(00:00:00) And it's now four minutes past 12:00 o'clock minnesotans are going to the polls today in the state's first presidential primary in 36 years. Secretary of State John grow is predicted to voter turnout of about 400,000 relatively low compared to the 1.3 million who voted for years ago in the November presidential election in preparation for the 1992 primary, Minnesota Public Radio political correspondents, Mike Mulcahy and Karen Boris have produced profiles of the candidates and their campaigns and the rest of our reporting staff has prepared a series of reports on the candidates positions on some of the major issues of the day. They explore the candidates views on education the environment Healthcare and More in these reports have been running throughout the past week. So today on primary day. We thought we'd collect them all in one place and give them an encore broadcast starting out with this profile of President George Bush by Minnesota public radio's Karen Boris (00:00:56) Republican lawmakers. Decided it is there turned a launched a protest Republican presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan is about to deliver a campaign speech in the chambers of the Minnesota house. He will not find any Republican lawmakers in his audience. They have instead gathered a block away from the capital to give a petition of their unanimous support for George Bush and Dan Quayle to Governor Arne Carlson. I believe Minnesota is now the first (00:01:22) state to have all of its Republican (00:01:24) legislators solidly behind the (00:01:26) bush-quayle ticket. So once again, Minnesota showing the (00:01:28) way some at this Gathering might be philosophically more aligned with the conservative politics of Buchanan, but it is George Bush who is getting their support for his part. The governor says the Challenger to the incumbent makes the contest more interesting. I think we (00:01:42) have to expect a certain amount of tussle in American politics. (00:01:46) The truth of us those of us who pursue are (00:01:48) perceived to be insiders. We tend not to like contest (00:01:52) those people who are voters love a good contest and frankly. It's been an enjoyable a very enjoyable (00:01:58) race. I personally am happy. (00:02:00) President Bush was challenged. And the reason I was happy was it got his campaign (00:02:03) organization up and (00:02:05) cooking started to begin to find out where their strengths and the weaknesses are and they're ready to go in November and I think they're going to do remarkably. (00:02:12) Well awareness of this primary is very low. So the critical part of the first round to calling is truly education. We're having a presidential primary on April 7th, and it's you need to get out and vote. And for many people. This is new information Wendy Wu Sternberg has spent the last month organizing the bush-quayle campaign in Minnesota organizing the campaign in campaigning at the same time Republicans divide the state into 134 political units. Each unit has a captain charged with identifying likely Bush voters and also charged with turning out those Bush voters on primary day. It is neighbor pushing neighbor, which works best for the incumbent. According to Houston Berg. There is a certain amount of apathy about primary voting under any circumstance there is in this one an element of protest vote that we can't measure right now. We have no idea and and we So heard people on both parties time across over. So we think neighbor to neighbor they can keep people in line and push them as hard as I can presidential politics have not been easy for Minnesota Republicans in the last 60 years. Minnesota has only voted Republican three times twice for Dwight Eisenhower in the 50s. And once for Richard Nixon in 1970 to that track record and the fact that there are only 32 convention delegates at stake in Minnesota makes it difficult to attract Republican presidential candidates much to the frustration of Republican campaign managers in 1984. For example, Ronald Reagan's campaign manager claimed he could take Minnesota away from favorite son Walter Mondale if the president had pay a proper visit Reagan did stop in Minnesota for about 45 minutes, but Gabe Republicans only a few hours notice Mondale carried his home state, but only by 37 hundred votes in 1992 Republicans say there's a chance Bush might campaign here if the polls show he can win the state in November. They can win here according to Senate minority leader Dwayne Benson. (00:04:03) It is not that great of a track uphill or we wouldn't elect Republican Governors Republican US senators and have balance from time to time in the Congressional as well as legislative. So it can be done (00:04:16) Minnesota Republicans claim bush has a record to run on that state voters will find attractive the war in the Middle East hiked bushes ratings and will be a factor for veterans. But the biggest asset in the bush record will be the breakup of the Soviet Union according to Republican party chair Bob wine (00:04:32) Holt certainly the the major event of the 20th century. And for which both the presidents Reagan and Bush will be remembered will be the collapse of Soviet (00:04:42) communism bush has been criticized for moving slowly with an aid package to the former Soviet States, but why no, sir said had the president moved quickly he would have run into opposition from Congress in wine holders view bush has played his hand. Well in foreign (00:04:56) policy has been absolutely brilliant on Foreign Affairs and he is Try to have a domestic policy that's much tougher to get through Congress than what foreign affairs because he can do Foreign Affairs without the Authority or approval of Congress. I mean, most of the things that are done in foreign affairs. The president does basically on his own anything done domestically certainly has to go through Congress and has to have approval (00:05:19) wine alter thinks Bush can win in Minnesota and thinks the wind will be a foregone conclusion. If the recession comes to an end as some economists now predict and the economy itself actually begins to rebound from the state capitol. I'm Karen Boris (00:05:33) Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan made a three-day campaign swing through Minnesota last week Buchanan is the only major candidate in the presidential race is virtually admitted. He cannot win although as Minnesota supporters have high hopes for today's primary Buchanan says, he's campaigning now to shake up Washington and try to steer the Republican party to the right Mike Mulcahy reports like Democrat. Jerry Brown Pat Buchanan is running as a Washington. Outsider taking on the establishment that he sees represented by six District Congressman Jerry Sikorsky last month Sikorsky revealed he had 671 check overdrafts on his house bank account in a thirty nine month period Buchanan showed up outside sikorsky's Coon Rapids office with the kite that he said represented sikorsky's kited (00:06:22) checks. The