DOLE VISITS B-2 PLANT.Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole visited the Northrop-Grumman defense plant Friday, promising workers that he'd seek purchase of 20 of the company's stealth bombers if he's elected. Dole, with his nomination virtually assured, was at the start of a three-day swing through California in advance of Tuesday's primary. "I believe I understand the importance of a strong military. I believe I understand the dangers of an uncertain world," Dole told Northrop-Grumman Corp. workers as he reminded them of his World War II background. "I think as Ronald Reagan does when it comes to defense," Dole said. "Full speed ahead and peace through strength." The purchase of 20 stealth bombers, which Dole said he would push, would double the nation's fleet of B-2s. Earlier this week, Clinton said he would seek to upgrade a stealth aircraft now used as a test plane - at a cost of $493 million - to bring the nation's fleet of the planes to 21. Original plans had called for ordering 175 of the planes, but that number was reduced to 20 by former President George Bush with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley , where the B-2 bombers are assembled and where recession has caused high unemployment and record home foreclosures, civic leaders said that adding 20 more planes as Dole wants would be a tremendous boost to the local economy. "There's no question it would be a tremendous shot in the arm locally," said Al Kurki, president of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade and president of Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster, California, USA. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of 1,945 square miles covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern counties. . About 3,000 workers are assembling B-2 bombers at Palmdale's Air Force Plant 42 in a production run scheduled to end in 1999. With 20 more airplanes, Kurki said, "You're talking employment for several more years. With the economy just turning around, it would have a far-reaching impact." During his campaign stop at Northrop-Grumman, Dole also criticized the $120 million in defense cuts made by the Clinton administration Noun 1. Clinton administration - the executive under President Clinton executive - persons who administer the law following the end of the Cold War - reductions that he said cost California 125,000 jobs over the last four years. Friday afternoon, Dole traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border, where he criticized Clinton for vetoing two measures he introduced to increase border patrols and reimburse re·im·burse tr.v. re·im·bursed, re·im·burs·ing, re·im·burs·es 1. To repay (money spent); refund. 2. To pay back or compensate (another party) for money spent or losses incurred. states for the cost of imprisoning 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) . Clinton has said he supports efforts to beef up border patrols, and points to the successes of Operation Gatekeeper Operation Gatekeeper was a Clinton-era security operation on the United States–Mexico border near San Diego, California. According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the goal of Gatekeeper was "to restore integrity and safety to the nation's busiest border. , a federal program that intensified efforts against attempts by illegal immigrants to enter the country. Dole, who is scheduled to go to the Central Valley and San Quentin San Quentin (săn kwĕn`tən), peninsula extending into San Francisco Bay, W Calif., N of San Francisco. The state prison there was begun in 1852. San Quentin is the western terminus of the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge. today and to return to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, on Sunday, ignored his sole serious challenger in Tuesday's primary, television commentator Pat Buchanan  This article may be too long.Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series. . Dole has a wide lead over Buchanan in independent state polls. Dole said he will not ignore California during the fall campaign and will fight to win the state's 54 electoral votes. "I will be here at least 19 more times before November," Dole said. CAPTION(S): PHOTO Photo Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole waves to Northrop-Grumman aerospace workers during a rally Friday. Myung J. Chun/Daily News |
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