Bill Clinton: “Thank you so much. I will be very brief tonight. For one thing, you need to know that I have to be brief tonight because…”

“Thank you so much. I will be very brief tonight. For one thing, you need to know that I have to be brief tonight because if we're not out of here, with all the pictures taken, by 11:30, we kick into overtime-- [laughter]--and we dilute the impact of your contributions in November. [Laughter] And I don't want to do that. But I do want to say to Peter, to Tom, to the incredible cast and the musicians, I found myself looking back and forth--I have a cricked neck from looking at these two percussionists here who were so magnificent tonight. Thank you very much. And I just want to thank you all for giving us a night we'll never forget in this magnificent theater. I also want to thank all of you for being here, for being here for Hillary and me and Al and Tipper, for what we have done for the last 6 years and what we can do in the next 2 and what we should do in November. This is a very, very important time. The stakes are high; the issues are clear. I knew Al Gore was going to stand up here and say that Scar was the embodiment of the other guys. [Laughter] That's what happens when you think you can destroy the environment while you grow the economy. I knew he was thinking that. I knew he was thinking that. Hillary said the same thing. Hillary said, ``That's what happens if those Republicans that have the House get the whole thing. Look at that.'' [Laughter] Well, we do believe in the balance of forces and the balance of people and in bringing everybody into our big tent.…”