abuse of power that is taking place on Capitol Hill is widespread and systematic and in too many cases, it is even bipartisan individuals who are making rules regulations and laws for the entire country for individuals and for businesses are not abiding by the only ethical standards or even the laws they impose on everyone (00:06:43) else Buchanan says the voters should decide whether Conservative Republican Congressman Vin Weber abused the system by writing a hundred and twenty-five checks that weren't covered by his account Buchanan's Outsider message played well in early primary States like New Hampshire where the Is hitting hard but Buchanan himself as anything, but an outsider for most of his professional life, he's been a washington-based journalist and commentator. He also worked as an aide to President Nixon and Reagan Buchanan says, we need a president who will put America First demanding that foreign governments open their markets to American Goods eliminating all but emergency aid to other countries and limiting immigration critics. Say some of the America First rhetoric Buchanan uses his a thinly veiled attack on other races and nationalities Judy Sanders who directs Jerry sikorsky's Minnesota office says she would have thrown Buchanan out if he had tried to come in. (00:07:39) I think little of what Pat Buchanan does is appropriate (00:07:43) why (00:07:44) because he represents anti-semitic racist Neo-Nazi views that are Unbecoming any (00:07:51) American Buchanan denies charges of racism and anti-Semitism. He says it was his campaign that drove former Ku Klux. Landsman David Duke out of the presidential race. He says his calls to sharply cut taxes and reduce federal spending and his views on Foreign Affairs make him a Ronald Reagan (00:08:10) Republican and Ronald Reagan, of course won 49 states. He did lose Minnesota fair point, but I don't know but I'll tell you what one thing that we've gotten votes of liberals moderates Democrats Independents in these primaries, and we're get them getting them because the Buchanan candidacy is seen as a vehicle of protest against what is going on in Washington and even more than that. It's a way to say that we want political leaders who say what they mean and mean what they (00:08:40) say in his swing through Minnesota Buchanan has been much less critical of George Bush then in the early days of the campaign and much more critical of Congress. He acknowledges that bush will win the Republican nomination but says it's important for him to keep campaigning to prolong the debate over issues and to give voters the chance. To shake up Washington, he brushed aside, please from State Party leaders to leave the race and as even set his sights on another Republican Governor Arne Carlson. (00:09:09) I don't think he represents the Republicans of Minnesota on right to life on gay rights from the death penalty. And I think he's out of touch with Republicans of Minnesota and I think of vote for Pat Buchanan by Republicans in Minnesota will not only send a message to Washington that mr. Bush ought to come back home to our principles but will send a very good message to the capital and to the governor that he's out of touch (00:09:38) Carlson who happens to be the chair of the state Bush campaign was away from the capital in central Minnesota in Sartell. He said he didn't want to get in an argument with Buchanan. (00:09:48) I think what you're going to find is that Pat Buchanan in September will be actively campaigning for President Bush. And then you and the media will be asking him questions. Why do you say all those terrible things about President Bush, you know back in April March, February (00:10:06) Carlson says bush is offering real solutions on education and that the president has proven his skill and handling foreign policy. But the governor is a living example of how well Buchanan could do in Minnesota's primary after all Carlson was strongly favored to win the Republican gubernatorial Primary in 1990, but John grunts Seth a much more conservative, but better organized candidate trounced him if turnout is low on Tuesday night and Buchanan's conservative supporters can get their people to the polls Minnesota could turn out to be yet another state that sends a message to George Bush at the Capitol. I'm Mike Mulcahy that report filed last week and is being repeated today on midday as part of our special program on the candidates and the issues in the presidential campaign. Well, there are two major candidates still in the race on the Democratic side. I'd Arkansas governor Bill Clinton and former California Governor Jerry Brown as part of our coverage of today's presidential primary. We re running rmp R series of candidate profiles Karen boros prepared this profile of Jerry Brown who visited Minnesota last week as well and they walk at ensue have gathered in a vacant (00:11:16) lot on the Prairie Island reservation across the road giant Towers dominate the landscape filling the sky with cables and off in the distance is the NSP Prairie Island nuclear power plant the crowd waits for Jerry Brown who is about an hour behind schedule Brown's campaign planned for events for the afternoon and ended up canceling all but this event late in the day. The candidate is exhausted as the word that passes through the crowd. He needs time to prepare for a debate down the block a van and a yellow school bus turned in toward the crowd minutes later Brown climbs onto the back of awaiting pickup truck and kicks off the stop by reading an 1854 letter to President Franklin Pierce from Chief (00:11:55) Seattle years. I said (00:11:57) every part of this Earth (00:11:59) is sacred to my people every shining pine (00:12:02) needle every Sandy Shore every missed in the dark woods every clearing and humming insect is Holy in the memory and experience of my people. (00:12:16) Jayaram present, this is Mike speaking. How can I help you? (00:12:19) Brown's Campaign Headquarters is a ragged series of offices at the edge of downtown Minneapolis where the phone rings incessantly and where the litter of an active campaign fills most surfaces. If you want to find out about Browns flat tax, there are countless copies of Articles available or you can ask campaign chair Craig (00:12:36) Neal. Some people see it as Progressive some people see it as regressive. What it is is (00:12:41) revolutionary Jerry Brown would scrap the current tax code and replace it with a 13 percent flat tax on earned income for individuals and a 13 percent value added tax for businesses. Most tax exemptions would be eliminated except mortgage interest rent Social Security and contributions to charity payments to veterans in unemployment benefits would not be taxed critics say this would increase taxes for the Working Poor in give big wage earners a tax cut. They also say it would greatly increase the cost of manufactured goods as business passes its tax increase along to Consumers the Lap text may have its flaws. But Craig Neal says Brown's tax plan is better than the current system the (00:13:22) poor have gotten poorer and the rich have gotten richer and it's got to stop and I believe that the flat tax as it evolved, 's will be a solution to this. We the people of this (00:13:34) country all the people take it back. Take it back while we can And I won't even say my 800 number because that's the decentralized (00:13:46) power that has kept this campaign going against the odds against the pooh-bahs and the (00:13:51) mandarins of Washington who said go back. Keep quiet. You have no right to run and we said we do have a right to run we are running and we are winning and we will not stop until we (00:14:02) work real change in this country (00:14:04) most Democrats with four hours to kill a Minnesota get themselves to the Iron Range to press the Flesh of organized labor. Most Democrats know if they like you on the Range, they will turn out on Election Day. Jerry Brown is not like most Democrats. He has come instead to an Indian reservation in a region where the voters tend to vote Republican, but the pictures are from Central Casting Brown stands with a nuclear power plant behind him lit by The Rosy Glow of the late afternoon sun just in time for the television (00:14:33) news. This is Michael from Jerry Brown for president Campaign Headquarters. (00:14:36) It is a campaign run with 100 dollar contributions in a toll-free. Phone number a campaign to cut defense spending in half during the next 10 years a campaign to phase out nuclear power to balance the federal budget to guarantee Healthcare and a college education for all Americans. Actually, it is not a campaign at all. But is instead a movement. According to Craig Neal who sees the candidate as a (00:14:59) Visionary. Jerry Brown is not what you call a baby kiss and schmoozer. He's not he's got a hard Edge to him. He has a penchant for telling it the way it is. He's very direct. He's not big. He's not a Clinton he's not going to smile under every circumstance. He's not a Teflon guy when something comes up. He goes right at (00:15:26) it at Prairie Island. It is time to go Brown climbs down from the pick up and moves easily through the crowd squatting down to introduce himself to youngsters eye-to-eye carefully repeating the names of those he meets volunteers are trying to move Brown to the waiting. And as Minnesota reporters move in and make their job difficult most candidates say they learn a lot when they are grilled by voters Brown is no (00:15:48) exception. Well, I've been learning is they want real change in the folks in Washington have a totally different reality and they don't get it. They really don't get what the problem is. And so this campaign is here to wake (00:15:57) him up a woman in the crowd asked if the campaign signs are printed on recycled paper. Ask the people who made them Brown replies then reconsiders and says, yes time to get in the van volunteers shout. Thank you time to get on to the next stop at the state capitol. I'm Karen (00:16:13) Boris and that report originally broadcast last week at the conclusion of Jerry Brown's campaign visit to Minnesota the candidate with the largest number of delegates on the Democratic side is Arkansas. Governor, Bill Clinton Clinton's message would seem to have a lot of appeal to many Minnesota Democrats. He says he wants to double federal spending for Education put significantly more money into Head Start and other preschool programs and guarantee access to post-secondary education. But other parts of Clinton's program may not be popular with some Minnesota Democrats and questions remain about Clinton's record as governor. And about his personal life Mike Mulcahy prepared this profile of candidate Bill Clinton Bill Clinton says short-term steps like speeding up work on Federal Highway projects easing requirements to qualify for FHA mortgages and asking Banks to be more careful about foreclosing on some loans will get the economy moving for now, but he says long-term measures are needed to stabilize the economy in the future measures that center around education along with his plans for early childhood education Clinton wants all high school graduates to go on to at least two years of post-secondary education or job training part of the way. He'll do that. He says is to ensure that every student who wants to go to college will be able to (00:17:31) there ought to be a national service trust fund that replaces the Student Loan program too many people are denied access to college Aid when it's too expensive I would let One borrow the money and pay it back either as a small percentage of their income or with a couple of years of service to our country here at home is Teachers police officers working in Housing Programs other things that the state or a city would decide (00:17:53) some experts estimate the cost of Clinton's higher education program to be about eight billion dollars a year. He says he would pay for it with the current six billion dollar Student Loan program and money from defense Cuts Clinton is also proposing an annual worker retraining program. He says employers would have to pay for part of it. But beyond that he hasn't gone into details Max Brantley is a former Arkansas political columnist who now edits the Arkansas times weekly paper Bradley says the change Clinton is brought about in Arkansas education has been slight but noticeable he calls Clinton and effective Governor. (00:18:31) There's certainly some indicators that show some very real step forward in terms of dropout rate scores on standardized tests and that sort of thing, but I think The thing he has done is he has made it fashionable in Arkansas to a spouse things like education and that's a funny thing to say to somebody from Minnesota and the Upper Midwest where education has been such a Paramount issue for so many years but it was always fashionable to support School issues here. Now now it's like (00:18:58) motherhood Clinton's ideas on taxes have helped build his reputation as a moderate to conservative Democrat. He wants to cut income taxes for the middle class those with incomes of less than eighty two thousand dollars a year and raise rates for the rich people who make more than $200,000 a year like George Bush he wants to cut the capital gains tax, but only on money invested in new businesses and kept there for five years some Democrats think he's too conservative. Jerry Brown recently called him a right-to-work union-busting scab inviting wage depressing environmental disaster Governor, Arkansas political writer Max. Brantley says union members may be justified. Biden being wary of Clinton (00:19:42) Arkansas does have a constitutional amendment that requires that we be a right towards state that is you can't make union membership a condition of employment. It's extremely popular with the voters even among some very low wage people unions are not popular in Arkansas Bill did support a loan to a company that needed to build up inventories