Clinton pitches economic plan to Iowans

July 16, 1999
Web posted at: 5:07 p.m. EDT (2107 GMT)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AllPolitics, July 16) -- President Bill Clinton used an Iowa school appearance Friday to argue for his economic proposals, saying Democrats want to provide more money for schools and popular federal entitlements while still allowing for deficit reduction and a tax cut.

Sounding much like a presidential candidate instead of a last-term incumbent, Clinton used an appearance at Amos Hiatt Middle School to talk about the nation's education needs and economic priorities.

"Did you ever think, when I was here running in '92, that we'd be back here talking about what to do with the surplus? This is a high-class problem," he said.

Clinton kicked off a "Rebuilding America's Schools" campaign by questioning why GOP leaders on Capitol Hill want to promise broad tax cuts before addressing such pressing needs as the long-term stability of Medicare and deteriorating classrooms.

"We cannot pretend that there are not consequences," Clinton said. "There are choices to be made, and we should be thinking about the children and the future."

As he has in other recent appearances, Clinton framed the debate over the government surplus as a fight over the nation's future. He said the administration's proposals would provide funding to reconstruct nearly 10 times as many schools as a GOP plan, or "enough to modernize 6,000 schools."

"I believe, before we pass the big tax cut, we should save Social Security and Medicare and add a big prescription drug benefit to Medicare," the president said. "That's going to save everybody a lot more money in the long run than a tax cut."

Clinton also touched on sectors of the economy that still were struggling, despite the overall good times. That includes farmers -- a major constituency in Iowa.

"Even though we're doing better than we've ever done, there are still people who aren't part of this train," he said.

The middle school event was a precursor to two fund-raisers in the Des Moines area to raise almost $200,000 for Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat.

Clinton wasn't the only politician meeting and greeting Iowans on Friday. Republican hopefuls Lamar Alexander, Steve Forbes and George W. Bush were stumping in the state where party caucuses in February will give the first indication of candidate preferences in the 2000 presidential campaign.

"You guys should be glad to see me here in Iowa," Clinton told the audience. "I'm the only guy in weeks that's been here who's not running for anything."

But sniping between Clinton and Bush, the GOP front-runner, continued to keep the president at the center of the political debate.

Bush criticized Clinton on Thursday, saying his administration has done little to ease the economic pressures on the nation's farmers. Without referring to Bush directly, Clinton tried to lay blame for the farmers' problems on policies generated by Congress in 1996.

He said those who supported the Freedom to Farm Act, which weaned farmers away from price supports in exchange for more freedom to choose what they planted, "acted like there never would be a bad day on the farm." Clinton signed the legislation into law but hinted Friday that important changes will be forthcoming.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Clinton pitches economic plan to Iowans

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Friday, July 16, 1999