Bill Clinton: “Good evening. Tonight I want to report to you on the progress we've made and to ask for your help on our Nation's most…”

“Good evening. Tonight I want to report to you on the progress we've made and to ask for your help on our Nation's most urgent priority, reviving the American dream by restoring the American economy. It's been at least 30 years since a President has asked Americans to take personal responsibility for our country's future. It's been 25 years since our Government had a balanced budget. For at least 20 years, middle class incomes have been nearly stagnant, with too many Americans working nights, weekends, and holidays just to make ends meet. For at least 10 years costs in our health care system have ex- ploded while millions of Americans go to bed each night worrying that if they lose their jobs or their children get sick, their health insurance will be taken away. And for the last several years our economy has failed to generate jobs, good jobs that pay enough to own a home, buy a car, pay the bills, educate your children, and retire with dignity. For too long, our Government has failed to tackle these problems. We've been given the politics of entitlement, Government handouts without asking anything in return. And we've been given the politics of abandonment, cutting taxes on the well-off and asking nothing of them in return either, while raising taxes on the middle class to pay more for the same Government, instead of investing in our jobs and our future.…”