to wear their a UAW strike. I mean, you can call that (00:20:07) union-busting Brantley says the anti-environment charge would be harder to prove but Arkansas does have environmental problems that are sure to be an issue if Clinton wins the nomination more damaging than his record on the issues. Maybe the questions about his character and whether there are any other damaging Revelations about his personal life that could come out before November. Those are the kinds of questions. That irritate is Minnesota campaign director John would lie. I talked to a lot of people about Governor Clinton. I talked to a lot of people on the street people. Call me at home. Concerned citizens that are a part of this process and it what really irritates me is the only people that ask me about the other shoe dropping our media people and Insider politicians, the people of this country aren't worried about their not preoccupied with it like the media is but a recent poll in New York showed 57% of that states likely voters question whether Clinton has the integrity and honesty necessary to be president the ultimate problem for Clinton both here in Minnesota. And in the rest of the country may not be getting people to accept the message, but getting them to trust the messenger at the Capitol. I'm Mike Mulcahy and that concludes our primary Day uncor broadcast of profiles of the major candidates on the Party primary ballots today 25 and a half minutes now past twelve o'clock. This is midday on Minnesota Public Radio. Well, in addition to the candidate profiles and PR is produced a series of reports on the issues in the presidential campaign and we'll give Another run during this hour to you'll hear the candidates views on Healthcare agriculture the environment education and racial issues many people agree that Health Care reform is one of the most pressing needs facing the country the cost of medical treatment continues to spiral out of control and millions of people go uninsured. The Minnesota Legislature is moving ahead with a dramatic piece of legislation called Health right aimed at fixing those problems in this state, but the presidential candidates are not holding up Healthcare as a key issue in their campaigns. Minnesota Public Radio is John be one prepared this report and what the candidates are saying about health care reform almost everyone agrees that the American Healthcare System is a mess. We spend more on health care than any other country while in key health statistics were falling behind the issues are many and complex. But let's consider the Johnsons a fictional lower-middle-class family of four. The Johnsons can't afford health insurance and they simply don't go to the doctor unless they're Sick at any one time almost 40 million Americans have no health insurance. What would the Presidential candidates do for the Johnsons? What are they saying about health care reform? (00:22:51) There's just nothing there (00:22:53) empty. Liz qualms is director of public education and Communications for the Twin Cities based National marrow donor program. She expresses the frustration felt by many who want serious change in the National Health Care System qualms says the health care issue all but disappeared from the presidential race when Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey withdrew from the Democratic (00:23:14) contest with him out of the race. I'm not sure what health care reform Advocates will do because there isn't another candidate to go for a nobody that has has a clear-cut passion or policy on (00:23:30) Health Care. In fact while none of the remaining candidates is emphasizing Healthcare. Each of them has at least something of a position on the issue. They all say they would help the John. Let's get access to health care Democrats in general favor government health insurance and price controls. They differ only on details former California Governor Jerry Brown described his plan in a recent debate. (00:23:53) Very simple. I think we should create a single-payer model where the states under the Aegis of a national fixed budget for healthcare basic Healthcare Services administer a Health Care system that will be essentially in the private sector, but the fees will be negotiated by the state Doctors Hospitals individuals that will be pure private choices. They do in Canada, but there will be subject to an overall budget cap so that we can curtail this runaway increase on a year by year (00:24:26) basis. Brown says his plan would get the Johnsons covered by health insurance while saving sixty to seventy billion dollars a year in health care spending Browns Democratic opponent, Arkansas, governor Bill Clinton would also Late the costs of some medical care and drugs but in place of Browns single-payer government insurance plan Clinton would use incentives and regulations to get more people like the Johnsons covered by private insurance his government insurance system would cover those not insured through private (00:24:57) plans. And I think you should never underestimate how much money we could save if you achieve European levels of efficiency and insurance you have a uniform payer system and a uniform package that has to be covered and if it's good and comprehensive and a one quality and it emphasizes primary and preventive care as well as the comprehensive care. I think it would be a wonderful system and it would cost most people less than what people are paying (00:25:21) today under Clinton's plan our fictional family. The Johnsons might have to pay something for government insurance coverage the Republican presidential candidates. Say the kind of government involvement in health care advocated by Clinton and brown is a bad idea. It might give the Johnsons Health Care coverage they say but eventually Johnson's would be waiting in long lines for indifferent care from a doctor. Not of their choosing in his State of the Union speech in January President. Bush said, he would fine-tune the private medical and insurance Industries and use the tax code to help the Johnsons. We make basic health insurance affordable for all low-income people not now covered and we do it by providing a health insurance tax credit of up to thirty seven hundred and fifty dollars for each low-income family and the middle class gets help too. And by reforming the health insurance Market, my plan is Shores that Americans will have access to basic health insurance. Even if they change jobs or develop serious health problems Bush promise to spell out his health care reform package more thoroughly in the coming months observers say he'll probably wait until after he's fended off Patrick Buchanan's right wing challenge Buchanan for his part says, he would allow the creation of what he calls medical IRAs a way for people to save for future medical costs critics say his plan would do nothing to control costs or improve access one local expert argues that none of the candidates proposals are on the right track Walter McClure is president of