
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 1, 1995                   TAG: 9503010090
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MARYVILLE, TENN.                                LENGTH: Medium

'96 FIELD EXPANDS AGAIN

Pitching himself as a Washington outsider with small-town values, Republican Lamar Alexander declared his presidential candidacy Tuesday with a pledge to radically shrink and humble Washington's ``arrogant empire.''

The former Tennessee governor said he was the only GOP candidate with experience as a chief executive, and was the Republican most committed to a dramatic shift of power from the federal government to states and communities.

``In every neighborhood in America, the government in Washington is stepping on the promise of American life,'' Alexander said. ``The greatest danger Republicans have is this: Now that we have captured Washington, we must not let Washington capture us.''

Alexander never mentioned President Clinton by name and his only direct criticism of the Democratic incumbent was to say that his foreign policy was unfocused. But Alexander said voters in 1994 had recognized the nation was on the wrong track and had elected a Republican Congress to set it straight.

``We need a new Republican president to help that Congress turn the country around,'' Alexander said. ``We need a president who is part of the people's revolution.''

To that end, Alexander said he would shift more than $200 billion in programs from Washington to the states, abolishing the Education Department he headed under President Bush and giving states control over welfare, most job training and Medicaid. He also pledged to support political term limits, a cut in the capital gains tax, and equal opportunity but not special privileges for minorities.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB