U.S. Assets Lie in People, GOP Speech Stresses

WASHINGTON —  Republican Gov. Mike Leavitt of Utah, delivering his party’s weekly address to the nation, said Saturday that the United States enters the new year strong at the grass-roots level, despite a looming impeachment trial.

In the Republican radio response to a similar address by President Clinton, Leavitt said that, while Washington remains in a “highly charged political climate,” Americans should look closer to home to solve their problems.

“It is a basic Republican principle that strength does not flow from government to the people. It flows from the people to the government,” he said.

Leavitt stressed what Republicans are doing on a local level, including the economy and education, two issues the Democrats used to good advantage in the last election.

“Republican governors are cutting taxes, reforming welfare, improving schools, fighting crime, caring for the environment and bolstering state economies,” he said.

“We’re doing it every day, along with legislators, county commissioners, mayors and school boards across the nation.”

Next year, there will be 31 Republican governors, including most of the biggest states outside of California, so Leavitt emphasized what was going on at local levels, rather than Clinton’s impeachment problems.

“We cannot forget how far we’ve come, or how far we still want to go--even if we are preoccupied by the historic struggle in the capital,” Leavitt said.

“The events in Washington do not define us. And what does not defeat us will inevitably make us stronger.”