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PRESIDENT CLINTON CHALLENGES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TO
STRENGTHEN STANDARDS AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE
October 29, 1996
Highlighting his strong commitment to improving education, President Clinton today
will challenge schools, states, local communities, colleges and businesses to make academic
standards meaningful and to send our students a clear message that their performance in
school counts.
The President has called for an end to social promotions, and for requiring students to
pass tough tests to keep moving up in school. He has called for rewarding teachers who meet
increased professional standards, and for removing those who don't.
President Clinton has further proposed mobilizing an army of 1 million volunteers to
help all children to be able to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. He has challenged
every state to give parents the ability to chose the public school their child attends, and to
pass legislation allowing teachers and parents to establish innovative, public charter schools,
which are free from most regulations, accountable to the public, and survive only if they
produce results.
Today, President Clinton will build on this foundation with three specific, new
challenges:
School Report Cards on the Internet: The President will challenge every state and
community to publish a report card for each public school, so that parents can have
the information they need to make well informed choices and to help improve their
own school. These report cards should be made widely available, including publishing
them in the newspapers and on the Internet. The State of Vermont has pioneered the
providing parents with school report cards on the Internet.
Replacing Failing Schools with new Charter Schools: The President will challenge
states and local communities to step in and fix schools that are persistently failing with
respect to academic performance. As one approach to doing this, he will specifically
challenge them to close down failing schools, and let teachers and principals reopen
them as charter schools innovative schools that are free of bureaucracy, accountable
to the public for results, and which remain open only if they produce results. Because
funding for the President's Charter Schools Initiative has almost tripled, from $18
million to $51 million, the federal government will be able to assist states that accept
this challenge. And as a result of President Clinton's leadership, 26 states now have
charter schools laws.
A Message to Students that Performance Counts: President Clinton will challenge
colleges and universities to look at their own admission requirements and make sure
they are demanding excellence. He will also challenge employers to examine students'
high school transcripts, so they can tell if students are taking and succeeding in
challenging courses, have good attendance, and come to school on time. These steps
will send a clear message to all students that how hard they work in school, and how
much they learn, will matter.
-30-30-30-
PRESIDENT CLINTON CHALLENGES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TO
STRENGTHEN STANDARDS AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE
October 29, 1996
Highlighting his strong commitment to improving education, President Clinton today
will challenge schools, states, local communities, colleges and businesses to make academic
standards meaningful and to send our students a clear message that their performance in
school counts.
The President has called for an end to social promotions, and for requiring students to
pass tough tests to keep moving up in school. He has called for rewarding teachers who meet
increased professional standards, and for removing those who don't.
President Clinton has further proposed mobilizing an army of 1 million volunteers to
help all children to be able to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. He has challenged
every state to give parents the ability to chose the public school their child attends, and to
pass legislation allowing teachers and parents to establish innovative, public charter schools,
which are free from most regulations, accountable to the public, and survive only if they
produce results.
Today, President Clinton will build on this foundation with three specific, new
challenges:
School Report Cards on the Internet: The President will challenge every state and
community to publish a report card for each public school, so that parents can have
the information they need to make well informed choices and to help improve their
own school. These report cards should be made widely available, including publishing
them in the newspapers and on the Internet. The State of Vermont has pioneered the
providing parents with school report cards on the Internet.
Replacing Failing Schools with new Charter Schools: The President will challenge
states and local communities to step in and fix schools that are persistently failing with
respect to academic performance. As one approach to doing this, he will specifically
challenge them to close down failing schools, and let teachers and principals reopen
them as charter schools -- innovative schools that are free of bureaucracy, accountable
to the public for results, and which remain open only if they produce results. Because
funding for the President's Charter Schools Initiative has almost tripled, from $18
million to $51 million, the federal government will be able to assist states that accept
this challenge. And as a result of President Clinton's leadership, 26 states now have
charter schools laws.
A Message to Students that Performance Counts: President Clinton will challenge
colleges and universities to look at their own admission requirements and make sure
they are demanding excellence. He will also challenge employers to examine students'
high school transcripts, so they can tell if students are taking and succeeding in
challenging courses, have good attendance, and come to school on time. These steps
will send a clear message to all students that how hard they work in school, and how
much they learn, will matter.
