(00:00:00) Just arrived just arrived in the parade of for people who came on stage and and she'll be introduced very shortly Bob as you know, this this Carlson lecture Series has been going on now for some period of time quite a variety of lectures the Widow of Anwar Sadat. Jihun Sadat Andrew Young Jimmy Carter one of the more popular one of the more controversial lectures. Jeane Kirkpatrick the US ambassador to the United Nations. Probably one of the more thought provoking presentation, 's how much MIT the former Premier prime minister of West Germany who was here not too long ago. Just about every month the whole series endowed by Curtis Carlson who gave about a million dollars to the Humphrey Institute, each of the speaker's gets about 15 thousand dollars for their appearance. Kenneth Keller is stepping to the podium and we will presumably have some remarks and so we'll go to the podium now to hear the remarks of University of Minnesota interim president and a thong. Good afternoon. It's a commonplace to say that our speaker today needs no introduction, but I'm afraid that I do my name is Ken Keller and as president of the University of Minnesota. It's my privilege. Thank you. Thank you. It's my privilege to welcome all of you to this the 14th presentation in the Carlson distinguished lecture Series. This afternoon's program is sponsored by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of public affairs and is funded through the generosity of mr. Kurt Carlson a long-term friend of both Hubert Humphrey and the University of Minnesota. The purpose of the Carlson lecture series is to provide provoke discussion and debate on important issues of our Times by eliciting the views of leading National and international figures clearly and Geraldine Ferraro. We have one of the most prominent as well as provocative leaders on the political landscape. Miss Ferrara selection is a 1984 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee was acclaimed as an historic Choice our subsequent election efforts one or the reputation of being a staunch campaigner a skilled artist that rep party and a hell of a fighter at a press conference such attributes LED Time Magazine to call are the most refreshing new political figure to arrive on the scene and years. In other words, Geraldine Ferraro is a new unique and exciting force in the body politic of this nation. University of Minnesota considers itself fortunate to have her in attendance today and we extend a sincere welcome to her. Now that constitutes the introduction to the introduction to present a more complete profile of our distinguished guest. Let me turn to the dean of the Hubert H Humphrey Institute of public affairs. Mr. Harlan Cleveland. Thank you Ken. You've just heard from The Once and Future president of the University of Minnesota. Those of us who have worked closely with him are especially qualified to rejoice in his selection. It'll actual Brilliance social sensitivity and a sense of humor are seldom available in the same package. We're lucky that Ken Keller was lured to Minnesota a generation Ago by the nation's outstanding chemical engineering department and lucky again that the Board of Regents has persuaded this talented colleague to stay in Minnesota as president of the state's Flagship University your spontaneous reaction to his presence here today is ample evidence that his extraordinary quality is widely recognized in this community. And with this communities backing the university can as he has said be one of the world's best. On this his first public appearance since the Board of Regents invited him to stick around. Let's celebrate our new president with a route rousing, Minnesota. Welcome. A word about procedure here as you know, we have a very large additional audience over in Williams arena. There is no hockey game going on. But several thousand people over there also. And we also have a live television audience. I'm glad to say that Gerry Ferraro has volunteered to go over to Williams Arena after the press conference, which will be held right here on the Northrop stage immediately after these proceedings. Questions are being phoned over from Williams and also gathered by Usher's here in Northrop and conveyed to me by the Humphrey Institute staff and I will throw them at Gerry Ferraro. Your presence in such numbers today is almost introduction enough. But as a working Professor I owe you a minute of philosophy. Truth truth I have discovered with some difficulty comes in small paradoxical packages. So what I'm going to tell you about Geraldine Ferraro must be true because she's a wonderful study in Paradox. She comes from an immigrant family in a Land of immigrants, but new arrivals get stacked at the bottom. In less than half a century. She has risen close to the top. She's a brainy liberal. So they say yet. She somehow was elected and twice re-elected to Congress from a New York City District in Queens. That is supposed to be the intellectual home of Archie Bunker. The comparatively young are seldom historic and the historic seldom Young. Hardly, any of us managed to be both young on historic. But that's what Geraldine Ferraro was last fall. She was a tough assistant district attorney. So they say yet. She made a gracious candidate self-confident, but never shrill a feisty political Warrior who kept her cool in the most difficult press conference of the decade. In the debate with George Bush. She also kept her cool under some provocation. Personally, my favorite moment of the campaign last fall was her retort courteous. Don't patronize me. It's 65 years since women achieved the vote in this country. Not because it was handed to them on a platter but because they insisted on it. We've all been witness in recent months to another breakthrough in the long tortuous Road from a man's world to equality of the Sexes the symbol and substance of this massive change in American culture. And American politics is are welcome guests today. Four times in four months in 1984. She was on the cover of Time Magazine because as times Editor in Chief explained and Ken Keller has also mentioned. She was regarded as the most refreshing new political figure to arrive on the scene in many years. And with Fritz Mondale and retirement and Hubert Humphrey no longer among us. We minnesotans are mightily in need of refreshment. A rousing welcome then for Geraldine Ferraro. (00:09:14) It's not Pepsi, but it'll have to do. Thank you Dean Cleveland for that very kind introduction. And thank you president Keller for allowing me to visit here at the University of Minnesota. I am delighted to be back in Minnesota. You have to understand after last November. I'm partial to minnesotans. I'm deeply honored to be at this institute as well. Dr. Nelson named for one of the great truly great Americans of our time as an American. I considered Hubert Humphrey a friend of mine, even though I personally did not know but for all of his public life because he cared so much about this country and that care is reflected in his goals and his achievements on behalf of a soul his death was a tragic loss for this country. It's so much more to give and I'm proud to be speaking at an Institute named for him. I am also aware that today. I follow in the footsteps of one who for years ago came here to speak after his own unsuccessful race for vice president a man to whom I women and everyone who cares about social justice owes a debt of