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[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 1: From Minnesota Public Radio.

RICH DIETMAN: Good morning, everyone. This is Rich Dietman, along with MPR political correspondent George Bouzy, reporting live from the gallery of the House Chamber at the State Capitol in St. Paul. And here, in just a few moments, former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate, Walter Mondale, is scheduled to make official his choice of a running mate for the 1984 election. Today marks the end of several weeks of interviews with Mondale has conducted with potential running mates at his home in North Oaks, just North of St. Paul.

The interviews have captured the attention of the media, at least because Mondale has spoken with women and minority men, something no other major party candidate has done so far in choosing a vice presidential running mate. Speculation has abounded over who Mondale will choose, and those rumors are about to be officially put to rest. And George, the cat is already out of the bag, as far as we know, in that it is most likely to be Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro from New York.

GEORGE BOUZY: Right. That's what all the speculation is about. And if it's not, there's going to be a lot of embarrassed people in this House Chamber right now because a lot of them have been printing it and broadcasting that. Geraldine Ferraro is one of three women who came to Minnesota to be interviewed by Mondale out of this North Oaks home. She's a three-term Congresswoman from Queens in New York, known as Archie Bunker's Congresswoman. She's 48 years old, Italian-American, Roman Catholic. She's the speaker's candidate. House Speaker Tip O'Neill supports her, as well as New York Governor Mario Cuomo, who took himself out of the running.

RICH DIETMAN: Well, as we sit here in the gallery, we're looking down on many, many reporters and camera crews from around the country. And I would guess, perhaps a few from overseas. Besides that, George, you've been pointing out to me before we went on the air, there are some local politicos here. Martin Sabo, who is, of course, a 5th District DFL Congressman from Minneapolis. Also, the state Supreme Court or most of the justices are here as well.

GEORGE BOUZY: I just see Bruce Vento is over there now too, the fourth district Congressman from St. Paul. Several legislators, members of both the House and Senate, are here, as well as the media. They've crowded into the Chamber here. It's probably more crowded than it was back 17 months ago. This is where Walter Mondale announced his campaign for the presidency. That was no surprise.

RICH DIETMAN: You are going to be covering the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco beginning on Monday, and you will be paying prime attention to the Minnesota delegation there when you arrive. But you've also been covering these visits. There is Joan Mondale just coming in now on the House floor. And the applause is, of course, for her as she waves to the crowd here, at least a few hundred people, some children standing up on the desks of the lawmakers as she takes a seat down front and center. Camera crews, of course, gathering around, snapping photographs and videotaping her entrance here into the House Chamber.

As we were saying that you'll be covering the convention, George, and you've also, perhaps importantly, been covering these visits and interviews that Walter Mondale has been carrying on. Besides Geraldine Ferraro, he has also spoken to at least a few other women. And who were they?

GEORGE BOUZY: There was Dianne Feinstein, who was the mayor of San Francisco, and Martha Layne Collins, the governor of Kentucky. There were three women, two Black males, Tom Bradley, who's mayor of Los Angeles, came out here. He also talked to Wilson Goode, who's the mayor of Philadelphia. That interview took place in Washington, not here in North Oaks. One Hispanic male, Henry Cisneros, who is mayor of San Antonio, Texas, came in. And there was only one white male interviewed, Texas Senator Lloyd Benson.

Ironically, Benson is the man who beat George Bush to get that Senate seat in Texas. And George Bush is, of course, Ronald Reagan's running mate. But Lloyd Benson did not-- apparently did not make the cut this time and will not be on a Mondale ticket.

RICH DIETMAN: We're still waiting for Walter Mondale to come into the House chamber here. A lot of reporters and photographers gathering around Joan Mondale down on the House floor as she has taken her seat. There is a gentleman seated to her left, and I do not recognize him. I can guess that perhaps as he's being interviewed by a few people, that he may be John Zaccaro, who is the husband of Geraldine Ferraro. But that is pure speculation on my part at this point.

GEORGE BOUZY: It looks like him, but you can't tell.

RICH DIETMAN: With this angle. He's sitting with his back to us. I'm sure that he'll be introduced to the assemblage of people here after his wife is introduced by former Vice President Mondale. And we're expecting Mr. Mondale in just a moment or so. We expect that he will address the group here very briefly. And this has been billed as a press conference. And so we expect that he will answer questions by reporters as well. There's an announcement about to be made here to the group.

And it is Geraldine Ferraro, because there is Walter Mondale. And just a step or two behind him is New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro as the two come out and walk up to the podium. And as you can hear, there are many supporters here for Mr. Mondale and Ms. Ferraro. A large round of applause as both of them wave to the crowd here in the House Chambers at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Waves to the gallery where everyone from political representatives to people who just happen to be touring the-- touring the Capitol today and heard something was going on in the House Chamber and stepped in to see what it was all about, and were attracted by the camera lights and, of course, the rumor they might be able to see Mr. Mondale.

