Remarks in Alamagorde, New Mexico

This is our 13th state in our 96-hour marathon. You can tell my voice is changing, but I still keep — one thing, my voice may change, but I still keep my word.

[applause]

And if I can just sort of tag along with Pete and Joe tomorrow, I'll be all right.

[laughter]

Because they're going to get a lot of votes and they don't need them all — give some to me. And we'll be all right.

UNKNOWN: You bet.

DOLE: Let me also say I'm proud my wife Elizabeth's here and my daughter Robin right here.

[applause]

And I can't wait to sign the balanced budget that Pete Domenici will send me next year.

[applause]

We're going to end our 96-hour marathon in Independence, Missouri, standing by the statue of Harry Truman. Remember when Harry Truman was running...

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... somebody said, "Give 'em hell, Harry."

He said, "I just tell them the truth. They think it's hell." And that's...

[laughter]

And that's what we're going to do all day today and half the day tomorrow.

I really believe that character does count in America and should count...

[applause]

... in the White House.

[applause]

UNKNOWN: Give 'em hell, Dole.

DOLE: And I know a little about service, and I know a little about sacrifice, and I've seen a lot of presidents come and go. But I must say, I've never seen a more arrogant group than occupy — occupy is probably right — occupy the White House right now.

[applause]

They don't believe that the rules apply to them. They believe they can do anything and get away with anything because many in the media won't care.

And if the media doesn't report it, you're never going to find out about it.

Or when they do report it, it's too late.

But let me say this. In yesterday's New York Times — believe it or not — on page 20, there were eight different columns of violations of ethical conduct by this administration — eight different things.

They're going to be hanging out there next year in the even he should be elected.

Now, if you want a full-time president who won't be going to hearings or trials or anything else, Bob Dole is your choice.

[applause]

We're going to give you satisfaction guaranteed and your money back — not or, but and your money back.

[applause]

Fifteen percent across the board tax cut.

[applause]

$500 per child under 18 tax credit. And I see some right here.

[applause]

DOLE: One child — $500; three children — $1,500. Ten children — you're probably too busy to worry about your taxes, but that would be...

[laughter]

... $5,000.

And then to create more jobs in Alamogordo and across New Mexico and across America, we're going to cut the capital gains rate in half 50 percent.

[applause]

And for those who work all their life, and the kids work, the wife works, the husband works, you scrimp and save and you finally have a little business or a little farm or a little ranch, and somebody passes on — we don't think you should have to sell part of the ranch to pay the estate taxes.

[applause]

We're going to start providing...

[applause]

... estate tax relief.

[applause]

And this is just phase one.

Phase two would be a flatter, fairer, simpler system and end the IRS as we know it.

[applause]

And I cleared all this with Domenici, so I know it's going to be all right, so...

[laughter]

And Joe Skeen.

In addition to this, I fell...

UNKNOWN: Don't forget our boys in Kuwait.

DOLE: Pardon.

UNKNOWN: Don't forget our boys in Kuwait.

DOLE: I was just going to mention that. Right.

[laughter]

I'm going to restore respect for those who wear our uniform.

[applause]

And I don't believe that anyone who proudly wears — any young man or any young woman — who proudly wears the uniform of the United States is paid so little, they have to rely on food stamps.

[applause]

They ought to be paid enough to feed and clothe and house their families.

[applause]

And when I am president of the United States, if you would ever have to send somebody halfway around the world to protect our liberty and freedom, I will make that decision — not Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the United Nations.

[applause]

And I will support, with Joe's help and Pete's help and the governor's help, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

[applause]

And I will support, and we will have when I am president, a Constitutional amendment to protect the great symbol of liberty in the world — the flag of the United States of America.

[applause]

And I believe that if young people can get together, play great music, sports — whatever — they ought to have a right to get together and have voluntary prayer in schools.

[applause]

Not dictated — not dictated by the teachers, not dictated by the state, but just students, getting together, like they get together for a lot of things.

[applause]

I'd rather have them getting together for prayer than thinking about drugs or something else.

[applause]

DOLE: And maybe what candidate Clinton said about drugs when he was on MTV — candidate — he said — well, he didn't inhale that time but he might the next time.

And we don't need him as an example for young people in America.

[applause]

And we will cut in half in the first four years drug use ages 12 to 17 if we have to send the National Guard to the border to keep drugs from coming into America in the first place.

[applause]

So I might say that I'm a little hoarse, but I'm in good shape.

We're excited about this campaign. New Mexico is very, very important.

I need your votes.

[applause]

And when this tax cut takes effect, Bill Clinton will be eligible. If he leaves his change of address, we'll send him the check.

[laughter]

[applause]

And I'm not going to comment on that, but let...

[laughter]

Let me just conclude by saying this.

Every election is important.

Everybody who runs for office feels that their particular campaign, their particular office, their candidacy is very, very important — and it is in America because we have liberty and we have freedom and we can disagree, and we can look each other in the eye and say — I disagree.

But we also have a great tradition in America that we have presidents who have integrity and have respect. And what they don't have — remember what happened on our watch with Watergate.

You look what happened then and you see what happened now.

What I want to say to you — when you vote on tomorrow, just as I voted a long, long time ago for Eisenhower, and I've been proud of it ever since — I want you to be proud of the vote you cast for president of the United States.

[applause]

I want you to be proud...

[applause]

... of that vote.

[applause]

Because you're voting for the president who occupies the White House, but is also the leader of the free world.

But even more important, you're voting for someone who may, when he walks out into the Rose Garden or walks into that White House for the first time, should understand that his conduct, public contact, conduct, ethical conduct must be higher than anybody in America.

He must be an example...

[applause]

... for young men and young women...

[applause]

... all across America.

[applause]

And I will bring integrity back to the White House and I won't have drug dealers down for dinner either.

[applause]

And I won't have some guy who used to be a bouncer in a bar rummaging through your FBI files. That's very private, very private.

[applause]

And nobody knows where this guy came from.

DOLE: Nobody's — oh, I didn't hire him. I didn't — nobody hired him.

You know, President Clinton is so good he's very smooth. He's a great talker. But we're not electing a talk show host.

[laughter]

We're not electing a talk show host.

[applause]

We're electing a president of the United States.

[applause]

But if he were here, he'd say — well, aw shucks, I don't know. I'm just playing by the rules.

You know, I didn't know this Gandhi — the guy who gave me $300,000 — you know, owed $10,000 in back taxes. And I didn't know about this rich guy from Indonesia, and I didn't know about all these other things.

We did take the money, of course, but I think it's time. There is still time.

There's a lot of outrage in America. A lot of people, a lot of Democrats and independents, and in Phoenix, as John McCain will tell you, this morning at 5 a.m. at the diner, four major Perot supporters came up on the stage and said — we're voting for Bob Dole.

[applause]

We want Perot supporters to vote for Bob Dole.

[applause]

So thank you for being here. Thank you for all your support.

We're very proud of America. We want to make it better — a better place for our kids.

It's about the future. It's about the future.

It's going to happen. Thank you very much and God bless America.