Governor Milliken, Members of Congress, State candidates, and delegates to the State Convention:

Greetings from Betty and me from the White House. You know I would have liked to greet you in person as I have done so many times in the past at our State conventions. However, the very sudden change in circumstances has made that impossible at this time.

But I want you to know that I am thinking about my many, many good Michigan friends gathered in Detroit. I want you to know, too, that there are many good Michiganders who are helping greatly here in Washington in moving the Ford Administration through the very difficult transition period. It is tough, demanding work, but it is accomplishing our great goal.
The transition is going very smoothly. I can assure you that the Ford Administration is moving and moving strongly to meet the Nation's needs, both at home and abroad.

But a President must have help to get his policies and plans into operation. That is where you are needed and needed very badly. One of the most important of our Republican concepts is to reverse the concentration of power in Washington. With the revenue sharing and such important new programs as the Housing and Community Development Act which I signed into law this week, we are beginning to see a transfer of power back to the people.

You, at State and local levels, are getting the power to decide where and how your tax dollars are to be spent in more and more areas of human need. I think that is a great trend in exactly the right direction. It is a trend that must continue, and with your help in electing candidates who support such programs, the power of the people will continue to grow.

You have a fine Governor. Bill Milliken has done an outstanding job. He has a fine record of performance in office. You have an equally fine group of candidates for Congressional and for State office.

I have a particular interest in our Congressional candidates. Our candidates for the Congress are worthy of your full support. We need them in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Our legislative candidates in Lansing also need your full support. Governor Bill Milliken must have help in the State legislature.

You have a lot going for you during the coming campaign in our State. But there has to be one additional factor, the dedicated efforts of Republican workers. You--the key people in the Republican Party of Michigan--must give the leadership and show the way.

It is time for all of us to get down to hard work. With your very real effort, we together can show those who despair the future just how wrong they are. Join with me in helping to build a better America.
Thank you very much.