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This file contains material relating to Chevy Chase, and Ron Nessen.
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1252762
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3/25/76 - Remarks at a Dinner for Members and Guests of the Radio and Television Correspondence Association
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1252762
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3/25/76 - Remarks at a Dinner for Members and Guests of the Radio and Television Correspondence Association
description
This file contains material relating to Chevy Chase, and Ron Nessen.
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Speeches, addresses, etc.
Broadcast journalism
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1252762
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25
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1976-03-25
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3
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1976
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25
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1976-03-25
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3
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 26, "3/25/76 - Remarks at a Dinner for Members
and Guests of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association" of the President's
Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies 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. Gerald Ford 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 26 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
RADIO-TELEVISION CORRESPONDENTS DINNER
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1976
[WE OPEN WITH THE PRESIDENT PULLING THE TABLECLOTH AS HE GOES
TO THE LECTERN
APPROACHING WITH A SHEAF OF PAPERS IN
ONE HAND AND THE SPEECH BOOK IN THE OTHER
PUTTING THE
SHEAF OF PAPERS ON THE LECTERN, HE LETS THEM CASCADE TO
THE FLOOR AND BEGINS WITH APLOMB:
NOTE: THIS DEPENDS ON AVAILABILITY OF REHEARSAL TIME.]
-1-
BILL GREENWOOD, BOB FOSTER, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS
AND GUESTS OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION CORRESPONDENTS
ASSOCIATION -- AND IN PARTICULAR, MR. CHEVY CHASE
GOOD EVENING
I'M GERALD FORD
(POINTING AT CHASE) AND YOU'RE NOT!
-2-
FIRST I WANT TO CONGRATULATE "UP WITH PEOPLE"
FOR THEIR MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCE AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK
THEM FOR ELIMINATING FROM THEIR program TONIGHT ONE
RATHER SENSITIVE SONG:
NOTHING COULD BE FINER \ THAN TO BE
IN CAROLINA IN THE MORNING."
-3-
I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE RADIO AND T.V.
CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION ON THEIR VERY INTERESTING CHOJCE
OF MASTER OF CEREMONIES
THAT'S ALL I NEED
NORTH CAROLINA AND CHEVY CHASE IN THE SAME WEEK
-4-
NO
\' I REALLY ENJOYED HIS FINE PERFORMANCE
MR. CHEVY CHASE, YOU'RE A VERY, VERY, FUNNY SUBURB
-5-
I DO APPRECIATE THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW SENDING
CHEVY CHASE TO WASHINGTON
-
AND IN RETURN ON APRIL 17th,
WASHINGTON IS SENDING THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW OUR VERY OWN
RON NESSEN TO BE THEIR GUEST HOST
-6-
AND BACK AT THE WHITE HOUSE, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO THAT EVENING
WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO EXPECT THAT RON
WILL DO FOR THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW \ WHAT JIMMY CARTER
HAS DONE FOR GEORGE WALLACE
-7-
NOW, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND, I HAVE NOTHING
AGAINST RON NESSEN BECOMING A PERFORMER
I LIKE
SHOW BUSINESS
I LIKE THE PEOPLE IN SHOW BUSINESS
IN FACT
ALL MY LIFE I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT RESPECT AND
ADMIRATION FOR SHOW BUSINESS PERSONALITIES
IT'S JUST
THAT I WOULDN'T WANT MY DAUGHTER VOTING FOR ONE
-8-
slow
IT IS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO BE HERE TONIGHT
AS I LOOK OUT OVER THIS VERY DISTINGUISHED AUDIENCE,
I SEE THE WINE AND THE EXQUISITELY PREPARED FOOD -- THE MEN
IN THEIR TUXEDOS AND THE WOMEN IN THEIR BEAUTIFUL, SHIMMERING
EVENING GOWNS, AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK
It
IT'S ALMOST
LIKE NEW YEAR'S EVE IN FRED HARRIS's CAMPER
-9-
INCIDENTALLY, I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THIS
ENTIRE SHOW WITH CHEVY CHASE HAS BEEN PUT ON AFTER THE
"FAMILY HOUR."
FRANKLY, I REALLY DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT
THE FAMILY HOUR
IN FACT, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE "FAMILY HOUR"
HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH SARGENT SHRIVER'S CAMPAIGN
IT WAS INSPIRED BY THE FAMILY
H
AND IT LASTED
AN HOUR
-10-
BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH
I HAVE ENJOYED THIS EVENING
AND THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR
SINCE WE LAST GOT TOGETHER, I'VE ALSO ENJOYED THE GIVE AND
TAKE,
THE FRIENDSHIPS
THE SOFTBALL QUESTIONS AND THE
HARDBALL QUESTIONS, I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON FROM THE MEMBERS
OF THIS ASSOCIATION
-II-
ON THE BOTTOM LINE WE BOTH PLAY AN ONGOING PART
IN ONE OF THE GREATEST FREEDOMS AMERICA HAS TO OFFER
AS JEFFERSON PUT IT: 'THE LIBERTY OF SPEAKING AND WRITING GUARDS
OUR OTHER LIBERTIES
"
THAT'S AN ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY
-12-
THE REMARKABLE THING IS THAT IT WORKS AND
HAS WORKED FOR 200 YEARS
IN A WORLD THAT HAS SEEN THE GRADUAL SHRINKAGE
IN MEDIA FREEDOMS, AMERICANS CAN TAKE HEART AND TAKE PRIDE
IN THE FACT THAT OUR FREEDOMS HAVE ENDURED AND ARE STRONGER
TODAY THAN EVER
-13-
UNLIKE MOST EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS BEEN SAID
TONIGHT.
FREEDOM IS NO LAUGHING MATTER
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LETTING ME SHARE
THIS EVENING WITH YOU
END OF TEXT