This campaign has been a contest between substance
and shadow. For nearly 8 weeks I have been tracing out constructive programs
in many fields of public policy.
1. On September 8, I issued a statement on
"The Scientific Revolution," including a program to advance American science
and technology.
2. Eight days later, on September 16, at Guthrie
Center, Iowa, I outlined Operation Consume, the first part of my program
for agriculture, which would level down the mountains of surplus food now
stored in Government warehouses.
3. Three days later, on September 19, in Scranton,
Pa., I outlined my program for Federal aid to chronically depressed areas
- a program which would aid communities that need help, avoiding the squandering
of Federal funds, pork-barrel fashion, on communities not really in need.
4. Four days later on September 23, in Sioux
Falls, S. Dak., I presented Operation Safeguard, the second part of my
farm program, which would keep us from heaping up more price-depressing
farm surpluses in the future.
5. Three days later, on September 26, I issued
a position paper on "A National Program in Support of Education," which
spelled out my plan for Federal assistance to primary and secondary schools
and to colleges and universities - a plan which, while giving help, would
not threaten American schoolchildren with Federal dictation of what they
learn.
6. Two days later, on September 28, in Forest
Hills, N.Y., I outlined a seven-point program to attack the problems posed
by the growth of our metropolitan areas - a program which would, among
other things, stimulate residential renewal and new housing.
7. Five days later, on October 3, I set forth
a program to combat disease for the 1960's - a far-reaching proposal for
expanded medical research and education.
8. Eight days later, on October 11, in San
Diego, Calif., I announced the principles which I shall follow to keep
the U.S. Defense Establishment what it is today - first in the world.
9. The following day, October 12, in Long
Beach, Calif., I outlined my views on Government effort in the advancement
of American aviation.
10. Two days later, on October 14, in Los
Angeles, I outlined part of my approach to the formulation of foreign policy
- a program which would include regional conferences, bringing together
the leaders of government of all the free nations of Europe, Latin America,
Africa and Asia.
11. Six days later, On October 20, at New
York University, I proposed a 12-point program for keeping the domestic
economy of the United States the strongest in the world, vigorously growing
and free in the decade ahead.
12. Five days later, on October 25, in Cincinnati,
I set forth my program to keep this country first in the exploration of
outer space.
13. The next day, October 26, in Toledo, I
presented my program for negotiating with the Soviet Union on nuclear testing;
and in the same speech I turned to Project Plowshare, a program For the
peaceful use of nuclear energy which would carry forward in the sixties
the magnificent human adventure launched by President Eisenhower in his
historic speech before the United Nations on December 8, 1953.
14. Four days later, on October 30, I published
a statement on conservation and natural resources, a paper which details
at length my program for continuing the magnificent and unprecedented advances
- in the tradition of Theodore Roosevelt - made during the Eisenhower years
in the building of dams and reclamation projects, the conservation of fish
and wildlife, the protection and improvement of national parks, and the
installation of facilities for generating electric power.
15. The following day, October 31, I issued
a paper on "A Program for Our Senior Citizens," a nine-point approach which
would take us far toward solutions of their problems, particularly medical
services.
16. Two days later, on November 1, in Philadelphia,
I outlined my program for the liberalization of our immigration laws: a
program to double our immigration quotas, to make unused portions of some
countries' quotas available to countries with oversubscribed quotas, and
to reunite long-separated family groups - sons and daughters, brothers
and sisters, and aged parents - by passing a special law to admit such
people without regard to quotas.
17. The following day at San Antonio, I stated
my program for keeping the peace by maintaining America's military superiority
so long as the struggle with communism requires.
18. The next day, November 3, in Houston,
Tex., I presented my program to strengthen small business - a program which
looks forward to helpful changes in our tax laws.
19. On Sunday evening, November 6, I presented
to a national television audience my views on the ways in which we can
carry the crusade for freedom throughout the world.
These programs are now on record.
Now, in contrast, what has Senator Kennedy
proposed?
To be sure, he has put out some programs.
He voices his concern for the people and then
advocates a Niagara of spending which would in the end either raise their
taxes or prices, or both, and would cheapen their insurance policies, pensions,
and social security.
He has advanced a program for Latin America
which would in the end make the United States a pariah in this hemisphere
and could start a war.
He issued a statement that he would defend
the dollar, but it is meaningless in the light of his continued loyalty
to the Los Angeles platform's spending programs and loose money declarations.
He has come up with a notion for excusing
young men from the draft in favor of vague service overseas.
He has offered a monstrosity of a farm program
that would straitjacket farm families, create unemployment, and raise food
prices in the stores by 25 percent.
He has offered a package of retreads.
He has campaigned with negativism, failing
the American people by refusing to lay out before them worthwhile programs
in these major fields which for 2 months I have been discussing in frankness
and in detail.