FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 1996

STATEMENT BY JOE LOCKHART
NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY

Bob Dole is having trouble with Bob Dole’s record again. In February, Bob Dole told New Hampshire legislators we had the strongest economy for thirty years. More recently, with his campaign struggling to find a message, Candidate Dole says we have no consumer confidence and the economy is in the tank.

Bob Dole’s recent comments show how out of touch he is with economic reality. The economy grew at an annual rate of 4.8 percent, unemployment is at a 7 year low, the deficit has come down four years in a row and 10.5 million jobs have been created since President Clinton took office.

On the international front, the U.S. economy has created more jobs since President Clinton was elected than all the other G-7 countries combined. The United States now makes more autos than Japan, has the lowest budget deficit and has been judged the most competitive economy among industrialized countries for three years in a row. All these statistics stand in contrast to 1992 when the U.S. economy trailed our trading partners in almost every category.

The President also has a plan to balance the budget by 2002 that has been reviewed and scored by the Congressional Budget Office.

Bob Dole’s plan is to risk our economic future with a reckless scheme that will blow a hole in the deficit and result in severe cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment. If Bob Dole wants to be taken seriously in this economic debate he will submit his economic plan to the Congressional Budget Office for review and scoring. No more delays, no more hiding the facts -- the American public has a right to know -- submit the Dole plan to the CBO today.

What we do know from Bob Dole is what’s good for American working families is bad for the Dole for President campaign.

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