DOLE BLITZES STATE'S FARMING HEARTLAND.Byline: Joe Bigham Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole toured the San Joaquin Valley Noun 1. San Joaquin Valley - a vast valley in central California known for its rich farmland Calif., California, Golden State, CA - a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes on Saturday in a ``Rally the Valley'' blitz through California's agricultural heartland. He touched on several farm themes interspersed with criticisms of President Clinton, comments on major Republican positions and quips meant to amuse a·muse tr.v. a·mused, a·mus·ing, a·mus·es 1. To occupy in an agreeable, pleasing, or entertaining fashion. 2. his partisan GOP audience and give more digs at his Democratic foe. Dole began the ``Rally the Valley'' at a Visalia park before heading north by bus for stops at Selma, Fresno, Merced, Modesto and Stockton. Dole charged that Clinton has ``hurt California farms and businesses from San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. to the Oregon border. Unemployment in California is more than one-third higher than the national average. Most communities in the Central Valley are in double digits Double Digits was a pricing game on the American television game show, The Price Is Right. Played from April 20, 1973 through May 18, 1973's show, it was played for a car and used small prizes. .'' He also promised to push for reforms in the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act, which farmers feel hurt their water rights in an effort to enhance salmon flows. He accused Clinton of a political delay on this issue. ``I am ready to go to work to make some changes,'' Dole said. ``He's stalling until after the election. Don't trust him.'' Dole criticized Clinton for being reluctant to reimburse the state of California for costs of jailing illegal immigrants illegal immigrant n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa. (See: alien) . ``He ignored this state, above all, in the cost of illegal immigration "Illegal alien" and "Illegal aliens" redirect here. For other uses, see Illegal aliens (disambiguation). Illegal immigration refers to immigration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. ,'' Dole said. ``We pushed and pushed'' and finally got an agreement, he added. But the GOP hopeful then charged that the Democratic administration is rushing through as many naturalizations as possible without normal criminal checks to get new citizens likely to vote Democratic on Nov. 5. ``That's an outrage,'' Dole said, a phrase he used several times after criticizing the president. Dole repeated his themes attacking Clinton's integrity and predicting victory at each stop in the six-city San Joaquin Valley tour. ``President Clinton has this habit of looking you right in the eye and walking right over the facts,'' Dole added at a Stockton rally Saturday evening. ``We want real leadership from a real man in the White House.'' ``This is a big, big state and we're going to surprise Bill Clinton here on November 5.'' Dole added. ``And the word to Perot voters: `We are the Reform Party. A vote for Perot is a vote for Clinton. Don't waste your vote.' '' Dole reiterated his support of Proposition 209 on California's general election ballot. ``There should be no discrimination in America, but there should be no preference and no quotas in America,'' Dole said. Proposition 209 would prohibit racial and gender preferences in public hiring, contracting and education, thus ending many affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. programs. Opponents say it is intended to abolish affirmative action, while supporters say it is intended to eliminate all forms of discrimination. Dole also praised Ann Veneman Ann Margaret Veneman (born June 29, 1949) is currently the Executive Director of UNICEF. She was the first woman and first Californian to become the United States Secretary of Agriculture. , California's secretary of food and agriculture, who was on the stage with him and is a potential secretary of agriculture if Dole is elected president. ``I'm going to be looking to Ann Veneman for a lot of input, somebody with experience,'' Dole said. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Bob Dole, left, reacts to his introduction as former California Gov. George Deukmejian Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. (born July 6, 1928) is an American Republican politician from California, the thirty-fifth Governor of California (1983-1991), and a former California Attorney General (1979-1983). applauds at a campaign rally Saturday in Fresno. Associated Press |
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