the center for policy studies a Minneapolis. Based Think Tank. Most proposals. Do not even grasp. Quality is an issue. They're so into coverage and cost control. People have been indoctrinated in this myth that American medicine is the best in the world. And the data say other ones McClure says American medicine is very good at its best. But when the Johnsons take their hard-earned money to the clinic, they have no way of telling a good doctor from an incompetent one McClure says the current system rewards doctors who give the most treatment not those who get the best results. He says employers and other people who buy Health Care should set up a system for rating doctors and hospitals on the quality of their care and their prices that McClure says would improve quality and hold down costs in the meantime, perhaps the most striking development on the health care reform landscape is underway in Minnesota the health right bill in the Minnesota Legislature would create a state health insurance program to cover many in the state who like the Johnsons have no insurance the bill would set up a commission to control healthcare costs. Liz qualms of the national marrow donor program says the bill if approved would be an aggressive step toward the Canada Style. Favored by the (00:28:22) Democrats Minnesota has often been a Bellwether for what is going to happen in the nation later. And I think that the experiment that we try here will be looked to by many other states and maybe by the nation as what to do and what not to do (00:28:41) qualms says for the moment Healthcare is on the back burner as far as National policymakers are concerned what that means for the uninsured Johnson family is that unless they live in Minnesota or handful of other Innovative States, they'll probably have to wait a few years for real change. This is John be one we've all heard them say it haven't we candidates in the presidential campaign telling audiences that education is important top domestic priority the key to our nation's economic future and the Lions go on everyone is for Education. It seems even when the talk centers around education reform and problems in the schools the needs of children and schools are a Of rallying point for the candidates while presidential candidates often talk about education those on the front lines parents and teachers say from their perspective it rarely gets past that point the point of talking that is Minnesota Public Radio reporter Kate Smith has this report on the presidential candidates views on (00:29:38) education. Ask a teacher whether education is an important issue in the presidential race and you'll often hear comments like these they (00:29:47) want to come across with some sort of philosophy or maybe something a little bit different than the last person. They want to make some kind of a stand but this (00:29:57) down to what we said before the trust level and how we feel much of what they say is rhetoric anyway, (00:30:02) and they get in office and and you don't hear that anymore that it's it's (00:30:06) gone. It's the end of a school day at Sheridan Elementary School in Minneapolis. Tim. Kadett and Tracy Christensen are sitting with some colleagues in a classroom the colorful work of kindergarteners covers the walls and hangs from the ceiling many voters including these teachers view education. Haitian as a local issue Federal funding covers only programs such as school lunches and chapter one remedial classes in the Minneapolis District. That's no more than five percent of the district's total budget. Most of the money for public schools comes from state and local taxes and many of the requirements are set by the state the teachers from Sheridan Elementary say education is usually ignored on the campaign Trail. They say when candidates do mention the school's their comments are too General to be of much help fourth grade teacher Tracy Christensen and kindergarten teacher Tim Gadot say educational loses out because it's complicated and because it's not a life and death issue like crime drugs or abortion. These kids are going to live even if they don't know how to read even if they don't know how to computer. (00:31:09) They're still going to live and with all due respect the media can grab onto I mean the abortion issue is such a it's so intense it's it is so black and white just As you said crime is just you know, it's you know, right like Tracy said people are dying their drugs people are dying there. Those are the things that I think that get such Grand scale by the media and those are the things that people turn on and that's what they see (00:31:37) could dot says since education can't be explained in short sound bites the media ignores it or covers it only superficially Ronald lockets teaches third grade at Sheridan. She's Amazed by how often politicians ignore teachers in the debate over education reform. For instance when President George Bush called a national Summit on education shortly after he was elected in 1988. The governor's all met with the president, but there were no Educators there and that just just blew my mind. We are the professionals we are the ones who know we should be there all the candidates have ideas President George Bush has been pushing a set of National Education goals Merit pay for teachers and experimental schools in each congressional district Republican candidate Pat Buchanan. Reports of voucher program that would allow parents to take Public Funding to any school and a constitutional amendment allowing voluntary prayer on the Democratic side. Jerry Brown proposes fully funding the Head Start program private sector money for a computer for every student and minimum national standards. Bill Clinton also wants Headstart fully funded. He supports National testing and once the US Department of Education to shift its focus to help spread reform efforts many of those education goals have one thing in common, they'll cost the federal government. Nothing education has never been (00:32:58) a national political issue that's helped to feed anybody or elect (00:33:02) anybody Minnesota's education commissioner. Jean Mammon gay says education may become a national political issue only if people begin to see it differently, I think for the first time (00:33:14) that education is going to be tied up to something as big as National (00:33:20) Security. We don't have to build more missiles now to protect ourselves from the threat of the Soviet Union but we have to do is to begin to work smarter to protect ourselves from an (00:33:32) unfavorable balance of trade and being economically defeated in an economic combat and and as a result of that defeat have our (00:33:42) children and our grandchildren live (00:33:45) in a weakened (00:33:46) Nation live with a lower standard of living. So when you put all that together education (00:33:52) becomes a national political issue now that really hasn't quite happened in this campaign yet, but I think it may parents who follow School