gratitude, my friend and yours, Walter Mondale. The only thing I hope is that when you keep this President going of asking a losing vice presidential candidate to speak to this group that you invite a member of the other party next time. So my topic this afternoon is reflections of the past and prospects for the future since this is women's History Month that also like during the course of my comments to speak to you on the progress. We have made and what remains yet to be done. I don't want to make a partisan speech nor do I wish to dwell on the 84 campaign? But let me just say that Walter Mondale did more for equal opportunity in a single day than this Administration has done in four long (00:11:31) years. (00:11:41) When he asked me to be his running mate, he took down a sign that had said men only in front of the door to politics and that was a lasting achievement in the history of this nation on the night of November 6th. I conceded the election to mr. Reagan and mr. Bush had no choice. But on another level I must say that I don't really believe that we lost in 1984 for our ticket was truly a breakthrough. We opened a door that will never again be closed and that is something that women in my party can be proud of for years to come. That breakthrough is the result of hard work by many individuals first. The ground was laid by thousands of feminists who launched the modern women's movement in the early 1970s soon. People were talking about the importance of electing women to public office and then in the beginning of 1980 for some people even began talking about putting a woman on the ticket, but all along ultimately we all knew that the decision lay in the hands and who of whomever was going to be the Presidential nominee of the democratic party in 1984. Luckily enough the nominee turned out to be someone who was committed feminist Walter Mondale had been a defender of equal opportunity for all his life, you know mu elected him your you at your attorney general United States Senator, you know that he's fought for civil rights fair housing medical care for the elderly. He joined to every fight for social justice for more than 20 years. He was always want to take a chance for something that he believed in and in 1984 took yet another chance probably the most daring of his career when he named me to be his running mate. Instantly that decision touched a nerve in our country. I for one received tens of thousands of letters almost overnight from people congratulating me in wishing me. Well one theme common to many of the letters was a feeling of surprise they felt. people had not expected to be sown moved by the nomination of a woman vice presidential candidate much to their surprise millions of Americans were one woman wrote me a letter on the night. I was nominated. She's a young mother of twins and she wrote The Following I quote I ran into the bedroom to see if the Twins were still awake so that I could tell them. They're four years old and took the news casually. Since they don't know yet that this is an historic first. It seems more to me than I can ever express that the childhood lessons. They learn will include your name and quote. Join, my acceptance speech at the National Convention are surprised to see usually hard-bitten reporters With Tears in their eyes. People who previously never been involved in campaigns all of sudden were drawn into politics for the first time in 84. We had a fundraiser in California and I have the most hard-bitten fundraiser on my staff and she said to me, you know, Cherry for the first time in my life. I didn't want to take the checks and why because it was a fundraiser were lots of waitresses who are making six or making about 85 or a hundred or a hundred fifty dollars a week in tips and low salaries were they're contributing $65, which they really couldn't afford they couldn't afford the money, but they were determined to contribute anyhow, because they had found in our ticket New Hope For All American women, One day I was telling a story here in the Twin Cities about a woman who would come up to me and said, you know, I'm 80 years old and I thought I'd never live to see this day. And as I was telling the story and I was leaving the hotel. I was stopped by an elderly woman gray-haired woman leaning on a walker who went You people are tough. So I walked over to her and she said you know that story about the 80 year old woman and I said, yes, and she said well, I'm 91 and I thought I'd never lived to see this day. Now I knew that all those people and many more we're not move just by Geraldine Ferraro, but by the Breakthrough we had made with the woman on the ticket. A lot of women could have done what I did but I was lucky. I had the chance to stand in for millions of American women and together. I think we did a pretty good job. Above all people were proud that their country had finally taken down this enormous barrier and declared the equality of all Americans not just equality. We were declaring that the tyranny of expectations is over women can be whatever we want to be we can walk in space and help our children take their first steps. We can be corporate Executives and wives and mothers. It can be doctors and also bake cookies with our six-year-old future scientists, or we can choose to be none of those things. We don't have to be super women. The first 14 years of my married life. I worked at home as a mother and wife who's a fine profession and then I decide to work outside the home and that was also the right decision for me not everyone woman would agree with the decisions I've made but the point is they were my decisions. I made them for myself and women should take pride in whatever we decide to do and whatever we choose to do. We want to be judged by the quality of our products. We are not women doing men's jobs. We are women doing work. This is a new age for American women. It's easy to forget that only twenty years ago equal pay for equal work was not the law in the United States. Only 12 years ago. There was no law guaranteeing women's right to compete in School athletics. Only ten years ago. A woman was not entitled to Credit in her own name and only one year ago. The pension rights of many women were routinely violated until the Congress enacted a law. I wrote in President Reagan signed without I should add inviting me to the signing ceremony. I can almost forgive him. He did it at the Republican National Convention. We're making great progress on the question of equal rights, but there's much more to be done above all I see two areas where we need to concentrate in the next few years first. We need to step up our participation in politics. Remember that Eleanor Roosevelt was 36 when she cast her first vote. What a waste. She should have never been in barred from choosing public officials. She should have been 1 Today there are thousands of talented women who should be in politics, but are not and it's our job to bring them in especially younger women. The 1984 campaign is self-awakened some women to the possibilities of politics and I was very pleased to read that the woman's campaigned found it just done. No it wasn't it was a national women's political caucus had just done a poll and the poll indicated that 27 percent of the people interviewed. We're said that as a result of the November 84 elections. They were now more likely to vote for a woman candidate running for some other office. Seven percent