Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy, Hillsgrove Airport, Providence, RI

Senator KENNEDY. Claiborne Pell, my friend and colleague in the Senate, your distinguished Senator, John Pastore. [Applause.] Let me say that I am sorry we are late. We have not been playing golf. We have been out playing the Democratic message. [Applause.] We have been today - in fact, we started at Waterbury, Conn., at 3 o'clock this morning, and we have been to Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maine, and now we come here to ask the people of Rhode Island to support the Democratic Party in this election. [Applause.]

I am delighted to have been introduced by the next Senator from the State of Rhode Island, an old friend of mine who will make a great Senator to succeed Senator Green, a great colleague of Senator Pastore, who will speak for the Nation and Rhode Island in the Senate, Claiborne Pell. [Applause.] I know you are going to send him down to represent you and the country. [Applause.] And I am confident that you will select as the next Governor of the State of Rhode Island, Lieutenant Governor Notte. [Applause.]

We are running a well-balanced ticket in Rhode Island of Kennedy, Pell, Notter, and St. Germaine. So what do we need? [Applause.] I know that you will select as Congressman, Congressman St. Germaine, who will represent and succeed Aime Forand in the U.S. Congress. [Applause.] Rhode Island has a great Democratic tradition, and I think the people of this State understand that the United States has to move forward and progress in the 1960's and the Republican Party does not know what that word means. [Applause.] For 25 years the Republican Party has opposed every piece of progressive legislation on behalf of the people of this country, and for 14 years Mr. Nixon has been associated with that opposition. [Applause.] I have yet to hear anyone suggest one single piece of progressive legislation he ever sponsored, fought for, or passed in the 14 years that he has been around Washington. [Applause.] And I do not believe in the most changing and revolutionary period in the history of the world that the United States is going to select a party whose symbol is the elephant, who has no vision, long memory, yet is going to sit down in the sun when we ought to be moving. [Applause.] I come to Rhode Island and I ask your help in this campaign. [Applause.] I ask you to join us. [Applause.] I want you to get home and get to bed so you can get up early - so I can get up early [laughter] Tuesday morning, November 8. We must make a choice in this country to pick ourselves up and move forward. [Applause.] And having given that message, let's go to bed. Thank you. [Applause.]