issues closely say what they hear from presidential candidates on education is mostly empty promises. Karen Penton is active in dfl politics and follows issues in the Minneapolis public schools. Patton says education influences her votes much more in state and local elections because to National politician. She says education is just List of buzzwords like Choice vouchers and testing the shame of the national leadership is that they keep using the word. So people think something's happening and it isn't happening. It's all facade except for small pockets of areas where we're good things are going on, but It's pretty discouraging. I think President George Bush was the first to call himself an education president. And while that's focused more attention on our nation's schools. The question is what's happened as a result Susan I stone is an education activist Who's involved in independent Republican politics. I Stone says Republican leaders are taking education reform in the wrong direction. When you have the federal government exercising what leadership is exercises in terms of saying we got to have vouchers. We got to have competition. We ought to encourage people to essentially bail out of the public schools. That's the wrong kind of leadership and that I can hold them responsible for because that's a leadership issue. And I did there's no way that I can see that's going to work in the long term best sisters of either the children or the schools or the society. I Stone says it's not only ideological issues. She's troubled by but she believes that in general children's issues are being ignored by Washington politicians in many ways education is the classic local issue the debate over reform fuels discussion at all levels, but consensus is elusive some reformers argue local control is part of the problem. How can anything really change they say with tens of thousands of school boards setting policy for their independent districts, but local control remains popular with parents among others and it may be the reason voters are reluctant to turn over more policy-setting power to leaders in Washington. I'm Kate Smith, of (00:36:10) course, some voters are interested in the environmental records of the various candidates as part of our series of reports on the issues in the campaign Minnesota Public Radio reporter. Tom Mears been looked at the candidates past environmental accomplished. Uncertain position papers and Assam State Environmental leaders about the race. Here's Tom's report (00:36:28) for years ago a hot summer and new scientific evidence put global warming on the campaign agenda for Michael Dukakis and George Bush. Both candidates talked about other environmental issues as well using landfills. And even Boston Harbor as backdrops for photo opportunities and campaign ads environmental problems have had a much lower profile in the 1992 campaign at least so far that concerns Diane Jensen state co-director of the clean water action project. (00:36:59) We certainly are issues that are being decided right now CO2 issues global warming issues ozone issues for station or deforestation issues nuclear power versus conservation. The GATT talks international trade talks all our issues that are happening right now. Now (00:37:23) in addition to those issues 1992 is supposed to be the year that Congress rewrites the Clean Water Act and The Endangered Species Act among other measures but Jensen says there has been hesitation from Congress and the thunderous Silence from presidential candidates on these matters and on the issues of particular interest to Minnesotan such as Wetlands preservation and toxic air pollution Jim Maddie executive director for the league of conservation voters in Washington says candidates and the president are missing a golden opportunity this year to link environment and the economy doing what we need to do for Energy Efficiency energy conservation Environmental Protection turns out to be the same things that we need to do to have an internationally competitive growing prosperous economy. That's what I'd like to see them talking more about as well as the issues of global climate change and the issues of the global population explosion if they could put those three items at the top of their agenda. The whether they're talking about the economy National Security social policy or their own vision of where they want to see this country go in the next four years. I think we'd be better served as a nonpartisan Watchdog group. The league of conservation voters keeps track of candidates and elected officials when it comes to environmental matters. It gives President Bush credit for helping to pass the Clean Air Act in 1990 and for increasing funding for certain Environmental Protection Agency programs, but the league gives the president and overall grade of D because of what it calls the administration's neglect and indifference to environmental policies related to global warming endangered species protection Timber cutting oil drilling in the Arctic wildlife refuge and wetlands preservation. Unlike Bush who four years ago pledged to become the environmental president Republican Challenger Pat. Buchanan is openly hostile to most environmental legislation and has proposed a two-year moratorium on all regulations. The two Democratic candidates are not far apart in their positions on most environmental issues last week Bill Clinton spent a few minutes talking about energy conservation during a Saint Paul debate. We need a national energy and environmental strategy. We waste more energy than any other industrial custom cuts country in the world. (00:39:43) That means we need more natural (00:39:44) gas production. We need more use of solar and other renewable resources. We need to achieve at least European levels of Energy Efficiency that will free up billions of dollars to invest in our country former Governor. Jerry Brown had a similar message. I would phase out nuclear power as it now is presently configured the light Water Reactor over the next 10 years. I would Embark upon a massive energy saving program that would cut energy Shin-bi 50% that would Supply millions of jobs and we be paid for by the ultimate annual saving of about 300 million three hundred billion dollars a year promises are one thing but performance is another Governor Clinton helped push through an ambitious pro-environment package of legislation in his State last year. But before that Clinton was criticized for years of poor appointments to State Pollution Control commissions and inattention to water quality issues clear-cutting and hazardous waste incinerators. The Institute for southern studies recently ranked, Arkansas 48th among the 50 states for its environmental performance and last in terms of environmental policies. Former Governor Jerry Brown has a much different record. He advocated solar and wind development in California and encourage special regulations for vehicle emissions to get a handle on the state's air pollution