so there would be less likely but of course, we won't pay attention to those people. And the interesting statistic I think is that 64 percent said that it makes no difference at all to them. That's interesting because what it does is it points out that at long last we may be removing gender as a disability from being an issue in elections. During the campaign. I must say I was funny someone told me that she was riding on an airplane and she heard a woman behind her say, you know, I'm not very political. I don't vote the party. I vote the woman. We're making Headway. We have two very good Governor's Madeleine kunin and Martha Layne Collins, but after all there are 50 states are there in 1986. We want to see more women in politics more women voting and more women elected to office than ever before. That's the best thing we can do for women. It'll be pretty good for the men to Second we must continue to fight for pay equity and I was in the house. I co-chaired hearings along with Pat Schroeder of Colorado Mary Rose ochre of Ohio in which we learn the tree trimmers in Denver were paid more than Intensive Care Unit nurses the dog pound attends were paid more than child care attendants. Now, I'm not running down any worker, but the fact is that women are paid less because they are women and that's wrong. We should pay people for their time their skills their experience and the worth of their labor and not according to whether or not they happen to be male or female black Hispanic or Asian or white. I think most men agree. I'm not just speaking to women today. You don't have to be a woman to be offended by discrimination. You don't have to be poor to hate poverty. You don't have to be black Hispanic or Asian to loathe bigotry. Every American should and most Americans do every father is diminished. When his daughter is denied a fair chance. Every son is a victim when his mother's denied Fair pay, but when we lower barriers opened doors and free women to reach whatever their dreams will take them. Our talents are multiplied and our country is stronger. That's why I've always said that the cause of women is really the cause of our country and it is one cause that we cannot afford to wage just every two years. It is one that we must wage in our own private lives every day now each one of us as we move ahead in our careers must have the courage to speak up for those Left Behind when we are struggling to reach the top. We must have the commitment to help others starting at the bottom, especially now when some people are saying that a conservative mood has overtaken our society. The last thing we need is for women who have reached the top to pull up that ladder and leave their sisters behind. To be concerned about the future of women in this country is to be concerned about the future of the country for as I've often said during the course of the campaign women's issues are really America's issues. And today I am frankly worried about the direction in which our country is going. I'm worried that I'm many issues in politics. It is easier to take a short term rather than a long-term view when the long-term view is clearly in our nation's interest and I say that as a former member of the House of Representatives a body I truly love but which unfortunately conditions you to thinking and two-year terms. It's in Congress in the White House in state houses. And by the way in the voting booth is well everywhere. We seem all too willing to avoid discomfort in the near term. Even if we risk greater danger in the long term. There are dozens of ways in which a long-term perspective would help us right now to Build a Better World for our children. You cannot see acid rain, but it is destroying our lakes and Forest every day. We should reduce immediately the pollutants that cause it. Investing in more modern plants and Equipment will not bring immediate results. But over several years time, it will increase productivity and make our Industries more competitive. Our country is at peace today, but in the long-run arms control is the best hope we have of keeping the world at peace for generations to come. Or take the deficit everyone knows what the deficit does it is. No secret the deficit forces up interest rates and that artificially pushes the dollar up and that in turn depresses exports and helps Imports. The federal deficit hurts trades trade means jobs, but because cutting the deficit is painful right now and you're watching on television just as I am our government has reached budget gridlock and when we do muster the courage to cut the deficit to seems that we usually cut those programs, which do the most long-term good for instance. Social spending is always the first to go The fact is much Social spending saves money for taxpayers every dollar we spend on the WIC program to feed infants and young mothers saves us three dollars in the long run which we would later spend on Medicaid and other services. Every dollar we spend on science returns a hundred dollars to the GMP every dollar we spend on Urban Development action grants leverages about six dollars in private Capital which goes to developing our inner cities. And yet many of these valuable programs are slated for huge cuts right now, the children's defense fund estimates. The children will lose five point two billion dollars under the fiscal year 1986 budget and this is on top of the 10 Billion Dollar Cuts in programs for children and family since 1980 the result of these new Cuts if they are enacted will be less help for abused and neglected children less for children with serious emotional disturbances and less for the prevention of Family Violence. Now, if anyone thinks we're saving money by allowing malnutrition Family Violence and child abuse to scar the next generation of adults had better think again, because we're not let me add I am not fond of the idea that we turn our back on hunger and child abuse in order to pay for add event defense budget, which is already out of control. Make no mistake about it. It is the middle class. Not just the poor who save money when we invest in children's Futures and it is the middle class who will pay more as a result of imprudent cuts for the middle class will pay for the higher welfare the higher crime and the greater medical expenditures that will result from an adequately preparing this generation of youngsters. But that's not the only way the middle class gets stuck by short-sighted policies the proposed reductions and student aid hit hardest of all at the average American family under Administration prions one proposal would limit guaranteed student loans to families making less than thirty two thousand five hundred another would limit the total amount of any student any student could borrow to $4,000 per year and yet another proposal would restrict work-study and grants to students from families making less than $25,000 a year and I would suspect that many of you are already aware of the proposed cuts by this Administration. Parents have already responded to this drastic plan. When I asked how they would cope with these Cuts. Most of them said that they would be forced to withdraw their children from school and others have said that they might be able to continue educating their children, but not at the College of their choice. The effect is clear. This plan would create a two-tiered education system in which students would be divided not according to their skills or