Bill Clinton

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William Jefferson Clinton
Bill Clinton
In office
January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Vice President Albert A. Gore, Jr.
Preceded by George H. W. Bush
Succeeded by George W. Bush
In office
January 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992
Lieutenant Winston Bryant (1983-1991)
Jim Guy Tucker (1991-1992)
Preceded by Frank D. White
Succeeded by Jim Guy Tucker
In office
January 9, 1979 – January 19, 1981
Lieutenant Joe Purcell
Preceded by Joe Purcell (acting)
Succeeded by Frank D. White
In office
1977 – 1979
Preceded by Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by Steve Clark
Born August 19, 1946 (1946-08-19) (age 61)
Hope, Arkansas
Political party Democratic
Spouse Hillary Rodham Clinton
Children Chelsea Clinton
Alma mater Georgetown University
University College, Oxford
Yale Law School
Occupation Lawyer
Religion Southern Baptist
Signature Bill Clinton's signature
Website William J. Clinton Presidential Library

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946)[1] was the forty-second President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president, older only than Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. He became president at the end of the Cold War, and as he was born in the period after World War II, is known as the first Baby Boomer president.[2] He is the husband of New York Senator and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Clinton was described as a New Democrat and was largely known for the Third Way philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president.[3] His policies, on issues such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and welfare reform, have been described as "centrist."[4][5] Clinton presided over the longest period of peace-time economic expansion in American history, which included a balanced budget and a reported federal surplus.[6][7] Based on Congressional accounting rules, at the end of his presidency Clinton reported a surplus of $559 billion. On the heels of a failed attempt at health care reform with a Democratic Congress, for the first time in forty years, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives.[8] In his second term he was impeached by the U.S. House for perjury and obstruction of justice,[9] but was subsequently acquitted by the United States Senate and completed his term.[10]

Clinton left office with an approval rating at 65%, the highest end of office rating of any President since World War II.[11] Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. To promote and address international causes, such as treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming, he created the William J. Clinton Foundation. In 2004, he released his autobiography, My Life.

Contents

Early life

William Jefferson Blythe III in 1950 at age four. Known at the time as Billy, he did not formally adopt his stepfather's name until age fourteen.
William Jefferson Blythe III in 1950 at age four. Known at the time as Billy, he did not formally adopt his stepfather's name until age fourteen.

William Jefferson Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas. His birth name was William Jefferson Blythe III. Clinton's father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who died in a car accident three months before Bill was born.[1] Following his birth, in order to study nursing, his mother Virginia Dell Cassidy (1923-1994), traveled to New Orleans, leaving Clinton in Hope with grandparents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and operated a small grocery store.[12] At a time when the Southern United States was segregated, Clinton's grandparents sold goods on credit to people of all racial groups.[13] In 1950, Clinton's mother returned from nursing school and shortly thereafter married Roger Clinton, who together with his brother owned an automobile dealership in Hot Springs, Arkansas.[14] The family moved to Hot Springs in 1950.

Although he assumed use of it, it was not until Billy (as he was known then) turned fourteen that he formally adopted his stepfather's surname of Clinton. Clinton says he remembers his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and, at times, his half-brother, Roger, Jr.[14][15]

Education

In Hot Springs, Clinton attended St. John's Catholic Elementary School, Ramble Elementary School, and Hot Springs High School - where he was an active student leader, avid reader, and musician.[16] He was in the chorus and played the tenor saxophone, winning first chair in the state band's saxophone section. He briefly considered dedicating his life to music, but as he noted in his autobiography My Life:

“ (…) Sometime in my sixteenth year I decided I wanted to be in public life as an elected official. I loved music and thought I could be very good, but I knew I would never be John Coltrane or Stan Getz. I was interested in medicine and thought I could be a fine doctor, but I knew I would never be Michael DeBakey. But I knew I could be great in public service.[17] ”

In 1963, two influential moments in Clinton's life contributed to his decision to become a public figure. One was his visit to the White House to meet President John F. Kennedy, as a Boys Nation senator.[14][15] The other was listening to Martin Luther King's 1963 I Have a Dream speech (he memorized Dr. King's words).[18]

Clinton attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., receiving a degree in 1968, during which he ran for President of the Student Council.
Clinton attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., receiving a degree in 1968, during which he ran for President of the Student Council.

With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.) degree in 1968. He spent the summer of 1967, the summer before his senior year, working as an intern for Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright.[14] While in college he became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.[19] Clinton was also a member of Youth Order of DeMolay, but he never actually became a Freemason.[20] He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi's National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc.

Upon graduation he won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford where he studied Government.[15] He developed an interest in rugby union, playing at Oxford and later for the Little Rock Rugby club in Arkansas. While at Oxford he also participated in Vietnam War protests, including organizing an October 1969 Moratorium event.[14] In later life he admitted to smoking cannabis at the university, but claimed that he "never inhaled".[15]

After Oxford, Clinton attended Yale Law School and obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1973.[15] While at Yale, he began dating law student Hillary Rodham who was a year ahead of him. They married in 1975 and their only child, Chelsea, was born in 1980.

Early political career

Leader of Texas McGovern Presidential Campaign of 1972

During Yale, Clinton took a job with the McGovern campaign and was assigned to lead McGovern's effort in Texas. He spent considerable time in Dallas, Texas, at the McGovern campaign's local headquarters on Lemmon Avenue where he had an office. There, Clinton worked with Ron Kirk, who was later elected mayor of Dallas twice, future governor of Texas Ann Richards, and then unknown television director (and future filmmaker) Steven Spielberg.

