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN -- THE VERY ONES WHOSE
DAILY SCHOOL MILK SECRETARY FREEMAN AND
THIS ADMINISTRATION SEEK TO CUT BACK SO
DRASTICALLY!
LIBRARY
- 5 -
IN FURTHER REFERENCE TO OUR FARM
POPULATION, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY
CONTINUES:
"'THERE IS A REACTION FAR DEEPER AND
MORE BITTER THAN I COULD EVER HAVE
ANTICIPATED AMONG THE NATION'S
FARMERS OVER RECENT REMARKS BY
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS CONCERNING
FARM PRICES; FREEMAN TOLD THE
CANDIDATES. 'FARMERS KNOW WHAT
A TREMENDOUS MINORITY THEY ARE AND
THEY ARE VERY SENSITIVE."
ARE WE ASKED TO ASSUME FROM THIS
DISPARAGING REFERENCE THAT OUR FARMERS ARE
AN UNIMPORTANT, AS WELL AS A SENSITIVE,
MINORITY? ARE WE EXPECTED TO CONCLUDE
FROM THIS THAT THE GREAT UNORGANIZED
GERALD
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE TO BE DISREGARDED
- 6 -
BY THE JOHNSON-HUMPHREY ADMINISTRATION
IN THE MONTHS AHEAD? CAN WE EXPECT, THAT
NOT ALONE ON THE ISSUE OF INFLATION, BUT
ON EVERY OTHER ISSUE OF IMPORTANCE TO OUR
PEOPLE, THIS WRETCHED PHILOSOPHY, THIS
UNWORTHY ATTITUDE, THIS SHOCKING FREEMAN
FORMULA, WILL PREVAIL?
THEREFORE, OUR QUESTION-OF-THE-WEEK:
MR. PRESIDENT, WILL THE DEMOCRATS
"SLIP, SLIDE AND DUCK" EVERY ISSUE?
TEXT
Re: "Slip, slide x Duck"
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S.
JOINT LEADERSHIP AUG. 5, 1966
OFFICE OF THE MINORITY LEADER
PRESS CONFERENCE Herald R. Ford
PUBLIC DOCUMENT
M.C.
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
READING TEXT
JOINT LEADERSHIP
PRESS CONFERENCE
AuG. 5, 1966
ANVRUIT