their interest or their achievements but simply according to how much money they have. This is a very serious threat to education in our country and increasingly and to are increasingly open and Democratic Society now, I don't say that just as a Democrat Republican leaders in Congress have also spoken up against these Cuts I speak a mother of college-age children. As a citizen vitally concerned about the role of education on a Chin's nation's future. But that and that is what really lies. It's take the education debate. Not only the well-being of average families, but the strength of our society into the next century. There is no doubt that education is the best investment we can make in our future every dollar invested in education returns six dollars to the gross national product every four dollars. We spend to get students to finish high school returns seven dollars in public revenues education is primarily a local and a state responsibility. But the challenges we Face our national today in the changing World economy with all the demands it places on our skills. We shouldn't be cutting Math and Science instruction in high schools. We should be increasing it today with high interest rates and high tuition costs. We shouldn't be cutting student aid, but enabling every student to afford to go to the College of their (00:29:30) choice. (00:29:40) As a former school teacher, I truly believe in the value of Education. I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have it. An accessible and excellent system of Education opens doors to the disadvantaged and that guarantees fairness. It trains are scientists and engineers and that boosts our economy in our defense. It brings together Americans of every race religion and income and that underpins the stability of our society. In my opinion all these advantages mean that if we want to assure the long-term strength of our country, you should be investing less than the arms race and much much more in the human race. These are the conditions for a better future and it's not just up to our political leaders to build them. It's also up to you. Let me end by speaking now to the students in the audience who are the future of this country. Many of you are on the verge of plunging into fast-paced careers with all the short-term bias that will impose upon you but you're not there yet. You're still at University. You have the time and the academic perspective to think about the long-term don't count on someone else to tackle the challenges that confront us. If you care about the education you're receiving then defend it if you believe in Pay Equity then fight for it if you're a feminist and join the women's movement whether at home or at work, if you believe as I do that, the long-term needs of our country are not being addressed as they must be then work through politics and see that they are addressed. After all at my age the future I am describing is more yours than mine. I urge you to build it. Thank you very much. now for the fun (00:32:21) As for our other appropriate enough that several questions have already been sent up on politics in the election. Let's start right in considering that more women voted for Reagan Bush than for Mondale Ferraro. What's left of the notion that a gender gap (00:32:38) exists? The there the more women voted for Ronald Reagan then voted for the wonderful ticket of Fritz Mondale and Ferraro. There was still a gender gap in the numbers that voted for the Reagan ticket. There is still more greater proportion of men voted for Ronald Reagan than women. There was a gap gender gap showed up not so much in the national election though as an effective Force to turn the tide for us, but it did show up and various State elections throughout the country and other local elections as well Congressional elections and United States senate elections. Why did Women Voters they did the gender gap show that women's issues were things like the war peace issue is a woman's issue. The environment is a woman's issue the economy and believe it or not is a woman's issue. I mean, those were the women's issues women voted as did man in this election. They voted believing that the Economy was good, and it was moving along which it was at the time and is still now though to slow rate and we were at peace and so though the gender gap existed women voted by great numbers and greater numbers than men for our ticket the gender gap, you know held out I think but it indicated that women are voting the way men do in many instances. It's on the economy and National issues. I'm not happy about that. You understand (00:34:12) but is the Democratic party in an effort to capture the political Center moving so far to the right that it's abandoning the labor movement and failing to address labor issues. (00:34:23) No, no part of our problem list campaign part of the problem. I've been addressing on numerous occasions since the campaign is you know, what if Democrats going to have to do in order to win over in order to win a national election. It's as easy as that we have it's been said that we lost, you know, the southern white male. We lost more than that. We lost the middle middle class. We lost not only the white middle class. We lost the wives the the man the wife and the voting age young people in many instances by great numbers, but the Democratic party has to do I don't think is change our ideals and that's not something. I'd like to see us do I don't think we have to walk away from the things that we believe in. I think what we have to do is get our message across during the course of the campaign. We looked at polls did we look at polls? We looked at polls and people believed us on the issues. I mean, they really did agree with us. They agree with us on the environment. They agree with us a more piece. They agreed with us on on the fact that we had to do something about the duck budget deficits. They weren't quite sure what they agreed with us on most of the social issues on the separation of church and state they agreed with us on the issues. But by the same token whenever anybody talked about us all they said was that we wanted to spend spend and raise taxes raise taxes and nobody really understood what our message was either with the Democratic party has to do is instead of changing what we believe in rather convey to the American public what our message really is and convey as well that the things that we believe in our things that are important to the future of this country. (00:36:05) There are several questions both from Williams Arena and from here about Pepsi-Cola. (00:36:14) Do you know that companies getting more free publicity because smart people (00:36:24) do you think that they will commercials will tarnish your political image one asks, did you people are why was it appropriate has it hindered you what was your (00:36:33) motivation? What was my motivation? Okay. Let me start. Let me start with that one. Okay. Do you know that since the election I the only thing I must say that I've almost pickled and preserved is the white dress. I wore when I gave my acceptance speech. That's the only thing that I just I cannot I cannot touch. It's I mean it's hanging in my closet not in the Smithsonian, but it's you know, but it's but the rest of it the campaign ended on November 6th the results of the campaign I don't think will end for years and I'm pleased about that and I will continue to work and try to get