FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 13, 1992 DAN QUAYLE: ATTACK PUPPY UNLEASHED Dan Quayle lobbed grenades all night but none hit. So Dan Quayle resorted to old Republican tactics -- he lied. He repeatedly lied about the Clinton/Gore economic plan yet said absolutely nothing about the Bush/Quayle proposal. That's easy to understand since the Bush Administration has the worst economic record since Herbert Hoover and has no plan to change their dismal track record. The economy wasn't the only thing Dan Quayle didn't want to talk about. He didn't mention his secretive Competitiveness Council, Iraq Gate or Iran Contra eventhough George Bush - just hours before the debate - finally admitted he knew about the arms-for-hostage deal with Iran after he denied it for the past six years. Quayle used the debate to set an all-time record for denials and lies. Here are the top 10: #1 SHIPPING JOBS OVERSEAS RHETORIC: "We have never subsidized any country--or any company to move from the United States to Latin America... We do not have any program that encourages companies to close down here and to go and invest on foreign soil. That is absolutely outrageous." REALITY: As revealed by "60 Minutes" and "Nightline" exposes earlier this month, taxpayers are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to encourage U.S. firms to move their jobs to Central America. Under Bush and Reagan, U.S. AID and other agencies have provided low-interest loans, subsidized worker training, construction of office or manufacturing space, and an elimination or reduction of tariffs for firms that locate in "export processing zones." Some $289 million has gone to export promotion organizations in El Salvador, Honduras and other countries. [CBS "60 Minutes," 9/27/92; Los Angeles Times, 9/24/92] REALITY: The U.S. government has spent about $150 million for job training in the Caribbean. During that same period, the federal government has spent just over $100 million for retraining American workers whose jobs have gone offshore. ["Nightline," 9/29/92] REALITY: According to the Bush Administration itself, USAID gave $102 million to a "trade promotion" organization in El Salvador, known as FUSADES, which then took out ads in U.S. journals encouraging American companies to relocate to Central and Latin America, constructed factory and office space for the relocating companies, and provided start up loans as additional incentives to relocate. In a 1991 funding agreement with FUSADES, USAID directed it to pursue "a proactive direct and systematic sales effort involving direct contact with targeted U.S. firms to convince them to explore opportunities in El Salvador." [Letter to Congress from R. Ray Radlett, Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs, USAID; USAID "Project Paper, Industrial Stabilization and Recovery," March 1991; Bobbin Magazine, August 1991]. #2 THE CARIBBEAN BASIN INITIATIVE RHETORIC: "You know full well the Caribbean Basin Initiative, you've supported that." REALITY: Senator Gore has never supported the Caribbean Basin Initiative. On December 17, 1982, then-Representative Gore voted against the program. This was a vote "to oppose passage of the bill to provide duty-free entry into the United States of certain products from most Caribbean nations and to allow tax deductions for the expenses of conventions held in the Carribean." The measure passed, 260-142. REALITY: On July 14, 1983 Gore opposed the passage of the Caribbean Basin Initiative. The bill provided trade and tax preferences to the nations of the caribbean region. Despite Senator Gore's opposition, the bill passed, 289-129. REALITY: On April 24, 1990 the Senate passed the Customs and Trade Act, S. 504, 92-0. This is one of the votes cited by Quayle and was not a specific vote on CBI. In fact, on the only vote on CBI at that time (a measure to decrease the tariff on rubber sole shoes), Senator Gore voted no. The vote cited by Quayle was a vote on an omnibus trade bill that included legislation to increase trade to Hungary; a ban on the export of logs from federal lands; the reauthorization of the office of the United States Trade Representative and other U.S. trade programs, including CBI programs. [Pgs 211-217 1990 CQ Almanac] #3 EARTH IN THE BALANCE RHETORIC: "Senator Gore has suggested to have the taxpayers of America spend $100 billion a year on environmental projects in foreign countries... it's in your book. On page 304.... It is there... It is in your