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Remarks of the President and Question and Answer Session, Tri-City Airport (Bristol, Tennessee) [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7344025
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Remarks of the President and Question and Answer Session, Tri-City Airport (Bristol, Tennessee) [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
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1976-05-14
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1976
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Digitized from Box 26 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 14, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Bristol, Tennessee)
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AND
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
TRI-CITY AIRPORT
8:56 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody.
It is great to be back in Johnson City. I have
been here on at least one occasion, I think, in 1972 or 1970.
I wish it was possible for me to do more traveling in
Tennessee. We are going to Memphis, of course, but I
would have been delighted to go to Knoxville and Chattanooga
and Nashville and the many other nice places in Tennessee,
but the fact that I also have to do the job of being
President, to a substantial degree cuts back my opportunities
to see the many people in Tennessee and Kentucky and
Michigan that I would like.
But, as I think all of you know, I am running
on my record as President for the last 21 months. I think
that is a good record. It is a record of achievement in
the field of domestic affairs.
We have cut the rate of inflation by 75 percent.
We have added 3,300,000 people in the job roles in this
country in the last 12 months. We added 710,000 new
people on the job roles just the last month of April. And
if we look at the overall, we are at peace, we have got the
strength to maintain the peace.
Finally, I think the Ford Administration has
restored confidence, integrity, candor and forthrightness
in the White House.
So, when you sum up the substance of the 21
months, I think I can say with pride that we have achieved
peace. We are on the road to a growing and permanent
prosperity and the White House today has the trust and
confidence of the American people.
I am deeply grateful that Senator Howard Baker
is here and your own Congressman Jimmy Quillen, as well as
your fine former Governor Winfield Dunn.
I will be glad now to answer a couple of questions.
Too early in the morning? (Laughter)
MORE
Page 2
QUESTION: Mr. President, Senator Baker said that
it would be good for you to ask Mr. Ronald Reagan to be
your Vice Presidential nominee. What do you feel about that?
THE PRESIDENT: As I understand it, Mr. Reagan
has taken himself out of any consideration. He made a
statement several weeks ago that he would not be a candidate
for Vice President.
QUESTION: Would you consider him, though?
THE PRESIDENT: I certainly have never said I
wouldn't, and I was only going by his own statement. We
have an outstanding field of potential Republican Vice
Presidential candidates, including Senator Baker, Senator
Brock, former Governor Connally and a number of sitting
Governors, so we have an excellent potential for Vice
Presidential candidates and I have got one of them standing
right at my right.
QUESTION: Do you plan to name your TVA appointee
today?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I do not.
QUESTION: Are you worried about the crossover
vote, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: Where? In Michigan or here?
QUESTION: Here.
THE PRESIDENT: I have said repeatedly that we
want all voters, whether they are Republicans, Independents
or Democrats, who have the same political philosophy that
I have, to vote for me. I want this to be a test of the
total vote of individuals, regardless of political label.
QUESTION: Mr. President, why isn't Senator Brock
on this trip?
THE PRESIDENT: I believe that Senator Brock is
going to meet us in Memphis, as I understand it, but, you
know, he also has a campaign of his own and, as I recall,
this morning he had some committee meeting of some importance
that precluded his being on this particular leg of the trip.
QUESTION: Mr. President, how do you feel about
Henry Kissinger in your Cabinet?
THE PRESIDENT: Henry Kissinger has done a good job
as Secretary of State, and you can judge that by the fact
that we have achieved the peace, and a Secretary of State's
record is what you have to judge him on, and this Administration
has achieved the peace. We are in a position to maintain it
through our military capability and our diplomatic skill,
and as long as a person does a good job I want him on the job.
THE PRESS: Thank you very much.
END (AT 9:01 A.M. EDT)