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{{Short description|President of the United States from 1993 to 2001}} | |||
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{{Infobox President | name=William Jefferson Clinton | |||
{{Pp-blp|small=yes}} | |||
| nationality=american | |||
{{Good article}} | |||
| image name=Clinton.jpg#file | |||
{{Use American English|date=February 2019}} | |||
| order=42nd President | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} | |||
| date1=], ] | |||
{{Infobox officeholder | |||
| date2=], ] | |||
| image = Bill Clinton.jpg | |||
| preceded=] | |||
| caption = Official portrait, 1993 | |||
| succeeded=] | |||
| alt = Clinton's official presidential portrait, 1993 | |||
| date of birth=], ] | |||
| order = 42nd | |||
| place of birth=] | |||
| office = President of the United States | |||
| dead=alive | |||
| vicepresident = ] | |||
| date of death= | |||
| term_start = January 20, 1993 | |||
| place of death= | |||
| term_end = January 20, 2001 | |||
| wife=] | |||
| predecessor = ] | |||
| party=] | |||
| successor = ] | |||
| vicepresident=] | |||
| order2 = 40th & 42nd ] | |||
| Religon=] | |||
| lieutenant2 = {{unbulleted list|]|Jim Guy Tucker}} | |||
| term_start2 = January 11, 1983 | |||
| term_end2 = December 12, 1992 | |||
| predecessor2 = Frank D. White | |||
| successor2 = ] | |||
| lieutenant3 = Joe Purcell | |||
| term_start3 = January 9, 1979 | |||
| term_end3 = January 19, 1981 | |||
| predecessor3 = ] (acting) | |||
| successor3 = ] | |||
| office6 = 50th ] | |||
| governor6 = {{unbulleted list|]|Joe Purcell (acting)}} | |||
| term_start6 = January 3, 1977 | |||
| term_end6 = January 9, 1979 | |||
| predecessor6 = Jim Guy Tucker | |||
| successor6 = ] | |||
| birth_name = William Jefferson Blythe III | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1946|8|19}} | |||
| birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
| party = ] | |||
| spouse = {{marriage|]|October 11, 1975}} | |||
| children = ] | |||
| parents = {{unbulleted list|]|]}} | |||
| education = {{unbulleted list|] (])|]|] (])}} | |||
| relatives = ] | |||
| signature = Signature of Bill Clinton.svg | |||
| signature_alt = William J Clinton signature.svg | |||
| awards = ] | |||
| module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Bill Clinton speaks on U.S. decision to join NATO forces in military airstrikes against Serbia.ogg|title=Bill Clinton's voice|type=speech|description=Clinton speaking on U.S. decision to join ] against ]<br/>Recorded March 24, 1999}} | |||
| footnotes = {{Collapsible list | |||
|titlestyle=background:lavender;text-align:center; | |||
|title=Other offices | |||
|bullets=on | |||
|1986–1987: Chair of the ] | |||
|1985–1986: Vice Chair of the National Governors Association | |||
}} | }} | ||
}} | |||
'''William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton''' (born '''William Jefferson Blythe, III''' on ], ]) was the 42nd ], serving from ] to ]. Clinton served five terms as the ] of ]. His wife, former ] ], is currently the ] from ]. | |||
{{Bill Clinton series}} | |||
'''William Jefferson <!--NOTE: Do not add "Bill" here per ].--> Clinton''' (] '''Blythe'''; born August 19, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician <!--NOTE: The lead sentence should stick to what he is primarily known for. The infobox is there to include additional occupations.--> who served as the 42nd ] from 1993 to 2001. A member of the ], he previously served as the ] from 1977 to 1979 and as the ] from 1979 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1992. Clinton, whose policies reflected a centrist "]" ], became known as a ]. | |||
Generally regarded as a moderate ], and a member of the moderate ] wing of the ], he headed the centrist ] in 1990 and 1991. During his tenure as president, his domestic priorities included efforts to create a universal healthcare system, upgrade ], to restrict ] sales, to strengthen ] regulations, to improve race relations, and to protect the jobs of workers during pregnancy or medical emergency. His domestic agenda also included more conservative themes such as reforming welfare programs, expanding the "]", and increasing ] funding. ], his priorities included reducing ]s, preventing ], and mediating the ] and ]s. | |||
Born and raised in ], Clinton graduated from ] in 1968, and later from ], where he met his future wife, ]. After graduating from law school, Clinton returned to Arkansas and won election as state attorney general, followed by ]. As governor, he overhauled the state's education system and served as ] of the ]. Clinton was elected president in the ], defeating the incumbent ] president ], and the independent businessman ]. He became the first president to be born in the ] generation. | |||
Clinton was the third-youngest president, behind ] (the youngest president) and ] (the youngest to be ''elected'' president). He was the first ] president. | |||
Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. He signed into law the ] and the ] but failed to pass his plan for ]. Starting in the mid-1990s, he began an ideological evolution as he became much more conservative in his domestic policy, advocating for and signing the ], the ] and financial deregulation measures. He appointed ] and ] to the ]. In foreign policy, Clinton ordered U.S. military intervention in the ] and ]s, eventually signing the ]. He also called for the ] in Eastern Europe and many former ] members joined NATO during his presidency. Clinton's foreign policy in the Middle East saw him sign the ] which gave aid to groups against ]. He also participated in the ] and ] to advance the ], and assisted the ]. | |||
==Early Life== | |||
Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe, III<!-- Authoritative birthname. See Talk page for more information. --> in tiny ] and raised in ]. He was named after his father, ], a travelling salesman who had been killed in a car accident in Scott County, Missouri between the towns of Sikeston and Morley three months before his son was born. His mother, born ] (1923–1994), remarried in 1950 to ]. Billy, as he was called, was raised by his mother and stepfather, assuming his last name "Clinton" throughout elementary school, but not formally changing it until he was 14. Clinton grew up in a traditional, albeit blended, family; however, according to Clinton, his stepfather was a gambler and rapaholic who regularly screwed Clinton's brother, and sometimes Clinton's very very small penis. ]. | |||
Clinton won re-election in the ], defeating Republican nominee ] and ] nominee Perot. In his second term, Clinton made use of ]. Most of the accomplishments of his second term were overshadowed by the ], when it was revealed that he had been engaging in a years-long sexual relationship with ] intern ]. In 1998, news of the affair made tabloid headlines.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Twenty years ago, the Drudge Report broke the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/twenty-years-ago-the-drudge-report-broke-the-clinton-lewinsky-scandal/2018/01/09/3df90b7a-e0ec-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html |access-date=April 6, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> This scandal escalated throughout the year, culminating in December when ] by the ], becoming the first U.S. president to be impeached since ]. The two impeachment articles that the House passed were centered around ] and Clinton using the powers of the presidency to commit obstruction of justice. In January 1999, ] began in the ], where he was acquitted two months later on both charges. During the last three years of Clinton's presidency, the ] reported a budget surplus—the first such surplus since 1969. | |||
Clinton was an excellent student and talented saxophonist. He even thought of dedicating his life to music, but a visit to the White House of President John F. Kennedy following his election as a ] Senator led him to pursue a career in politics. | |||
Clinton left office in 2001 with the joint-highest approval rating of any U.S. president. His presidency ranks among the middle to upper tier in ]. However, his personal conduct and ] have made him the subject of substantial scrutiny. Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the ] to address international causes such as the prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2009, he was named the ]. After the ], Clinton founded the ] with ] and ]. He has remained active in Democratic Party politics, campaigning for his wife's ] and ]. | |||
==Arkansas political career and education== | |||
Clinton received a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.) degree from the ] at ] in Washington DC, where he became a brother of ], worked for Senator ], was elected to ] and won a ] to the ] (at the ]) in England. After attending Oxford, Clinton obtained a ] (J.D.) degree from ]. While at Yale, he met a classmate who would eventually be his future wife, ]; the couple married in ]. | |||
==Early life and career== | |||
] (right) meets Governor Clinton.]] | |||
Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, at Julia Chester Hospital in ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://homepage.eircom.net/%257Eseanjmurphy/dir/pres.htm |title=Directory of Irish Genealogy: American Presidents with Irish Ancestors |publisher=Homepage.eircom.net |date=March 23, 2004 |access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> He is the son of ], a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before his birth, and ] (later Virginia Kelley).<ref name="whitehouse.gov bio">{{cite web |title=Biography of William J. Clinton |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/about/presidents/williamjclinton |via=] |work=] |access-date=August 30, 2011 }}</ref> Blythe had initially survived the crash, but drowned in a drainage ditch. His parents had married on September 4, 1943, but this union later proved to be bigamous, as Blythe was still married to his fourth wife.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/21/us/clinton-reported-to-have-a-brother-he-never-met.html|work=]|date=June 21, 1993|first=Edmund L.|last=Andrews |author-link=Edmund L. Andrews |title=Clinton Reported to Have A Brother He Never Met}}</ref> Virginia traveled to ] to study nursing soon after Bill was born, leaving him in Hope with her parents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and ran a small grocery store.<ref name="My Life" /> At a time when the southern United States was ], Clinton's grandparents sold goods on ] to people of all races.<ref name="My Life" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Chafe |first=William H. |author-link=William Chafe |date=2012 |title=Bill and Hillary: The Politics of the Personal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QtSjqGxPkM0C&pg=PA11 |location=New York |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |page=11 |isbn=978-0-8090-9465-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Landres |editor1-first=J. Shawn |editor-link=Shawn Landres |date=1992 |title=Bill Clinton: The Inside Story |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=63OGMhI5ISgC&pg=PA5 |location=New York |publisher=S.P.I. Books |pages=5–6 |isbn=978-1-5617-1177-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Takiff |first=Michael |date=2010 |title=A Complicated Man: The Life of Bill Clinton as Told by Those who Know Him |url=https://archive.org/details/complicatedmanl00taki |url-access=registration |location=New Haven, Conn. |publisher=Yale University Press |page= |isbn=978-0-3001-2130-8 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |editor1-last=Flanagan |editor1-first=Sylvia P. |date=September 8, 1997 |title=First Black Food Stamp Chief has Ties to President Clinton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3j8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 |magazine=Jet |location=Chicago |publisher=John N. Johnson |page=10}}</ref> In 1950, Bill's mother returned from nursing school and married ], who co-owned an ] in ], with his brother and ].<ref name="My Life">{{Cite book|last=Clinton|first=Bill|title=My Life|publisher=] |year=2004|isbn=978-1-4000-3003-3}}</ref> The family moved to Hot Springs in 1950.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ken|last=Gormley|author-link=Ken Gormley (academic)|title=The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr|publisher=]|location=New York|year=2010|isbn=978-0-307-40944-7|pages=|url=https://archive.org/details/deathofamericanv00gorm/page/16}}</ref>] home in ]|left]]Although he immediately assumed use of his stepfather's surname, it was not until Clinton turned 15<ref name="Oprah Talks to Bill Clinton">{{cite web |url=http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Oprah-Interviews-President-Bill-Clinton/3|title=Oprah Talks to Bill Clinton|work=] |date=August 2004 |access-date=December 18, 2011}}</ref> that he formally adopted the surname Clinton as a gesture toward him.