Governor of Arkansas

After graduating from Yale Law School, Clinton returned to Arkansas and became a University of Arkansas law professor. A year later, he ran for the House of Representatives in 1974. The incumbent, John Paul Hammerschmidt, defeated Clinton with 52% of the vote. In 1976, without opposition in the general election, Clinton was elected Attorney General of Arkansas.[15]

Further information: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1978
Clinton, as the newly elected Governor of Arkansas meeting with President Jimmy Carter in 1978.
Clinton, as the newly elected Governor of Arkansas meeting with President Jimmy Carter in 1978.

In 1978, at thirty-two, Clinton was elected Governor of Arkansas, making him the youngest governor in the country. He worked on educational reform and Arkansas's roads, but his term included an unpopular motor vehicle tax and citizens' anger over the escape of Cuban refugees (from the Mariel boatlift) detained in Fort Chaffee in 1980. In the 1980 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Monroe Schwarzlose of Kingsland in Cleveland County, polled 31% of the vote against Clinton. Some suggested that Schwarzlose's unexpected voter turnout foreshadowed Clinton's defeat in the general election that year by Republican challenger Frank D. White. As Clinton once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history.[15]

Further information: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1980

Following his defeat, Clinton joined friend's Bruce Lindsey's law firm of Wright, Lindsey and Jennings, though he spent most of the next two years working on his re-election campaign. In 1982, Clinton reclaimed his old job as governor and kept it for another ten years, helping Arkansas transform its economy and significantly improving the state's educational system. He became a leading figure among the New Democrats.[21] The New Democrats, organized within the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) were a branch of the Democratic Party that called for welfare reform and smaller government, a policy supported by both Democrats and Republicans. He served as Chair of the National Governors Association from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas.[15]

Clinton made economic growth, job creation and educational improvement high priorities. For senior citizens, he removed the sales tax from medicine and increased the home property tax exemption. Clinton was responsible for some state educational improvement programs, notably more spending for schools, rising opportunities for gifted children, an increase in vocational education, and raising of teachers' salaries.[15][21]

Clinton's Governorship answered conservative criticism, but personal and business transactions made by the Clintons during this period became the basis of the Whitewater investigation, which dogged his later presidential administration.[22] After very extensive investigation over several years, no indictments were made against the Clintons related to the years in Arkansas.[15][23]

Democratic Presidential Primaries of 1988

In 1987 there was media speculation Clinton would enter the race after then-New York Governor Mario Cuomo declined to run and Democratic front-runner Gary Hart withdrew owing to revelations of marital infidelity. Clinton decided to remain as Arkansas governor.[15] For the nomination, Clinton endorsed Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. However, he gave the opening night address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, which was nationally-televised, but it was criticized for length.[24] Presenting himself as a moderate and a member of the New Democrat wing of the Democratic Party, he headed the moderate Democratic Leadership Council in 1990 and 1991.[21][25]

Democratic Presidential Primaries of 1992

Further information: Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1992

Due to his youthful appearance he was often called the "Boy Governor." Clinton was the early favorite for the nomination. Clinton garnered the support of many superdelegates before the first nominating contests. [15]

In the first contest, the Iowa caucus, he finished a very distant third to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. During the campaign for the New Hampshire Primary reports of an extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers surfaced. As Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas in the New Hampshire polls,[15] following the Super Bowl, Clinton and his wife Hillary went on 60 Minutes to refute the charges.

"The Comeback Kid"

Their television appearance was a calculated risk but Clinton regained several delegates. He finished second to Tsongas in the New Hampshire primary, but after trailing badly in the polls and coming within single digits of winning, the media viewed it as a victory. On election night, Clinton labeled himself "The Comeback Kid." He ended leading New Hampshire by a large percentage. However, Tsongas picked up little or no momentum from his victory.[15]

Winning the big prizes of Florida and Texas and many of the Southern primaries gave Clinton a sizable delegate lead. However, former California Governor Jerry Brown was scoring victories and Clinton had yet to win a significant contest outside of his native South.[15][25]

With no major Southern state remaining, Clinton targeted the New York primary, which contained a large number of delegates. He scored a resounding victory in New York City and won, shedding his image as a regional candidate.[25] Having been transformed into the consensus candidate, he secured the Democratic Party nomination, finishing with a victory in Jerry Brown's home state of California.[15]

Presidential Election

Bill Clinton with H. Ross Perot, Independent, and President George H.W. Bush, Republican, in a national debate.
Bill Clinton with H. Ross Perot, Independent, and President George H.W. Bush, Republican, in a national debate.
Main article: United States presidential election, 1992
See also: Bill Clinton presidential campaign, 1992

Clinton won the 1992 presidential election (43.0% of the vote) against Republican incumbent George H. W. Bush (37.4% of the vote) and billionaire populist H. Ross Perot, who ran as an independent (18.9% of the vote) on a platform focusing on domestic issues; a significant part of Clinton's success was Bush's steep decline in public approval. Because Bush's approval ratings were in the 80% range during the Persian Gulf conflict, he was described as "unbeatable." However, when Bush compromised with Democrats in an attempt to lower Federal deficits, he reneged on his promise not to raise taxes, hurting his approval rating. Clinton repeatedly condemned Bush for making a promise he failed to keep.[25] By election time, the economy was souring and Bush saw his approval rating plummet to slightly over 40%.[26][27] Finally, conservatives were previously united by anti-communism, but with the end of the Cold War, the party lacked a uniting issue. When Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson addressed Christian themes at the Republican National Convention, with Bush criticizing Democrats for omitting God from their platform, many moderates were alienated. [28] Clinton then pointed to his moderate, "New Democrat" record as governor of Arkansas, though some on the more liberal side of the party remained suspicious.[29] Many Democrats who supported Ronald Reagan and Bush in previous elections switched their allegiance to Clinton.[30]

His election ended twelve years of Republican rule of the White House, and twenty of the previous twenty four years. The election gave Democrats full control of the United States Congress.[1] Clinton was the first president to enjoy this windfall since Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s.

