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~ ~ w —Rosalynn tells area newsof hostage breakthroughMIKEFUOCO First Lady Rosalynn Carter yesterday brought her husband s re-election cam paign to Monessen as part of a whirlwind bus tour of the tn-state area and unexpectedly provided those in at* tenda nee with som e i nside nformation concerning theAmerican hostages in Iran while promoting Jimmy Carter's experience, stability and concern The First Lady arrived in Monessen about 5pm an hour Jater than scheduled, shook hands on Schoonmaker Ave where several hundred people had waned for more than an hour and entered the Firemen s Social Hall in the city’s Eastgate section Once inside Mrs Carter was warmly greeted by a crowd estimated at between 300 and 400 and then disappeared Upon her return to the main section of the hall and follow ing an introduction by state House Minority Whip James A Mandenno of Monessen, the First Lady apologized for being late and shocked the largely female audience by informing them she had just spoken by phone to President Carter in the White House ‘ Jimmy is going to say something very soon about the hostage situation but he said not to be too hopeful,'1 Mrs Carter revealed less than hour before the Presi dent did just that “He said just to bepauent and in much prayer for him and the hostages Our policy from the beginning hp«= In nrrtlfrt the honor and integrity of our country and the lives and safety of the hostages and the date of the election wilt not be a factor m carrying out this policy 11 Nearly two hours later , at a press conference in the basement of Washington and Jef* fenon College's old gym* nasium, where she traveled from Monessen. Mr* Carter elaborated when questioned by The Valley Indejwident “I don’t know what he is going to say,” Mrs Carter responded “He also said not to be too hopeful i ve been hopeful before and my hope* have been dashed ”Mrs Carter further commented that political criticism of the President for a possible October surprise** is unfounded •That i* our policy and he would nev^r change it for the election He would never do anything to embarrais our cmmtiv?' she remarked *Tthink the American people know that They trust Jimmy CarterShe added that “i’m sure when we see the conditions and how we respond ’ Americans will agree with Ihe President’s actionIn Monessen Mrs Carter noted that her husband carried Westmoreland County with 55 percent of the vole in 1976 ana rhetorically asked if * can we make it bigger this year'?,, Applause and cheers were the responseThis s a critical election,” Ihe First Lady commented in a soothing voice tinged with a Southern accent The new leaders of the Republican Party are out side the mainstream of the Republican Party The Republicans have departed radically from Ihe policies of their predecessorsWe cannot afford to let them lead our country We must elect Democrats from the local level up to Ihe top and I’m sure if we do thatJimmmy Carter will be re elected, she said to the cheers of the crow dIn keeping with the Democratic strategy of promoting the sharp contrasts between the President and Republican challenger, Mrs Carter said the recent debate in Cleveland showed the “choice is clear We must have a president who is a president of peace and Jim my Carter is a president of peace He has shown his ability to deal with international crisesShe commented that America needs a President who is courageous and who is able to deal with all problems and lauded the country’s first energy policy “which will use Pennsylvania coal (as well as) oil, gas, sunlight and will provide hundreds of thousands of jobs ,**The economy is beginning lo stabilize, the First Lady said, because of strong measures taken by ihe Presi dent“Things are turning up Things are going to be better,” she predicted Mrs Carter then said she had learned on her way to Monessen from the Latrobe Airport about Wheeling* Pittsburgh Steel Corp s new rail mill in Monessen and its federal loan guarantees “I'm proud of the Presi dent, (Labor) Secretary (Ray) Marshall Rep Mandenoo and local officials for this new industry which will help make life better in this area,” said the First Lady “This is one of ihe things the President is doing because he cares about the people of this county and is concerned ”Mrs Carter said her hus band “works day and mghl and for next year will in troduce a “prudent and responsible tax cut which will help our people and stabilize our economy “Mrs Carter, as has her husband,tSee Rosalynn. Page 17)Inside look at rigorsof campaign travelingAir Force One it wasn't, but The Rosalynn Carter Caravan” still provided an in* teres ting — albeit bnef — look at the inside workings and ngor* of a political cam nonrnMembers of Mrs Carter’s advance team, who arrived in the mid Mon Valley area ear ly lasl week to plan for ye5ierday's campaign stops in Monessen and Washington, invited The Valley Independent lo travel with Mrs Carter on her chartered bus Although not guaranteed, K was indicated a personal in lervtew with the First Lady might be possible during the tripNaturally, The Valley Independent acceptedMeanwhile, Secret Service agents began prelim mar* security checks m Monessen, meeting with local officials and examining the area surrounding the Monessen Firemen's Social Center where Mrx Carter was lo speakYesterday, agents began their final “security sweep’ early in the afternoon as a crowd began to amass in the parking lot of the hall m thecity's Eastgate section Since it is a wefl-fcnown maxim that political campaigns, for some mysterious reason never nan according to schedule, apparently few believed Mrs Carter actually v.E-Id tr; 2*scheduielt;f time of 4 p m as only about 75 persons were present then Layman observers also said Uie size of the crowd initially was kept down by Sunday football games on television Still, a large crowd began to amass outside the hall, which was kept tightly closed by Secret Service agents until about 4 40 p m While the crowd was anx* lously awaiting Mrs Carter’s arrival m Monessen, she and her entourage were rust arriving bv presidential jet at Westmoreland County Air port at Latrobe Finally, Mrs Carter arrived in a large bus bedecked with Carter-Mondale signs and a large painted sign designating “Toe Rosalyrwi Carter Caravan ”Attired in a chic, fawn-colored herringbone suit with a green pnnt blouse. Mrs Carter appeared even more(fnhiM Irion nr l#Uin«NinShe smiled graciously, shook hands and proceeded inside the hall where she delivered an addressAs the end of the program neared, members of the press rushed outside to Schoon-rr»ukr V/c ’Akerc the hus was parked Secret Service agents, cooly professional, scanned the crowdMrs Carter emerged to the delight of those who stood waiting She walked over to the crowd and talked to the happy individuals while shak mg their hands The First Lady then posed for pictures, among the thousands shot that day with county, city and statAffictals and agreed to a-television interview by the three major Pittsburgh stationsI checked several limes with Mr* Carter’s staff lo he sure our arrangements werre secure Finally, I was introduced to a Secret Service agent, who was told only a few other member* of the press would be riding on the VIP bus, and was asked to boardInside, Alex Debrecxem, state Democratic chairman.(See Leek, Page l?
Newspaper Details
Monessen Valley Independent
Monessen, Pennsylvania, US
Mon, Nov 03, 1980
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
State L.
PA, USA 16 Oct 2023
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Monessen Valley Independent
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