my message across on that after the campaign. I got some of the greatest offers that you would ever imagine. weekly TV show a couple of weekly radio shows a segment on Webster I got I got my life story in the form of your own home and not home free video TV movie whatever it is, you know, and they really were a lot of fun plus a lot of them had nice money attached them. I got it. I was going down to Palm Beach to give a spring which is always very difficult to do in February. I had to give a speech which is always extremely hard to do in February as you leave coal New York to go down to Palm Beach was tough but I was flying down and as I was leaving my lawyer called out and said Jerry Pepsi-Cola call them they want you to do a commercial and I said, oh give me a break. And took the plane and went off to Florida and gave my speech and my lawyer called me the next day and said to me could you please listen and have you people seen the commercial? Okay, some have some ham but let me describe it to you. What Pepsi said was that that they were doing this whole it's a series they have several leaders doing the the commercial and the and the theme is choice and my lawyer Bob run. It said to me you can say what you want to say, and I said you got to be kidding. I said I can do the stuff that I do in speeches which you heard me do women can be whatever we want to be we can walk in space and we can teach our children to walk up and saying that you know, literally six or eight months and he said well you can say it but not quite that long because 30 seconds is all they're going to have for the commercial. And I said, how about it? Do I have to do I have to drink it to have tasted you don't have to touch it. You don't have to mention the word Pepsi now. I mean, I have no problems with it. Let me tell you but I didn't want a hawk, you know, okay any product unlike Senator Baker who's talking USA Today? I want to tell you (00:39:20) so (00:39:25) we wrote the commercial and we filmed two endings. They liked one ending and I liked one ending. I got the ending I liked they said to me we'd like one of your daughter's I said, you got to take both. I mean, I'm a mother and I let one girl do it. Not the other one. We got approval over where it was shown when it is shown and who the other people were who were involved in the series plus I've got to tell you something else that before we did it. We checked out the Pepsi-Cola company to make sure that it was not just talking and I'm Hawking. I'm doing this whole thing on women's equal opportunity and it's a company that doesn't observe it. They do they're very good hiring practices affirmative action. As far as women is concerned women are concerned and minority as well so that you know, they were an okay company for me to do it. It was an okay product. Let me tell you what the text is the text is this we there's a picture of me sitting on a porch with my two daughters and lest you think it's my home and mrs. Bush make another comment about rich whatever. It was a set. It was a set and my eldest girl walks in Donna holding the tray and I'm reading the newspaper and she says looking for a job Mom needled right by your own kid and I say very funny and my younger girl 18 walks in and says, well I am and Donna says to her is this terrific. I'm doing the whole script all by myself. Donna says, you know how long it took me to memorize that whoo. Donna says, what's it this week Laura marine biology and Laura in the way. She always addressed dresses her sister says Donna and I say or do you still want to be a star of stage and screen because she really does want to be an actress and she did get her sag card out of doing this commercial. See little benefits turning so she turns her and said, you know, it's tough to make a decision now for Laura that really that's in more ways than one. She's my third child and she will compromise on the colors of nail polish to put on her fingers because it's tough to make that decision and I say sure it's tough when you can be anything you want to be and then I say but there's one decision that I will never regret and she says politics and I say being a mother Yeah, the one thing I wanted my candidacy also to convey to women was that even though you can have now open doors of opportunity to women are you truly can be whatever you want to be want to walk in space? That's great. You'll get into NASA program. But if you want to be a mother you want to see that's a terrific profession and no one should think for one minute that because we might be able to make it in a man's world that we think a woman's world is any less important and that was the second thing. I want to say. I'm delighted (00:42:46) I had chance to do it. How do you decide which of your private values to argue for and champion in the public Arena and which such as abortion you'll hold back from public debate? It's (00:43:10) my private values. I guess our and I don't again, I don't think that the abortion issue though. I have religious views on abortion are set apart from arguing my private values when I argue the position of choice and let me explain what I mean by that. I feel very very strongly about my duties as a public official. Do you know I never ever thought about the issue of abortion until I was running for congress because the decisions I made out where mine they pertain only to me when I was running for congress all the sudden. I realized the decisions. I was going to make we're not only my religious views and they were not only affecting me but they're affecting people who did not perhaps agree with me and and I had to do what I felt was morally right and though my position on abortion may not be considered the moral one. By my church. It is my personal value of maintaining a separation of church and state and my personal value of representing my total constituency rather than just a select few. And so there was no sort of contradiction in my mind in my personal values and my position on abortion (00:44:43) one of the questioners from Williams. Arena wants to know What are your feelings are on media coverage during the campaign? (00:44:54) Actually, well it kind of ran all over the place when I was first nominated the media kind of didn't know what to do with me. Nobody did they were especially the women reporters. I mean they were they were a lot of them were assigned to my plane as I mentioned earlier today. It was kind of like an affirmative action for female, press all of a sudden they found themselves on a plane lots more women than it ever been assigned to a national candidate before and that was positive. But what happened was they they kind of were having real problems in how they would deal with me. They didn't want to look soft. A lot of them have been spotted crying on the convention floor and that isn't what hard, you know been reported as a supposed to be doing and so in the beginning a lot of them, you know turnover and really went out of their way to be tough after a while. They kind of got used to me and I got used to them as did the entire press Corps and there was a point at which Ted Koppel was doing Nightline and I was on it and he was he was testing me. I've said during the course of the campaign that I Never interviewed on Farm policies issues. I was always quizzed or tested and they couldn't wait until I made a mistake ha ha for them. But in any event, we Ted Koppel really was pretty bad. And what ended up happening was I didn't get angry because one cannot do that, but the Press Corps did and they went after and almost lynched him afterwards now that press, you know, we got used to each other the local press in my New York. Some of them were I think totally unfair Philadelphia Inquirer had 27 investigative reporters. Ami not not kidding the New York Post had 2809. I don't know how many they have but they had a lot The Daily News The Wall Street Journal. I mean they my husband we had gone had sent one of his staff down to file some papers down the hall of records in New York and the guy came back and said there isn't a seat in the place. They're all reporting. That's I'm telling you honestly so did I think that was fair? No, no during the course of the campaign is to reporter she knew about Ronald Reagan's father. Who's an alcoholic. Now. I said what else do you know about him, you know, if he was a derelict, you know, if he's arrested. No I said neither do I and though I dislike Ronald Reagan for many reasons that isn't one of them. I don't care about what his father did and neither did the press and any time he was running. I was not afforded that luxury of having a little bit of my life left alone. (00:47:41) So (00:47:55) let me add that out that that I'm not complaining it will be said in the book, but but by the same token, I just hope that When people take a look at this campaign and the next woman runs and there will be a woman running a 1988 that at least she's treated the same way as a (00:48:14) man. Question related to part of your answer. Would you run again for national office if you knew your husband? If you knew your husband would have to go through what he did this last (00:48:34) time that poor man. I have to tell you that it's John I have talked about this and after all is said and done I said to how do you feel about it? And he said it was worth it. He said and I find it amazing, you know, I loved him before but but even more so when we renewed our vows, I don't for our 25th anniversary. I said God look at that man pledging to do it again. But you know, we feel very strongly that we love our son and no less because we love our daughters as well. But now, you know it me it'll mean something to them and to the women of this country and he really felt very strongly that that would be it was worth it what I have done. It had I known that's a much harder question to answer because it's you don't deliberately put somebody you love into that spot would I do it again? That's I want to sort of answer. I might be looking at the senate seat in 86. I will before I even make a decision on that. I will sit down with my family and we'll make that decision together because women running for office do and we do have a little bit extra kind of couple of extra problems with people coming at us in the way campaigns are run and you have some some women who were excellent Statewide office holders in this state and you've elected other women to office as well. And sometimes you watch campaigns and you say my God I was it worth it, but I don't know what I'll do. I have no idea what I will continue to do though over the next couple of years. If I don't run is I will continue to speak out on issues that I feel are of concern to me into this nation. I will raise money for women candidates and for my party and hopefully I will work very hard to elect whoever as a candidate in 1988 and the Democratic side. (00:50:33) Three Junior High School students want to know how did you really feel when Walter Mondale selected you as his running mate? (00:50:42) I'll tell you the story of when I found out I was in a hotel room in San Francisco and the night before John Riley who was doing the selection process was there and so I kind of knew when you get to that point where they're flying into one city in the morning and flying to another on the other coast at night to talk to you that's getting close and I I felt I felt certainly honored I felt a little intimidated by it. But quite frankly. I knew I was gonna be able to handle the campaign and I was I knew that I was I had total confidence and Fritz Mondale as a person who could lead this country. So so I felt comfortable. I was I then after for its cold ran out to give a speech to a foreign policy speech in would you believe And in San Francisco and though though the topic we ran the gamut on foreign policy issues. There's a question and answer period afterwards and I got such a kick out of it because when they were asking me things like do you think they'll be a woman on the ticket? I really want a new and there are about 1500 people in the room had such a good time saying well, I don't know quite sure if there will be but you know, I would support and here I was ready to go. So it was it was very exciting a little bit intimidating but certainly an honor and a challenge and I thought Fritz Mondale was the second most wonderful man in the world. My husband is still number one. I got a tie. (00:52:25) I'm a struggling single parent. This woman says three-year-old full-time School two part-time jobs no time for self. What advice do you have words of wisdom encouragement for keeping my chin up in the midst of dealing with systems that almost want to prohibit me from completing School. (00:52:46) I think the most important thing that that someone in that situation is obviously a tough time making ends meet and is having a tough time making sure that that baby knows that you love him or her is to do just that first of all recognize the fact that that that that child that you have is what you're doing with that child now will have an effect upon him or her into it for the rest of their lives. So make that the most important focal point. The second thing is don't demand too much of yourselves. You don't have to be super women do the school peace and do the child and if you can't get the laundry done forget it, you know. I'm not advocating dirt. That's not where I'm going. But what I'm saying is so very very often. We feel that we have to be perfect. No one is perfect. I'm not perfect close not only kidding but it's you really don't demand everything of yourself do the child do the school work and what you do is, you know, let people know that these two things are most important to you and that no matter what you're going to keep going and you'll do it. I mean, you know II look back on my life. And and if I could do it you can do it. My father dies a my mother really had a tough time. I guess that's part of the reason why I feel so strongly for single heads of household. There were no social security benefits then for widows and my mother worked as a crochet beater which didn't pay a lot of money and she had a tough time against me I had scholarships. Schools were more generous than it wasn't that I was smarter. The schools had the money then I had two part-time jobs, but it wasn't hard to get a part-time job, then they're available. All you have to do is say that I wanted when I want to achieve and you'll do it. So, you know my suit my my recommendation is don't demand more of yourself than you think you can give and if you're less than perfect. That's okay one step at a time. (00:55:05) Remember number of questions on foreign policy issues now, I know what one starts one starts with the campaign. Questioner says during the primary campaigns the issue of a nuclear freeze even unilateral disarmament was a key issue. Why did that issue disappeared during the general election wouldn't a firmer stand on the part of Walter Mondale and yourself have improved your showing (00:55:29) no and the reason was we took a strongest and as you could have taken we both supported the nuclear freeze not unilateral bilateral Fritz had a plan and dealing with the Soviet Union talked about moratoria challenges, which I find now the Gary Hart is also speaking about throughout the country and that's fine. You should have challenged a senator as President Kennedy did in 63 I guess it was two Soviet Union and they respond by ceasing testing on wherever it is that you want to seize the testing know we could not have been stronger on the issue. But why did the nuclear freeze people walk away from us as to even the environmentalist it? In this election according to the exit polls the issue was the economy and as strongly as environmental field about the environment as strongest people felt on the freeze issue that was not enough to make people vote for the ticket. They still the majority of people voted for Ronald Reagan because of because of the economy because we are at peace (00:56:40) what strategy can you recommend to unlink success in the Geneva arms talks from the funding of the MX and the Strategic Defense Initiative (00:56:50) none and I say that very often is a member who just sat through two years on the budget committee and who has listened to the debate on the floor of the house and is now watching it happen. Now in the Senate the Secretary of Defense as well as the president or are insisting that in order to move the talks towards some meaningful negotiation and some meaningful treaty that they're going to have to have bargaining chips. I don't agree with it. I truly don't agree with it, but I think it is enough to sell a lot of people or enough people in the house too when they vote I say that in 19 83 and 19 are early 1984 were voting on The MX think we lost that vote by something like six ish six votes. It seems to me that the House Republicans did pick up 12 seats in the House you take that 12 nay votes and you switch them to a 12 I vote we've got to make of 24 votes in order to be where we were in the last session as far as the AmEx is concerned and it would seem to me that that the president is going to get what he (00:58:04) wants. That's question. Number (00:58:09) one strategy I do have is could you like more Democrats to the house? And (00:58:18) this question of takes off from a recent statement by the president the contras are our brothers (00:58:26) way of treating family doesn't (00:58:32) where are we headed on on human rights particularly in Central America and the women have some particular role to play in shaping that sense of direction. (00:58:43) You know what I said, he has a strange way of cheating family. I mean, you don't give weapons to to people like that if they're your brother's what you try to do as you try to negotiate an end to their problems and I had to think that that it could be done through the contador process and I don't think that the Administration has been doing as much as they could have in order to move that along the human rights violations are are incredible. We were down. I was down in Central America in January last year at 83 and visited El Salvador and Honduras and Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The conditions in which people live there are horrendous, but in addition to that certainly in El Salvador, the number of Americans who have been a number of civilians and Americans who have been killed has been just horrendous. What can we do? I think what we can do is continue to speak out as a nation on human rights violations. I think that that what Improvement you have seen in El Salvador under present Duarte has been in large measure because the Congress has been so vocal in moving against the death squads and moving to water to take some action in order to bring some of those people to justice. But again, the second thing I think we really have to as a nation work to use our leverage as the mighty power that we are in order to get those people together negotiate and that's the only way you're going to be able to end up with a solution of peaceful solution to that part of the world. (01:00:10) Illegal aliens are being offered Sanctuary by some Churches even if that's considered illegal. How would you proceed in solving the problem of illegal aliens in this country? (01:00:22) You know, I come from a district where that is a major problem people who flee into Jackson Heights and queens. Unfortunately are not people who are fleeing from Human Rights problems as in El Salvador in Haiti. The people are fleeing in my district into my district or people from Colombia and what they're doing and creating a problem of a drug problem in this country is just incredible. I think illegal aliens have to be looked at and two different directions where you have people coming in from friendly countries where they're coming in here in order to just because of living here is a lot better. The economy is better than their Homeland. I think we've got to take a very close look at it and enforce our our quotas like anybody else. You have illegals coming in because they are fleeing regressive regimes and are fleeing in the prospect of death. I think we as a nation have to take very close. Look at how we are dealing with them on an individual basis. I watch what's happening with the people who were fleeing Haiti. I wonder what we're doing by studying those people back the same thing with El Salvador. Those people have come here because they're terrified of what will happen if they remain in their country and they have reason to do so, they have reason to be terrified. I think again that we have to take a very close look and accept as a premise that if there are problems with returning to a country where it is a country like El Salvador that our nation has we can take care of those individuals at least for a period of time it is until their country gets themselves straighten out. (01:02:07) The federal deficit of course is both a foreign policy and a domestic question this question or says the deficits become a serious burden on the nation. What steps do you recommend the Congress take to reduce it? And if your recommendation includes a tax increase what type would it be and how would it (01:02:27) affect? Whoever asked that question wasn't listening during the course of the campaign. Let me just say that that watching the debate that's going on in the budget committee is kind of deja vu you know, we watch the same thing happen last year. We argued over whether or not the increase the defense spending figure should be a 289 billion or 294 billion. You know, what I would do is is have your steady increase which is keep up with inflation because we got the purposely got so many weapons in the The Pike that you just can't not proceed unless you eliminate a whole weapon itself. I would increase defense spending just by the inflationary factor and I would take a very close look at the social programs. I wouldn't I would not not I would not freeze at the level that they're being freeze now. Especially where some of those programs are finding that they have increased people participating in them and therefore cannot be Frozen at the amount that has that is currently in in place. What I would do is I would also look to closing some of those loopholes in