However, during the campaign questions of conflict of interest regarding state business and the politically powerful Rose Law Firm, at which Hillary Rodham Clinton was a partner, arose.[31] Further concern arose when Bill Clinton announced that voters would be getting two presidents "for the price of one".[32]

Presidency, 1993–2001

Main articles: Clinton Administration and Foreign policy of the Clinton Administration
The Clinton Cabinet
OFFICE NAME TERM
President Bill Clinton 1993 – 2001
Vice President Al Gore 1993 – 2001
Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher 1993 – 1997
Madeleine K. Albright 1997 – 2001
Secretary of Treasury Lloyd Bentsen 1993 – 1994
Robert E. Rubin 1995 – 1999
Lawrence H. Summers 1999 – 2001
Secretary of Defense Les Aspin 1993 – 1994
William J. Perry 1994 – 1997
William S. Cohen 1997 – 2001
Attorney General Janet Reno 1993 – 2001
Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt 1993 – 2001
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy 1993 – 1994
Daniel R. Glickman 1994 – 2001
Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown 1993 – 1996
Mickey Kantor 1996 – 1997
William M. Daley 1997 – 2000
Norman Y. Mineta 2000 – 2001
Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich 1993 – 1997
Alexis M. Herman 1997 – 2001
Secretary of Health and
Human Services		 Donna E. Shalala 1993 – 2001
Secretary of Education Richard Riley 1993 – 2001
Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development		 Henry G. Cisneros 1993 – 1997
Andrew Cuomo 1997 – 2001
Secretary of Transportation Federico F. Peña 1993 – 1997
Rodney E. Slater 1997 – 2001
Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary 1993 – 1997
Federico F. Peña 1997 – 1998
Bill Richardson 1998 – 2001
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown 1993 – 1997
Togo D. West, Jr. 1998 – 2000
Hershel W. Gober, act. 2000 – 2001

First term, 1993–1997

Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993. In his inaugural address he declared:

“ Our democracy must be not only the envy of the world but the engine of our own renewal. There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.[33] ”

Legislative agenda

Shortly after taking office, Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which required large employers to allow employees to take unpaid leave for pregnancy or a serious medical condition. While this action was popular, Clinton's attempt to fulfill another campaign promise of allowing openly homosexual men and women to serve in the armed forces garnered criticism from the left (for being too tentative in promoting gay rights) and from the right (for being too insensitive to military life). After much debate, Congress implemented the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, stating as long as homosexuals keep their sexuality secret, they may serve in the military. Some gay rights advocates criticized Clinton for not going far enough and accused him of making his campaign promise to get votes and contributions.[34][35] These advocates feel Clinton should have integrated the military by executive order, noting President Harry Truman used executive order to racially desegregate the armed forces. Clinton's defenders argue an executive order might have prompted the Democratic Senate to write the exclusion of gays into law, potentially making it harder to integrate the military in the future.[21] Later in his presidency, in 1999, Clinton said he did not think any serious person could say the way the policy was being implemented was not "out of whack."[36]

The Clinton administration launched the first official White House website on October 21, 1994.[37][38] It was followed by three more versions, resulting in the final edition launched in 2000.[39][40] The White House website was part of a wider movement of the Clinton administration toward web-based communication. According to Robert Longley, "Clinton and Gore were responsible for pressing almost all federal agencies, the U.S. court system and the U.S. military onto the Internet, thus opening up America's government to more of America's citizens than ever before. On 17 July 1996, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13011 - Federal Information Technology, ordering the heads of all federal agencies to fully utilize information technology to make the information of the agency easily accessible to the public."[41]

President Clinton's Cabinet, 1993. The President is seated front right, with Vice President Al Gore seated front left.
President Clinton's Cabinet, 1993. The President is seated front right, with Vice President Al Gore seated front left.

Also in 1993, Clinton controversially supported ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement by the U.S. Senate. Clinton, along with most of his Democratic Leadership Committee allies, strongly supported free trade measures; there remained, however, strong intra-party disagreement. Opposition chiefly came from anti-trade Republicans, protectionist Democrats and supporters of Ross Perot. The bill passed the house with 234 votes against 200 opposed (132 Republicans and 102 Democrats voting in favor, 156 Democrats, 43 Republicans, and 1 independent against). The treaty was then ratified by the Senate and signed into law by the President on 1 January 1994.[42]

Clinton signed the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases. He also expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, a subsidy for low income workers.[23]

One of the most prominent items on Clinton's legislative agenda was the result of a taskforce headed by Hillary Clinton, which was a health care reform plan aimed at achieving universal coverage via a national healthcare plan. Though initially well-received in political circles, it was ultimately doomed by well-organized opposition from conservatives, the American Medical Association, and the health insurance industry. However, John F. Harris, a biographer of Clinton's, states the program failed because of a lack of co-ordination within the White House.[23] Despite his party holding a majority in Congress, the effort to create a national healthcare system ultimately died under heavy public pressure. It was the first major legislative defeat of Clinton's administration.[21][23]

Two months later, after two years of Democratic Party control, the Democrats lost control of both houses of Congress in the mid-term elections in 1994, for the first time in forty years.

In August 1993, Clinton signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, which passed Congress without a Republican vote. It cut taxes for fifteen million low-income families, made tax cuts available to 90% of small businesses,[43] and raised taxes on the wealthiest 1.2% of taxpayers.[44] Additionally, through the implementation of spending restraints, it mandated the budget be balanced over a number of years.

