The Telegraph
Lamar Alexander advocates a voice outside of Washington
By KEVIN LANDRIGAN, Telegraph Staff, 01/05/96

	Republican presidential candidate Lamar Alexander believes it's time for 
GOP front-runner Bob Dole to "move on" and for the party to 
nominate someone like himself who will call on Americans to do more while Washington does
 less.
  That is theme of remarks Alexander was scheduled to deliver today during 
an address to The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
  It also represents the former Tennessee governor's bid to step out 
and lay claim as a more electable alternative to Dole.
  "The next president needs to be a little bit of a preacher willing to say 
the most important words the first president of the next century can say 
is:'We should spend less time trying to figure out what government owes us and who is to blam
e for what goes wrong and more time accepting personal responsibility for 
the consequences of our own actions'", Alexander said in the advanced text 
of his address.
  Dole has proven to be an able legislator to help the effort to balance 
the budget, but the GOP could lose control of the Congress and a shot at the White House next fall if it turns to him as its nominee, Alexander said.
  "It is time Republicans said loud and clear that it may be Senator 
Dole's turn, but it is not his revolution. It is time for a new 
generation of leadership. It is time to move on", Alexander said.
  Political observers would agree it's time for Alexander to move up, 
namely in the polls here and in the critical, first-caucus state of Iowa.
  The candidate has a veteran, respected core of political supporters in 
both states but has been unable to crack double digits in support.
  Later today, the campaign was expected to preview new television 
commercials that dovetail with the themes of these remarks.
  Dole will be easy prey for Democratic President Clinton, who could win 
re-election by vowing to block GOP cuts to popular programs, Alexander warned.
  "If the nominee is unable to articulate the vision of the revolution, he 
will not only fail to win the White House, he could drag others to defeat 
with him, putting the House and the revolution itself at risk", Alexander 
said.
  "It is time for Republicans everywhere to stop ignoring the Dole 
undertow."
  Beating Clinton will require a candidate who can show Americans how it 
can compassionately move off reliance on federal government for social needs, he said.
"So we cannot beat Bill Clinton tactically. We have to defeat him by 
giving the electorate a clear choice of two visions of America: a vision of an America that works, family by family, community by community, vs. an America of group rights, de
clining opportunities and children trapped in schools which they can't 
learn", he said.
  Alexander listed several instances of the spirit of new citizenship he 
would support as president: 
  ...A job training package that starts with the elimination of the tax on 
capital gains to spur investment and converting $25 billion of job training programs into vouchers to be used by private industry to train workers.
  ...A $1 billion "GI bill for kids", offering more college 
scholarships based on financial need.
  ...A tax credit for charitable organizations to assume the role of the 
federal government in many areas of welfare.
  ...Cutting congressional pay in half and ending million-dollar pensions 
that members of Congress now enjoy.
  Alexander has been on the receiving end of several good-natured remarks 
about the red-and-black plaid shirts he has worn while walking through New Hampshire trying to appeal to the working class.
  But the millionaire businessman defended their use.
  "I've found more wisdom in the plaid shirts of American than in all 
the empty suits in Washington", Alexander said."The folks in plaid 
shirts understand what's wrong with American and, more importantly, they 
know how to fix it."
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