Bill Clinton: “Raton, Florida October 31, 1997 Thank you very much. You may or may not have already noticed that I don't exactly have…”

“Raton, Florida October 31, 1997 Thank you very much. You may or may not have already noticed that I don't exactly have all my vocal capacities. The good news is you'll get a shorter speech. [Laughter] The bad news is you'll have to listen harder to what does come out. I want to start by thanking John and Peggy for bringing us into their magnificent home and even more for their commitment, which was so powerfully expressed in what John said. You know, I tell people all the time that I have been in public life now almost continuously since 1974. I have been in public office all but 2 years for the last 20 years. Most of the people I've known in politics were good, honest people who worked a lot harder than they had to work and fought for what they believed in and tried to make this country a better place. And I really appreciated what you said about those Members of Congress. Even our friends on the Republican side, when that pitched battle we had over the Contract With America--virtually all of them really believed they were doing the right thing. But I didn't, and Mr. Gephardt didn't, and Mr. Frost didn't, and the other Members of Congress who are here--Congressman Deutsch, Congressman Kennedy, Congressman Baldacci--we didn't. And we won. But you don't work like that, under those kinds of conditions, if you don't feel it.…”