Travelgate controversy

Main articles: White House travel office controversy and White House FBI files controversy

When several longtime employees of the White House Travel Office were fired, the White House travel office controversy began on May 19, 1993. A whistleblower's letter, written during the previous administration, triggered an FBI investigation, which revealed evidence of financial malfeasance. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr investigated the firings and found no evidence of wrongdoing on the Clintons' part.[45]

The White House FBI files controversy of June 1996 arose around improper access to FBI security-clearance documents. Craig Livingstone, head of the White House Office of Personnel Security, improperly requested, and received from the FBI, background report files without asking permission of the subject individuals; many of these were employees of former Republican administrations. In March 2000, Independent Counsel Robert Ray determined that there was no credible evidence of any criminal activity. Ray's report further stated "there was no substantial and credible evidence that any senior White House official was involved" in seeking the files.[46]

Death penalty

Further information: Capital punishment in Arkansas and Capital punishment by the United States federal government

The application of the federal death penalty was expanded to include crimes not resulting in death, such as running a large-scale drug enterprise by Clinton’s 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill. During Clinton's re-election campaign he said, "My 1994 crime bill expanded the death penalty for drug kingpins, murderers of federal law enforcement officers, and nearly 60 additional categories of violent felons."[47]

While campaigning for U.S. President, then-Governor Clinton returned to Arkansas to see that Ricky Ray Rector would be executed. After killing a police officer and a civilian, Rector shot himself in the head, leading to what his lawyers said was a state where he could still talk but didn't understand the concept of death. According to Arkansas state and Federal law, a seriously mentally impaired inmate cannot be executed. The courts disagreed with the claim of grave mental impairment and allowed the execution. Clinton's return to Arkansas for the execution was framed in a New York Times article as a possible political move to counter "soft on crime" accusations.[48][49]

According to some sources Clinton during his earlier years was a death penalty opponent, who switched positions.[49] During Clinton's Governorship Arkansas preformed first executions since 1964 (death penalty was re-enacted on March 23, 1973[50] Totally he oversaw four executions (one by electric chair and three by lethal injection). However, Clinton was the first president to pardon a death row inmate since the federal death penalty was reintroduced in 1988.[51] Federal executions were resumed under his successor George W. Bush.

Second term, 1997–2001

Clinton receiving the 2000 Charlemagne Prize for his work toward European integration.
Clinton receiving the 2000 Charlemagne Prize for his work toward European integration.

In the 1996 presidential election, Clinton was re-elected, receiving 49.2% of the popular vote over Republican Bob Dole (40.7% of the popular vote) and Reform candidate Ross Perot (8.4% of the popular vote), becoming the first Democrat to win presidential reelection since Franklin Roosevelt. The Republicans lost a few seats in the House and gained a few in the Senate, but overall retained control of the Congress. Clinton received 379, or over 70% of the Electoral College votes, with Dole receiving 159 electoral votes.

Lewinsky scandal

On January 21, 1998, the media and prominent Republicans[52] raised controversy over Clinton's relationship with a young White House intern named Monica Lewinsky, resulting in the Lewinsky scandal.[23] In a lame duck session after the 1998 elections, for the belief Clinton lied about his relationship with Lewinsky in a sworn deposition in the Paula Jones law suit, the Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Clinton. The following year, the Republican-controlled Senate voted to acquit Clinton and he remained in office to complete his term.[53]

Impeachment and trial in the Senate
Main article: Impeachment of Bill Clinton

In 1998, as a result of allegations he lied during grand jury testimony regarding his testimony during the Paula Jones civil deposition, the House of Representatives impeached Clinton, making him the second U.S. president to be impeached after Andrew Johnson). The House held no serious impeachment hearings before the 1998 mid-term elections. Though the mid-term elections held in November 1998 were at the 6-year point in an 8-year presidency (a time in the electoral cycle where the party holding the White House usually loses Congressional seats) the Democratic Party gained several seats.[23] To hold impeachment proceedings, the Republican leadership called a lame duck session in December 1998.

The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presiding.
The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presiding.

While the House Judiciary Committee hearings were perfunctory and ended in a straight party line vote, there was lively debate on the House floor. The two charges passed in the House (largely on the basis of Republican support but with a handful of Democratic votes as well) were for perjury and obstruction of justice. The perjury charge arose from Clinton's testimony about his relationship to Monica Lewinsky during a sexual harassment lawsuit (later dismissed, appealed and settled for $850,000)[54] brought by former Arkansas-state employee Paula Jones. The obstruction charge was based on his actions during the subsequent investigation of that testimony. The Senate later voted to acquit Clinton on both charges.[53] The Senate refused to convene to hold an impeachment trial before the end of the old term, so the trial was held over until the next Congress. Clinton was represented by Washington law firm Williams & Connolly.

On February 12, 1999, the Senate concluded a twenty one day trial, with the vote on both counts falling short of the Constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an office holder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty. Some Republicans voted not guilty for both charges. On the perjury charge, fifty five senators voted to acquit, including ten Republicans, and forty five voted to convict; on the obstruction charge the Senate voted 50-50.[55] Like Andrew Johnson, the only other American president to be impeached, Bill Clinton completed his term in office.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, enacted by Clinton on October 21, 1998, served as the first significant amendment to the Copyright Act since 1976. The DMCA extended the protection of intellectual property to outlaw reverse engineering of digital protection. It also provided a framework for sound recording copyright owners and recording artists to seek public performance royalties under statute, which proved to be a landmark achievement for the recording industry.[56]

Military and foreign events

Two notable military events occurred during Clinton's second term. In Clinton's State of the Union Address, Clinton warned Congress of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's pursuit of nuclear weapons:

“ Together we must also confront the new hazards of chemical and biological weapons, and the outlaw states, terrorists and organized criminals seeking to acquire them. Saddam Hussein has spent the better part of this decade, and much of his nation's wealth, not on providing for the Iraqi people, but on developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The United Nations weapons inspectors have done a truly remarkable job, finding and destroying more of Iraq's arsenal than was destroyed during the entire gulf war. Now, Saddam Hussein wants to stop them from completing their mission. I know I speak for everyone in this chamber, Republicans and Democrats, when I say to Saddam Hussein, "You cannot defy the will of the world," and when I say to him, "You have used weapons of mass destruction before; we are determined to deny you the capacity to use them again.[57] ”

To weaken Saddam Hussein's grip of power, Clinton signed H.R. 4655 into law on October 31, 1998, which instituted a policy of "regime change" against Iraq, though it explicitly stated it did not speak to the use of American military forces.[58][59] The administration then launched a four-day bombing campaign named Operation Desert Fox, lasting from December 16 to December 19, 1998.

To stop the ethnic cleansing and genocide[60][61] of Albanians by nationalist Serbians in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Clinton authorized the use of American troops in a 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, named Operation Allied Force. General Wesley Clark was Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and oversaw the mission. With United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, the bombing campaign ended on June 10, 1999. The resolution placed Kosovo under UN administration and authorized a peacekeeping force.[62] NATO claimed to have suffered zero combat deaths,[63] and two deaths from an Apache helicopter crash.[64] Opinions in the popular press criticized pre-war genocide claims by the Clinton administration as greatly exaggerated.[65][66] A U.N. Court ruled genocide did not take place, although it did recognize, "a systematic campaign of terror, including murders, rapes, arsons and severe maltreatments".[67] The term "ethnic cleansing" was used as an alternative to "genocide" to denote not just ethnically motivated murder but also displacement, though critics charge there is no difference.[68] Slobodan Milošević, the President of Yugoslavia at the time, was eventually charged with the "murders of about 600 individually identified ethnic Albanians" and "crimes against humanity."[69]

After initial successes such as the Oslo accords of the early-1990s, Clinton attempted to address the Arab-Israeli conflict. Clinton brought Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat together at Camp David.[23] However, Barak and Arafat could not find common ground, and the negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful.[23] The situation broke down completely with the start of the Second Intifada.

In November 2000, Clinton became the first president to visit Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War.[70] Clinton remained popular with the public throughout his two terms as President, ending his presidential career with a 65% approval rating, the highest end-of-term approval rating of any President since Dwight D. Eisenhower.[71] Clinton also oversaw a boom of the U.S. economy. Under Clinton, the United States had a projected federal budget surplus for the first time since 1969.[72]

Whitewater controversy

Main articles: Whitewater (controversy) and Troopergate

Law license suspension

In a separate case, Clinton's Arkansas law license was suspended for five years, and he was ordered to pay $25,000 in fines to Arkansas state's bar officials.[73] The agreement came on the condition that Whitewater prosecutors would not pursue federal perjury charges against him.[74] In October 2001, Clinton was suspended by the Supreme Court and, facing disbarment from that court, Clinton resigned from the Supreme Court bar in November.[75]

Pardons and campaign finance

Main articles: Bill Clinton pardons controversy and 1996 United States campaign finance controversy

On his last day in office (January 20, 2001), Clinton issued 141 pardons and 36 commutations.[23][76] Most of the controversy surrounded Marc Rich and allegations that Hillary Clinton's brother, Hugh Rodham, accepted payments in return for influencing the president's decision-making regarding the pardons.[77] Some of Clinton's pardons remain a point of controversy.[78]

The 1996 United States campaign finance controversy was an alleged effort by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to influence the domestic policies of the United States, prior to and during the Clinton administration and also involved the fundraising practices of the administration itself.[79]

Legislation and programs

Major legislation signed

Major legislation vetoed

Proposals not passed by Congress

Initiatives

Supreme Court appointments

Clinton appointed the following justices to the Supreme Court:

Public approval

Clinton's approval ratings throughout his presidential career
Clinton's approval ratings throughout his presidential career

Clinton's job approval rating ranged from 36% in mid-1993 to 64% in late-1993 and early-1994.[82] In his second term, his rating was consistently ranged from the high-50s to the high-60s.[83] After his impeachment proceedings in 1998 and 1999, Clinton's rating reached its highest point at 73% approval. [84] He finished with an approval rating of 68%, which was higher than that of any other departing president since polling began more than seventy years earlier.

As he was leaving office, a CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup poll revealed only 45% said they'd miss him. While 55% thought he "would have something worthwhile to contribute and should remain active in public life", 68% thought he'd be remembered for his "involvement in personal scandal", and 58% answered "No" to the question "Do you generally think Bill Clinton is honest and trustworthy?". 47% of the respondents identified themselves as being Clinton supporters. 47% said he would be remembered as either "outstanding" or "above average" as a president while 22% said he would be remembered as "below average" or "poor".[85]

The Gallup Organization published a poll in February 2007 asking respondents to name the greatest president in U.S. history; Clinton came in fourth place, capturing 13% of the vote. In a 2006 Quinnipiac University poll asking respondents to name the best president since World War II, Clinton ranked 3% behind Ronald Reagan to place second with 25% of the vote. However, in the same poll, when respondents were asked to name the worst president since World War II, Clinton placed 1% behind Nixon and 18% behind George W. Bush to come in third with 16% of the vote.[86]

In May 2006, a CNN poll comparing Clinton's job performance with that of his successor, George W. Bush, found that a strong majority of respondents said Clinton outperformed Bush in six different areas questioned.[87] ABC News characterized public consensus on Clinton as, "You can't trust him, he's got weak morals and ethics — and he's done a heck of a good job."[88]

Public image

Clinton reading with a child in Chicago, September, 1998.
Clinton reading with a child in Chicago, September, 1998.

As the first Baby Boomer president, Clinton was the first president in a half-century not to have been shaped by World War II. Authors Martin Walker and Bob Woodward state Clinton's innovative use of soundbite-ready dialogue, personal charisma, and public perception-oriented campaigning was major for his high public approval ratings. [89][90] When Clinton played the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show, Clinton was sometimes described by religious conservatives as "the MTV president."[91]

Clinton was very popular among African Americans. In 1998, Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison called Clinton "the first Black president," saying, "Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas," and comparing Clinton's sex life, scrutinized despite his career accomplishments, to the stereotyping and double standards that blacks typically endure,[92] yet noted that she has "no idea what his real instincts are, in terms of race."[93] Clinton made improving race relations a major theme of his presidency.[94]

Standing over 6'2" tall (1.88 m), Clinton was one of the tallest U.S. Presidents in the nation's history.[95][96]

Sexual misconduct allegations

For alleged misconduct during his governorship, Paula Jones brought a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton while he was president. During the depositions for this lawsuit, Clinton denied having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky — a denial that became the basis for the impeachment charge of perjury. In the aftermath of the failed impeachment trial, and without agreeing to Jones' allegation or offering an apology, Clinton settled a lawsuit by Jones. In 1998, Kathleen Willey alleged Clinton sexually assaulted her four years previously. In 1998, Juanita Broaddrick alleged she was raped by Clinton some twenty years previously. The claims by Willey and Broaddrick were never brought before a court. The independent counsel determined Willey gave "false information" to the FBI and inconsistent sworn testimony related to the Jones allegation. Broaddrick's only sworn testimony about Clinton was a previous denial of any harassment by Clinton.[97] Four other women – Gennifer Flowers, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Sally Perdue and Dolly Kyle Browning – have claimed to have had adulterous sexual relations with Clinton during or before his service as governor.

Post-presidential career

Public speaking and campaigning

Hillary Clinton re-enacts being sworn in as a U.S. Senator by Vice President Gore as Bill and Chelsea Clinton observe.
Hillary Clinton re-enacts being sworn in as a U.S. Senator by Vice President Gore as Bill and Chelsea Clinton observe.

In his speaking engagements around the world, Clinton comments on contemporary politics.[98][99] One notable theme is his advocacy of multilateral solutions to problems facing the world. Clinton's opened his personal office in the Harlem section of New York City.[100]

After the Clintons moved to Chappaqua, New York, in the northern suburbs of New York City, at the end of his Presidency, he assisted his wife, Hillary Clinton, in her campaign for office as Senator from New York.[101] In the 2002 elections Clinton campaigned for a number of Democratic candidates for the Senate.[102]

On July 26, 2004, Clinton spoke for the fifth consecutive time at the Democratic National Convention, praising candidate John Kerry. He said of President George W. Bush's depiction of Kerry, "strength and wisdom are not opposing values." Despite Clinton's speech, the post-convention bounce to Kerry's poll numbers was less than was hoped for.[103]

Mostly to corporations and philanthropic groups in North America and Europe, Clinton has given dozens of paid speeches each year, earning $100,000 to $300,000 per speech.[104] According to his wife’s Senate ethics reports, he earned more than $30 million in speaking from 2001 to 2005.[105] In 2007, it is estimated he amassed around $40 million from speaking.[106]

In April 2007, Clinton made his first visit to new United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The 45-minute meeting, called at Clinton's request, touched on a host of topics, including disease, war, famine and poverty in Africa, especially in the Darfur region. The Middle East, the conflict in Iraq, and Iran's nuclear standoff with the U.N. were on the agenda, as well as HIV/AIDS.[107]

He was the opening speaker at the Ontario Economic Summit held on November 13, 2007 in which he addressed people on various subjects including Canada's role in Afghanistan, environmentalism and access to healthcare.[108]

Clinton served as one of the organizers for the New Baptist Covenant alongside former President Jimmy Carter and other Baptist leaders. This effort sought to bring various Baptists in America together, especially across racial lines, to discuss issues that unite them. Clinton spoke at the January 2008 celebration in Atlanta, GA.

William J. Clinton Presidential Center

Main article: William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park

Clinton dedicated his presidential library, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, which has the largest archives of any presidential library, in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 18, 2004.[109] Under rainy skies, Clinton received words of praise from former presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, as well as from the current president, George W. Bush. He was also treated to a musical rendition from Bono and The Edge from U2, who expressed their gratitude at Clinton's efforts to resolve the Northern Ireland conflict during his presidency.[110] The Clinton facility received a $10 million dollar donation from the royal family of Saudi Arabia.[111]

Published work

In 2004, Clinton released a personal autobiography, My Life. The book was published by the Knopf Publishing Group at Random House on June 22, 2004. According to the publisher, for single day non-fiction book sales, the book set a worldwide record.[112] Later released as an audio book, total sales were in excess of 400,000 copies. As a writer's fee, he received U.S. $12 million in advance.[113]

In September 2007, he released, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, which became a bestseller.[114] The book is about citizen activism and the role of public charity and public service in the modern world.[115] The audiobook version was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the category of Best Spoken Word Album.

William Clinton Foundation

Main article: William J. Clinton Foundation

The William J. Clinton Foundation promotes and provides for a number of humanitarian causes. Within the foundation, the Clinton Foundation HIV and AIDS Initiative (CHAI) strives to make treatment for HIV/AIDS more affordable and to implement large-scale integrated care, treatment, and prevention programs. While in Sydney to attend a Global Business Forum, Clinton signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of his presidential foundation with the Australian government to promote HIV/AIDS programs in the Asia-Pacific region.

Clinton with former President George H. W. Bush in January 2005.
Clinton with former President George H. W. Bush in January 2005.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), funded by the Clinton Foundation, was inaugurated September 15-September 17, 2005 in New York City to coincide with the 2005 World Summit. The focus areas of the initiative include attempts to address world problems such as global public health, poverty alleviation and religious and ethnic conflict.[116]

On May 3, 2005, Clinton announced through the William J. Clinton Foundation an agreement by major soft drink manufacturers to stop selling sugared sodas and juice drinks in public primary and secondary schools.[117]

Relations with George H. W. Bush

In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, Clinton established, with fellow former-President George H. W. Bush, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and Bush-Clinton Tsunami Fund, for which they were awarded the 2006 Philadelphia Liberty Medal on October 5, 2006.[118] They spoke together at the funeral of Boris Yeltsin.[119]

President George W. Bush, to help the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, named Clinton and George H. W. Bush to lead a nationwide campaign on January 3, 2005. On February 1, 2005, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan selected Clinton to head the United Nations earthquake and tsunami relief and reconstruction effort.[120]

Five days later, to raise money for relief through the USA Freedom Corps, Clinton and Bush appeared on the Fox Super Bowl XXXIX pre-game show.[121] Thirteen days later, to see the relief efforts, they traveled to the affected areas.[122]

On August 31, 2005, following the devastation of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, Clinton worked with George H. W. Bush to coordinate private relief donations, similar to their Indian Ocean tsunami campaign.[123]

Clinton, along with George W. Bush, Laura Bush, George H. W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card pay their respects to Pope John Paul II before the pope's funeral.
Clinton, along with George W. Bush, Laura Bush, George H. W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card pay their respects to Pope John Paul II before the pope's funeral.

Environment

On August 1, 2006, to create the Clinton Foundation Climate Change Initiative (CCI), the William J. Clinton Foundation entered into a partnership with the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, agreeing to provide resources to allow the participating cities to enter into an energy-saving product purchasing consortium and to provide technical and communications support.[124]

On December 9, 2005, speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal, Clinton publicly criticized the Bush administration for its handling of emissions control. To promote initiatives concerning the environment, Clinton twice visited the University of California, Los Angeles in 2006. First, to advertise the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, he met with Tony Blair, Ken Livingstone, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Gavin Newsom on August 1, 2006. On October 13, 2006, he spoke in favor of California Proposition 87 on alternative energy, which was voted down.[125]

Personal health

On September 2, 2004, Clinton had an episode of angina and was evaluated at Northern Westchester Hospital. It was determined he did not suffer a coronary infarction, and he was sent home, returning the following day for angiography, which disclosed multiple vessel coronary artery disease. He was transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, where he underwent a successful quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on September 6, 2004. The medical team stated, had he not had surgery, he would have likely suffered a massive heart attack within a few months.[126] As a result of his open-heart surgery, he underwent a follow-up surgery to remove scar tissue and fluid from his left chest cavity on March 10, 2005.[127] He has since recovered.

2008 election involvement

In the course of the 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign, Clinton vigorously advocated on behalf of his wife, Hillary Clinton, leading some observers and party members to question the appropriateness of his role in view of his status as a former president.[128] Some felt that Clinton was overshadowing his wife in the campaign,[129][130][131] with her presidential rival Barack Obama complaining that he sometimes "did not know which Clinton he was running against."[132]

Clinton speaking at a rally for his wife at Dickinson College.
Clinton speaking at a rally for his wife at Dickinson College.

Top Democratic Party officials, including Rep. Rahm Emmanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and a declared Clinton supporter, asked Clinton to tone down his attacks on Obama following the bitterly contested Nevada caucus, suggesting that Clinton could be damaging his own political capital and global stature.[133] Some commentators even accused the former president of "playing the race card" against Obama, who is half-black, by suggesting he would understand if South Carolina's African Americans naturally would vote for the black candidate, but rejected suggestions that America was not ready for a black President.[134][135][136] Many felt that by alienating black voters who had once overwhelmingly supported the Clintons, Clinton had tarnished his legacy as the so-called "first black president."[137][138] In particular, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) suggested that Clinton's vocal attacks on Obama could damage the former President's legacy.[139] Following his wife's disappointing defeat in South Carolina, Clinton again made headlines when he appeared to undermine and racialize Obama's victory by comparing it to Jesse Jackson's failed 1984 bid for the Presidency.[140] Some observers suggested that the controversial comments fueled Sen. Ted Kennedy's decision to endorse Sen. Obama for the Presidency.[141] Clinton attracted further controversy with a series of attacks against Obama that many independents and former Clinton supporters felt to be unfair.[142][137][143][144] While some believed the attacks might eventually pay off,[145] others felt they would damage Hillary Clinton's presidential prospects and alienate Democratic voters in the general election.[142][143][146]Former President Bill Clinton defended his role in the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008 in South Carolina, disputing claims he made race a campaign issue.[147]

Honors and accolades

The President of the Czech Republic awarded Clinton the First Class with Collar Chain of the Order of the White Lion In 1998. [148]

William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park, Little Rock, Arkansas.
William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park, Little Rock, Arkansas.

From a poll conducted of the American people in December 1999, Clinton was among eighteen included in Gallup's List of Widely Admired People of the 20th century.

Clinton received the 2000 International Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen (a prestigious European prize),[149] 2004 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for narrating the Russian National Orchestra's album Wolf Tracks and Peter and the Wolf (along with Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren) and 2005 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for My Life, 2005 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding,[150] and 2007 TED Prize (named for the confluence of technology, entertainment and design).[151] On October 17, 2002, Clinton became the first white person to be inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.[152]

He received an honorary doctorate of laws from Tulane University in New Orleans (along with George H. W. Bush),[153] and also from the University of Michigan.[154] He is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Pace University's Lubin School of Business,[155] from Rochester Institute of Technology,[156] and from Knox College.[157]

On November 22, 2004, New York Republican Governor George Pataki named Clinton and the other living former presidents (Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush) as honorary members of the board rebuilding the World Trade Center. In 2005, the University of Arkansas System opened the Clinton School of Public Service on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center.[158]

On December 3, 2006, Clinton was made an honorary chief and Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu by Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Michael Somare. Clinton was awarded the honor for his "outstanding leadership for the good of mankind during two terms as U.S. president" and his commitment to the global fight against HIV/AIDS and other health challenges in developing countries.[159]

Clinton speaks at Knox College June 2, 2007.
Clinton speaks at Knox College June 2, 2007.

