[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 45 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Page 2767]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters in San Francisco

November 3, 2000

Nader Campaign Supporters

    Q. Mr. President, do you have any message for Nader supporters in 
California or elsewhere? Do you have any message for Nader supporters 
about what they should do?
    The President. I think they ought to vote for Al Gore, for several 
reasons. One is, our administration, as I just said, has the best 
environmental record in history. And we could have done even more if the 
Congress hadn't been so opposed to it. But every year, we also, for 6 
years, had to beat back any number of anti-environmental provisions in 
the law that we keep getting out and getting out. So Al Gore has been at 
the forefront of that.
    I think now that the economy is better and the Congress is likely to 
be, under any circumstances, less dominated by the Republican right in 
the next Congress, Al Gore will be able to do even better. It would be a 
great mistake to not support somebody who has got a lifetime commitment, 
and we've got a record that's good in favor of another option of a party 
that's really promised to undo a lot of what we've done. I don't think 
it's a complicated issue here.
    Q. Do you think they're throwing their votes away if they do that?
    The President. They'll have to decide that. I just know that--there 
are one of two people are going to be elected, and they have records and 
plans. And I think on the records and plans, if you care about the 
environment, Gore wins hands down.
    Thanks. Thank you.

 Note:  The exchange began at 1:12 p.m. in the Moscone Convention Center 
following a voter rally. This item was not received in time for 
publication in the appropriate issue. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of this exchange.