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;:..- DaVid Axelrod's PoWerboolc

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I know that a big slug of language may not be of great use to you at this
juncture. But the words below cover some ground I sensed was missing in the draft.
One is the concept of .trusteeship. We are the inheritors of an awesome legacy,
and with that comes the. responsibility to nurture it. I think that is what was meant by
the "preserve, protect and defend" reference at the beginning of the draft. but I think it
needs to be teased out.
' '
I also think the unity theme needs to be tied in more tightly to that legacy.
Americans have pulled tooether in times of national need. not always because we love
each other, because the heritage of freedom we share is more valuable than the
differences between us.

Finally, I think he needs to attack more directly the point that we ought not get
educed by the lack of an overt crisis into forgetting our obliga. tion to attack our
roblems and meet our challenges. _
Anyway, maybe there is a word, or phrase, or concept of value in the
paragraphs that follow. And maybe not!
This day symbolizesthe durability of our democracy--the survival and triumph
of this bold experiment in self-government.
Our courageous forbearers shared this dream. and fought to make it possible.
And each, succeeding generation has worked and sacrificed and struggled to see to it
that these hard-won freedoms, and the promise of opportunity, would endure for future
generations.
Yes. we come from different places. speak with many accents, worship in our
own ways.
David Axelrod's Powerbook
'12'il1113/97
<:98:25AM Cl3/4
But whatever our differences, whatever our grievances, Americans always have
rallied when the times de.manded it because we recognize that we enjoy something
precious and unique.
We are each, every one of us, the inheritors and the trustees of a magnificent
gift. And with it comes a sacred obligation to pull together and meet the challenges of
our times, just as our parents and grandparents met the challenges of theirs.
Today, we are blessed to live in peace and prosperity. Perhaps that makes it
harder to summon a sense of urgency to the tasks at hand, or to recognize the
responsibilities we share.
But let us never take for granted the greatness of America. Let us never stop
working. Let us never stop striving. Let us never sully the monumental efforts of those
who came before us, or let down those who will follow, by failing to do our part to build
a better and stronger nation.
If none of this is helpful, let me just suggest two small inserts.
One would sub for the third graf on page two, which begins, "Today, let us
use ... ":
As the new century dawns, America is at peace. Our economy is strong. It is a
time of unparalleled opportunity.
Yet we face complex challenges thateven the visionaries who conceived this
great nation could scarcely have foreseen.
The other would sub for the last phrase of the first paragraph on page four. .. "and
let us make this a time when we work together for the American people."
Let us seize this moment together, and signal a season of progress for the
American people.
That's all 1 have. I hope it is, at least, a little useful. Call if you want to discuss
. any of this.
CLINTON LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY
. ..... JAN-16-',97 17:1216 ID:AXELROD & ASSOCIATES Iii: :312-664-121174 1:1927 P1212
7JO N. FRANKLIN, SUITE 404
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60610
(312) 664-7500 FAX (312) 6640 17 4
To: Michael Waldman
From: David Axelrod
Date: January 16, 1997
Re: Speech
AXELROD
-.-AND--
ASSOCIATES
1901.1 smrr. w. su11t 300
WASHINCION, DISTRICT Clf COLUMBIA 20036
(202) 452-94.'i4 fAX (?0/') ?96 ?532
Rather than reinvent the wheel, I have a few thoughts I hope might prove useful.
I was a little troubled by the second and third paragraphs, which I'm not sure quite hit
the mark. So I took a crack at an insert.
Ever since those first Americans Ignited the torch of liberty, It has been carried
forward with courage and vision by succeeding generations so that we might enjoy the
blessings of freedom and opportunity.
Through world war and depression; civil war and social unrest, a brave and
determined people has kept the torch aloft and flame burning.
And by that light, we have built the greatest nation the world has ever known.
Now, we have reached a clearing in our journey. Blessed with peace and
prosperity, we stand on the threshold not only of a new century in a new millennium,
but an Age of Possibility, in which our ability to master unprecedented change can
open the door to unparalleled opportunity.
Our my fellow Americans, is to seize this moment; to do what we
must to meet our responsibility to each other and future generations. For in our hands,
together, rests the eternal promise of America.
On page 2,1 would eliminate the King reference, and possibly relocate it to the
diversity passage on page 4.
So in place of the second, third and fourth paragraphs on page 2, I would
substitute the following:
CLINTON LIBRARY. PHOTOCOPY