<ref name="My Life" /> Clinton has described his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother, ] The physical abuse only ceased after a then-14-year-old Bill challenged his stepfather to "stand and face" him, though the verbal/emotional abuse continued.<ref name="First in His Class">{{Cite book|last=Maraniss|first=David |author-link=David Maraniss |title=First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton|publisher=Touchstone|page=40|year=1996|isbn=978-0-684-81890-0|url=https://archive.org/details/firstinhisclass00davi}}</ref> Bill would eventually forgive Roger Sr. for his abusive actions near the latter's death.<ref name="Holmes">{{cite book |last=Holmes |first=David|title=The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents. From Truman to Obama |publisher=University of Georgia Press |year= 2012 |page=148 |isbn=9780820338620}}</ref><ref name="Levin">{{cite book |last=Levin |first=Robert | title=Bill Clinton. The Inside Story|publisher=University of Georgia Press |year=1992 |page=52 |isbn=9781561711772}}</ref> | |||
In Hot Springs, Clinton attended St. John's Catholic Elementary School, Ramble Elementary School, and the ] ], where he was an active student leader, avid reader, and musician.<ref name="My Life" /> Clinton was in the chorus and played the ], winning first chair in the state band's saxophone section. While in high school, Clinton performed for two years in a jazz trio, ], with ], who became a successful professional pianist.<ref>{{cite book | last =Levin | first =Robert | authorlink = | title = Bill Clinton: The Inside Story| publisher =S.P.I. Books | series = | volume = | edition = | date =1992 | location = | pages = 26–29| language = | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=63OGMhI5ISgC&dq=Randy+Goodrum+Bill+Clinton&pg=PA26 | doi = | id = | isbn =9781561711772 | quote=}}</ref> | |||
In ], his first year as a ] law professor, Clinton ran for the ]. The incumbent, ], defeated Clinton with 52% of the vote. In ], Clinton was elected ] of ] without opposition in the general election. | |||
In 1961, Clinton became a member of the Hot Springs Chapter of the ], a youth group affiliated with ], but he never became a Freemason.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Clinton's Hometown Homepage |url=https://www.hotspringsar.com/info/clinton/ |website=www.hotspringsar.com |access-date=October 19, 2022 |location=Hot Springs, Arkansas}}</ref> He briefly considered dedicating his life to music, but as he noted in his autobiography '']'':{{block indent|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 ] or ]. I was interested in medicine and thought I could be a fine doctor, but I knew I would never be ]. But I knew I could be great in public service.<ref name="My Life" />}} | |||
In ], Bill Clinton was first elected ], the youngest to be elected governor since ]. His first term was fraught with difficulties, including an unpopular motor vehicle tax and popular anger over the escape of Cuban prisoners (from the ]) detained in ] in ]. | |||
]'s 1963 yearbook]] | |||
In the 1980 election, Clinton was defeated in his bid for a second term by ] challenger ], becoming a victim of the ] Republican landslide. As he once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history. But in ], Clinton won his old job back, and over the next decade helped Arkansas to transform its economy. He became a leading figure among the so-called New Democrats, who called for welfare reform, smaller government, and other Reagan-like ideas. | |||
Clinton began an interest in law at Hot Springs High, when he took up the challenge to argue the defense of the ancient ] ] in a mock trial in his Latin class.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/bill-clinton-facts_n_3497083.html | title=10 Things You Definitely Didn't Know About Bill Clinton | work=] | date=June 25, 2013 | first=Jimmy | last=Soni |author-link=Jimmy Soni}}</ref> After a vigorous defense that made use of his "budding rhetorical and political skills", he told the Latin teacher Elizabeth Buck it "made him realize that someday he would study law".<ref>{{cite book | title=First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton | first=David | last=Maraniss |author-link=David Maraniss | year=1996 | publisher=Touchstone | page=43}}</ref> | |||
Clinton has identified two influential moments in his life, both occurring in 1963, that contributed to his decision to become a public figure. One was his visit as a ] senator to the ] to meet President ].<ref name="First in His Class" /> The other was watching ]'s 1963 "]" speech on TV, which impressed him so much that he later memorized it.<ref>{{cite web | title=It All Began in a Place Called Hope (Archived whitehouse.gov Article) | publisher=] | url=http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/Hope.html | access-date=August 30, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719152125/http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/Hope.html | archive-date=July 19, 2011 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> | |||
Clinton's approach mollified conservative criticism during his terms as governor. However, one or two personal transactions made by the Clintons during this period became the basis of the ] investigation, which dogged his later presidential administration. After very extensive investigation over several years, no indictments or charges of any kind were made against either of the Clintons growing out of their Arkansas years. | |||
==College and law school years== | |||
==Presidency== | |||
===Georgetown University=== | |||
] photograph.]] | |||
] while attending the School of Foreign Service at ].]] | |||
With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the ] at ] in Washington, D.C., receiving a ] in foreign service degree in 1968. Georgetown was the only university where Clinton applied.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kiefer |first1=Francine |title=Clinton: The Early Years |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1998/0529/052998.us.us.3.html |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=] |date=May 29, 1998}}</ref> | |||
===Presidential campaign=== | |||
Clinton's first foray into national politics occurred when he was enlisted to speak at the ], introducing candidate ]. Clinton's address, scheduled to last 15 minutes, became a debacle as Clinton gave a notoriously long and uninspiring speech that lasted over half an hour . | |||
In 1964 and 1965, Clinton won elections for ].<ref>{{cite book|author=Robert E. Levin|title=Bill Clinton: The Inside Story|url=https://archive.org/details/billclinton00robe|url-access=registration|year=1992|publisher=SP Books|isbn=978-1-56171-177-2|pages=xxiv–xxv}}</ref> From 1964 to 1967, he was an intern and then a clerk in the office of Arkansas Senator ].<ref name="My Life" /> While in college, he became a brother of service fraternity ]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.apo.org/leadershipdevelopment | title=About Leadership | publisher=APO.org | access-date=April 7, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101064634/http://apo.org/Leadershipdevelopment | archive-date=January 1, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> and was elected to ]. He is a member of ] honorary band fraternity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kkpsi.org/prominentmembers.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716182330/http://www.kkpsi.org/prominentmembers.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |title=Prominent Members |publisher=Kappa Kappa Psi |access-date=August 30, 2011 }}</ref> | |||
Four years later, Clinton prepared for a run in ] against incumbent President ]. In the aftermath of the ], Bush seemed unbeatable, and several potential Democratic candidates — notably ] ] — passed on what seemed to be a lost cause. Clinton won the ]'s nomination. | |||
===Oxford=== | |||
Clinton chose ] ] (]-]) to be his running mate on ], ]. Initially this decision sparked criticism from strategists due to the fact that Gore was from Clinton's neighboring state of ] which would go against the popular strategy of balancing a Southern candidate with a Northern partner. In retrospect, many now view Gore as a helpful factor in the 1992 campaign. | |||
Upon graduating from Georgetown in 1968, Clinton won a ] to ], where he initially read for a ] in ] but transferred to a ] in politics and, ultimately, a B.Phil. in politics.<ref name="Hoffman">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-bill-clinton-we-knew-at-oxford-apart-from-smoking-dope-and-not-inhaling-what-else-did-he-learn-1556769.html|title=The Bill Clinton we knew at Oxford: Apart from smoking dope (and not inhaling), what else did he learn over here? College friends share their memories with Matthew Hoffman|first=Matthew|last=Hoffman|date=October 11, 1992|work=The Independent|access-date=August 24, 2017|archive-date=June 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623195343/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-bill-clinton-we-knew-at-oxford-apart-from-smoking-dope-and-not-inhaling-what-else-did-he-learn-1556769.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Clinton did not expect to return for the second year because of the draft and so he switched programs; this type of activity was common among other Rhodes Scholars from his cohort. He had received an offer to study at ], and so he left early to return to the United States and did not receive a degree from Oxford.<ref name="First in His Class" /><ref name="Dowd">{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/09/world/oxford-journal-whereas-he-is-an-old-boy-if-a-young-chief-honor-him.html | title=Oxford Journal; Whereas, He Is an Old Boy, If a Young Chief, Honor Him | last=Dowd | first=Maureen | author-link=Maureen Dowd | work=The New York Times | date=June 9, 1994 | access-date=July 17, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=Hitch-22: A Memoir | first=Christopher | last=Hitchens |author-link=Christopher Hitchens | chapter=Chris or Christopher? | pages=106–107 | publisher=Atlantic books | location= London | isbn= 978-1-84354-922-2| date=December 4, 2010 }}</ref> | |||
During his time at Oxford, Clinton befriended fellow American Rhodes Scholar Frank Aller. In 1969, Aller received a ] letter that mandated deployment to the ]. Aller's 1971 suicide had an influential impact on Clinton.<ref name="Hoffman"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/22/magazine/most-likely-to-succeed.html|title=Most Likely to Succeed|first=Alessandra|last=Stanley |author-link=Alessandra Stanley |date=November 22, 1992|work=The New York Times}}</ref> British writer and feminist ] said of Clinton, "I remember Bill and Frank Aller taking me to a pub in Walton Street in the summer term of 1969 and talking to me about the Vietnam War. I knew nothing about it, and when Frank began to describe the napalming of civilians I began to cry. Bill said that feeling bad wasn't good enough. That was the first time I encountered the idea that liberal sensitivities weren't enough and you had to do something about such things".<ref name="Hoffman"/> Clinton was a member of the ] and also played for Oxford University's ] team.<ref>{{cite book | title=Rugby Union for Dummies |first1=Nick | last1=Cain |first2=Greg | last2=Growden |author2-link=Greg Growden |name-list-style=amp | chapter=21: Ten Peculiar Facts about Rugby | page=297 | edition=2 | publisher=John Wiley and Sons | location= ], England | isbn=978-0-470-03537-5|year=2006 }}</ref> | |||
Many character issues were raised during the campaign, including allegations that Clinton had dodged the draft during the ], and had used ], which Clinton claimed he had smoked, but "didn't inhale". Allegations of extramarital affairs and shady business deals were also raised. While typically these types of allegations would have resulted in a candidate withdrawing from the race, Clinton displayed the resiliency in the face of scandal that would later be pivotal in his presidency. As the candidate with the most money and the best-articulated campaign strategy — creating more jobs — Clinton was able to stay in the race the longest, fending off all rivals long before the Democratic convention. | |||
While Clinton was president in 1994, he received an honorary ] degree and a fellowship from the ], specifically for being "a doughty and tireless champion of the cause of world peace", having "a powerful collaborator in his wife", and for winning "general applause for his achievement of resolving the gridlock that prevented an agreed budget".<ref name="Dowd"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/doctor-without-a-thesis-bill-clinton-gets-an-oxford-degree-today-but-jonathan-eyals-verdict-on-his-1421189.html|title=Doctor without a thesis: Bill Clinton gets an Oxford degree today, but Jonathan Eyal's verdict on his term's work is: a disaster|first=Jonathan|last=Eyal|date=June 8, 1994|work=]|access-date=August 24, 2017|archive-date=June 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623193859/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/doctor-without-a-thesis-bill-clinton-gets-an-oxford-degree-today-but-jonathan-eyals-verdict-on-his-1421189.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
