For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 6, 2001
Remarks by the President and Mayor Richard Daley in Photo Opportunity
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Chicago, Illinois
1:45 P.M. CST
Q Why don't you tell us
what's on the conversation table.
MAYOR DALEY: -- a wonderful book on
Chicago, the great past, present and future of this city. So
I'm very honored and pleased to be here at luncheon with the
President.
THE PRESIDENT: I just got a lesson
in Chicago politics -- (laughter.)
Q What is that lesson,
Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: -- for the second
time in six months. (Laughter.)
MAYOR DALEY: I told him we both
have great brothers. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: That if you run for
President, make sure you get the Mayor on your
side. (Laughter.)
I respect Mayor Daley. I don't know
if you remember, but every time I came to Illinois I always made a
point of saying that I wish the Mayor were on my side, because he'll
make a huge difference for people he backs. More
importantly, he's made a huge difference for the people of this
city. He's one of the nation's really good mayors.
We had a long-ranging discussion, and I came
just to introduce myself so he got to know me. And he now
knows he can pick up the phone and call the White House anytime he
needs to.
Q Can you give us a bit
of insight into what you all talked about?
THE PRESIDENT: We talked about just
about everything. We talked politics, of course, and we
talked about issues that face Chicago. He gave me a lot of
good advice -- want to pay attention to the big-city mayors. And I
told him we've got a lot in common; we're both problem solvers, the
kind of people that when we identify a problem, we try to work hard to
solve it. And that's what the Mayor's reputation has
been. I also thanked him for the good work he's done on
education reform here in Chicago.
Q How about selling him
on the budget and tax cuts?
THE PRESIDENT: We didn't spend a
lot of time on the budget. I'm going to spend a little more
time downstairs on the budget. The Mayor gave me some
interesting advice on tax relief that -- as you know, he made -- well,
he can speak for himself, but he talked about the Earned Income Tax
Credit and the need for the good citizens of this city who are eligible
for the EITC to go out and find it.
Q How's the Vice
President?
THE PRESIDENT: I haven't talked to
him. I talked to him late yesterday afternoon. He
sounded great. He told me he'd be back the work soon.
Q Should he cut back on
workload?
THE PRESIDENT: No, he shouldn't.
Q Why
not? Is the job --
THE PRESIDENT: Well, because he's
needed. This country needs his wisdom and
judgment. And he's the kind of man who listens carefully to
his body, and he is not going to put himself in a position where he
gets very sick. Anytime there's any doubt as to whether or
not he needs to see a doctor, he'll see a doctor. And he's
plenty strong and plenty capable of carrying the workload that he's
been working in the past.
Keep in mind, I'm not his
doctor. It's going to be up to his doctor and his wife and
his family to make the decision. But I don't think he needs
to cut back on his work.
Q What advice did you
offer --
Q -- job of Vice
President, with all it currently entails, too stressful for him?
THE PRESIDENT: Not at all.
Ann, good to see you.
MS. COMPTON: I was born here.
END
1:50
P.M. CST
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