    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [November 1, 1994]
    [Pages 1925-1926]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Interview With Dominic Carter of New York 1 Television, New York City
    November 1, 1994

        Mr. Carter. Thank you for appearing here on New York 1, sir.
        The President. Thank you. Glad to do it.

    Midterm Elections

        Mr. Carter. Mr. President, this has been a bitter, nasty campaign
    season across the country in which Republicans have made you the issue
    of local races in commercials linking you directly to the local
    Democrats. While many Democrats have held open arms to campaign with
    you, some have kept their distance. How do you feel that you are the
    direct target, your administration?
        The President. Well, they've worked hard on this for a long time.
    The Republicans tend to be a Presidential party, and they are
    unfortunately now very extremist, very negative, and that's what they've
    tried to do. But you know, there is beginning to be a backlash.
        First of all, the American people see that I am keeping the
    commitments I made to them in 1992. In 21 months, we have moved the
    country forward. We're making the Government work for ordinary Americans
    with things like family leave and college loans. We've reduced the debt.
    We've reduced the size of the Federal Government. We've got more jobs
    coming into this economy. The world is safer and more prosperous than it
    was when I took office. People are feeling that, and I don't believe
    they're going to buy these Republican promises in this contract, this $1
    trillion worth of hot check promises to go back to the 1980's and
    trickle-down economics.
        I also would point out, Dominic, you know, there is beginning to be
    some division within the Republican ranks. People are recoiling; good
    Republicans are recoiling from this extremism and this negativism.
    That's why former First Lady Nancy Reagan hit Oliver North and, of
    course, Mayor Giuliani supporting Governor Cuomo--I think a very
    statesman-like decision--Mayor Riordan out in Los Angeles supporting
    Senator Feinstein, Mrs. Heinz in Pennsylvania attacking the Republican
    candidate for Senator up there.
        There are a lot of good Republicans who do not like what has been
    happening in our country, and they don't like seeing the Republican
    Party being so negative, so bitterly partisan, and so extremist. So I
    think we've got a chance in the last 8 days to get a real vote for the

    [[Page 1926]]

    future and not a vote for the past. And I'm very hopeful.
        Mr. Carter. Mr. President, you touched upon a couple of topics that
    I want to get to, but just yesterday you were campaigning for Democrats
    in Pittsburgh, and we're told that you're headed to New York once again
    to campaign Thursday for Mario Cuomo.
        The last time you were here, you said Mr. Cuomo is a national
    treasure, that he's New York's treasure. How do you explain him being in
    the tough battle against George Pataki?
        The President. Well, I think, first of all, he has been Governor.
    And after you've been Governor awhile, you'll pick up your fair share of
    enemies if you take on the tough decisions and you deal with the tough
    issues.
        Secondly, as we all know, Senator D'Amato and Mr. Pataki, their
    group, they're very good at attacking their opponents and they've done a
    good job of that. But I think Governor Cuomo is coming back. And I think
    if you look at the action that Mayor Giuliani took, he was a person who
    had to say, ``Look, never mind all this negative back-and-forth, how are
    the people of my city going to live, and are they going to be better off
    depending on who the Governor is?'' So he endorsed Governor Cuomo.
        When I said Governor Cuomo was a national treasure but is New York's
    treasure first, I would just remind the voters of New York who wonder
    whether he really wants to be Governor again that I offered him a chance
    to have a very different career in Washington, DC, and he rejected it to
    stay with New York, because he wanted to have a chance to be Governor
    while he has a partner in the White House, someone really committed to
    helping improve the fortunes of the people of New York.
        That was clear evidence to me that his heart was first, foremost,
    and forever with the people of New York, and I think that they'll be
    very well pleased with his performance in the next 4 years if they'll
    give him a chance to be Governor.
        Mr. Carter. Thank you very much, Mr. President. We'll see you in New
    York on Thursday.
        The President. Thank you.

    Note: The interview began at 2:57 p.m. The President spoke by telephone
    from the Westin Hotel in Detroit, MI. A tape was not available for
    verification of the content of these remarks.