Clinton won the ] (43.01% of the vote) against Republican ] (37.4% of the vote) and billionaire populist ] who ran as an independent (18.9% of the vote), largely on a platform focusing on domestic issues; a large part of his success was due to George H.W. Bush's steep decline in public approval. Previously described as "unbeatable" due to his approval ratings in the 80 percent range during the ] conflict, Bush's public approval rating dropped to just over 40% by election time. | |||
===Vietnam War opposition and draft controversy=== | |||
Three factors made this possible. First, the campaign came in the midst of the ]. While in historical terms the recession was mild and actually ended before the election, the resulting job loss (especially among middle managers not yet accustomed to white collar downsizing) fueled strong discontent with Bush, who was successfully portrayed as aloof, out of touch, and overly focused on foreign affairs. Highly telegenic, Clinton was perceived as sympathetic, concerned, and more in touch with ordinary families. | |||
During the Vietnam War, Clinton received educational draft deferments while he was in England in 1968 and 1969.<ref>{{cite book|author=Neil A. Hamilton|title=Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pfbt5NXvF64C&pg=PA366|year=2005|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-0816-2|page=366}}</ref> While at Oxford, he participated in ] and organized a ] event in October 1969.<ref name="My Life" /> He was planning to attend law school in the U.S. and knew he might lose his deferment. Clinton tried unsuccessfully to obtain positions in the ] and the ], and he then made arrangements to join the ] (ROTC) program at the ].<ref>{{cite book|author=Steven M. Gillon|title=The Pact: Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and the Rivalry that Defined a Generation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d-U2IzI2r5YC|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-532278-1|page=21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mikkelson|first=David|date=January 6, 2003|title=Was Bill Clinton a 'Felonious Draft Dodger'?|url= https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-draft-pardon/|access-date=January 31, 2021|agency=Snopes}}</ref> | |||
He subsequently decided not to join the ROTC, saying in a letter to the officer in charge of the program that he opposed the war, but did not think it was honorable to use ROTC, National Guard, or Reserve service to avoid serving in Vietnam. He further stated that because he opposed the war, he would not volunteer to serve in uniform, but would subject himself to the draft, and would serve if selected only as a way "to maintain my political viability within the system".<ref>{{cite news | first=Bill | last=Clinton | agency=The Associated Press | title=The 1992 Campaign; A Letter By Clinton On His Draft Deferment: 'A War I Opposed And Despised' | work=The New York Times | date=February 13, 1992 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/13/us/1992-campaign-letter-clinton-his-draft-deferment-war-opposed-despised.html | access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> Clinton registered for the draft and received a high number (311), meaning that those whose birthdays had been drawn as numbers{{nbsp}}1 to 310 would be ] before him, making it unlikely he would be called up. (In fact, the highest number drafted was 195.)<ref>{{cite news |last=Lauter |first=David |date=February 13, 1992 |title=Clinton Releases '69 Letter on ROTC and Draft Status |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-13-mn-2993-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles}}</ref> | |||
Second was the decision by Bush to accept a tax increase. Pressured by rising budget deficits, increased demand for entitlement spending and reduced tax revenues (each a consequence of the recession) Bush agreed to a budget compromise with Congress (where rival Democrats held the majority). Not having been in Congress at the time, Clinton was able to effectivley condemn the tax increase on both its own merits and as a reflection of Bush's honesty. Effective Democratic TV ads were aired showing a clip of Bush's infamous 1988 campaign speech in which he promised "]" | |||
] Eugene Holmes, the Army officer who had been involved with Clinton's ROTC application, suspected that Clinton attempted to manipulate the situation to avoid the draft and avoid serving in uniform. He issued a ]d statement during the 1992 presidential campaign:{{block indent|I was informed by the draft board that it was of interest to Senator Fulbright's office that Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar, should be admitted to the ] program ... I believe that he purposely deceived me, using the possibility of joining the ROTC as a ploy to work with the draft board to delay his induction and get a new draft classification.<ref name="Morris1999">{{cite book | last=Morris | first=Roger | title=Partners in Power: The Clintons and Their America | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vq96BQV5lF4C&pg=PA100| date=April 25, 1999 | publisher=Regnery Publishing | isbn=978-0-89526-302-5 | page=100}}</ref>}} | |||
Finally, Bush's coalition was in disarray. Ross Perot's independent campaign played to moderates' concerns about the budget deficit, siphoning crucial swing votes from Bush. Meanwhile, conservative voters — especially social conservatives-- lacked confidence in Bush, an avowed moderate. Previously, conservatives had been united by anti-communism; with the end of the Cold War, old rivalries re-emerged. Meanwhile, despite a fractious and ideologically diverse party, Clinton was able to successfully court all wings of the Democratic party, even where they conflicted. To garner the support of moderates and conservative Democrats, he cannily attacked ], a rap musician whose lyrics Clinton condemned. Clinton could also point to his moderate, New Democrat record as Governor of Arkansas. More liberal Democrats were impressed by Clinton's academic credentials, 60's-era protest record, and support for social causes such as a woman's right to abortion. Supporters remained energized and confident, even in times of scandal or missteps. | |||
During the 1992 campaign, it was revealed that Clinton's uncle had attempted to secure him a position in the ], which would have prevented him from being deployed to Vietnam. This effort was unsuccessful and Clinton said in 1992 that he had been unaware of it until then.<ref>{{cite news | url =http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/democrat/clinton/skeletons/draft.shtml | title = Clinton's Draft Deferrment | work=CNN |year= 1997 | access-date = June 19, 2014 }}</ref> Although legal, Clinton's actions with respect to the draft and deciding whether to serve in the military were criticized during his first presidential campaign by conservatives and some Vietnam veterans, some of whom charged that he had used Fulbright's influence to avoid military service.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/etc/draftletter.html | title=Bill Clinton's Draft Letter | work=] | publisher=PBS | date=November 23, 1991 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Frammolino | first=Ralph | url =https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-06-mn-447-story.html | title = ROTC Officer Unaware of Draft Notice: Clinton: The man whose action kept the future governor in school says he was not told of 1969 induction letter. Draft board insists none was sent | work=Los Angeles Times | date=April 6, 1992 | access-date = January 6, 2013 }}</ref> Clinton's 1992 campaign manager, ], successfully argued that Clinton's letter in which he declined to join the ROTC should be made public, insisting that voters, many of whom had also opposed the Vietnam War, would understand and appreciate his position.<ref>Public Broadcasting System, , 2000.</ref> | |||
===Significant events=== | |||
Clinton was the first Democrat to serve two full terms as president since ]. His election ended an era in which the Republican party had controlled the ] for 12 consecutive years, and for 20 of the previous 24 years. That election also brought the Democrats full control of the political branches of the federal government, including both houses of ] as well as the presidency, for the first time since the administration of the last Democratic president, ]. | |||
===Law school=== | |||
Clinton's first act as president was to sign ] 12834 (entitled "Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees"), which placed substantial restrictions upon the ability of his senior political appointees to ] their colleagues after they leave office. Clinton rescinded the order shortly before he left office in executive order 13184 of ], ]. | |||
After Oxford, Clinton attended Yale Law School and earned a ] (J.D.) degree in 1973.<ref name="First in His Class" /> In 1971, he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham, in the ]; she was a class year ahead of him.<ref name="HRCBio">{{cite web | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/about/first-ladies/hillaryclinton | work=] | title=Hillary Rodham Clinton | via=] | access-date=August 26, 2011}}</ref> They began dating and were soon inseparable. After only about a month, Clinton postponed his summer plans to be a coordinator for the ] ] for the ] in order to move in with her in California.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.nysun.com/national/clintons-berkeley-summer-of-love/66982 | title=The Clintons' Berkeley Summer of Love | first=Josh | last=Gerstein | work=The New York Sun | date=November 26, 2007 | access-date=May 9, 2009}}</ref> The couple continued ] in New Haven when they returned to law school.<ref name="nys-rad">{{Cite news |url=http://www.nysun.com/national/hillary-clintons-radical-summer/66933/ |title=Hillary Clinton's Radical Summer |first=Josh | last=Gerstein |work=The New York Sun |date=November 26, 2007}}</ref> | |||
Clinton eventually ] to take a job leading McGovern's effort there. He spent considerable time in ], at the campaign's local headquarters on Lemmon Avenue, where he had an office. Clinton worked with future two-term ] ],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Medley|first1=Jasmine|title=William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center and the Clinton School of Public Service|date=July 20, 2013|url=http://nasje.org/william-jefferson-clinton-presidential-center-and-the-clinton-school-of-public-service/|publisher=National Association of State Judicial Educators|access-date=November 22, 2016|archive-date=March 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305132811/https://nasje.org/william-jefferson-clinton-presidential-center-and-the-clinton-school-of-public-service/|url-status=dead}}</ref> future ] ],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Slater|first1=Wayne|title=Texas stumping in '72 helped shape Clinton's campaign|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2016/03/01/from-the-archives-lone-star-stumping-gig-in-72-race-helped-shape-hillary-clintons-08-bid |newspaper=Dallas Morning News |date=December 16, 2007 |access-date=November 22, 2016}}</ref> and then unknown television director and filmmaker ].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Felsenthal|first1=Carol|title=George McGovern and Bill Clinton: the State of the Friendship|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carol-felsenthal/george-mcgovern-and-bill_b_98845.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=May 7, 2008 |access-date=November 22, 2016}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
==Failed congressional campaign and tenure as Attorney General of Arkansas== | |||
Shortly after taking office, Clinton fulfilled a campaign promise by signing the ], which required large employers to allow their employees to take unpaid leave because of pregnancy or serious medical condition. While this action was popular, Clinton's initial reluctance to fulfill another campaign promise relating to the acceptance of openly ] members of the ] garnered criticism from both the left (for being too tentative in promoting ]) and the right (for being too insensitive to military life). After much debate, Clinton implemented the "]" policy, which remains official military policy. | |||
{{Further|Electoral history of Bill Clinton}} | |||
