Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 25, 1995 TAG: 9502270058
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST note: above
DATELINE: COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS LENGTH: Medium
``I'm running for president because I believe that if we don't change the policy of our government, if we don't change it soon, if we don't change it dramatically, in 20 years, we're not going to be living in the same country that we grew up in,'' Gramm told cheering supporters at Texas A&M University.
Gramm, who began his political career as a Democrat and switched parties in 1983, became the first Republican to formally launch his campaign.
The Republican Party, Gramm said, is ``one victory away'' from truly setting the country on a conservative course. He said the defeat of President Clinton in 1996 would complete a political revolution begun in November. He said, ``Unlike the current occupant of the White House, I know who I am and I know what I believe.''
Although Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., leads in polls, Gramm has shaped the early race with a relentless concentration on money. Thursday night in Dallas, he raised $4.1 million, the most ever by a candidate for federal office at a single event.
``I have the most reliable friend you can have in American politics,'' Gramm told the 2,500 people at the dinner, ``and that is ready money.''
For his formal announcement, Gramm returned to the campus where he taught economics before entering politics.
Gramm, who made his reputation in the House and Senate as an opponent of government spending and a proponent of lower taxes, said he would balance the budget as a family or business does, by setting priorities and saying no.
``I will make balancing the budget my first priority and I will not run for re-election unless I get the job done,'' he said.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB