FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
President Bill Clinton Remarks at HFA Fundraiser Home of Ambassador Carl Spielvogel & Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel November !" #$!
PRESIDENT CLINTON:
 First of all" % ant to t'ank Barbaralee and Carl for 'aving me ba(k in t'is fabulous building" in t'is gorgeous apartment) % ala*s love (oming 'ere) %+d like to t'ank m* friend Dale ,rul* p'. for being 'ere and for t'e onderful s'oes t'at 'e ala*s ears t'at keep me in a good 'umor" even on dark da*s) /aug'ter). And 0alla(e Rone* is a spe(ial treat for me" be(ause %+m a 'uge 1a22 fan and a big fan of 'is) So e ere 1ust talking about all t'e 1a22 p'otograp's % 'ave in m* offi(e in Harlem" and % promised 'im in return for t'ose to flouris'es a good tour of t'em soon)3ntil 'at 'appened in Paris" % as 'aving a 'ard time finding m* footing in t'is (ampaign"  be(ause % at('ed all t'ese Republi(an debates" and % t'oug't" 4%+m 1ust ort'less for Hillar*"5  be(ause % be(ame a grandfat'er t'is *ear6 e 'ad our 7$
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 anniversar*6 m* daug'ter and son-in-la are doing great6 s'e+s got a ('ildren+s book 8 %+m not mad at an*bod*) /aug'ter). And after at('ing t'e Republi(an debates % reali2ed t'at % reall* 'ad not'ing to (ontribute to t'e national debate) ,'ere as no one % anted to insult" no one % anted to smear" nobod*+s life % anted to distort) % got mad at 'at 'appened in Paris) And so %+ll be a little serious and ma*be o((asionall* funn* tonig't)% do ant to break t'e iron grip omen 'ave 'ad t'e role of presidential spouse) %t+s m* on  personal (ivil rig'ts struggle) /aug'ter). But % understand t'e ver* 'ig' level of frustration t'e vast ma1orit* of Ameri(ans feel) 9edian in(ome 'as not budged mu(' sin(e t'e da* % left offi(e)Costs 'ave gone up) An:iet* is 'ig') %+ll tell *ou one or to ot'er t'ings *ou oug't to be mad about 8 t'e life e:pe(tan(* for middle-aged" non-(ollege-edu(ated 'ite Ameri(ans is going don) %t+s still slig'tl* loer t'an for Afri(an Ameri(ans but alread* 'ig'er no t'an for /atinos) 0'*; Be(ause in spite of t'e 'ealt' risk t'at Afri(an Ameri(ans and Hispani(s fa(e" even t'e* are more (losel* (onne(ted to t'eir ('ur('es and t'eir (ommunities t'an millions of our fello (ountr*men) And 'en % at('ed t'e Demo(rati( debate" % as on(e again ver* proud of Hillar*+s  performan(e" but ag'ast t'at it ent on for an 'our and a 'alf and nobod* said" 40'at are *ou going to do to bring t'e Ameri(an dream ba(k to t'ese people; 0'at are *ou going to do to givet'em somet'ing to look forard to 'en t'e* get up in t'e morning;5 <ven 'en e+re rig't" e seem not to t'ink t'roug' t'ings) % remember one of t'e people 'o (ame t'roug' 'en % as taking pi(tures t'ere said" 4% t'ink it+s great e ant to get all t'ese people out of 1ail" but 'at are *ou going to do for t'em 'en t'e* get out; %f t'e*+ve been in ver* long" t'e* don+t kno 'o to make a living6 t'e* don+t kno 'o to establis' (onta(ts6 t'e*+re not sure an*bod* ill 'ire t'em an*a*) 0e 'ave to 'ave a transitional plan)5So let me ba(k up and sa* % t'ink t'ere are to big issues in t'is ele(tion and onl* to) =ne is embodied b* 'at 'appened in Paris) 0e still live in an in(reasingl* interdependent orld"
 
F=R %N,<RNA/ 3S< =N/>?@?#$!#'ere te('nolog* liberates people to do onderful good and terrible rong) 0e live in a orld 'ere people are sear('ing for meaning and 'ere *oung people (an be (onvin(ed" apparentl* no matter 'ere t'e* live" t'e* s'ould go to t'e 9iddle <ast and t'en ma*be (ome ba(k 'ome and find t'eir meaning b* (ommitting sui(ide 'ile killing as man* inno(ent b*standers as  possible)But e live in a orld 'ere t'ere 'ave" sin(e t'e dan of t'is ne (entur*" been a dramati( drop in t'e numbers of people living in e:treme povert*" 'ere t'ere+s been a dramati( rise in t'enumber of girls in s('ool and t'e number of omen running businesses all over t'e orld" 'eret'e rate of infant and maternal mortalit* 'as gone don" 'ere e+ve got 'uge numbers of  people 'o on(e fa(ed a (ertain deat' senten(e on antiretroviral medi(ation t'at ill let t'em live it' H% and A%DS a normal and full life) ,'ere+s all t'is good and bad stuff going on) And % believe t'at t'e (entral responsibilit* of ever* (iti2en of ever* (ountr* is to find 'atever a* e (an to build up positive and redu(e t'e negative for(es of our interdependen(e) Be(ause 'et'er e like it or not" e are doomed to s'are t'e future) 0'et'er e like it or not" borders are going to look more like nets t'an alls for a ver* long time) ,'at+s '* % t'ink e+re foolis'not to adopt a (ompre'ensive immigration reform bill t'at ill keep *out' and diversit* in our orkfor(e) Having lost it" % (an tell *ou" *out' matters) /aug'ter). >ou (an laug' about it" but if *ou look 8 %+m glad looking out 'ere tonig't t'e demograp'i( of old" gra*-'aired" 'ite gu*s 'as not been entirel* eliminated) /aug'ter). But look" if *ou ant to 8 t'e number one domesti( 1ob in t'e 3nited States and man* ot'er (ountries is to restore broad-based prosperit*" to (reate enoug' 1obs and t'e rig't 1ob mi: so t'at  people 'o ork 'ard and get an edu(ation 'ave a ('an(e to start a business" get a good 1ob" establis' a famil*" raise t'eir ('ildren in dignit*" it' t'e promise t'at t'e* 'ave a ('an(e to reall* build good lives t'emselves) And e do 'ave" in t'e Demo(rati( primar*" an o((asionall* reall* interesting and substantive debate about 'o best to do t'at) ,'at+s 'at ever*bod* oug'tto be talking about) ,'e se(ond t'ing e 'ave to do is to 'ave a orld 'ere at least e+re good enoug' to keep big  bad t'ings from 'appening and t'en make more good t'an bad t'ings 'appen" so t'at e get t'e  benefits of t'e for(es of integration and minimi2e t'ose t'at ant to use t'em for disintegration" so t'at e lift up (ooperation and redu(e (onfli(t" and so t'at more and more people are (onvin(ed t'at 'at e 'ave in (ommon is more important t'an our interesting differen(es) %t+s a 'uge ('allenge)%f *ou look at all t'e people t'at are running for president" if *ou believe t'at t'e to most important 1obs are to build up t'e positive and redu(e t'e negative for(es t'at are draing us toget'er and to restore broad-based prosperit*" Hillar* is t'e best ualified person to be  president) %t+s a good t'ing t'at s'e+d be t'e first oman president) Applause). And 'at % t'oug't %+d do tonig't" 1ust for a fe minutes" is to tell *ou a little about 'at s'e as like before s'e be(ame our Senator from Ne >ork and Se(retar* of State and started running for president) Be(ause one of t'ings t'at % 'ave noti(ed t'at % learned first 'en % as  president and t'e Republi(an 'ip in t'e Senate" Alan Simpson" 'o as from 0*oming and a
 
F=R %N,<RNA/ 3S< =N/>?@?#$!(onservative gu* it' a fabulous sense of 'umor 'o (ame up to me one da*" and % said" 4Alan" *ou see all t'is 0'iteater stuff and all t'ese nespapers making a big deal out of it and t'e Republi(ans; Do *ou t'ink Hillar* or % did an*t'ing rong;5 And 'e started laug'ing) He laug'ed out loud) He said" 4>ou 'ave to be kidding)5 He said" 4An*bod* it' a se(ond grade edu(ation and looked at t'e eviden(e ould kno *ou didn+t do an*t'ing rong) >ou invested in a land deal" lost mone*) ,'e gu* later goes in t'e S&/ business) He goes broke) >ou never  borroed an* mone*) =ur la firm did #$ 'ours+ ort' of ork) Can *ou believe e got @$ million ort' of edu(ation 8 of ta:pa*er mone* spent looking into t'at; =f (ourse *ou didn+t doan*t'ing rong) 4 But 'e said" 4=ne of t'e t'ings t'at e Republi(ans learned 'en *ou got in as t'at e t'oug't t'e press as a liberal)5 He said" 4,'e* are) ,'e*+re more likel* to vote for *ou t'an us" but t'e* t'ink like e do)5 % said" 40'at do *ou mean;5 He said" 40e love poer"  but e don+t believe government (an ('ange 'uman nature) ,'e* love poer" and e bot' get itt'e same a*" b* 'urting *ou)5 /aug'ter). So t'ere is t'is temptation ever* da* in t'e press to overlook t'ese massive problems) % (ould not believe t'at a Demo(rati( Part* debate lasted an 'our and a 'alf and nobod* asked t'em" 40'at are *ou going to do about t'e fa(t t'at life e:pe(tan(* among middle-aged" non-(ollege-edu(ated orking people is going don" 'ile t'e* still 'ave t'eir ('ildren at 'ome" be(ause t'e*+re drinking more" be(ause t'e*+re smoking more" be(ause t'e* are addi(ted to opiates and no ('eaper street 'eroin raised in t'e Sierra 9adre" t'e popp* 'eads in 9e:i(o" 'arvested b*  preteens and ('eaper on t'e street no t'an t'e opiates be(ause e+re beginning to enfor(e our la;5So %+m 1ust 8 'ere+s 'at % ant to tell *ou) 0'en % met Hillar* in la s('ool" 'er main passion as t'e legal servi(es inaudible.) 0'en e got out of la s('ool" s'e turned don all t'ese fan(* (lerks'ips and stuff" big la firm 1obs" ent to ork for t'e C'ildren+s Defense Fund) S'eent to Eeorgia and Alabama to see '* teenagers ere being 'oused in adult prisons" most of t'em Afri(an Ameri(an" 'aving t'eir lives taken aa* from t'em before t'e* ere old enoug' tovote) 0'en s'e (ame 'ome it' me to Arkansas to marr* me 8 and % as tea('ing in a la s('ool and s'e got a 1ob t'ere 8 s'e set up t'e first legal (lini( t'at e ever 'ad it' a 1udge 'oas su(' an old-fas'ioned se:ist t'at 'e said 'e asn+t sure about legal aid" 'e asn+t even sure about lad* la*ers" and no 'e 'ad a lad* la*er running legal aid) /aug'ter). 0e+ve (ome a long a* sin(e t'en)0'en % be(ame governor" e 'ad all t'ese poor ('ildren starting s('ool not read* for s('ool) S'e (ome in to me one da* and sa*s" 4>ou kno t'ere+s a pres('ool program in %srael t'at as devised for immigrants 'ose first language is not Hebre or <nglis' to prepare t'eir ('ildren tostart s('ool) %t+s (alled" ironi(all* for a ('ild of t'e G$s" H%PP>" Home %nstru(tion Program for Pres('ool >oungsters) % t'ink it ould ork 'ere)5 And % said" 40ell 'at are *ou going to do about it;5 And s'e said" 40ell" t'ere+s a oman named Avima /ombard 'o started it and % got 'er to (ome over 'ere ne:t eek to see me)5 %t+s no in #G or # Ameri(an states" biggest ('apter is still in Arkansas) And it lifted a 'uge numbers of poor Afri(an Ameri(an kids out of substandard edu(ational a('ievement and b* no into a middle-(lass life) S'e 'adn+t been ele(ted to an*t'ing *et)
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