Bill Clinton: “Let me just say that if it's up to me, I will do everything I can to keep it from going on and on. That is, we know you…”

“Let me just say that if it's up to me, I will do everything I can to keep it from going on and on. That is, we know you have now two plans that the Congressional Budget Office has certified. You just have to take my word for it, because we promised not to discuss the negotiations, but we've moved closer together. We are not that far apart on the money. As a percentage of the total monies that will be spent in the categories at issue, we probably are warring over less than 2 percent now. But in terms of the policies and the human impact, the potential is very great in that money that's left. So there are policy differences left. Now, what I'm saying to you is we owe it to the American people to pass a balanced budget deal and to do it now, because we have both identified more than enough savings to do it and to have the tax cut. We should agree on everything we possibly can. Then those things we can't we should defer to the next election. But when the voters vote in the next election they should have no doubt that their budget is going to be balanced and that Medicare and Medicaid and education and the environment are going to be protected; that the country is going to be stronger, that we are moving in the right direction and that here are these two very different sets of views about how we can best meet the challenges of the future. You decide, make your judgment, and you're still in the driver's seat. But meanwhile, we did what we were hired to do and what we said we would do, which is to balance the budget. We have to adjourn, but let me just say this before I quit--where's Charlie Tasnadi? Where are you? Where are you? This is his--after 32 years working for AP, this is his very last Presidential press conference. Thanks for doing a great job. Let's give him a big hand. [Applause] I'm not sure you're old enough to retire, but there are some days when I can understand why you decided to. [Laughter] Thank you, and God bless you.”