Bill Clinton: “Thank you very much. Maxine, you have neither been a fair-weather nor a faint-hearted friend. [Laughter] And you have…”

“Thank you very much. Maxine, you have neither been a fair-weather nor a faint-hearted friend. [Laughter] And you have always let me know exactly what you think, whether I wanted to hear it or not--[laughter]-- in good times and bad. And I thank you. I thank all of you for coming. Sidney, thank you for being here and for the service you've rendered our country as an Ambassador. I thank the Members of the Democratic congressional caucus who are here: Congressman Ford; Congressman Frost, the head of the DCCC; Congressman Hoyer; Congresswoman Lee; Congressman Rush; and Congressman Lewis, who, like Maxine, started out with me in 1991; and Congressman Stokes, we're going to miss you, and we thank you for your service. I would like to thank two former members of your group who are here, also my longtime friends, Harold Ford, Sr., and Andrew Young. Thank you both for being here tonight. I also note your high degree of judgment, about how the Federal Government works, in bringing Secretary Slater. You probably know he got the first budget out this year. He has all the money. [Laughter] He may have the only money in the Federal Government. He's doing a wonderful job, and I thank you for bringing him tonight. Let me say very briefly, we've already had a chance to visit individually and in groups. More than anything else, I would like to thank you.…”