Bauer Brings
Campaign to Louisiana
09:30 PM ET 12/07/99
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Presidential
hopeful Gary Bauer campaigned in Lousiana Tuesday at the start
of a three-day swing through a state he hopes will give his
campaign an early boost in the election process.
Texas Gov. George W. Bush, Sen. John McCain
of Arizona and Steve Forbes have dropped out as contenders for
the Republican presidential primary caucus in the state on
Jan. 15, but Bauer is meeting and greeting as many people as
possible. Bauer said after a guest appearance on a local radio
station that if he does well it will be because of his
conservative message.
``I think it'll be because this a
conservative, traditional, pro-life, pro-family type of state,
and that's my message,'' he said. ``This state loved Ronald
Reagan. I'm a Reagan Republican and I think they're going to
love me.''
Bauer fielded questions about tax plans from
phone in callers after a day of campaigning in St. Martinville,
Thibodaux, New Iberia and Hammond.
On the radio show, he said he hoped average
Americans will look at his qualifications and that of leading
conservative opponents. Forbes is a magazine editor with
little political experience, Bauer said, adding that Reform
Party candidate Pat Buchanan has never been elected to office.
He also said afterward that his performance
in the debates was positive and that he was satisfied.
``I was able to confront Gov. Bush directly
on what I think is a very bad China policy,'' he said. ``I was
able to take on Steve Forbes on whether he's trying to phase
out Social Security. I think he is. I think he ought to be
honest about that and take the political consequences of it.''
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