Bill Clinton: “Thank you. Thank you very much. What we heard tonight at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue was the sound of gridlock…”

“Thank you. Thank you very much. What we heard tonight at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue was the sound of gridlock breaking. It was the sound of progress and change which can now resound throughout every corner of our great and beloved Nation. I want to thank the United States Senators who voted for change tonight, especially the Senate majority leader, George Mitchell, for his untiring efforts, and all the others who worked so hard for so long to see this night come about. I want to thank the Vice President for his unwavering contribution to the landslide. I thank the economic team who worked so hard on this from last November: Leon Panetta, who is here; Secretary Bentsen; Mr. Rubin; and all the people who work with them. I thank Mr. McLarty and all the members of the White House staff. I thank Mr. Altman and the war room for the work they did in the last several weeks. I thank especially Howard Paster and Steve Ricchetti and all those who worked for us in the Senate. I hope that they will get some well-deserved rest. After 12 long years, we can say to the American people tonight we have laid the foundation for the renewal of the American dream. The days of endless gridlock, rising deficits, and trickle-down economics are over. The days of economic growth and real opportunity for the working families of this country have begun. This was not easy, but real change is never easy. It is always difficult.…”