Reagan defends ‘bombing’ joke

Press, 6 November 1984, Page 8

Reagan defends ‘bombing’ joke

NZPA-AP Rochester, Minnesota Ronald Reagan, hoping to beat Walter Mondale in all 50 states in tomorrow’s United States election, abruptly detoured his campaign to his Democratic challenger’s home state yesterday. Mr Reagan substantially softened his declaration on Sunday that taxes would be raised “over my dead body.” He also refused to state flatly that he would not engage United States forces in Central America during a second term, saying that snch a statement could encourage “more aggression down there.”

He also brought up an issue that dogged him early in the campaign — a joke about bo mblng the Soviet Union. Mr Mondale, campaigning In Memphis, Tennessee, told his supporters, “don’t despair, don’t give up” In the face of discouraging polls. He called on blacks to vote in record numbers to end what he called the “official cruelty” of the Reagan Administration. Standing in the pulpit of a black Baptist church, he accused Mr Reagan and his aides of adopting heartless policies that contradicted humanitarian American values, while at the same time being willing to use

American military force overseas. “This crowd can hear the faintest drum, but they can’t bear the cry of a hungry child,” Mr Mondale said. “We’ve got more people in poverty than at any time in the last 20 years. I say one thing we can’t afford is to be cruel, uncaring, unkind and vicious. I say it’s official cruelty. “All the progress we made in 16 years (before 1980) has been wiped but in four years.” Mr Reagan said that he could not flatly rule out eliminating deductions for state and local income? taxes. Nor would he rule out

the possibility of taxing unemployment benefits and workers compensation. But he said, “It would have to be proven to me that there is some excuse for doing such a thing.” He explained for the first time why he joked about bombing the Soviet Union. “Actually I meant it as a satirical blast at those trying to paint me as a warmonger?’ he said. Before a radio address in August, Mr Reagan jokingly said, “My fellow Americans. I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”

He believed that “whatever my sin was in making a joke of that kind even though it was Intended in private for a few people I don’t think that was any greater sin than the media in broadcasting it worldwide in such a way that it could create an incident. “Whether it was right or wrong to make it, it was made in the privacy of a room ... and I believed it would not go any further .. . All right, I shouldn’t have said it, but I must further emphasise that the media also shares the responsibility for our national security.”