-30-30-30-
PRESIDENT CLINTON CHALLENGES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TO
STRENGTHEN STANDARDS AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE
October 29, 1996
Highlighting his strong commitment to improving education, President Clinton today
will challenge schools, states, local communities, colleges and businesses to make academic
standards meaningful and to send our students a clear message that their performance in
school counts.
The President has called for an end to social promotions, and for requiring students to
pass tough tests to keep moving up in school. He has called for rewarding teachers who meet
increased professional standards, and for removing those who don't.
President Clinton has further proposed mobilizing an army of 1 million volunteers to
help all children to be able to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. He has challenged
every state to give parents the ability to chose the public school their child attends, and to
pass legislation allowing teachers and parents to establish innovative, public charter schools,
which are free from most regulations, accountable to the public, and survive only if they
produce results.
Today, President Clinton will build on this foundation with three specific, new
challenges:
School Report Cards on the Internet: The President will challenge every state and
community to publish a report card for each public school, so that parents can have
the information they need to make well informed choices and to help improve their
own school. These report cards should be made widely available, including publishing
them in the newspapers and on the Internet. The State of Vermont has pioneered the
providing parents with school report cards on the Internet.
Replacing Failing Schools with new Charter Schools: The President will challenge
states and local communities to step in and fix schools that are persistently failing with
respect to academic performance. As one approach to doing this, he will specifically
challenge them to close down failing schools, and let teachers and principals reopen
them as charter schools -- innovative schools that are free of bureaucracy, accountable
to the public for results, and which remain open only if they produce results. Because
funding for the President's Charter Schools Initiative has almost tripled, from $18
million to $51 million, the federal government will be able to assist states that accept
this challenge. And as a result of President Clinton's leadership, 26 states now have
charter schools laws.
A Message to Students that Performance Counts: President Clinton will challenge
colleges and universities to look at their own admission requirements and make sure
they are demanding excellence. He will also challenge employers to examine students'
high school transcripts, so they can tell if students are taking and succeeding in
challenging courses, have good attendance, and come to school on time. These steps
will send a clear message to all students that how hard they work in school, and how
much they learn, will matter.
-30-30-30-
PRESIDENT CLINTON CHALLENGES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TO
STRENGTHEN STANDARDS AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE
October 29, 1996
Highlighting his strong commitment to improving education, President Clinton today
will challenge schools, states, local communities, colleges and businesses to make academic
standards meaningful and to send our students a clear message that their performance in
school counts.
The President has called for an end to social promotions, and for requiring students to
pass tough tests to keep moving up in school. He has called for rewarding teachers who meet
increased professional standards, and for removing those who don't.
President Clinton has further proposed mobilizing an army of 1 million volunteers to
help all children to be able to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. He has challenged
every state to give parents the ability to chose the public school their child attends, and to
pass legislation allowing teachers and parents to establish innovative, public charter schools,
which are free from most regulations, accountable to the public, and survive only if they
produce results.
Today, President Clinton will build on this foundation with three specific, new
challenges:
School Report Cards on the Internet: The President will challenge every state and
community to publish a report card for each public school, so that parents can have
the information they need to make well informed choices and to help improve their
own school. These report cards should be made widely available, including publishing
them in the newspapers and on the Internet. The State of Vermont has pioneered the
providing parents with school report cards on the Internet.
Replacing Failing Schools with new Charter Schools: The President will challenge
states and local communities to step in and fix schools that are persistently failing with
respect to academic performance. As one approach to doing this, he will specifically
challenge them to close down failing schools, and let teachers and principals reopen
them as charter schools innovative schools that are free of bureaucracy, accountable
to the public for results, and which remain open only if they produce results. Because
funding for the President's Charter Schools Initiative has almost tripled, from $18
million to $51 million, the federal government will be able to assist states that accept
this challenge. And as a result of President Clinton's leadership, 26 states now have
charter schools laws.
A Message to Students that Performance Counts: President Clinton will challenge
colleges and universities to look at their own admission requirements and make sure
they are demanding excellence. He will also challenge employers to examine students'
high school transcripts, so they can tell if students are taking and succeeding in
challenging courses, have good attendance, and come to school on time. These steps
will send a clear message to all students that how hard they work in school, and how
much they learn, will matter.
-30-30-30-
PRESIDENT CLINTON CHALLENGES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TO
STRENGTHEN STANDARDS AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE
October 29, 1996
Highlighting his strong commitment to improving education, President Clinton today
will challenge schools, states, local communities, colleges and businesses to make academic
standards meaningful and to send our students a clear message that their performance in
school counts.
The President has called for an end to social promotions, and for requiring students to
pass tough tests to keep moving up in school. He has called for rewarding teachers who meet
increased professional standards, and for removing those who don't.
President Clinton has further proposed mobilizing an army of 1 million volunteers to
help all children to be able to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. He has challenged
every state to give parents the ability to chose the public school their child attends, and to
pass legislation allowing teachers and parents to establish innovative, public charter schools,
which are free from most regulations, accountable to the public, and survive only if they
produce results.
Today, President Clinton will build on this foundation with three specific, new
challenges:
School Report Cards on the Internet: The President will challenge every state and
community to publish a report card for each public school, so that parents can have
the information they need to make well informed choices and to help improve their
own school. These report cards should be made widely available, including publishing
them in the newspapers and on the Internet. The State of Vermont has pioneered the
providing parents with school report cards on the Internet.
Replacing Failing Schools with new Charter Schools: The President will challenge
states and local communities to step in and fix schools that are persistently failing with
respect to academic performance. As one approach to doing this, he will specifically
challenge them to close down failing schools, and let teachers and principals reopen
them as charter schools -- innovative schools that are free of bureaucracy, accountable
to the public for results, and which remain open only if they produce results. Because
funding for the President's Charter Schools Initiative has almost tripled, from $18
million to $51 million, the federal government will be able to assist states that accept
this challenge. And as a result of President Clinton's leadership, 26 states now have
charter schools laws.
A Message to Students that Performance Counts: President Clinton will challenge
colleges and universities to look at their own admission requirements and make sure
they are demanding excellence. He will also challenge employers to examine students'
high school transcripts, so they can tell if students are taking and succeeding in
challenging courses, have good attendance, and come to school on time. These steps
will send a clear message to all students that how hard they work in school, and how
much they learn, will matter.
-30-30-30-
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
29-Oct-1996 12:43pm
TO:
Cathy R. Mays
FROM:
Julie E. Mason
Office of the Press Secretary
SUBJECT: Bruce
have you seen this transcript? the press were in a sour mood
today.
poor Bruce.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDE
NT
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDE
NT
29-Oct-1996 10:44am
TO:
(See Below)
FROM:
Margaret M. Suntum
Office of the Press Secretary
SUBJECT: Briefing by McCurry, et al
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Columbus, Ohio)
For Immediate Release
October
29, 1996
PRESS BRIEFING BY
MIKE MCCURRY, BRUCE REED,
DOUG SOSNIK, AND ANN LEWIS
St. John's Arena
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
9:20 A.M. EST
MR. MCCURRY: Good morning, everybody. The
President gives the third of his summing up speeches today,
having addressed the issues of welfare reform, the importance of
a strong economy and balancing the budget, the President turns
his attention today to education. This is an area that he has
addressed in the past and noted the sharp differences that exist
between his record and his vision and that of Senator Dole on
this subject. But as the President brings the campaign to a
close, today he will be focusing on things we can do to make sure
Americans have the quality of schools and the quality of
education they need to carry over on that bridge to the 21st
century -- a strong global economy the President foresees in the
future.
Bruce Reed, the President's Senior Domestic Advisor
-- what is it?
MR. REED: Make something up.
MR. MCCURRY: Assistant to the President for --
MR. REED: Policy Planning.
MR. MCCURRY: Serious ideas -- is here to tell you
more about the President's speech today. And then Doug has got
some political stuff we'll run through.
Bruce, thank you.
