March 10,1999

Elizabeth Dole forms exploratory committee

By Mike Decaire
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University

DES MOINES, Iowa--Calling the moment "historic," Elizabeth Dole announced the formation of her exploratory committee to determine support for a 2000 presidential campaign.

"What would I, as a woman, offer our country?" Dole, former president of the American Red Cross, asked the nearly 1,000 people who gathered at the Polk County Convention Center Complex in downtown Des Moines March 10 for the announcement.

"I'm not a politician," she answered. "Frankly, I think that's a plus today."

Backed by high school bands from Ames and Johnston, Iowa, and supporters with signs saying things like "Gen-X for Dole" and "Seniors for Dole," the first major female contender for the Republican nomination talked at length about her career in public service as a Federal Trade Commissioner, secretary of the Department of Transportation and of the Department of Labor, and most recently as president of the American Red Cross.

Dole said if there is one theme to her more than 30 years of public service, it is that she places "service over politics, consensus over confrontation."

Dole said when she entered public service, "it was considered a noble thing to do," but people have turned away in recent years, disgusted by the negativity of politics and its domination by special interests.

"We need to restore belief in the individual," Dole said.

After being introduced by a working mother from Ottumwa, Iowa, a history teacher from Shenandoah, Iowa, and an eighth-grader from Ames, Dole stepped away from the stage and its backdrop, which included pictures of her with husband and 1996 Republican nominee for president Bob Dole and another with former President Ronald Reagan. She gave her speech among the crowd.

"I've traveled in all 99 counties in Iowa," Dole said. "The people are almost part of my family."

Dole never mentioned her husband during the announcement, but she did get applause when she said she was proud to have served as a "lieutenant in President Reagan's army."

She also reminded the audience of Reagan's question for voters in the 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter: "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

Dole said she wanted to change the question today to "Are you better? Are our families stronger?"

She went on to address taxes, defense spending, drugs and education.

Dole said the amount Americans pay in taxes is the highest percentage of the gross domestic product it has been in 50 years. "The average family works five months for the government," she said. "It's time for tax relief."

She said at the same time that the amount the United States spends on defense is the lowest percentage of the gross domestic product in 50 years. Dole said the $12 billion was approved for defense in next year's budget, while the Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested $17 billion.

"I say we go with the Joint Chiefs," Dole said.

"North Korea may have nuclear weapons that can strike us within a year," she said, "and we know Iraq is building chemical weapons."

"We need to do everything to develop and deploy a strategic missile defense system immediately," she said.

Dole did not go into specifics on how much she would like to see taxes cut, or how she would cut taxes while raising defense spending.

She said she would use the Oval Office as a "bully pulpit" to preach against drug use. "You've got a real problem here with methamphetamine in Iowa," Dole said. "Let's make it a crusade" to stop drug use.

Dole said she would send the message, "Drugs are not cool- they kill."

"My vision is a drug-free America," she said.

Dole said education is also a priority. "We must return our schools to greatness," she said. "Let's have a computer in every classroom; let's have parents in every classroom."

She said the key to improving education was to get parents involved in schools and to return more tax money to school districts.

Dole said she has met with "overflow crowds everywhere I've been" since she left the Red Cross, which has inspired her. "Americans yearn to make this country a better place," she said.

The Des Moines Register reported the day of Dole's Iowa visit that she trailed Texas Gov. George W. Bush in an Iowa poll of support for Republican nomination contenders. According to the poll, Bush would take 36.7 percent of the vote in the caucus and Dole 16.4 percent. Dole, though, finished in front of former Vice President Dan Quayle, political commentator Pat Buchanan and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, who each hovered around 8 percent.

Dole told the crowd at her announcement speech that the campaign has a big task ahead. "I want to hear from you," she said, and gave the address of her new Web site, www.edole2000.org. She said supporters could contact her there and also find out how to work on the campaign or donate money.

"We've got to raise the money," Dole said. "That's a big chore."