This much is crystal clear about Senator Kennedy's
campaign to date: His pat answer to America's domestic problems is a massive
increase in Federal spending programs.
Not only is his approach faulty, it will not
do the job because his programs would discourage, not encourage, the primary
source of progress in this country - the creative individual enterprise
of 180 million Americans.
The case before the American people is: Can
they afford a President who thinks he can buy solutions to the problems
facing America? Can they afford a President whose automatic reaction to
every problem is to spend more of your money?
My opponent's test of whether a program is
good is how much tax money can be spent on it, rather than how much need
be spent to do the job effectively.
In both of our television debates, Senator
Kennedy was asked to tell the American people what his program will cost.
He dodged this question on both occasions. He has left the people in the
dark.
I have had his platform costed out and have
stated that it would cost at least $10 billion a year more than the programs
that I have advocated. I have also stated my conviction that this extravagant
approach would produce less progress than the programs I favor.
His answer has been that my figures are incorrect.
He charges that I have overestimated the cost of his programs.
He owes it to the American people on our television
debate Thursday not to dodge any longer but to give the people the answers
to these questions.
First. If my figures are wrong, what are his
figures as to how much his programs will cost?
Second. How does he propose to pay for these
programs?
Third. Is he going to raise taxes?
Fourth. If he is not going to impose burdensome
new taxes, how can he finance his program without huge new deficit financing
that will once again start prices going up and bust the budgets of millions
of American families?
Fifth. Or is he going to finance these programs
on high hopes - banking on revenues from an artificially forced rate of
expansion of the economy?
Both my opponent and I are asking the American
people, in effect, to support our programs and our policies. Before the
people do so, they have a right to see the price tag. I have told the people
what my programs would cost. He now must tell the American people what
his programs would cost. He should quit dodging this question so important
to American families who are trying to make both ends meet and who cannot
afford and do not want a rise in prices or in taxes unless it is proved
necessary to protect our national security.