MR. REED: Well, as Mike said, today the President
is going to give his closing argument on education, for two
reasons. First, because he sees this as one of the four big
challenges of the next four years, along with making welfare
reform a success, to continuing to finish balancing the budget
and strengthening families.
We believe that no issue better illustrates the
choice in this election than education. Senator Dole wants to
eliminate the Department of Education. He voted against it, its
creation. President Clinton has fought to protect education
funding and got a record education budget this year.
On student loans, the President fought to make
student loans more affordable and has reduced the cost of student
loans for 10 million young people, including 1 million here in
Ohio. Senator Dole opposed that. And on the issue of tax cuts,
Senator Dole has proposed a 15 percent across-the-board tax cut
that would blow a hole in the deficit and lead to 40 percent
across-the-board cuts in education and other key concerns, and
we've proposed a $1,500 tax cut targeted to education to help pay
for college, because we believe that no tax cut will do more to
help raise American incomes than one that's targeted to college.
Today, in particular, he's going to talk about
education reform and high standards at the elementary and
secondary school level and expanding access to college. He's,
over the course of the past year, laid out an ambitious agenda on
education reform. He gave a major speech to the NGA in March on
the importance of high standards, and he's repeated his call
throughout the year. Our elementary and secondary education
agenda is first high standards for everybody, no more social
promotions, no more free passes, states should require every
student to pass a test before moving from one level of school to
the next. This is something that President Clinton pioneered as
governor in Arkansas back in 1984.
Second, challenge every state to set a new goal for
the country that every third-grader ought to be able to read
independently and unleash an army of 30,000 tutors and volunteers
at schools across the country to promote literacy. Third, expand
public school choice and charter schools, and he's going to talk
a little bit about that today.
There are -- the President and Senator Dole have a
basic philosophical difference on the issue of school choice. The
President strongly supports public school choice, and Arkansas
was the first state in the country to have public school choice.
Senator Dole has pushed a private school choice plan that we
oppose, and at the same time, to make public school choice work,
the President has worked hard to expand the number of charter
schools. Charter schools are new schools that parents and
teachers can start with a public charter that requires them to be
held accountable for results, but freeze them up from all the
central bureaucratic rules and red tape.
There are now 300 charter schools in the country
that are being started with help from the Clinton administration.
The President's balanced budget plan calls for 3,000 charter
schools over the next five years, and in the budget appropriation
that the President signed into law earlier this month, charter
school funding was tripled from $18 million to $51 million. And
when the President took office, only a handful of states had
charter school laws; now 26 states have charter school laws. He's
going to again challenge everybody -- all states to pass charter
school laws.
Two other elements in the elementary and secondary
agenda -- wiring every school, connecting every school to the
Information Superhighway and making access to the Internet free
for schools and libraries, and finally, promoting safety and
discipline by pushing for school uniforms and curfews and truancy
enforcement.
He is going to talk about one new idea today that's
related to standards and choice. He's going to challenge every
state and school district to develop a report card on every
school: plan to post that information on the Internet as well as
in newspapers. This is an idea that will enable parents to have
more information which is critical as they make the choices about
the schools that they send their children to. If we're going to
have competition and choice within the public school system,
parents need to have access to accurate and immediate
information.
This is similar to efforts that we've tried in other
areas, including putting environmental information on the
Internet to make it more available to parents. And it embodies
the President's philosophy that if you give parents the right
tools they can make their own choices for their children.
And then, finally, his college agenda I think is
familiar to all of you. He's proposed a $1,500 HOPE Scholarship
tax cut that would make the 13th and 14th years of education as
MORE
universal as high school; a $10,000 tax deduction for all tuition
- 6 -
and enabling people to save money in IRAs for college because he
believes that middle class families should never be taxed on the
money that they save for college.
I think that's it.
Q
There's a listing on this piece of paper that
the President is going to challenge colleges and universities to
look at their admission requirements and examine students' high
school transcripts. Does the President have some idea the
colleges don't do that?
MR. REED: No, the point that that's trying to make
is that if we're going to have high standards at the local level,
then government needs to push for that, but so do colleges and
universities and businesses. Everybody has to demand excellence.