After graduating from ], Clinton returned to Arkansas and became a law ] at the ]. In 1974, he ran for the ]. Running in the conservative ] against incumbent Republican ], Clinton's campaign was bolstered by the anti-Republican and anti-incumbent mood resulting from the ]. Hammerschmidt, who had received 77 percent of the vote in 1972, defeated Clinton by only a 52 percent to 48 percent margin. In 1976, Clinton ran for ]. Defeating the secretary of state and the deputy attorney general in the Democratic primary, Clinton was elected with no opposition at all in the general election, as no Republican had run for the office.<ref name=AllPolitics1>{{cite news|url=http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/democrat/clinton/political.career.shtml |work=CNN|title=Bill Clinton Political Career |year=1997 |access-date=August 30, 2011 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020920104113/http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/democrat/clinton/political.career.shtml |archive-date=September 20, 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="First in His Class" /> | |||
The most important item on Clinton's legislative agenda, however, was ], the result of a taskforce headed by ], aimed at achieving universal coverage. Though initially well-received, it was ultimately doomed by well-organized opposition from conservatives and the health insurance industry. It was the first major legislative defeat of Clinton's administration. | |||
==Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)== | |||
After two years of Democratic party control under Clinton's leadership, the ] proved disastrous for the Democrats. They lost control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years, in large part due to stalled legislation, including the failed attempt to create a comprehensive health care system. | |||
{{Main|Governorships of Bill Clinton}} | |||
], Clinton, and ] during the ] on ], ].]] | |||
], 1978]] | |||
After the 1994 election, the spotlight shifted to the ] spearheaded by ] ]. The Republican-controlled Congress and Clinton sparred over the budget. The inability of Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress to come to an agreement resulted in the longest government shutdown to date. | |||
In 1978, Clinton entered the Arkansas gubernatorial primary. At just 31 years old, he was one of the youngest gubernatorial candidates in the state's history. Clinton was elected ] in ], having defeated the Republican candidate ], a farmer from ]. Clinton was only 32 years old when he took office, the youngest governor in the country at the time and the second youngest governor in the history of Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=95|title=Bill Clinton (1946–) |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |access-date=September 15, 2018}}</ref> Due to his youthful appearance, Clinton was often called the "Boy Governor".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/opinion/12wed4.html | title=Bill and Hillary Clinton's Pitch in Iowa: 'I Love the '90s' | newspaper=The New York Times | first=Adam | last=Cohen | date=December 12, 2007 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=Boy Clinton: The Political Biography | author=R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. | publisher=Eagle Publishing | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rLSJ5oJG3fcC&pg=PA236| isbn=978-0-89526-439-8 | year=1996|page=236}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/27/us/little-rock-hopes-clinton-presidency-will-put-its-dogpatch-image-to-rest.html | title=Little Rock Hopes Clinton Presidency Will Put Its Dogpatch Image to Rest | first=Michael | last=Kelly | work=The New York Times | date=November 27, 1992 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> He worked on educational reform and directed the maintenance of Arkansas's roads, with wife Hillary leading a successful committee on urban health care reform. However, his term included an unpopular motor vehicle tax and citizens' anger over the escape of Cuban refugees (from the ]) detained in ] in 1980. Monroe Schwarzlose, of ] in ], polled 31 percent of the vote against Clinton in the Democratic gubernatorial primary of 1980. Some suggested Schwarzlose's unexpected voter turnout foreshadowed Clinton's defeat by Republican challenger ] in the general election that year. As Clinton once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history.<ref name="First in His Class" /> | |||
In the ], Clinton was re-elected receiving 49.2% of the popular vote over Republican ] (40.7% of the popular vote) and ] candidate ] (8.4% of the popular vote), while the Republicans retained control of the Congress losing but a few seats. | |||
After leaving office in January 1981, Clinton joined friend ]'s Little Rock law firm of Wright, Lindsey and Jennings.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Clinton Timeline |author=Jonathan W. Nicholsen |url=http://www.timeline-help.com/bill-clinton-timeline.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123110248/http://www.timeline-help.com/bill-clinton-timeline.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 23, 2008 |publisher=Timeline Help |access-date=August 30, 2011 }}</ref> In 1982, he was elected governor a second time and kept the office for ten years. Effective with the 1986 election, Arkansas had changed its gubernatorial term of office from two to four years. During his term, he helped transform Arkansas's economy and improved the state's educational system.<ref name=pendleton /> For ]s, he removed the ] from medications and increased the home property-tax exemption.<ref name="The Natural" /> He became a leading figure among the ], a group of ] who advocated welfare reform, smaller government, and other policies not supported by liberals. Formally organized as the ] (DLC), the New Democrats argued that in light of President ]'s ], the Democratic Party needed to adopt a more centrist political stance in order to succeed at the national level.<ref name="The Natural">{{Cite book | last=Klein | first=Joe | title=The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton | url=https://archive.org/details/naturalmisunders00klei| url-access=registration | publisher=Doubleday | year=2002 | isbn=978-0-7679-1412-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=127&subid=173&contentid=252794 |title=Bill Clinton, New Democrat |publisher=DLC |date=July 25, 2004 |access-date=August 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309143615/http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=127&subid=173&contentid=252794 |archive-date=March 9, 2012 }}</ref> Clinton delivered the ] to Reagan's ] and served as chair of the ] from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas.<ref name="First in His Class" /> | |||
