Bill Clinton: “Well, let me say, I don't believe that I can contribute to the public interest by getting into what I think has already…”

“Well, let me say, I don't believe that I can contribute to the public interest by getting into what I think has already been an example of what's wrong with Washington, not what's right with it. What I wanted to say is that we need to put this hearing process in a proper context. Hearings need to be scheduled properly, matters need to be resolved. When questions are asked, everybody involved needs to be able to believe and see and sense that they're being asked in good faith and not simply for the purpose of trying to undermine someone or delay a process forever. That's what I think needs to be done. But I don't want to contribute to the difficulties of this particular moment, and neither does Tony Lake. And personal recriminations are not important here. The public's interest is all that matters. And we are not serving the public interest here when we waste our energies on trying to undermine each other. That's the point I--we're not doing that. That does not serve the public interest. And all of us are up here to do that and only that. So we can have these honest disagreements in a proper context without doing it. And nearly everybody I know understands where the balance is and knows when it's gone too far. Helsinki Summit”