book." REALITY: Nowhere in Senator Gore's book does he propose "$100 billion of foreign aid for environmental projects." In the book, he notes what the Marshall Plan would cost in 1992 dollars, but he made no specific proposals about financial commitments to the environment. He clearly stated in the book that, whatever the cost, it should be born primarily by other industrialized countries. He stated: "Today, of course, the United States cannot conceivably be the principal financier for a global recovery program and cannot make the key decisions alone or with only one close ally. The financial resources must now come from Japan and Europe and from wealthy, oil-producing states." [Earth in the Balance Page 303] #4 THE PHILIPPINES RHETORIC: Quayle's role in Philippine incident -- "I was tested under fire and in a crisis... I talked to President Aquino. I made the recommendation to the president. The president made the decision, the coup was suppressed, democracy continued in the Philippines, the situation was ended." REALITY: Dan Quayle's memory of his role is clouded. According to The Commanders, "White House Counsel Boyden Gray, who'd been called to the Situation Room to handle the legal implications of any decision to intervene, thought [Philippine President Corazon] Aquino sounded more in charge than Quayle. But to Gray, the most important performance during those early morning hours was Powell's. Not only was the Chairman back- stopping Quayle, but his had been the only voice to challenge the growing consensus that Mrs. Aquino's initial request for bombing should be approved." [The Commanders, p. 151] #5 FAMILY LEAVE RHETORIC: "Under President Bush's health care reform package that woman won't have to make a choice about going back to work or health care for her children, because she'll have both." REALITY: Despite a campaign pledge to "assure that women don't have to worry about getting their jobs back after having a child or caring for a child during a serious illness," Bush vetoed the Family and Medical Leave Act twice -- saying he only supports voluntary parental leave--not a federally mandated policy. [Bush Statement, 9/11/88; Washington Post, 6/30/90; AP, 9/22/92] REALITY: Bush's proposal seeks to provide incentives for companies to voluntarily provide leave. It does not guarantee that employers will grant leave nor does it ensure that employees will be able to return to their job after the leave -- the very job security that Bush originally promised in 1988. [LAT, 9/17/92] #6 HEALTH CARE RHETORIC: "[Bush] wants to go out and to reform the health care system so that every American will have available to them affordable health insurance." REALITY: A bipartisan panel of three Republican and two Democratic health experts says that the Clinton health care plan will save the average family $1179 more every year than Bush's plan; insure all Americans, while the Bush plan would leave 27 million people uninsured; save $746 billion, even after covering every American, while the Bush plan would save only $157 billion. [Washington Post, 10/2/92] No reputable source believes the Clinton plan would result in the rationing of health care. REALITY: Bush had been in office 1,112 days before he introduced his health care proposal. And now, 249 days later, he has still not sent legislation for his tax credit and voucher system - - the core of his program -- to Congress. [Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan, news conference, 9/9/92] RHETORIC: "Bill Clinton wants to ration health care." REALITY: Bill Clinton's health care plan iwll not produuce rationing. The Clinton approach of global pbudgets and employer-based universal coverage is supported by major health professional organizations (e.g., American Academy of Family Practitioners, American College of Physicians, and the American Nurses Association) -- the very groups most opposed to rationing. A bipartisan panel of three Republican and two Democratic health experts says that the Clinton health care plan will save the average family $1179 more every year than Bush's plan; insure all Americans, while the Bush plan would leave 27 million people uninsured; save $746 billion, even after covering every American, while the Bush plan would save only $157 billion. [Washington Post, 10/2/92] #7 THE CLINTON PLAN RHETORIC: "He will raise your taxes..." REALITY: George Bush said "Read My Lips: No New Taxes" and then signed the second- largest tax increase in history. He raised taxes