On June 2, 2007, Clinton, along with former president George H. Bush, received the International Freedom Conductor Award, for their help with the fund raising following the tsunami that devastated South Asia in 2004.[160] On June 13, 2007, Clinton was honored by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria alongside eight multinational-companies—HBO, Chevron Corporation, Standard Chartered plc, Eli Lilly & Company, Eskom Holdings Ltd, Marathon Oil Corporation, Coca-Cola, and Abbott—for his work to defeat HIV/AIDS.[161]

In Europe, Bill Clinton remains popular, especially in a large part of the Balkans and in Ireland. In Priština, Kosovo, a five-story picture of the former president was permanently engraved into the side of the tallest building in the province as a token of gratitude for Clinton's support during the crisis in Kosovo.[162] A statue of Clinton was also built and a road was named Clinton Boulevard.[163]

Electoral history

Main article: Electoral history of Bill Clinton

Gallery

Clinton with Jacques Chirac outside Élysée Palace.

Clinton meets Ryutaro Hashimoto at the Akasaka Palace.

Clinton and Jiang Zemin

Clinton (left) with Kim Dae-jung at APEC meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, on September 12, 1999

Clinton speaking to California Democratic Convention Delegates at San Jose, California on March 31, 2008.

Clinton walking along the National Mall on his way to the dedication ceremonies for the National World War II Memorial, May 2004

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Further reading

Primary sources

Popular books

Academic studies

  • Cohen; Jeffrey E. "The Polls: Change and Stability in Public Assessments of Personal Traits, Bill Clinton, 1993-99" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 31, 2001
  • Cronin, Thomas E. and Michael A. Genovese; "President Clinton and Character Questions" Presidential Studies Quarterly Vol. 28, 1998
  • Davis; John. "The Evolution of American Grand Strategy and the War on Terrorism: Clinton and Bush Perspectives" White House Studies, Vol. 3, 2003
  • Edwards; George C. "Bill Clinton and His Crisis of Governance" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 28, 1998
  • Fisher; Patrick. "Clinton's Greatest Legislative Achievement? the Success of the 1993 Budget Reconciliation Bill" White House Studies, Vol. 1, 2001
  • Glad; Betty. "Evaluating Presidential Character" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 28, 1998
  • Harris, John F. The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House. (2005) ISBN 0-375-50847-3, biography
  • William G. Hyland. Clinton's World: Remaking American Foreign Policy (1999) ISBN 0-275-96396-9
  • Jewett, Aubrey W. and Marc D. Turetzky; " Stability and Change in President Clinton's Foreign Policy Beliefs, 1993-96" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 28, 1998
  • Johnson, Fard. "Politics, Propaganda and Public Opinion: The Influence of Race and Class on the 1993 - 1994 Health Care Reform Debate." (2004). ISBN 1-4116-6345-4
  • Laham, Nicholas, A Lost Cause: Bill Clinton's Campaign for National Health Insurance (1996)
  • Lanoue, David J. and Craig F. Emmert; "Voting in the Glare of the Spotlight: Representatives' Votes on the Impeachment of President Clinton" Polity, Vol. 32, 1999
  • Livingston, C. Don, Kenneth A. Wink; "The Passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the U.S. House of Representatives: Presidential Leadership or Presidential Luck?" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 27, 1997
  • Maurer; Paul J. "Media Feeding Frenzies: Press Behavior during Two Clinton Scandals" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 29, 1999
  • Nie; Martin A. "'It's the Environment, Stupid!': Clinton and the Environment" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 27, 1997
  • O'Connor; Brendon. "Policies, Principles, and Polls: Bill Clinton's Third Way Welfare Politics 1992-1996" The Australian Journal of Politics and History, Vol. 48, 2002
  • Poveda; Tony G. "Clinton, Crime, and the Justice Department" Social Justice, Vol. 21, 1994
  • Renshon; Stanley A. The Clinton Presidency: Campaigning, Governing, and the Psychology of Leadership Westview Press, 1995
  • Renshon; Stanley A. "The Polls: The Public's Response to the Clinton Scandals, Part 1: Inconsistent Theories, Contradictory Evidence" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 32, 2002
  • Rushefsky, Mark E. and Kant Patel. Politics, Power & Policy Making: The Case of Health Care Reform in the 1990s (1998) ISBN 1-56324-956-1
  • Schantz, Harvey L. Politics in an Era of Divided Government: Elections and Governance in the Second Clinton Administration (2001) ISBN 0-8153-3583-0
  • Wattenberg; Martin P. "The Democrats' Decline in the House during the Clinton Presidency: An Analysis of Partisan Swings" Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 29, 1999
  • Wattier; Mark J. "The Clinton Factor: The Effects of Clinton's Personal Image in 2000 Presidential Primaries and in the General Election" White House Studies, Vol. 4, 2004
  • Smithers, Luken J. "The Miracle Whip"

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Preceded by
Jim Guy Tucker		 Attorney General of Arkansas
1977 – 1979		 Succeeded by
Steve Clark
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Joe Purcell (acting)		 Governor of Arkansas
1979 – 1981		 Succeeded by
Frank D. White
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Frank D. White		 Governor of Arkansas
1983 – 1992		 Succeeded by
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Tennessee		 Chairman of the National Governor's Association
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January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001		 Succeeded by
George W. Bush
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France		 Chair of the G8
1997		 Succeeded by
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Persondata
NAME Clinton, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Clinton, William Jefferson (full name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION 42nd President of the United States (1993–2001)
DATE OF BIRTH 19 August 1946 (1946-08-19) (age 61)
PLACE OF BIRTH Hope, Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

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