Session: 123456789101112131415161718         Page 374375376378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413 of 617

hold in high regard the middle class values. They were inculcated in me by my family, and I really think that they're the very best. I think that Bella is a radical, and I suspect that she would have no hesitation, except when she's running for the Senate in a conservative area, to accept that designation. I do not support radicalism, and I don't think it is good for the country, and I don't think it effectuates what we want, which is to remove the inequities without destroying the system. Having myself come out of poverty, I respect what we do in this country that permits you to come out of poverty and reward those with incentive, and at the same time I recognize that we don't do enough for those who will never come out of poverty, who either have not been given the skills or themselves are not able to do it given the opportunity. But we have to admit we don't give the opportunities that should be given to everyone, and I want to change that.

I first met Bella Abzug in about 1968. I'd never heard of her before that. But in 1968, when I was trying to get the nomination, she had formed something called the 17th Peace Action Committee, and in that group were basically the Women's Strike for Peace group (she's one of the major people in that, and I can tell you a little story about them that's kind of amusing -- I'll do that a little bit later), and they were interviewing people, and I went to see them, and I remember