Remarks on Arrival in Boise, Idaho

The President. Well, it's great to be back here in Idaho again and to be here in support of your fine Senator, Steve Symms.

You know, our country is enjoying peace and prosperity, and this just didn't happen by accident. We got rid of some irresponsible policies that have been kicking around Washington for a while, and we put in a growth-oriented program in their place. And that couldn't have been done without a Republican Senate. When we got to Washington, when Steve got there to the Senate and I got there in the White House, we found that inflation was more than 12 percent. It's now, for the last 4 months, been 2 1/2 percent. We lowered the income tax rates by 25 percent. And the prime interest rate was 21 1/2 percent, and it's now down to less than half of that. And Steve Symms was a soldier in the frontline of the battle that brought these things about, and that battle is still being fought.

We're going to end something that's been going on ever since World War II, and that is deficit spending, and we're going to get a hold of it once and for all.

Audience member. Way to go with the PLO!

The President. And we're going to have a tax reform that will make the tax program fairly understandable and I think a little bit cheaper. And it'll be fair, which isn't true of the present system. And we're going to do this, and in spite of some critics to the contrary, we're going to do it at the same time we keep our military forces strong, as they should be.

So, I know I've got to go into town-there's some people waiting there—but I just wanted to say to you, you keep Steve Symms right there in Washington where he belongs for this next Senate term. You need him, and our country needs him, and I'll guarantee you, I need him.

So, thank you all for coming out here. Thank you. God bless you all.