Bill Clinton: “No. It may be hard for you, but I don't think it's hard for people. I'm not ashamed of the fact that I did the best I…”

“No. It may be hard for you, but I don't think it's hard for people. I'm not ashamed of the fact that I did the best I could within the present system. I knew we would be outspent badly in 1996, but we weren't outspent as badly as we would have been if I had laid around and done nothing. I'd like to ask you to go back and review what the reports were that you gave the American people in '95 and '96 about what the Republican majority in Congress was telling people when they raised money from them, things that I was never accused of saying. I never told anyone they had to contribute to me in order to do business with the White House. I never asked anybody not to do anything with the other side. And we didn't raise nearly as much as they did, from any category, but we were able to continue to fight against what I thought was bad for the country and to fight for what was good for the country. That's why, in this balanced budget amendment, we've got provisions that will insure 5 million children who don't have health insurance, and open the doors of college to all. That wouldn't have happened if the election had turned out the other way. And I'm not sorry that I did what was available under the existing system. But I have always been for changing the system. I'm just not for unilateral disarmament. And I expect that Mr. Ickes will go forward and answer the questions and do a good job today. That's what I expect him to do. Campaign Finance Reform”