[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[November 2, 1994]
[Pages 1959-1960]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1959]]


Interview With John Bachman and Laurie Groves of WHO Television,
Des Moines, Iowa
November 2, 1994

    Mr. Bachman. Mr. President, thank you very much for joining us.
    The President. Thank you.

Agricultural Policy

    Mr. Bachman. When you were last here, you were at the midst of the 
floods of '93. You saw Iowa's flooded farm fields. And this year, by 
contrast, farmers have record crops. But that in turn, as you know, has 
depressed prices, and the farm recovery is in jeopardy. What can be 
done, Mr. President?
    The President. Well, when I get to Iowa tomorrow, I want to discuss 
that in greater detail. I have tried to be a good President for the 
farmers of this country. And our Agriculture Department, our Agriculture 
Secretary has done a very good job not only in the flood but afterward. 
I'm sure you know that there was an announcement today that the 
Agriculture Department will give export enhancements to seven states of 
the former Soviet Union to try to increase the export of livestock, 
particularly the pork exports to those countries. And we supported 
ethanol production; we still do. And we're doing a number of other 
things that I believe will really help the farm economy in Iowa. And 
I'll have some more to say about it tomorrow when I get there.
    Ms. Groves. Well, I hate to push my luck with that in mind, Mr. 
President, but I would like to ask you about the export enhancement 
program, the EEP. Now, I know Iowa Secretary Dale Cochran has expressed 
his interest in getting some changes there, at least, that will combat 
some of the glut in the pork market. Would you like to give us a hint on 
perhaps what you think you could do to help Iowa pork producers in 
overseas trade?
    The President. Well, we're looking at that, as well. And again, I 
will have more to say about all that when I get there tomorrow.

Secretary of Agriculture

    Mr. Bachman. Let me give you one more opportunity, Mr. President: 
Have you named, or have you decided in your own mind, at least, a new Ag 
Secretary? And is Ruth Harkin still on your short list?
    The President. No, I haven't made a decision. She has been 
unbelievably good where she is. And she would be good in any position, I 
think, in the Government, including that one. She's a very able person. 
She's really done more with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation 
than anybody has in a long time. And I think any American businessperson 
that's worked with us in trade and expansion would tell you that the 
Export-Import Bank, Ruth Harkin's agency, the Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation, and the Commerce Department under Secretary 
Brown, along with the Agriculture Department, have done more for 
American business than any administration has in a long time.
    Mr. Bachman. Is Ruth Harkin still interested in the post? Has she 
given you any indication that she'd like it?
    The President. No, I've gone out of my way not to talk to anybody 
about this right now because I'm not ready to deal with it. Secretary 
Espy will be there until the end of the year. He has done a superb job 
for the farmers of this country, and I think virtually every 
agricultural commissioner in every State in the country agrees with 
that.

Midterm Elections

    Ms. Groves. President Clinton, unemployment is the lowest now it's 
been nationwide in years, you know this, and the economy is strong. And 
yet your approval rating is under 50 percent here in Iowa. Now, with 
that in mind, how do you think that your visit tomorrow will influence 
Iowa's undecided voters?
    The President. Well, what we have to do is get the record out there. 
All the opinion surveys show that there's literally almost no awareness 
among the voters of what this administration has accomplished but that 
it's changed rather dramatically in the last 10 days to 2 weeks as 
Congress has gone home and people have been able to focus on the fact 
that there are more jobs, a lower deficit, a smaller Federal Government, 
less regulation, more help for ordinary working families: the family and 
medical leave law; the Brady bill; the crime bill; immunizations for all 
the kids in the country under 2; middle

[[Page 1960]]

class college loans; apprenticeships for people who aren't going to 
college; an expansion of Head Start.
    It's been a very long time since there has been such a productive 
relationship. But the people don't know it because this has been a 
contentious 2 years. The Republicans have been more partisan than any 
party has against a President of the opposing party since World War II. 
There's no precedent for it. And I've taken on a lot of tough issues, a 
lot of special interest groups. I've tried to change the direction of 
this country. And when you do that, you have to be willing to make 
enemies and you have to be willing to see your approval ratings go down 
in the short run as people are, at least, confused by all the conflict 
which is engendered. Plus, everybody knows that the nature of the way 
Americans get their information today is more contentious, more 
divisive, more adversarial than ever before.
    So I've been given an opportunity now in the last week or 10 days of 
this campaign to get out and talk to the American people and make my 
case. The people of Iowa are fair-minded people. And I was there when 
you needed me and so was everybody in my administration, in a hurry, in 
the flood. And we stayed, and we've seen this through. I have been a 
good President for the farmers of this country and good for the Iowa 
economy and good for the ordinary working people of this country. And 
when the record comes out, the people will make the right decision.
    Plus, the Republicans are offering us an unbelievable journey into 
the past that got us in so much trouble. I mean, they want to go back to 
trickle-down economics. They're making a trillion dollars' worth of 
promises: big tax cuts for the wealthy, more defense expenditures, a 
balanced budget. The only way to do it is to have a 20 percent across-
the-board cut in Social Security, Medicare, and everything else. And if 
they don't intend to do it, they're going to explode the deficit and put 
our economy in deep trouble once again.
    Mr. Bachman. Mr. President, I know you'll be saying more of that 
tomorrow right here in Des Moines. Thank you very much for joining us.
    The President. Thank you.
    Mr. Bachman. And have a safe trip.
    The President. Thanks.

Note: The interview began at 5:50 p.m. The President spoke by satellite 
from the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI.