Bill Clinton

It is. Mr. Rose. Some worry--and Seattle might be an indication that we're looking at the possibility of a great gap between a two-tier system, between the haves and the have-nots of the world, those who get it with technology and those…

I will, and I don't know what I'll say. But probably most of what I'll say will be predictable. I'll be wishing my successor well and talking a little bit about the job and offering to be available if I can ever be of any help. National…

I don't know. It's probably not fair to ask. On balance, I think the two-term tradition has served us well. I'm glad President Roosevelt served the third term, because of the war. But on balance, I think it's served us well. Now, you know…

Well, we are on a heightened state of alert, and we're doing a lot of work on this. But I would say to the American people, they should go on about their business and celebrate the holidays as they would, but they should be aware. You…

That's correct. She told me--when we got elected in '92, I said, ``Okay, ever since we've been married, we've lived where I wanted to live; we've done what I wanted to do. Now, when we get out of here, I've got to go home; I'm going to…

I don't know what the biggest disappointment is. I'm sorry we were not able to have more progress in health care, but we may have some this year. The main thing is I feel this enormous gratitude because I think our country is ending this…

Yes. And we've made--we've done some really good things in health care; we just haven't been able to have universal access. And I finally got--I'm very proud of this--we had 100 percent of my party vote for the McCain-Feingold campaign…

Yes. Mr. King. We'll be back with some more moments with President Clinton from the Cabinet Room in the White House. Don't go away. [At this point, CNN took a commercial break.] President's Legacy Mr. King. We're back with President…

Yes. If someone--if I read a column, like an op-ed column, of someone who says, I think the Clinton administration policy is all wet on this for these reasons, I read that, because Benjamin Franklin said, ``Our critics are our friends…

Never. And the only time I ever see any of these other programs is if I'm channel surfing late at night and I happen to run into them. I watch your program sometimes when you're interviewing somebody I want to hear from. Mr. King. But…

Yes, he said, ``You'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a''--[laughter]---- Mr. King. Do you ever watch ``Larry King Live'' or ``Meet The Press'' or somebody--do you get mad?

Yes. One of the great little stories of my Presidency is Steve Forbes gave me that letter that Truman wrote. Mr. King. Steve Forbes?

Oh, sure. I mean, it's a game. It's a game. I know that. And so it's hard for me to take it seriously. I think that a lot of the things that he has said, he knows downright aren't true, and I feel bad for him because I think you pay a…

Well, first of all, I am very grateful for the overwhelming loyalty that I've enjoyed from people who could have made a lot of money by dumping on me because that's what sells and the kind of media culture they were in. And I have enjoyed…

Yes, unbelievable letters. And letters I got from religious leaders and people that taught philosophy and thought about these things. It was just--and I also had a lot of counseling, a lot of help from these ministers who came in and met…

But here--but also, letters I got from, you know, kids around America. You wouldn't believe the letters I got from---- Mr. King. Really?

I was touched by it beyond belief. Some of the conversations I had with people like Nelson Mandela, I've carried with me all my life. It's just unbelievable. Mr. King. They were there for you?

I'm here. [Laughter] Mr. King. I know. What is it? Some sort of inner thing in you, get up off the floor, the comeback kid approach? Is that part of your structure? Where does that come from?

I think it was leaked from the Independent Counsel's Office. That's the way the story read to me. But---- Mr. King. You don't want----

I do. I think that's a good thing. That's always been my position, that--you've got gay couples that, for example, have been together for years now. One of them--and I'm beginning to think about this, because I'm moving into this age…

----up and choose it. I think that--and I think that my view is that every American that works hard, obeys the law, plays by the rules ought to be treated with dignity and respect and have a part in our American family. That's what I…

I think there are too many people who don't know gay men and lesbian women in the ordinary course of their lives, and they don't see that there are people who--their friends, their sisters, their brothers, their sons, their daughters…

No. I think--I knew there would be a lot of people there. I was surprised the first night at the level of violence. I didn't know that there would be so many, basically, creeps there who would try to---- Mr. King. Who instigated it, you…

No. There would be nothing--if something were to happen to me tonight, he could become President, and there would be nothing he wouldn't know, no person he hadn't met, no issue he hadn't dealt with. Mr. King. We'll be right back with the…

No. But it gets easier as time goes on and people focus on it. And it's easier now than it was 100 years ago, I think. But I think that, as I said, when Harry Truman became President, he didn't even know about the atomic bomb. Mr. King…