GEORGE BOUZY: It looks like it's going to be a long applause here for Mr. Mondale. He's chatting quietly with Geraldine Ferraro. She's very compatible with Mondale. Their stands on issues are very similar. She's a liberal Democrat. She opposes the MX missile. She's pro-choice on abortion. She's an Equal Rights Amendment supporter, Pro-Israel, opposes the draft. The applause seems to be getting louder.

SPEAKER 1: She was until late yesterday in San Francisco, where she was making a number of speeches just prior to the Democratic National Convention, which gets underway, of course, next week. And she held a brief press conference in the evening last night, and some people thought already at that point that she knew that she had been chosen. She wouldn't, of course, confirm it or deny it, but there were some comments that led some reporters even then to think that she had been chosen. And of course, here she is with Walter Mondale. And as the applause dies down, Mr. Mondale will begin to speak.

WALTER MONDALE: A year and a half ago, in this Chamber, I announced my candidacy for president of the United States.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

One week from today, I expect to be nominated for president of the United States.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

And today, I'm delighted to announce that I will ask the Democratic Convention to nominate Geraldine Ferraro of New York to run with me for the White House.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

Did I tell you about my party?

[APPLAUSE]

Please say yes.

[APPLAUSE]

I know what it takes to be a good vice president. I was once one myself. I looked for the best vice president, and I found her in Gerry Ferraro.

[APPLAUSE]

It was a difficult choice at first, but over the last week or so, as I've worked on my acceptance speech, as I prepared our message to the country, the choice became clear. My campaign, my presidency, will honor basic American values and those who embody them.

We must go into the future together as one indivisible community. America is not just for some of us. History speaks to us today. Our founders said, in the Constitution, we, the people, not just the rich or men or white, but all of us. Our message is that America is for everyone who works hard and contributes to our blessed country.

[APPLAUSE]

That's what my choice is about, and that's what Gerry is about. The story of her road from the Ferraro home to this moment is really a story of a classic American dream. She's earned her way here today. Like most Americans, she's worked hard for everything that she's achieved. She has a strong family life, deep religious convictions, and working Americans of average income will find in her a vice president who knows them and who will fight for them.

[APPLAUSE]

She believes in a strong America that sees our adversaries through clear eyes and in an America that uses its strength and its values to keep the peace. Gerry has excelled in everything she's tried, from law school at night to being a tough prosecutor, to winning a difficult election, to winning positions of leadership and respect in the Congress, and to her role as chair of the Democratic platform committee.

As I've worked on my acceptance speech, I've been thinking about our platform because it says something about our party, our country's future, and about Gerry. That platform breaks with the past but abandons nothing that matters. It strikes the right balance between compassion and practicality.

It took a gifted negotiator with an eye on the American people to accomplish that, and Gerry made it look easy. One last point. This is an exciting choice. I want to build a future--

[APPLAUSE]

Let me say that again. This is an exciting choice.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

Geraldine Ferraro and I have one visage-- one vision, one message, and two voices to tell it. Tomorrow we begin our campaign together in Elmore, Minnesota.

[APPLAUSE]

From there to the convention, then to the nation, and then to the White House. Thank you very much.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

Thank you, Gerry. Thank you. Are you ready to give a speech?

RICH DIETMAN: Walter Mondale, having finished his remarks, at least for the time being, and now New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro steps up to the podium, puts her reading glasses on, and looks out over the crowd here at the Capitol.

WALTER MONDALE: [INAUDIBLE] you've got to smile for 15 minutes.

GERALDINE FERRARO: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Vice President Mondale. Vice President. It has such a nice ring to it.

[LAUGHTER]

[APPLAUSE]

I want to thank Fritz Mondale for asking the convention to nominate me as his running mate. This choice says a lot about him, about where the country has come, and about where we want to lead it. Fritz called my road here the classic American dream. He's right. My father came to America from a little town in Italy called Marcianise. Like millions of other immigrants, he loved our country passionately.

But what he loved most about it was that in America, anything is possible if you work for it. I grew up among working people, straightforward, solid Americans trying to make ends meet, trying to bring up their families and leave their country a little bit better off than when they moved here and found it. Those are my values too. I have a strong, loving family. My husband John, and Laura, who are here with me today, and Donna and John Jr. who will be joining us soon.

Our neighborhood and our faith are important parts of our lives, so is our work, in school, in business, and in the Congress. The people of New York, whom I represent, have a big stake in this election. I believe it today, just as I have since 1980. As recently as Monday, I visited two senior centers in my district before I ran out to San Francisco. My people told me they were worried about Social Security, and they're terrified about what might happen to the Medicare system.

I've talked to parents who can't get student loans for their kids, and I know how unemployment has ripped through some of the families in my district, and I know their fears about the future. They love America and support a strong, sensible defense, but they want nothing to do with reckless adventures in Latin America.

[APPLAUSE]

And they want to get some talks going and stop this nuclear arms race before it destroys us all.

[APPLAUSE]

My constituents in Queens are not alone. You know people just like them in Minnesota and throughout our country. They're your neighbors. They are your friends. In fact, I think they're you, and they're the people the Democratic Party has always fought for. In this campaign, I'm going to take our case for a better future to those Americans. I've won their support in Queens because they know I'll fight for them. And I'm eager now to win their support throughout the nation.

