Reception for Congressional Supporters of the Carter/Mondale Campaign Remarks at the Reception.

THE PRESIDENT. This is the best day I've had in a long time. [Laughter] When Bob ¹ came in tonight from California 2 or 3 hours earlier than I thought he was going to come, we were discussing his mission. His mission was to go out and carry the California primary for me yesterday. [Laughter] I asked him how it went, and he was a little slow in responding. He said, "I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, how you did with the oil conservation fee in the House?" [Laughter]

¹ Robert S. Strauss, chairman of the Carter/ Mondale Presidential Committee.

I hope we're going to correct both actions later on—California in November, and I'm counting on all of you to support me on the veto override in a day or two when it comes through on the gasoline tax.

Sometimes you get applause, sometimes you don't. [Laughter]

This has been a long 7 or 8 months. I think most of you—probably almost everyone under this tent—remembers how it looked for us back in October, November, early in December. The polls were abysmal in their content and prediction, and the prospects for my victory in the primary season were very low. And you were the ones who came forward and said, "Win or lose, Mr. President, we're with you." It's the kind of pledge and the kind of support, the kind of friendship, the kind of partnership I will never forget.

Some of you helped me in 1976. And that was a time when I was a lonely candidate and, again, didn't have a very bright prospect of winning. But this year has been a very difficult campaign. I think the issues have been fairly clearly drawn. The press has been very fair. I noticed every evening on the news, there was at least 1 minute for Bob Dole to talk about me and 1 minute for Howard Baker to talk about me and 1 minute for Crane to talk about me; Bush, 1 minute to talk about me; Reagan, 1 minute to talk about me; and 1 minute for Governor Brown to talk about me; a minute, at least. for Kennedy to talk about me. And then I got my minute— [laughter] —to discuss my inflation rate— [laughter] —or my interest rate or my progress in getting legislation through the Congress. But anyway, we've done very well, I think, with the American people under extremely difficult circumstances.

My commitment is to start planning now for a victory not only for myself in November but a victory for all of you. Our Nation will be well served to elect men of integrity and courage and women of integrity and courage like all of you.

This is not going to be an easy campaign. Ronald Reagan will be a formidable candidate. We still don't yet know how the people of the Nation will judge others who might run on an independent ticket or on organized, fairly minor parties. But I'm willing to face them all with conviction and with anticipation and with absolute confidence that together we will win again, not because of me or my qualities in particular, but because what we have espoused together and what our party stands for is what the American people need and, I believe, want.

It's my duty, as well as yours, to explain the issues clearly to them—to the people of this country. Their judgment I feel very clearly today, is sound, and we have an opportunity to marshal all the forces of the Democratic Party and to pull our party back together before the convention.

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be meeting with Senator Kennedy. We'll have a discussion, probably just the two of us. My anticipation is that he will carry his forces and his popularity and his strength and his delegates and his deep belief in issues to the convention; that's part of the democratic process. It need not cause us fear or concern or trepidation. To the extent that we can agree on common ground, then the harmony will be quite early. To the extent that we don't agree through the platform committee, we'll let the delegates make a choice. And I look forward, again, to that contest, if necessary.

The Democrats have always been able to stand the public scrutiny of our party's principles and our party's ideals, our party's successes, even our party's failures. We have never been a group, as Democrats, fearful to address difficult issues. Many of the problems that have been solved or are still being solved now in 1980 were inherited in 1977 when the White House and the Oval Office changed hands.

Our record is a good one, and as the Majority Leader of the Senate pointed out this morning, what the Congress has done with me and for me is a formidable achievement. When those issues are clearly discussed and when our record is put on the line, I don't have any doubt about the outcome of the campaign.

I am really looking forward to the campaign season. I'll be there campaigning hard, remembering what I learned in 1976 and learning from Fritz Mondale and from my wife and from my mother and from Chip and from many of you what you've learned in 1980. I think we've done well so far. We'll have an even greater victory in November.

But from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all of you for your trust and your friendship, your partnership. We're in it together; we will not fail. In November we'll win again.

Thank you very much.

Bob said if I would confine myself to one subject he would give me an encore. [Laughter]

This may not be the appropriate forum—because this is primarily to thank those in the Congress who've helped me-but I would particularly like to thank Bob Strauss. There is not a person here in this lovely setting who has not benefited from his sensitivity, his knowledge, his commitment to the same principles that bind us together. And in' an unselfish, dedicated, and effective way, he's not only made me come through in a successful campaign, but he's helped many of you, and we're all in it together. And his help and assistance as the chairman of my own campaign will be of benefit to you all.

And I was going to come back up here after Bob, but I think I'll say now that we really want to thank the Tobins for being so good to us.