We want to express appreciation to all of you for coming here and for waiting outside. Of course, it is a beautiful day. I remarked of the fact that the last time I was in Rockford it really rained pitchforks. But on this beautiful day to have so many of you here is most heartwarming and I am most grateful.
I am very proud to be here in the company of your Congressman, John Andersen, who is one of our leaders in the Congress.
I meet with him every week, of course, with the other legislative leaders. He is a great representative of this district at Rockford, and he is a fine Congressman working for the good of America in, of course, the leadership meetings that we have at the White House.
And, of course, I have already spoken about Ralph Smith, a man who has come to the Senate by appointment, a man who comes before the people of Illinois for election.
I think on his record he has demonstrated that he is the kind of a man that will do the job that the people of Illinois want done. He is an effective Senator. He is an honest Senator. Above all, he is one who has the courage to stand for those kinds of policies that are essential if we are going to have not just a temporary peace but a lasting peace; not just a situation where we have employment based on war, but prosperity and jobs without war.
That is what we want for America and that is what we are going to get.
Thank you.
Note: The President spoke at 11:30 a.m.
Richard Nixon, Remarks to Overflow Crowd at Rockford Airport, Rockford, Illinois Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240261