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Clinton downplays Bush's record funds, says Gore wins on ideas
July 1, 1999 WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 1) -- President Bill Clinton said Thursday that Texas Gov. George W. Bush -- who has raked an unprecedented $36.2 million into his campaign coffers this year -- would be allying himself with Republicans "unanimously hostile" to campaign finance reform if he rejects federal spending limits. "The American people will have to make up their minds about whether this is an important issue or not," the president said during a joint news conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. (Full story) Clinton refused to handicap the race when asked if Bush's war chest effectively wrapped up the 2000 GOP presidential nomination for the GOP front-runner, "How do I know what the Republicans are going to do in their nominating process? I don't have a clue," he said. Bush announced his fund-raising numbers Wednesday for the first half of this year. During the same time, Vice President Al Gore has raised just $18 million -- a figure that once would have been considered impressive by politicos before Bush's record sum upped the stakes. Bush's better-than-expected showing increased speculation that he will decide not to accept federal matching funds for his primary campaign -- a move that would allow him to exceed federal spending limits. Campaign finance reform advocates warn such an action would hurt their efforts. "The leadership of the Republican Party in general are unanimously hostile to campaign finance reform. They don't believe in it. And so if (Bush) did that, he would have that in common with the other leaders who won't let us bring the McCain-Feingold bill to a vote," the president said. Sens. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) Downplaying Bush's money lead, Clinton insisted the "most valuable commodity in an election ... even more valuable than money, is ideas." On that front, Clinton said, Gore wins hands down: "He is the only candidate who has yet told the American people what he wanted to do if he got elected." The president touted the candidacy of his Gore, saying there was no one in the race with as much experience as the vice president, or who had laid out agenda as Gore has done. "He's been a journalist, he's been in the executive branch, he's been in the legislative branch. He has vast experience in foreign policy and arms control issues, and vast experience in domestic policy, and maybe even more important than experience, the ideas that he's advanced have made America a better place," Clinton said. Clinton also said he was "bewildered" at press reports that he was angry at Gore, due to the vice president's recent tough criticism of Clinton's behavior concerning the Monica Lewinsky matter. "I honestly do not know what the source of the stories are, but they are not in heart or my mind," Clinton said. "I didn't ask Al Gore to become vice president so that he would agree with me about everything. Nobody with a fine mind and a lot of experience and looking at the world we live in would agree with anyone else with the same qualities on every issue. It just wouldn't happen," Clinton said. |
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MORE STORIES:Thursday, July 1, 1999
• Transcript: Clinton, Mubarak news conference • Senate confirms Summers as Treasury secretary • CBO releases its budget surplus projections • Clinton downplays Bush's record funds, says Gore wins on ideas • Hillary Clinton political staff rents Manhattan office • Gore friend acquitted in campaign finance case • House, Senate approve Y2K litigation bill • Center named as host venue for GOP convention • Greenbacks stashed in men's rooms at U.S. agency that prints dollars • Agnew, district attorneys were preoccupied with leaks • Former NY Mayor Ed Koch hospitalized with blocked artery • Some Republicans say tax cut approaching $1 trillion far too large • Contenders salute New Hampshire • Analysis: Talk of Gore-Clinton tif follows fickle tradition • Senate passes $12.7 billion foreign aid, veto threatened • Babbitt casino probe said winding down • Mubarak makes rounds of Capitol Hill | ||||||||||||||||||