Q
Isn't that like saying they should put up an
umbrella when it rains? Why does the President have to get
involved in telling them that? Does he not think the people who
run colleges are smart enough to know that they ought to look at
transcripts before they admit kids?
MR. REED: No, it's not a question of looking at
transcripts. It's a question of --
Q
It says that. They ought to examine students'
high school transcripts. What's it doing on the list?
MR. REED: The point is that colleges and
universities should insist that students pass high performance
graduation exams. Here's -- not every state does graduation
exams. Not every state does what we've called for.
Q
We want to know -- on this piece of paper -- it
doesn't say anything about exams.
MR. REED: Fine, Rita.
Q
Bruce, I thought he said he wants everyone to
go to college, even if they had a bad record in high school,
right? I thought he was going to make it as universal as high
school -- college? That includes the goof-offs as well, right?
MR. MCCURRY: Okay, any other questions?
Q
Hang on. Answer this one.
Q
Not so fast, McCurry. (Laughter.)
Q
How about those high school goof-offs --
MR. MCCURRY: I'm just a little nervous about time.
You're free to beat up Bruce Reed all you want. If you don't
have any other subjects you want to get to, that's fine.
Q
The one substantive idea is probably the tax
credit. What are the chances of that passing, do you believe?
MR. REED: I think that as part of a balanced budget
plan that a tax cut has a very good chance of passing.
Q
In a Republican Congress even if that happens?
MR. REED: I think that it's received an
extraordinarily positive response on the Hill from both
Republicans and Democrats, and I think it has a very good chance
of passage.
Q
Is this the type of example -- if the President
wins the reelection the next four years this is what we're going
MORE
to see out of the administration? Are we going to see more
government involvement in pushing education and access to
- 8 -
education, or more the principle and things like that that we're
seeing right now this type of initiative?
MR. REED: The President's going to make education a
top priority in the next four years, both in promoting education
reform at the state and local level and in expanding access to
college at the federal level.
Q
But a high priority in college, encouraging
colleges to do what they should be doing now, or more involvement
in doing -- getting government involvement or getting access --
you know, paying for college and things like that?
Q
You better call the warden. (Laughter.)
Q
HOW is he going to make it a high priority?
MR. REED: Well, he's going to continue to push to
protect education funding, make seed money available for charter
schools, expand the amount of money that's going to college
loans, and at the same time use the bully pulpit to push for
higher standards.
MR. MCCURRY: Thank you, Bruce. Excellent.
Okay, I want -- Ann Lewis and Doug Sosnik want to
give you a little on schedule on ad traffic and some of the
congressional candidates we're working for.
MS. LEWIS: I have talked to some of you
individually about ads, and so I'm trying to give you an
overview. First, it occurs to us that for some reason with the
hours we keep, you may not have seen some of our ads that are on
the air. We've asked that a reel be put together of some of our
current ads, and we hope to be able to show it to you today.
Popcorn is optional, but we do expect to have a little ad film
festival that will give you a sense of what we've got on.
Second, as you know with the last, now seven days to
go, more and more we've been focusing more state-specific -- for
example, there is an ad you may get to see in your brief moments
in Ohio that shows the President traveling through Ohio on the
train and then talks about achievements in Ohio. We do have a
number of ads that are part of a multistate strategy, and I can
walk through and give you right now what some of them are. And
again, it gives you a sense of the elements from which we draw in
putting together the ad campaign for any particular state.
First, as you remember, we have done a series of ads
about the President's character, moral leadership, taking on
tough issues; this began with Jim Brady, it was followed by Marc
Klaas and I believe today or tomorrow we'll go on the air with
the widow of Victor Crawford. Victor Crawford was a Maryland
state senator and then a tobacco lobbyist who died, and she talks
about the President standing up to tobacco industry, trying to
keep tobacco from being marketed to children, SO that's the third
in the series. It will either go up today or tomorrow.
Second, we've had an ad about the President's record
of achievement on fighting drugs and crime. This is starts
with some of the attacks that have been made on him by his
opponent, but then goes on to his very strong record.
