Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton declared himself the farmers' candidate Thursday night in a swing through the Midwest, hitting away at President Bush's economic program and blaming the incumbent for the recession.
Recognizing a large number of farmers in the audience, Clinton, running 21/2 hours behind schedule, told a spirited and friendly crowd of 2,000 that he comes from a farm state. The candidate pointed out that running mate Al Gore of Tennessee still lives on his farm.Some in the crowd had waited more than four hours to hear the candidate after his campaign bus pulled into Prairie du Chien from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"If I weren't a good president for farmers, I couldn't go home again," Clinton said, "so I have to do right by you if you vote for me."
Clinton repeated his campaign themes on jobs, education, health and the economy, aiming particular fire at "the crazy idea of trickle-down economics."
He also called for a restoration of "the dignity of blue-collar work in this country" through his program to provide two years of further education and training in an apprenticeship program for every high school graduate who does not attend college.
At a hastily called news conference Friday in Washington, D.C., in which Bush demanded access to detention camps in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the president ducked a question of whether he intended to move Secretary of State James A. Baker III into a key role in the White House and his re-election campaign.
Washington has been awash in rumors that Baker, a longtime political adviser, would relinquish his State Department post to take command of the campaign.
"When I have something to say about what Secretary Baker might or might not do, I'll be sure to let everybody here know about it," said Bush, who wrapped up a two-day campaign trip Thursday. "He's still in his job and I'm still relying heavily on his for sound advice and action over there."
In a bipartisan gesture, Clinton's campaign office Thursday night released a statement in which the candidate praised both Congress and President Bush for supporting a $1.2 billion aid package to the former Soviet Union.
"This important legislation will help the new republics of the former Soviet Union make the transition from communism to democracy and free market economies," Clinton said in the statement. "I also commend the president for displaying the spirit of bipartisanship necessary to ensure its passage."
In the second day of his Midwest bus tour, Clinton on Thursday toured an aluminum recycling plant in Davenport before heading for Cedar Rapids where he admired a biotech operation developed by Quaker Oats.
"He (Bush) said, the recession is over but the people don't know it, " Clinton said. "It's like we're all a bunch of dummies."