WR Grace is walking around this country saying, you know, I have this tremendous report for my commission and these are the things I think you should do. I mean, I you should stop Public Power from being subsidized and you should cut out certain benefits to the elderly has all these wonderful little thoughts and then you take a look in that man's company. I read someplace didn't pay taxes this year, you know, give me a break. It's a multi-million dollar company multi-billion dollar company. I think that corporations should pay their fair share with and I don't think that will hurt the economy and I think we go after those people who aren't paying their taxes and I say that as someone who pays her taxes, (01:04:32) Let me (01:04:33) let me say one other thing. That's this during the course of the debate. All that was said was that we have this enormous deficit because we're crazy Spenders. We just don't know when to stop spending money. That is not so it just is not. So in 1980 Ronald Reagan promised us that by 1983. He was not going to balance the budget and by 1984 who's going to have a surplus of well about 70 or 80 billion dollars. If you take a very close look at it's not so bad. He's only a quarter of a trillion dollars off. But he also said he was going to reduce taxes and increase defense spending you can't do that. You cannot increase defending by 13 and 14 and 15 percent above inflation which were doing for four years. You cannot give people a tax cut which you know gave the majority of that tax cut went to those making, you know, a hundred two hundred thousand dollars. You can't do that. And you can cut out all of the social programs and you're still not going to make up. You know what you have to in order to approach the deficit. So this deficit is not mine as a member of Congress and not yours is taxpayers. It's Ronald Reagan's and Ronald Reagan has to deal with it. (01:06:02) We're coming down to the last two three minutes of the question period somebody's been following New York politics wants to know is Senator Alphonse D'Amato too tempting a Target to pass up in 1986. (01:06:18) Well, he's a tempting Target but he's also a very very tough opponent. He can raise literally millions of dollars. It will be a race that will cost between six and ten million and he can raise that. He's on the right committees. He is also a person who has spent a good deal of time because he has the White House. It's very very easy bringing money into the state. I mean as long as if you've got Republican Senators what you do and you're not getting money into the state, then they're not working very hard because that's the White House gives that out. I mean, it's wonderful to watch happen when we had the White House. We did it to come on. Let's let's be fair right now D'Amato does it and he's got the most fantastic press person. So people really believe that he's doing a tremendous amount for my state. The thing that makes D'Amato tempting is that his voting record is so bad. It is so bad for New York State and is so bad for the country it is, you know, it's binary gas. It is all of the president's budget proposals it is so it's you know, it's it's done for a certain interest, you know, the special interest the other side special interests are special interest or labor and women and minorities and the handicapped and there's our banks and you know, all that stuff will his special interest get their piece of it. So he is very tempting but he's also very tough and and you know, I don't know if I'm willing to go and do it again, but who knows I have to make a decision now, (01:08:00) right? And last the last question before a short presentation to you. I'm 8 years old and want to be president when I grow up. (01:08:13) Oh, I hope your female saying that but if you're a male, that's okay, too. (01:08:17) What advice would you give me about this parentheses, by the way? I'm a girl. (01:08:29) Well, wherever you are in this Auditorium or in the other, let me just say that this whole election was for you. And let me also say that when I was eight years old my brother could think of becoming for as the United States. In fact at that time. He could even think of becoming a doctor and I should have been a nurse and he would have been a lawyer and I would have been a secretary by the time you're ready to move. Which gives us how many years? Okay. My math is not great. 27 more years. Do me a favor. Call me up and I'll campaign. (01:09:36) Driving for are still on stage with Piedmont about a crime at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis quickness and innovation of the early capacity audience 45 hundred or so people in the audience listening to this live broadcast of come upon Define. There will be just a couple of minutes longer on this awesome, but your series presentation is always our normal procedure is that Handsome plaque is presented to you by Marilyn Nelson daughter of Kurt Carlson, Maryland is trying to get the Super Bowl for the Metrodome and appropriately enough her spouse. Dr. Glen Nelson. Will perform this ceremony. Congresswoman Ferraro on behalf of the Hubert H Humphrey Institute of public affairs the entire university community the audience today and the Carlson companies. I'd like to thank you for your enlightening remarks Mario Cuomo the governor of New York once called you the queen of queens and the 1984. You are certainly the queen of the news media, but judging by the Overflow crowds here today and the thousands watching and listening at other sites. You are certainly the queen of Minnesota's hearts and Minds as well. Unlike a queen in the Regal sense you had to fight for everything you achieved in life at a time in the early 1970s when most Americans could only identify Queens New York is the home of Archie Bunker you were there quietly breaking new ground as a woman and breaking down old stereotypes first as a unit Chief in the New York District Attorney's office and then as congresswoman from the 9th District your rise to National prominence was not by Birthright and could never been achieved without your hard work in the pioneering attitudes, which you first demonstrated in the neighborhoods of Queens when we came to know you through the news media last year. He became less of a similar and more of a communicator of a message that message is the essence of America's entrepreneurial spirit. That is if you're willing to set goals to sacrifice to take some risks and to dream you can achieve anything you want to achieve it is a message of timeless. Simplicity but even more relevant today as we deal with the difficult issues facing our nation you demonstrate that we should never lose sight of our convictions and purpose even if it occasionally means losing an election that example helps us to shape our aspirations and prepare the Next Generation to lead with deep appreciation. I present you with this plaque. I think which names you as a distinguished Carlson lecture it is given in recognition of your public service by the Carlson companies and the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of public affairs accepting the flag following July the grass perfect Auditorium. Thanks to the Humphrey Institute staff Nancy Gerard and Lee Edison for their assistance in this broadcast along with Kenny Johnson from University Services technical operators. The Minnesota Public Radio goes on to some tab born flow. This is Dan Olson reporting.