Clinton slams Republicans, raises money

By Deborah Charles\Reuters

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - President Clinton slammed the Republicans' economic proposals and presumptive presidential nominee Friday during a clambake to raise money for Rhode Island congressman Patrick Kennedy.

Clinton, who took some time off from raising funds this month during the Middle East peace summit, returned to the circuit in New England where he was due to raise about $1.4 million for Democratic coffers.

His first stop was in Barrington, Rhode Island, where he spoke at a clambake in honor of Rep. Patrick Kennedy -- the 33-year-old son of Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy and nephew of the assassinated president, John F. Kennedy.

Clinton took the opportunity to criticize the Republicans' election platform and said he was working hard to ensure the current economic strength would continue.

"I've never worked harder in an election for myself than I'm working for our congressmen and our senators and our vice president," Clinton told about 450 guests who were expected to donate up to $450,000 for Kennedy's reelection campaign.

"But I'm doing it for other reasons," he said, accusing the Republicans of "blurring" the differences between the two parties and warning of the consequences of complacency.

He took a swipe at presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

"Near as I can tell the message of the Bush campaign is...'I mean, how bad could I be? I've been governor of Texas, my daddy was president, I own a baseball team'," Clinton said to laughter.

"'They like me down there,"' he said, continuing his imitation. "'Everything's rocking along hunky-dory. Their fraternity had it for eight years, give it to ours for eight years, because we're compassionate and humane and we're not like what you think about us from watching the Congress for the last five years'."

"That's the message isn't it?" he asked. "Blur, blur, blur. Blur all the distinctions."

Earlier in the day Clinton referred to Kennedy's uncle, when he praised the latest economic data and said the U.S. economy had not been growing so much since the 1960s.

"Growth over the past 7-1/2 years has now averaged 4 percent," Clinton said at the airport upon his arrival in Rhode Island, when he stopped to comment on the data that showed the economy grew 5.2 percent in the second quarter of 2000. "That's the best growth rate America's had since the Kennedy-Johnson years."

Clinton also took the opportunity to slam Republicans' tax plans, saying they want to chip away at the budget surplus which took years to build.

Touching on a familiar theme in this election year, when Republicans and Democrats are at odds over what to do with the budget surplus generated by the booming economy, Clinton said Republicans' tax cut plans would cost $2 trillion over the next decade.

"Two trillion dollars are too many reckless tax cuts," he said at the airport. "It's too big and too irresponsible for our economy."

After the lunch in Rhode Island, Clinton headed to Boston for more seafood at two events where he is expected to raise nearly $1 million for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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