Third, we have an ad we call "About," which has been
Senator Bob Dole talking about what this election is about in his
own words. So it is, again, Bob Dole's own words talking about
campaign issues. Fourth, we have the ad, "Counting," which has
been on in daytime. It's a principal daytime buy. This is the
ad that says she's counting on you, opens with a shot of a baby,
talks about the importance of this election in terms of your
children's future and the decisions you're going to make; talks
MORE
- 9 -
specifically about election day being November 5th.
MORE
- 10 -
Five, an ad that will be released -- I will have the
script today -- goes on tomorrow, and I'm told it will be showed
on Melrose Place, which will give you some sense of the targeting
here -- called "Drummers." Again, talking about very different
choices this election will make.
And, six, interestingly, in terms of multistate, but
targeted an ad called "Jobs," which is being done in Spanish,
going on Univision, Telemundo, syndicated.
So that's a sense of what our multi -- the ads that
are running multistate.
Q
What was the name of it?
MS. LEWIS: It's called "Jobs." It's a
Spanish-language ad. I do have the script for that.
We will have scripts for all of these, as I say,
later today. And we're also going to have a reel.
Thank you.
MR. SOSNIK: I will briefly go through this. First,
on travel. We've laid out basically the travel between now and
the -- on the travel we've basically closed out the campaign in
our planning. We'll release the final details for you later
today or tomorrow, but as you know, we're going to be in Florida
Saturday night and we'll start the day on Sunday in Florida -- in
Tampa. We'll make another stop in Florida, make our way to New
Jersey.
Then we have roughly 24 hours from then until we'll
go down in Little Rock, theoretically, around midnight, if the
President allows us to go in at that time.
There will be a midday rally on Monday in Cleveland.
And we intend to end the campaign Monday night in Los Angeles.
And then we will take the flight home rather late back to Little
Rock.
Just briefly, on the two states were in today, Ohio
-- the last Cincinnati Enquirer poll has us up 14 points here. We
are outspending the Dole campaign in media in Ohio now, as they
have shifted some of their resources out of Ohio into California.
They've pulled out of Toledo and Youngstown markets in
particular.
The three congressional races that we think we can
take back as we move into the last eight days -- the Cremeans
seat with Ted Strickland -- you probably saw some ads here in
Columbus today on that race. The Hoke race where he's being
challenged by Dennis Kucinich, Hoke seat in Cleveland; and the
Chabot seat down in the southern part of the state.
We're moving on to Pennsylvania later this
afternoon. The Dole campaign pulled out of there about a month
ago. They pulled their media down about two weeks ago. We
figured out, by the way, they spent a little over $9 million so
far in media in states that they've pulled out of, Pennsylvania
being one of them.
The three races in particular there that we are
optimistic about taking seats from Republicans -- one is the Fox
seat in Montgomery County; Hoeffel is our candidate and we're
going to do a brief meeting with Hoeffel and his supporters in
Philadelphia after the speech at the University of Pennsylvania.
Q
Not in the open?
MR. SOSNIK: No.
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- 11 -
Q
Why not?
- 12 -
MR. SOSNIK: He's doing an open event at the
University --
Q
Is Hoeffel on the stage?
MR. SOSNIK: I think he is. Barry can check.
Q
-- the President asking people to vote for him?
MR. SOSNIK: Stay tuned.
The Clinger open seat, and we've picked up -- Ruth
Reedy (phonetic) is our candidate there against Peterson who has
had some problems. And also the English seat with Ron DeNicole
(phonetic) as our candidate there. So that's today.
Q
What's the ratio of the outspending in Ohio
between the Dole and the Clinton campaign?
MR. SOSNIK: They were actually down until this
week. They had gone back and pulled half their markets off.
We're going to have a financial advantage the last week of the
campaign based on the amount of money that they'd spent earlier.
They're spending roughly $430,000 in Ohio in the last week. We're
going to spend over half a million here. And as Ann said a few
minutes ago, we have been tailoring throughout the country in key
states a state-specific media, to be more relevant to the folks
at home. And Ohio is an example of that.
Q
Doug, what is the White House position on the
Democratic National Committee's decision not to release its list
of contributors, since the President has been helping the DNC
raise a lot of that money?