problems, but environmentalists have been concerned about Browns previous support for offshore oil drilling and his position in favor of a massive Canal to transport water across the state regardless of the records Dawn are nasty of the Minnesota Audubon Society says that all of the candidates share a common flaw, none of them. He says seem to be looking beyond the election to a future of Environmental Quality. That's really the key question for the 90s in terms of the environment. Can we find the way to acknowledge the link between the economy and the environment and come up with solutions that meet both needs rather than rushing from one faddish issue to the next from election to election and leaving the public very dissatisfied as the campaign continues. In use are nasty and others are interested to see whether the United Nations Earth Summit in Brazil. This June will become an issue President Bush has said that he's not likely to attend but has not made a final decision yet. The conference is expected to challenge the Us and other countries to commit to specific plants that will reduce global warming and other International environmental problems. I'm Tom years man, (00:42:15) it goes without saying that politicians support the family farm. It's one of those icons like motherhood or Social Security that any candidate and his or her right mind pays homage to but beyond some standard rhetoric Farm policy has not been much of the topic in this year's presidential race. Minnesota Public Radio is Mary Lozier has the (00:42:34) story if you ask Pat Buchanan's national campaign headquarters for his stand on economics crime drugs education or the environment campaign workers will fax you a position paper right back ask for a position paper on agriculture and you're told they don't have one as a Consultant, Jeanne Moos puts it Buchanan is a city boy. (00:42:56) He has no background in agriculture and and he really hasn't attempted to get involved or understand such issues. (00:43:07) You can isn't the only candidate who hasn't said much about Farm policy. One reason for the lack of debate is that most farmers are doing relatively well these days Lynn Daft was a good advisor to the administration of former President Jimmy Carter. He says another reason for the silence is that with the budget in such a mess? There isn't much room to maneuver when it comes to domestic Farm policy (00:43:32) not going to be able to say we increase price supports our will do this or we'll do that if it's going to cost money and so any any of those entitlement programs, which commodity programs are my guess is candidates will not want to get into a lot of detail on shy away from (00:43:51) There is one issue of critical importance to Farmers that the candidates are talking about and that's World Trade President. Bush has made opening up World Markets the key part of his farm agenda. He has pushed aggressively for an agreement in the world trade talks arguing that with a More Level Playing Field US Farmers would benefit from expanded exports. Carol Brookins was an AG advisor to Bush's 1988 election campaign. She is a strong supporter of the administration point of view (00:44:25) American agriculture is going to depend on export growth into the next Century if it wants to grow and Thrive. We're only increasing food consumption in this country by something like half a percent per year. We have an aging population and we have roughly 5% of the world's population. So about five and a half billion people are living Outside of the borders of the United States and those are consumers for agricultural (00:44:55) products Brookins and other AG experts say Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton shares bushes view that exports are a key to farm prosperity in Clinton's position paper on agriculture opening new markets is at the top of the list. Here's Clinton speaking at a democratic candidates debate in South Dakota in late, February (00:45:18) South Dakota exports the highest percentage of its livestock and crops of any farming state in the United States. We have got to keep these markets open and (00:45:27) expanding Democratic presidential candidate Jerry Brown and Republican candidate Pat Buchanan on the other hand have been much less enthusiastic about opening World Markets. Jerry Brown has spoken out against a free trade agreement with Mexico and opposes the so-called fast-track approach to world trade talks at a time when Farm groups are pushing hard for Need to the former Soviet Union as a way of selling American farm products abroad Brown has opposed the idea of foreign aid. Here's Brown speaking in the same South Dakota candidates debate. (00:46:03) What is needed here is a reorientation to America and I would say this I wouldn't give a penny in foreign aid until every small farmer and businessman and family in this country was taken care of and that's what's wrong with this policy right. Now. Those are the international people of people in Washington. They're taking care of and Americans are getting short (00:46:21) shrift political consultant. Jean moose says on the issue of global trade. The candidates are split into two camps with brown and Buchanan in one and Clinton and Bush in the other. (00:46:34) You have Jerry Brown on the Democratic side and Pat Buchanan on the Republican side who are our protectionist if you will and who are not interested in expanding Free and open trade which is the key issue was for an America as for most of American agriculture. (00:47:00) But Moose says it's important to remember that farmers don't necessarily cast their votes according to how a candidate stands on Farm issues moose says, he learned Farmers don't vote their pocketbooks when he was Farm advisor to Walter mondale's 1984 campaign for president in the depths of the farm (00:47:19) crisis. I thought it would be you know, easy to get some reaction out of farmers in support of somebody else, you know, a new Administration, but Ronald Reagan when he was elected president in 1980 got about 70 percent of the farmers vote according to polls across the country. And when he ran for re-election in 1984 after you know says some of the most severe economic problems in history for American agriculture increase that percentage by between one and two (00:48:00) percent moose says one reason farmers don't cast their votes for president on the basis of farm issues is that domestic Farm policy is almost entirely controlled by Congress President Bush for example has made it clear. He would like Farm subsidies phased out but has been unable to get that agenda through Congress. The major Farm groups. Do not endorse presidential candidates. Although the group's do take stands on specific issues of interest to agriculture. I'm Mary Lozier. (00:48:32) This year's presidential campaign has been marked by charges of racism former Ku Klux Klan wizard David Duke is not the only candidate who has been accused of trying to capitalize on racial tension candidates