Old School alternative facts.

Asked About His Intentions

Asked if he had not meant to back off yesterday from what appeared to be an accusation that the Democrats were responsible for the last four wars, he said:

“No, I'm going back to my premise. I didn't want the media to be confused. I said in the debate, if they want to dredge up the past we can dredge up some of the past.”

Pressed as to whether he was still going to refer to “Democrat wars,” he replied sharply:

“Never did, I never did.”

Later the Senator's press secretary, Larry Speakes, was asked to show the candidate a quotation from the Oct. 15 debate in which he was responding to a question about Senator Mondale's use of the Watergate issue during the campaign.

Phrase Used in Debate

“It is an appropriate topic, I guess, but it's not a very good issue any more than the war in Vietnam would be or World 11 or World I or the war in Korea—all Democrat wars, all in this century. I figured up the other day, if we added up the killed and wounded in Democrat wars in this century, it would be about 1.6 million Americans, enough to fill the city of Detroit.”

Mr. Speakes was asked to inquire why the candidate would have denied using the phrase.

A few moments later, Mr. Speakes returned and said:

“He said you have to look in context at the whole thing. He did not recall this specific quote.”

He also quoted Mr. Dole as having repeated that “If it's fair to blame Ford for Watergate, then it's fair to blame the Democrats for the wars.”

Asked if Senator Dole had not been arguing that it was not fair to blame the President for Watergate, Mr. Speakes replied:

“That's right.”

Then asked if it was therefore unfair to blame the Democrats for the wars, Mr. Speakes said:

“Oh, that's what he's been trying to say all along.”


[Post edited by Hoo TV at 12/05/2021 5:26PM]