FLINT, Mich. -- Ronald Reagan, 'in Flint to hold the administration flatly responsible' for the state of the economy, said Wednesday President Carter has 'elevated the alibi to an art form.'
Reagan trod the well-worn campaign paths of the industrial Great Lakes region all day, with several appearances in Ohio, which has 25 electoral votes that are leaning his way, and Michigan, with 21 votes rated too close to call.
Flint, whose jobless rate is almost 21 percent, has been the unemployment symbol of Campaign '80. Actually, the unemployment rate is down about 4 percent in recent months, although it still has the nation's highest.
In his speech and in impromptu airport remarks, Reagan said he opposes a tax on gas-guzzling cars, saying the surcharge for low mileage vehicles is a 'punitive' function of taxation.
He came to Flint, the Republican presidential candidate, 'to hold the Carter administration flatly responsible for the dismal state of today's economy.'
The only people better off under Carter, he gibed, 'are the creative individuals in charge of writing press releases for the Carter-Mondale campaign effort.'
'They've got to be the busiest people in the country. There's a good reason for that. The Carter economic record is one only a mother could love,' Reagan said. 'He has elevated the alibi to an art form.'
Responding to a speech by Carter the day before, Reagan told a cheering crowd of about 5,000 in Lima, Ohio's town square, 'It is critical that we make this election campaign a referendum on the economic failures of the Carter years.'
Reagan said he would revive the U.S. Export-Import Bank's foreign sales program to help sell more American cars abroad by 'breaking some new ground in financing techniques and changing some traditional trade practices.'
He did not give details. He also called for a 'rollback of unnecessary regulation that makes cars more expensive without doing much to make them safer or better.'
Quoting from Carter's speech Tuesday saying inflation was caused primarily by 'the failure to raise adequate revenues at a time of greatly increased public spending,' Reagan said:
'Mr. Carter blames inflation on the fact that he didn't tax the American people enough ... 'We now know what Mr. Carter plans to do with four more years. Catch your breath, hold on to your hat and grab your wallets because Jimmy Carter's analysis means that his answer is higher taxes.'
Calling Carter's speech 'economic nonsense,' Reagan said the president is not going to lead America into 'an economic renaissance as he promises. He's going to continue to take us into the economic dark ages.'
In an interview with ABC television broadcast later, Reagan defended his economic plan against Carter's criticisms.
'A few days ago I said that the president had 'jimmied' some figures to make his record look better. Now he's jimmied my figures, and I think that's going too far,' Reagan said.
'Nothing of what he says is true at all. As a matter of fact, by 1983, my program can bring about a balanced budget and begin to bring in surpluses so that we can have additional tax cuts beyond those we have already suggested.'
Carter said Tuesday that Reagan's proposal to cut taxes, increase defense spending and protect social programs would eliminate just about everything other federal program and that Reagan's tax cut plan would fuel inflation.
Reagan also spaoke to a colorful rally inside a hangar at the Akron-Canton Airport with a 30-foot by 50-foot American flag suspended from the ceiling. Red, white and blue balloons dropped to the floor when he finished.
About 4,000 people cheered enthusiastically, and about 75 mostly union demonstrators booed when Reagan called them 'my fellow union members.' Reagan is a former president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Reagan got his biggest applause when he promised a stronger military. 'I will increase spending to rebuild our national defense to the point where we can keep the peace because no other nation will do it,' he said.
But pickets holding signs such as 'Labor Against Reagan,' 'Women Against Reagan' and 'Blacks Against Reagan' met the candidate when the plane landed, and jeered and chanted feminist slogans when he walk past.
Reagan gave the thumbs-up sign and a clinched fist overhead salute to the larger group of his supporters.