from both major parties have been accused of racism. As well many Minnesota political observers say they don't believe the politics of hate play well here but some civil rights activists say the state's reputation for racial tolerance may be changing Catherine winter has that story (00:48:58) in the current presidential race. It's hard to find a candidate making overtly racist statements even David Duke says he regrets his past but many civil rights activists say for some time candidates have been using subtle Clues to let voters know that they're racist during the last presidential campaign many people objected to the ad aired by the Bush campaign depicting Willie Horton a black man who had raped white women Bush maintained that the ad was about crime not race all of the major party candidates deny being racist, but many people don't believe (00:49:31) them you look at the all that various different subtle things that go in the Willie Horton last time welfare reform, which is the big thing this time and people are really saying is, you know, we gotta quit giving money to black people. (00:49:45) Stephen Zachary is president of the st. Paul NAACP. He says some candidates are sending coded messages to voters (00:49:53) Criminal Justice Reform. Everybody's for that and nobody wants to be a victim of crime. But when you talk about Criminal Justice Reform and Flash the face of a black person or talk about protectionism and show a chip Japanese car or talk about welfare reform and show a person of color that it really it add something else to (00:50:14) it. But Zachary says he doesn't think minnesotans respond positively to racist messages people who've managed political campaigns in Minnesota agree Pat for see around the Dukakis presidential campaign in Minnesota and Paul wellstone Senate (00:50:28) campaign in 88 President Bush did are the Willie Horton ad here in Minnesota. It clearly did not help them here. In fact, it stirred up a fair amount of controversy at the time and in terms of Statewide races, we haven't seen anybody be able to make Headway with Those type of (00:50:45) tactics, but for CSS racist tactics have been effective in other parts of the country. He says he wouldn't be surprised to see a Conservative candidate stress racist themes if the presidential race gets closed after the conventions candidates in both major parties have been called racist but Republicans are accused of using racist tactics more often than Democrats are former Republican National Committee man from Minnesota. Frank Graves says, that's not fair. He says the fact that Willie Horton was black was happenstance and he doesn't believe either Pat Buchanan or George Bush is sending racist messages this year (00:51:22) either. I know that there were a lot of so-called black leaders in the state of Minnesota (00:51:28) who make racism an (00:51:29) issue trying to (00:51:31) divide the races so that they build a political constituency of the minority of to which they belong so so that's the worst kind of racism and it just so happens. I'm happy to say that Kind of black leaders in quotes or mostly Democrat dfl Party hacks (00:51:52) Graves says, he thinks projecting a racist image hurts a candidate of either party anywhere in the country. He believes Louisiana voters rejected David Duke because they perceived him as racist grave says Minnesota would be a particularly bad place to try to sell a racist message. Minnesota has not had the level of racial violence seen in some other states, but the number of minorities in Minnesota has been increasing and so has the number of reported hate crimes Vivian Jenkins Nelson is president of inter race a group that tries to Foster better race relations. She says as the economy falters racial tension increases, this is a time when we see people scapegoating one another and trying to blame each (00:52:33) other for what's going on when people (00:52:35) are protecting what they've (00:52:36) got jobs and the rest (00:52:40) and and there's a there's a feeling now that with gems being a scarce as (00:52:44) they are that Affirmative action is to blame and the people who have those jobs are to blame (00:52:49) women and people of color Jenkins Nelson believe some Republican candidates have been spreading racist messages on the other hand. You've got Democrats not (00:52:59) talking about issues that affect groups of color and women and so the message that's going out to our to African Americans in this country is (00:53:08) that the Democrats don't care about them and we know how important the African-American vote has been and continues to be to the Democratic party. Jerry Brown has stressed his record of appointing women and people of color to office and while campaigning in Minnesota. He visited an Indian reservation and an Indian housing project both. He and Bill Clinton say they're committed to improving race relations and to affirmative action, but Clinton has also stressed issues that some people consider racist such as welfare reform and gang violence. Although Clinton has gotten a large percentage of the black vote so far not many. People are voting in primaries Pat for CSS. The light turnout indicates that neither candidate is managing to inspire African-American voters. (00:53:54) I think you see a growing number of candidates try to drive down the middle of the road. Try not to say too many things to offend, you know, too many people. I would guess both Clinton and brown are doing what they can to avoid the tag of going after special interests and going after this group and that group but I just think that failing to court the minority vote is a very serious mistake and it's a mistake Democratic candidates can't afford to make and shouldn't make whether it's for political reasons or for moral (00:54:26) reasons for CSS. The African-American vote is important to Democrats because Democrats must win virtually every urban center in the country if they hope to unseat George Bush but some candidates from both parties continue to face criticism that they are ignoring issues important to many people of color or that they're Using racism to advance their campaigns. I'm Catherine (00:54:48) winter and that concludes our midday rebroadcast of the Minnesota Public Radio reports on the presidential candidates and some of the issues in the campaign this year. This is the first time in 36 years that minnesotans have been able to vote in a presidential primary. The polls are open until 8:00 tonight. According to Secretary of State John grow. You will have to mark on a piece of paper where they want a Democratic or republican ballot the ballots will look the same to your neighbors, but your name will end up on a list as a Republican or Democratic voter special returns begin at 7:30 tonight on the news and information stations of MPR and then a one-hour wrap-up of the Minnesota results at 9 followed by a half-hour summary of the results elsewhere at 10:00 tonight. This is midday on Minnesota Public Radio.