MR. MCCURRY: Let me give you an update on that.
That's -- the information in the question is incorrect. The DNC
today is going to release contributors and a summary of
expenditures as if they had filed the regular scheduled filed
report at the Federal Election Commission. That's our
understanding from the Democratic National Committee.
They believe that, for technical reasons related to
expenditures under 4401.AI of the Federal Election law, they did
not have a requirement to file a pre-election report and would
have been required only to file their quarterly report. But,
obviously, in the interest of full disclosure, the White House
believes they should release the names of contributors and
provide information on expenditures.
They don't have time today to prepare that report in
the formal format of an FEC report, although I believe they'll
probably do that expeditiously. But all the same information
that would be contained in the report, our understanding is they
intend to make public today.
Q
All the --
MR. MCCURRY: Our understand is they're going to
take the information related to contributions and expenditures
that you would normally be able to peruse in a report like that
and make it available, and then as quickly as they can, conform
that information to the formal reporting format of the Federal
Election Commission.
Q
Will it be as detailed in terms of the
contributors, their amounts, their identities, and the nature of
the expenditures?
MR. MCCURRY: Well, you'll be able to see it later
today and then you can judge for yourself.
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Q
Is that the intent?
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Q
The summary of expenditures -- I thought the
reason they didn't submit a report was they were asserting that
they had not expenditures.
MR. MCCURRY: They have no -- our understanding is,
no expenditures that trigger a pre-election report. But they had
expenditures that they made in connection with coordinated
campaigns and others. They would not be required to file that in
a pre-election report; they would do that in a quarterly report.
But our belief is that in the interest of disclosure, they ought
to provide that information voluntarily, which they will do.
Q
Mike, did the White House have any role in
reversing this, or as this all just a DNC voluntarily doing it?
MR. MCCURRY: When we learned about it yesterday, I
think it's safe to say we made our feelings known.
Q
-- going to get the same level of detail today
that would have gone to the FEC?
MR. MCCURRY: You will not get the same report that
would normally be filed because they will not be able to get that
in that format in time. My understanding is the information they
are going to make available will make it possible for you to see
the identity of contributors and get good understanding of what
the expenditures are. But you should really follow up with the
DNC if you're interested.
Q
-- contributions as well?
Q
Mike, do you hold to the idea that the DNC did
absolutely nothing in support of the presidential campaign during
these last weeks; that's why they don't --
MR. MCCURRY: I don't hold anything. The DNC and
their legal counsels indicated they didn't believe they needed to
file a 441-AD# report for the period October 1 to October 16.
Q
Last week when we were asking you questions
about Mr. Huang and some of the questionable contributions that
have come up as being raised by them, you referred us back to the
DNC. Mr. Foley has kind of refused to take any questions about
this and others say this is his area. Since he's the person that
the President basically chose for the job, does the President
have any feelings about this refusal to deal with the questions?
MR. MCCURRY: Mr. Foley works for Clinton-Gore '96.
He's been available, as far as I know.
Q
I'm sorry -- Doug Fowler -- excuse me.
MR. MCCURRY: I believe both Chairman Fowler and, if
I'm not mistaken, Chairman Dodd have spoken to this issue
publicly. Chairman Dodd was just on the airwaves this past
weekend to address these issues.
Q
Last week he said Mr. Huang would be available,
and then nothing happened.
MR. MCCURRY: Oh, the DNC has addressed that several
times already. I don't have anything new to add.
Q
The President said the real solution is
campaign finance reform, but as he's laid out his ideas that he
wants to talk about in the next term I don't believe he's talked
about campaign finance publicly. Is he going to --
MR. MCCURRY: I would not rule out the possibility.
He might actually address that issue in the coming days.
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Q
-- last week that he might spare a half hour to
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take some questions from reporters?
MR. MCCURRY: Sure, there's a chance.
Q
There's a chance? (Laughter.) HOW big?
MR. MCCURRY: We'll check his schedule. I don't
--you know the President's schedule; you know how hard he's
working; you know the number of cities he's going to. I think
right now the President feels it's most important to take his
case to the American people. You and the Press Office serve
legitimately as surrogates for the American people, but we're in
a period right now in the coming days where the American people
get to make their own decisions and the President thinks it's
very important to take his case directly to them.
