Remarks at the Centennial Family Picnic in Arlington, Ohio

The President. Thank you very, very much. What a wonderful welcome to Arlington. Thank you so much. I just wish each and every one of you could have been on this train ride from Columbus here. It has been magnificent, a wonderful turnout of the true American spirit, a welcome by Ohio that has warmed our hearts. Then to come here for this icing on the cake, this fantastic rally. We are very, very glad to be with you on your 100th anniversary.

In case you didn't see him when we walked in, I want to be sure you salute and honor a great, a truly great Governor, George Voinovich. What a job he's doing for this State. Your Congressman, Mike Oxley, and I go back a long, long time. You've got one of the best. If we had more like him, everybody wouldn't be yelling, "Clean House!" We need to clean House, but we need more like Mike Oxley to get the job done for America.

I believe Mike DeWine is with us. I haven't seen him on this stop. He's been along with us. But let me say, whether he's here or not, we must clean House, and that means we need a new Senator. Please elect this great Lieutenant Governor to the United States Senate.

Mayor Suter, may I thank you and all the citizens here for this warm welcome. I'll tell you, as we were leaning out of the train coming around the bend here, you could just sense the feeling of this marvelous community gathering. And we are very, very grateful to you.

I understand that your local deputy, Kreg Sheets, is here, or he was here a minute ago, he's the guy all dressed up because he's getting married in less than an hour; there he is, right here. We wish him well. Kreg, we want to wish you and Kris Martin all the very, very best in a great life of happiness ahead.

Now, today's been a wonderful day for Barbara and me: the sendoff from my dad's birthplace in Columbus, Ohio; then a stop in Marysville, which is where Barbara's mother was born; and then the trip here through this gentle, beautiful, highly productive Ohio farmland. People greeting us on both sides of the Spirit of America, great sounds and sights, it has been a wonderfully moving day where you can't help but count your blessings and say America is the greatest, freest country on the face of the Earth.

We saw all kinds of farmers lined up along the railroad tracks. We saw a dairy farmer holding up a sign. It said he'd be "pulling for me." Well, that ought to ruin your lunch, but that's what I saw. [Laughter]

We knew the best still lay ahead of us: this town, this lunch, Rosemary Orwick's pasta noodles. I'm not quite sure what's more difficult, working with Congress or getting Rosemary to divulge her secret recipe I'm about to sample here.

There's a lot at stake in this election. We have won great victories around the world. The kids here in this beautiful cross section of America can go to bed at night without the same fear of nuclear war that the older generation had. That is a wonderful accomplishment for the United States of America, and we ought to take great pride in it.

Now, it's time, with all these dramatic changes around the world that we've helped bring about -- decline and fall of the Soviet empire; Middle Eastern enemies talking to each other; democracy on the move south of our border; the great countries of Eastern Europe free, free at last -- it's now time to roll up our sleeves and renew America, just as our ancestors did. We want an America of the best schools in the world. We want safe neighborhoods and safe streets. And that's what I'm fighting for against this Congress in Washington, DC. We want lower taxes and less regulation. An America working and hoping and building, where every day is like the Fourth of July for our families and for these young people here today.

I'm not going to ruin this magnificent picnic with a long political speech, but let me just say that the question before you in this election is very simple. My opponent believes that America should pay more taxes because Government planners, senior little chairmen up there in the Congress, bureaucrats can spend your money more wisely than you can. And I don't believe that for one single minute.

You know, all of this talk about class warfare and a talk of moderation and going after the rich, he's got a big tax increase aimed right at the heart of middle America. I don't think we need that. I believe you should keep more of your hard-earned dollars because you can invest them more wisely.

In my second term, and believe me there will be one, I will continue to be doing for this Nation which your great Governor is doing for Ohio, opening up new markets for our products and creating new jobs for our workers. We can outhustle the workers in any other country if we open those foreign markets to American expertise. That's what I'm trying to do.

So we will be working to hold the line on Government spending and taxes and regulation, to cut the health care costs down with my health care program that provides everybody in this country that needs it insurance. We keep the quality of health care, but we then provide insurance to people, and we do not get the Government further involved like some of the socialist systems around the world. We've got the best; we want to make it better and make it available to all.

The liberals in Washington don't like it, but let me tell you something: I am going to keep trying to find ways to strengthen the American family. The family is our strength, and the family needs to be supported, not divided. And how do you do that? You do it by giving parents more choice in child care or in schools. You do it by reforming welfare so that the young girl is in school and tries to save a little money, save over $1,000, her mother doesn't get thrown off of welfare. Reform the system to keep families together, rather than trying to drive them apart.

Strengthen the family by making our neighborhoods safer. I strongly back our local law enforcement people, our firefighters, our policemen, our county sheriff's people. I back them all the way because they are fighting for the American family by cutting down crime in our neighborhoods all across America.

So when I talk about strengthening the family, it's this and so many things else. And I might say something about our First Lady. When she holds in her arms a baby stricken by AIDS or cancer, she's sending the signal that we ought to love each other more. And when she sits there in the White House and reads to a group of kids, she's setting an example for parents and families all across this country, because reading to kids is important. So don't let the liberals scare us away from strengthening the American family. We are right, and you are right. And this part of America knows exactly what I'm talking about.

In its great 100 years, Arlington has seen its children march off to war, its young men and women; seen its old cry, in the old seen the cry of the tears of depression. And you've marveled at the arrival of new technology and treasured this sturdy foundation of the traditional values that we're talking about here. Through every change, America has emerged stronger, and it is the same today.

Our challenges look difficult, and we've got big challenges. If you look around the world, you'll see the whole world is facing economic challenges. Whether it's in Europe or wherever else it is, there's enormous economic change taking place. In spite of what my opponent says, the United States, although we've got to do much better, is the envy of the entire world, whether it's our economy, our military strength, our system of freedom.

So I am not one who wants to get to be President again by complaining about the United States or tearing it down or saying, as Governor Clinton does, that we are somewhere less than Germany and a little better than Sri Lanka. We are the United States of America, the envy of the entire world because we have stood for freedom. And we can do anything we set our sights on.

My faith is in the American people. My faith is with the people, to give the people the power that comes from less Government, less taxes, less regulation, and more confidence in the neighborhoods and in the communities and in the young people we're surrounded with here today.

So I come here as an optimist about America, and I want to finish the job that I have started. I believe this: It's not that I need to be President, but it is that I want to finish the job and strengthen the institutions, and particularly the family that we've talked about. We've made a big start. We are the envy of the world. And I am proud that these kids go to bed at night without the same fear of nuclear war that their predecessors did, much, much prouder than I could be of anything else.

But now, I ask for your support; 4 more years to strengthen America, bring us back, bring economic opportunity to all. And may God bless our great country. And thank you all very, very much.

And Mayor, will you come up?

Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

The President. This is a little symbol that's flown over the Capitol. This is for Arlington on its 100th birthday. Many, many thanks and congratulations.