MONDALE SHIFTS STRATEGY, RETURNS FIRE ON 'SPECIAL-INTEREST' CHARGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980032-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: October 10, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980032-7
STAT
E
Ol ?AC_ 11~
PAGE WASHINGTON POST
10 October 1983
Mondale Shifts Strategy, Returns Fire
on S ecioal-Ind r Char
e est B Q; 1l Peterson L__
h
hill
assedl `The
t
a
p
was 1nFwn post Stall Writer
hogs have been fed.' on a e sat .
DES MOINES. Oct. 9-Former "That would have been a good time
vice president Walter F. Mondale, in for a Democrat to stand up against
a dramatic shift of strategy, has is- the special interests and vote no."
sued a spirited defense of his en- "I opposed Reaganomics, he
dorsement by teachers and organized added.
labor and charged that Sen. John { Mondale said. "I bled my heart
Glenn (D-Ohio), not he. has served out for SALT II" and noted that it
special interests.' was supported by the Joint Chiefs of
Angered by. growing criticism from Staff an the CIA. "The world needs
rival presidential hopefuls that he the ratification of SALT 11. and I
has become 'the candidate of special wish everyone would have voted for
interests.' Mondale told the annual- it."
e
Glenn. repeating lines he used in a
debate in New York City last week,
said the Democratic Party will lose
the 1984 election if "we offer a party
which can't say no to anyone with a
letterhead and a mailing list."
"Kill we offer a party that decries
the politics of the 1920s and offers
as a replacement the policies of the
1960s?' he asked. "If so, we will lose
in 1984 just as we did in 1980."
Former Florida governor Reubin
Askew was more explicit, indicating
that many Americans see the Dem-
ocratic Party as "increasingly preoc-
cupied with serving only the special
interests of various constituency
groups.'
"What about all the millions of
working people who don't belong to
labor unions?' he . asked. "What
about all the women who don't be-
long to NOW [the.National Organ-
ization for Women)? What about the
the much-discussed but much-ne-
glected middle classes?"
Askew's_ speech_was.written to
provoke outbursts, and he was
hissed and booed when he said the
party should not exclude those who
oppose legalized abortion, the nucle-
ar freeze and "compulsory union-
ism.'
The hall was packed with union
members recruited to vote in the
straw poll for Mondale and with
supporters of the nuclear freeze fa-
vored by Cranston, so Askew's re-
marks clearly set him apart from the
.pack. I '
But they also set up Mondale,
who followed him to the podium, for
an easy kill. In rapid-fire order, he
declared:
. "I'm proud to stand with working
men and women who want jobs :
Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner The attack by the normally. cau- I
Saturda} night that Democrats have tious 3V'iondale caught Glenn forces
"a special responsibility' -to labor, . by surprise. Glenn strategists said
teachers. women, blacks and the el- they viewed it as an act of desper-
derh? and that, if the party "does not ation by a candidate who fears that
lead the fight for fairness in this his once-strong lead is dwindling.
country. it will not be done." VI think we rattled his cage, and
Speaking in a hall packed with his he's striking back;" Glenn campaign
supporters, Mondale said each pres- manager William White said.
idential contender must be tested on Mondale's remarks came after his
how he distinguishes "special inter- most successful day of Iowa cam-
ests" from "the public interest.' paigning. Earlier, he won a surpris-
_Wriizhout ' mentioning Glenn by ingly clear-cut victory, in a straw poll
name. Mondale suggested that the conducted at the dinner. defeating
Ohio Democrat failed the public-in- runner-up Sen. Alan Cranston (D-
terest test by supporting President. Calif.) by 47 percent to 3 percent.
Reagan's tax and budget cuts and He also learned that he leads
production of nerve gas and by op- Glenn by 19 percent in a new Iowa
posing Senate ratification of the Poll by the Des Moines Register, a
SALT Il Treaty. 4 percent gain since July, and shows
Mondale called Reaganomics "the
most radical measure of our time" new strength in a race against Rea-
and "the most comprehensive on- gan in the state. The poll, conducted
last week, showed that Glenn or
siaught against social justice in our Mondale would beat Reagan by
time.' He said it provided billions of I about 10 percentage points in Iowa if
dollars in tax breaks for corporations the election were held now.
and "the very wealthiest Americans" Mondale was the last of seven
but cost millions of Americans their Democratic presidential hopefuls
jobs and drove thousands into bank- who spoke at the dinner, the largest
ruptcy. fund-raiser ever held in the state,
"Of all the measures in modern where the presidential delegate se-
political history in which the forces lection process begins in February.
of special interests clashed with the Mondale's appearance seemed
profound public interest of our na- choreographed like a ballet. He
Lion, I cannot recall a single instance brooded for more than an hour as
where the issues were as clear," he four of his opponents chastised him
told the highly partisian audience of for pandering to special interests by
4.600. accepting recent endorsements from
"Even [Office of Management and the AFL-CIO and the National Ed.
Budget Director) David Stockman ucation Association.
I'm proud to stand with teachers
-who demand better education for
our children .... I'm proud to go
before NOW and say, `I support
ERA.' r
"He took the paint off the walls,"
Iowa Democratic Chairman David
Nagle said afterward.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980032-7