Q
-- on Chicago this morning, Mike, that if the
President is reelected, or even if not, right after the election
he plans to pardon Dan Rostenkowski. Has there been any
discussion of that whatsoever?
MR. MCCURRY: I have not heard anything to that
effect myself. That's news to me.
Q
What's the question?
MR. MCCURRY: Speculation about pardons related to
Dan Rostenkowski. The President, you know by now fully well the
President's position on pardons, which is no comment. But I'll
check and see if there's -- I don't know what the basis of that
report is.
Q
Is there even an application, for a pardon, do
you know?
MR. MCCURRY: I'd have to check. I do not know
whether the Department of Justice has an application.
Q
Mike, there are reports today that Mr. Huang
participated in Commerce Department meetings involving Indonesia.
Does the administration think that's appropriate, and are you
going to be looking at any of his government activities?
MR. MCCURRY: Well, he was a Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Commerce at the time. Whatever his role
was in discussions related to trade policy, I'd have to check
further with Commerce Department officials to see if they conform
with what we would expect of anyone in the administration. I've
seen those accounts; I haven't had time to look into some of the
specific matters discussed there. I have addressed on prior
occasions the issue of Indonesia, our trade and foreign policies
related to Indonesia. A number of news organizations have looked
into that question and concluded that our policies have been
fairly clear and have been more robust than prior administrations
with respect to issues that we've raised on the bilateral agenda
we have with Indonesia.
Q
Well, wouldn't it be a reasonable assumption
that given Huang's connection to the Riadys that this guy was a
pipeline back to the Indonesians in terms of what the U.S.
government may or may not have been planning, and isn't that
inappropriate?
MR. MCCURRY: We communicate our views in the direct
bilateral exchanges we have and I don't think the government of
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Indonesia would mistake any information that they receive for the
direct exchanges we have with them, which have been candid,
fruitful, and in most cases, very productive.
Q
Can you tell me that when you sit down with the
Indonesians you tell them about all your internal negotiations
leading up to that decision-making process?
MR. MCCURRY: No, we make clear our positions on
trade and human rights issues, security issues, regional issues.
We do so very directly and consistent with the warm relations we
have with the government of Indonesia on matters related to
security, regional security, trade and other bilateral concerns.
Q
Is the White House looking into any of these
reports that Mr. Wood solicited contributions from Taiwanese
officials?
MR. MCCURRY: Mr. Ward?
Q
Mr. Wood.
MR. MCCURRY: Mr. Wood. No, the State Department
addressed that yesterday and indicated that in June they referred
that matter to the Justice Department.
Q
That is nothing that you have taken a look at
yourselves?
MR. MCCURRY: Well, our understanding from the
information provided by the State Department yesterday is that
they referred the matter to the Justice Department.
Q
Is the President -- you mentioned campaign
finance reform a minute ago -- is he considering new proposals or
just simply speaking out, using the bully pulpit to promote what
has already been out there?
MR. MCCURRY: I think I earlier did not rule out the
possibility he might want to address the issue in coming days.
Q
Will he have any new proposals, Mike?
MR. MCCURRY: The President has made a number of
proposals related to campaign finance reform. He's given his
support to the McCain-Feingold legislation, worked to get that
passed, and against his opponent, who filibustered that same
legislation in the Senate. And those who follow campaign finance
reform agree that the model of the McCain-Feingold legislation
provides a good forward movement on the issue.
Q
Would that, Mike, prohibit contributions like
those from the Riadys?
MR. MCCURRY: It would restrict, if not bar,
so-called non-federal contributions, which are similar to the
category we've been talking about in connection with some of
these contributions.
Q
-- restrict if not bar?
MR. MCCURRY: I think it bars, if I'm not mistaken
-- bars non-federal contributions. Ann -- that's right.
Q
-- Senator Glenn --
MR. MCCURRY: Yes, Senator Glenn is going, and I
think that I'll give you back our regularly scheduled program.
THE PRESS: Thank you.