When Fritz Mondale asked me to be his running mate, he sent a powerful signal about the direction he wants to lead our country. American history is about doors being opened, doors of opportunity for everyone, no matter who you are, as long as you're willing to earn it. These last few hours--

[APPLAUSE]

These last few hours, I've got to tell you, I've been on the phone talking with friends and supporters around the country. There is an electricity in the air, an excitement, a sense of new possibilities and of pride. My good friend Charlie Rangel, the Congressman from Harlem, said to me, Gerry, my heart is full. So is mine. Fritz Mondale knows that America is really about, and I'm honored to join him in this campaign for the future. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

RICH DIETMAN: New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, who is Walter Mondale's choice as a running mate for vice president as he goes into the Democratic National Convention next week. Now, joining Mr. Mondale and Ms. Ferraro are John Zaccaro, Ms. Ferraro's husband, and Joan Mondale, of course, the wife of the former Vice President. All four of them now being photographed and waving to the crowd here in the House Chamber at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

GEORGE BOUZY: Among the people out in that crowd is Lieutenant Governor Marlene Johnson, Minnesota's first woman Lieutenant Governor. She urged Mondale to pick a woman. She looks very happy.

RICH DIETMAN: And now the Mondale children joining their parents.

GEORGE BOUZY: Ms. Ferraro's daughter, Laura, also up there on the stage.

RICH DIETMAN: We expect that Ms. Ferraro and Mr. Mondale will take some questions from the audience, from the press here, after the applause dies down in just a moment or so.

[APPLAUSE]

GEORGE BOUZY: Still posing for the photographers at this moment.

RICH DIETMAN: Now they've just pushed our microphones down out of the way so that the camera people can get a better shot of them all. So it may be just a moment or two before we hear responses to questions. Well, George Bouzy, among the people in the audience are Jimmy Breslin, we've noted, the correspondent and novelist who's following this campaign and perhaps stands out a bit from some of the other day-to-day journalists, at least in his appearance, with his rumpled coat and mussed up hair.

GEORGE BOUZY: Yeah, I understand he flew out here with John Zaccaro, Ms. Ferraro's husband.

RICH DIETMAN: Well, I'll tell you, we may not-- we may not have a press conference here as advertised because they are leaving the podium even as we speak. Joan Mondale headed for the door, followed by Walter Mondale, who's shaking some hands as he exits. And Ms. Ferraro and her husband, John Zaccaro, are also leaving. So I think that's it, George Bouzy. I think we will not have a press conference, at least at this time. We will probably check with the Mondale people, though, and see if there'll be some sort of a question and answer opportunity in the next hour or so.

Well, from here, as Mr. Mondale said, they trooped down to Elmore, Minnesota, which is just North of the Iowa Minnesota border in extreme South Central Minnesota. And that, of course, will be tomorrow. And that'll be the kickoff of the campaign, George, first time the two of them have campaigned together.

GEORGE BOUZY: Right. Walter Mondale used to be a pea-lice inspector down in Elmore, which is along the Iowa border. And he says he's the only pea-lice inspector ever to run for president of the United States. No one has challenged that.

RICH DIETMAN: And after Elmore, then they're off to Lake Tahoe and then to San Francisco by Sunday for the Democratic Convention.

GEORGE BOUZY: Right. And that-- well, a lot of it be scheduled for prime time. We'll be listening to major speeches from people like Jimmy Carter and others, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson. It'll be a big showpiece and probably an exciting one now that Geraldine Ferraro has been selected. It'll be an excitement in the air there, even though by making the announcement early, he has taken away one of the major announcements that would have been expected at the National Convention.

RICH DIETMAN: Well, just to summarize very, very quickly, Walter Mondale, as he introduced Geraldine Ferraro, alluded to the fact that she is a hard working woman. He pointed out that she put herself through law school at night while working as a teacher during the daytime, that she has become, in his opinion, an outstanding politician from New York. She is also a mother, and those strong values came across in the brief speech that Ms. Ferraro made as well.

She alluded to her Italian heritage, and she mentioned her father specifically as having come to this country some years ago with the hope that if you worked hard, you could achieve something and make it in America. And she says she still believes in those values. Both she and Mondale pointed out that she believes in a strong America. But she pointed out very clearly that she did not believe that, as she called it, reckless adventures in Latin America were called for on the part of this country, and she also called for this country to get involved in nuclear arms talks as well.

George Bouzy, one final note.

GEORGE BOUZY: Yes. I must say that of all the people that I saw interviewed by Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro seemed to be the most political. She noted that the idea is to win elections and counting those votes. And she comes from a big state, one with a lot of votes.

RICH DIETMAN: All right. Well, this concludes our live coverage of a press conference. And indeed, it was more like a speech from Democratic presidential candidate, Walter Mondale, and his newly selected running mate, Geraldine Ferraro, Congresswoman from New York State Technical director for this broadcast has been Tad Gorenflo. With MPR political reporter George Bouzy, this is Rich Dietman, speaking from the House gallery at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.