The Public Record
Bill Jefferson Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from January 20, 1993, to January 20, 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously held the position of Governor of Arkansas from 1983 to 1992. During his presidency, Clinton focused on several key policies, including welfare reform, economic growth, and healthcare reform. His administration is noted for achieving a budget surplus and for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Well, I haven't been there, but Ann Richards is supported in her job by over 60 percent of the people. So if they support the work she's done for Texas, you would think they would renew her contract. Mr. King. Were you asked to go there at…
No. It's part of Dee Dee's counseling to me. [Laughter] She won't let me do it--no, we don't do that much anymore. Midterm Elections Mr. King. We're under a minute. Virginia, Senate.
George Foreman I like, because I identify with him. He's not as young as he used to be, not as fast as he used to be, not as thin as he used to be. He's still got a terrific punch. I'd like to think that there are a lot of us who could…
I think Presidents should always be slightly evasive on personnel questions unless there's some great policy issue involved. Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mr. King. George Foreman. Comment.
She's doing a good job, and she's going to stay as long as we decide she's going to stay, she and I together. Mr. King. First time the whole night you've been a little----
She looks pretty good, doesn't she? Mr. King. There was rumors that she was going to be leaving that post, and she seemed to have strengthened it. Is she here?
He's done a good job, and as far as I'm concerned, he's the Secretary of State. Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers Mr. King. Dee Dee Myers is sitting here, looks very strong, very active.
----in his own words. And it was vintage Ronald Reagan. I think it will help to focus attention on Alzheimer's. I personally appreciated it, because I lost both an uncle and an aunt to Alzheimer's. And so I think it's one more thing that…
First of all, I think he was very right to do it. I think it was a brave thing to do. And he sat down and wrote the letter himself---- Mr. King. I know.
Yes, he just said once, he said, ``I forgot.'' He said, ``I lost my memory on that, and it really makes me mad.'' Mr. King. Did you then think that this might have been Alzheimer's, a common thing to think in people over 80? Did you think…
I did. Mr. King. ----spoken to him awhile back and that he, in the middle of a sentence, got angry that he had forgotten what he had been talking about.
No. I think with a strict limit on contributions, there's no possibility of any conflict of interest there. And, you know, I have the lowest net worth, I guess, of any person to be President in a very long time. And all these things…
No, not once, but several times. [The stations took a commercial break.] President's Legal Defense Fund Mr. King. We're back with President Bill Clinton, touching a lot of bases. The legal defense fund, are there any second thoughts about…
It's his money, but it shows you why we need some sort of campaign finance reform. No Senator in my lifetime has gotten as much done in as short a period of time as Dianne Feinstein. And those three things may not be popular everywhere…
It's where she got caught up in the process of--the lobbying of the Congress process. She wants to be a spokesperson for health care, for solving a problem, not the person who has to manage the process in Congress. And I don't think she…
No, I think she liked it, but she didn't want to be in a position where that's all she would do. And that's the only issue she could be involved in, and she didn't want to be in a position where--she got caught up---- Mr. King. She became…
But the--what we were saying is that she wouldn't have primary responsibility for actually deciding what move next to make in Congress and lobbying that. That's not a good thing for the First Lady to have to do and not anything she signed…
She took the ball, but what she did was to put hundreds and hundreds of people together to go out and consult all the Members of Congress, to run a 2-day seminar on health care for Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and to try to get…
For one thing, there's no process to manage now. She never did--she never signed on to, agreed to, or was willing to manage the congressional process. What she did---- Mr. King. She took the ball, though.
No. But she was never hired. She was a volunteer. Mr. King. I know, but critics are saying--what happened in that change?
Well, my comment is, if we were all that disorganized, how do we have the third most successful record in success with Congress, one of only three with over 80 percent of our initiatives passing, including major advances in bringing the…
I am optimistic. Administration Accomplishments Mr. King. Reports in recent books of disorganization in the Presidency, 2 years of unwieldiness, I'm sure you've heard about this, if you haven't read the books. Comment?
It depends on what they do. It depends on what they do. If they want to work with me, then we will work together. I do believe that we're going to--that the people who gum up the works need to be held more accountable. Mr. King. You're…
There is--well, whether the Democrats or the Republicans are in the majority, a minority can frustrate the will of the majority just with the filibuster in the Senate, if for nothing else, which killed the campaign finance reform, lobby…
No. For one thing, I don't believe we're going to lose the Congress if the American people know what has been done. Mr. King. So you'll have no Congress to knock in '96.
Politicians like Bill Clinton
