Kemp talks economics to workers

PHOENIX (AllPolitics, Aug. 31) -- Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp was on the campaign trail Saturday, promoting the GOP economic package and its $548 billion in tax cuts.

After a five-day "working vacation" in Southern California, Kemp and his wife, Joanne, embarked on an ambitious seven-day, 12-state swing that included stops in central cities, part of Kemp's pledge to reach minority voters.

Kemp, who has long championed the ideas of empowerment, especially in lower income and minority communities, held an "economic chat" with some 150 multi-ethnic and primarily blue-collar workers at a manufacturing plant whose owner began his business in a garage.

At the hour-long meeting, Kemp criticized Clinton's economic pledges, including proposed tax cuts for education and homeowners.

"Clinton announced about 2,700 programs to micro-manage the economy, to socially engineer our society, and I'm sure he had good intentions," Kemp said.

Kemp defended the GOP plan for downsizing government in favor of private sector solutions.

"This isn't slash and burn -- competition where only the fittest are going to survive," Kemp told an approving audience. "We're talking here about making the private sector grow to where people can meet their needs through their job, their education, their family, their wages ... and not have to rely on government."

When asked about jobs and the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, Kemp called for the eventual expansion of the agreement to "stretch from Alaska to the tip of Chile."

"Our enemy is not Mexico. Our enemy is not Asia, Africa, Israel ... the enemy are the stupid regulation and litigation problems and tax policies of Washington" that encourage businesses to move abroad.

Kemp rejoins Dole for a Labor Day rally in St. Louis. Then the former quarterback is scheduled to travel alone to seven cities over the next 15 days, including the political battleground states of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

CNN Correspondent Jennifer Auther and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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