TIPPER GORE VIEWS TICKET AS NEW APPROACH

The wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Albert Gore said Friday the Clinton-Gore ticket offers Americans a fresh approach to the problems facing the country.

Speaking at an afternoon rally in Cape Girardeau, his wife, Tipper Gore, told a crowd of 350 people: "We need a new approach. So many people in our country are really and truly suffering as a direct result of the failed economic policies of President Bush and Vice President Quayle."

Gore touched on a variety of issues during a 20-minute speech on the lawn of the Common Pleas Courthouse. She urged the crowd to support the Democratic ticket so they can be part of the solution to problems facing the country.

"It is not that President Bush and Vice President Quayle are bad people; they are not bad people at all and we respect them for being the president and vice president," said Gore. "But this election represents a very clear choice between two philosophies of government; two approaches to helping the American people in time of need."

Gore said the Clinton-Gore approach to problem solving would be "reasonable, based on common sense." She said the nation's economic conditions are the worse they have been since the great depression.

"What we are saying is we will give you some change, and we promise you we may not have all the answers to every complex problem, but we will give you a committed, compassionate, new approach to these problems."

If elected, Gore promised the Democrats would deal with the number-one issue facing the nation - to revitalize the economy and create jobs.

"They will be working with the Congress and working with mayors, right down to the state legislatures and every level where someone has something to contribute, because it will take that kind of concerted team effort to turn our country around," she said.

A longtime advocate of children's issues, Gore criticized Bush for his second veto of the family medical leave act. She explained that two years ago after the near fatal accident of their son, she and her husband learned the value of being able to take time off to be with a family member in time of need.

"When you ask what he does for family values, you have to look behind the rhetoric and find out the action isn't there," said Gore. "If he truly valued families, he would have signed the family leave act."

She said Bush is trying to cloud the issue by saying he did not want to mandate a burden on small businesses; however, small businesses are exempted from the act.

On other family issues, Gore said the Democratic ticket would focus on expanding Head Start, expanding early childhood education and learning-based day care centers, and dealing with educational issues like the high school dropout rate and affordability of higher education.

Gore termed it "morally unacceptable" that one in four children live in poverty, 100,000 children are homeless on any given night, and that over the last four years two million more people have fallen into poverty.

"It is also morally unacceptable in our great and bounteous land, that 60 million Americans do not have adequate health care and 40 million of them don't have any health care at all," said Gore.

In dealing with health care, Gore stressed the Democratic plan would focus on cost containment and providing affordable, accessible care for all Americans.

In 1992, Gore said she is seeing more and more young people coming together to be part of the Democratic campaign.

"We want to focus on the fact that a lot of people have felt alienated from our political process and our political system. But this year is different; they are attracted to the energy, dynamism, and the new and fresh ideas of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. They are volunteering to help and registering to vote."

Throughout her speech, Gore focused on the Democratic ticket bringing people together and forming a partnership for effective change in the nation.

"We need every single person, no matter how old or what their job is, to be part of the creation of the solution to the very complex problems we are all facing and that you in your hearts are very disturbed about," she said. "Together we can create a better society that cares for each other.

"I think we all share a sense of reawakening in us that we are in this together, and that we should care for our fellow man and woman, and that we particularly need to care for our children."

Gore referred several times to the experiences she and Hilary Clinton had had on bus tours with their husbands campaigning since the convention. Gore said many people are looking to the Democratic ticket for change and with hope.

"Many people are telling us: `You have given us hope for the first time in 30 years. You've got my vote, but more importantly you have got my hope. What are you doing to do with that?' And we say to each other this is a very serious responsibility and very serious covenant; and we are very serious about the public trust that we are forming. We will not let you down."

Gore was introduced at the rally by Jean Carnahan, wife of Lt. Gov. Mel Carnahan, the Democratic nominee for governor. She joked in her introduction that "there's only one word her husband can't spell, and that's defeat."

Gore was joined by many area candidates including Betty Hearnes of Charleston, the Democratic candidate for state senator in the 27th District.

Several candidates' wives were also on hand, including Pat Wilson, wife of Sen. Roger Wilson, the candidate for lieutenant governor; Georgeann Nixon, the wife of Sen. Jay Nixon, running for attorney general; Lori Holden, wife of Bob Holden, the nominee for treasurer; and Ruby Bullock, wife of Democratic congressional candidate Thad Bullock.

About a dozen people were scattered around the crowd with signs and posters supporting Bush-Quayle. There were also some posters that made reference to Tipper Gore's past efforts to call to the attention of parents rock music lyrics that are obscene.