on the middle class. [Wall Street Journal, 8/12/92] The Clinton/Gore plan includes $60 billion in middle class tax cuts. It will only increase taxes on the wealthiest few, those making more than $200,000 a year. [Putting People First] RHETORIC: "...he will increase spending..." REALITY: The conservative Cato Institute called Bush "the largest spender to sit in the White House in the past 30 years" -- noting Bush "increased the domestic budget more in 4 years than Carter and Reagan combined did in 12 years." [Cato Institute, 6/19/92] The Clinton/Gore plan slashes $144 billion in unnecessary government spending and cuts the deficit in half in four years. [Putting People First]. Bill Clinton has the record of a low spender, not a big spender. Arkansas' general spending growth since 1979 has been 13 percentage points below the national average; growth since 1983 has been 24 points below the national average. ["Fiscal Survey of the States," National Governors Association] RHETORIC: "...he will make government bigger..." REALITY: For the first time there are more U.S. jobs in government than in manufacturing. [Bureau of Labor Statistics] The White House budget grew by 56 percent in real dollars and 26 percent in the number of employees since Bush took office. [U.S. Budget, 1991 and 1993] The Clinton plan will cut 100,000 jobs in government through attrition; cut administrative spending across the board by 3 percent; and cut the White House budget by 25 percent, while challenging Congress to do the same. Unlike George Bush, Clinton has the record of someone who reduces the size of government. Relatively speaking, the size of government in Arkansas has been shrinking under Gov. Clinton, not growing bigger as Mr. Bush claims." [Wall Street Journal, 10/1/92] RHETORIC: "...jobs will be lost." REALITY: Jobs have already been lost under Bush/Quayle: There were 35,000 fewer private sector jobs in September 1992 than there were when Bush took office in January, 1989. [Bureau of Labor Statistics] There is no respectable estimate that shows the Clinton plan will cost jobs. Clinton has a strong record of creating jobs, in fact. In 1992 Arkansas led the nation in job growth. [Bureau of Labor Statistics] #8 TAX AND SPEND RHETORIC: "Your proposal is to raise $150 billion in taxes. To raise $220 billion in new spending." REALITY: The Wall Street Journal states that the net tax increase of the Clinton plan is $46 billion -- less than half the $106.7 billion net tax increase from George Bush's 1990 broken promise tax increase. [Wall Street Journal, 8/12/92] Dan Quayle ignores the fact that $58 billion of the savings in the Clinton/Gore plan comes from closing foreign loopholes and make foreign companies pay their fair share of taxes. [Putting People First] #9 PERSIAN GULF RHETORIC: Dan Quayle said, "You cannot sit there in an international crisis [like the Gulf War] and sit there and say, `Well, on one hand this is okay and on the other hand this is okay.'" REALITY: It's strange to hear Dan Quayle talking about making decisions about the Gulf War. According to "Nightline," Dan Quayle's "trip to Latin America and his vacation in Arizona suggest to some, that the Vice President was not a key player." ["Nightline," 10/2/90] Bill Clinton supported Desert Storm. In fact, he supported sending the Arkansas National Guard to support that effort -- the third largest sent by any state in the U.S. He supported giving the President the authority to go to war -- the issue voted on by the U.S. Congress. He agreed with the argument that we should allow sanctions more time to weaken Saddam before using military force. Many Republicans, such as Specter, Murkowski, Roth, and Coats did too. But he has been clear that the Congress should give the President the authority, "I personally don't think it would have been a good thing for Congress to go on record, in essence, watering down and weakening the full impact of the U.N. Resolution. (Arkansas Gazette, 1/15/91) #10 ENTERPRISE ZONES RHETORIC: "Enterprize zones are very important and it's an idea that the President has been pushing." REALITY: Bush vetoed the Tax Fairness and Economic Growth Acceleration Act, including its enterprise zone provisions, because it raised taxes on the richest 1% of Americans. Bush dropped enterprise zones, which are designed to spur investment in poor inner city areas from his economic recovery package to make room for a repeal of the luxury tax on yachts. [LAT, 5/13/92; Business Week, 5/25/92]