Dole Says Balanced Budget Is Top Priority

TAMPA, Fla. (AllPolitics, Aug. 24) -- Bob Dole spent much of the day on the defensive Saturday, defending his economic plan, his positions and his priorities.

Dole's campaign spokesman dismissed charges by the Clinton campaign that Dole has shifted his top priority from granting a 15 percent income-tax cut for Americans to balancing the federal budget.

The charge was based on a report to be published in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday in which Dole is quoted as saying, "The balanced budget is number one ... and tax cuts are number two."

After learning of the report, the Clinton-Gore campaign released a statement Saturday saying, "Sen. Dole has conceded what everyone else already knew: You cannot balance the budget and pay for his risky $550 billion tax cut without blowing a hole in the deficit and making even deeper cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment than the Dole-Gingrich budget the president vetoed."

Dole campaign spokesman Nelson Warfield said Dole has not shifted priorities but has maintained all along that the balanced budget comes first, then the tax cuts.

"It is all part of the same recipe," Warfield said. "The first ingredient is the balanced budget. The second ingredient is the tax cuts."

Earlier in the day, while campaigning in Florida, Dole defended his economic plan, saying he would not cut programs for senior citizens if elected.

"We're trying to save the programs. We're going to save the programs. We're not going to devastate the programs," he told a rally at the University of Tampa in response to a Democratic campaign ad which claims Dole's tax cut would hurt programs for seniors.

Although Democrats charge Dole cannot find the money for his tax cut without hurting programs for the elderly, Dole said his plan is to do just the opposite -- "that is to give money back to seniors."

"I will say to all the seniors in Florida that Bill Clinton is trying to scare seniors," Dole said. "We're going to repeal the tax increase on Social Security."

Dole embraces the Republican balanced budget plan, which would reduce planned spending in Medicare, the health insurance program for seniors, by $168 billion. The Democrats would also reduce Medicare, but by only $140 billion.

Dole received welcome news Saturday. After lagging 20 points behind Clinton for most of the summer, he got a bounce from his San Diego convention earlier this month; most polls now put Clinton's lead in the six-to-10 point range. A Newsweek survey released Saturday showed Clinton with 47 percent support, Dole at 40 percent and Ross Perot at 7 percent.

Kemp campaigns solo

GOP vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp campaigned separately Saturday in the West, focusing on his party's economic message.

Speaking to about 1,000 people at a rally in Watertown, S.D., Kemp stressed budget and tax themes, talking about the Dole- Kemp economic plan. As in his joint appearances with Dole, Kemp emphasized the proposed 15 percent tax cut, the 50 percent capital gains cut, and the phase-out of inheritance taxes.

Later, Kemp made an appearance in Vashon Island, Wash., repeating his economic theme.

Kemp is scheduled to join Dole on Sunday in Portland, Ore., before both head off for separate California vacations.

Dole Says Balanced Budget Is Top Priority

Kemp campaigns solo

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