Clinton developed a close working relationship with ], the ] of the ], when he was elected in ]. | |||
] attend the Dinner Honoring the Nation's Governors in the White House with President Ronald Reagan and first lady ], 1987]] | |||
In the early 1980s, Clinton made reform of the Arkansas education system a top priority of his gubernatorial administration. The Arkansas Education Standards Committee was chaired by Clinton's wife Hillary, who was also an attorney as well as the chair of the ]. The committee transformed Arkansas's education system. Proposed reforms included more spending for schools (supported by a sales-tax increase), better opportunities for gifted children, vocational education, higher teachers' salaries, more course variety, and compulsory teacher competency exams. The reforms passed in September 1983 after Clinton called a special ]—the longest in Arkansas history.<ref name=pendleton>{{cite news|last1=Pendleton|first1=Scott | title=Governor Gets High Marks for Public Education Reforms | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0721/21062.html | work=] | date=July 21, 1992}}</ref> Many have considered this the greatest achievement of the Clinton governorship.<ref name="First in His Class" /><ref name="The Natural" /> He defeated four Republican candidates for governor: Lowe (1978), White (1982 and 1986), ] businessmen ] (1984), and ] of Little Rock (1990).<ref name=AllPolitics1 /> | |||
Also in the 1980s, the Clintons' personal and business affairs included transactions that became the basis of the ] investigation, which later dogged his presidential administration.<ref name="Clinton Wars">{{Cite book | last=Blumenthal | first=Sidney | title=The Clinton Wars | publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux | edition=1st | year=2003 | isbn= 978-0-374-12502-8}}</ref> After extensive investigation over several years, no indictments were made against the Clintons related to the years in Arkansas.<ref name="First in His Class" /><ref name="The Survivor">{{Cite book | last= Harris | first=John F. | title=The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House | publisher=Random House Trade Paperbacks | year=2006 | edition=1st | isbn= 978-0-375-76084-6}}</ref> | |||
In 1998, as a result of allegations regarding his ] with a young female White House intern (]), Clinton was the second U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He was tried in the Senate and found not guilty of the charges brought against him. Clinton initially denied having any improper relationship with Lewinsky, but later admitted that in fact an improper relationship with Lewinsky had taken place. He apologized to the nation for his actions, agreed to pay a $25,000.00 court fine, settled his sexual harassment lawsuit with Paula Jones for $850,000.00 and was disbarred from practicing law in Arkansas and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was not tried for or found guilty of perjury. | |||
According to some sources, Clinton was a ] opponent in his early years, but he eventually switched positions.<ref name="mbsrgd" /><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=bill_clintons_death_penalty_waffle_ | title=Bill Clinton's Death Penalty Waffle—and Why It's Good News for Execution's Foes | first=Alexander | last=Nguyen | date=July 14, 2000 | work=] | access-date=August 30, 2010 | quote=In his early days, Clinton opposed the death penalty. And while he and his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton were both teaching at the University of Arkansas Law School, she wrote an appellate brief that helped save a mentally retarded man from execution. "Clinton was against the death penalty," says Arkansas attorney Jeff Rosenzweig, who, like Clinton, grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. "He told me so." | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205011359/http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=bill_clintons_death_penalty_waffle_ | archive-date=December 5, 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref> However he might have felt previously, by 1992, Clinton was insisting that Democrats "should no longer feel guilty about protecting the innocent".<ref name="Hartman2015">{{cite book|last=Hartman|first=Andrew|title=A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fW__BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA121|year=2015|publisher=The University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-25464-7|page=121}}</ref> During Clinton's final term as governor, ] since 1964 (the death penalty had been reinstated in 1976).<ref>{{cite web |title=Reinstatement of the Death Penalty |url=https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/reinstatement-of-the-death-penalty.html |website=Findlaw |access-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref> As Governor, he oversaw the ] by the state of Arkansas since the death penalty was reinstated there in 1976: one by ] and three by ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/execution-database?filters%5Bstate%5D=Arkansas|title=Execution Database | Death Penalty Information Center|work=]|access-date=January 25, 2020}}</ref> To draw attention to his stance on capital punishment, Clinton flew home to Arkansas mid-campaign in 1992, in order to affirm in person that the controversial execution of ], would go forward as scheduled.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Applebome |first1=Peter |title=The 1992 Campaign: Death Penalty; Arkansas Execution Raises Questions on Governor's Politics |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/25/us/1992-campaign-death-penalty-arkansas-execution-raises-questions-governor-s.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=November 24, 2022 |date=January 25, 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Soss|first1=Joe|last2=Langbein|first2=Laura|last3=Metelko|first3=Alan R.|title=Why Do White Americans Support the Death Penalty?|journal=The Journal of Politics|date=September 27, 2001|volume=65|issue=2|page=399|doi=10.1111/1468-2508.t01-2-00006|s2cid=38112237|issn=0022-3816 }}</ref> | |||
In 1999, through Clinton's and the Congress's efforts, the United States had a projected federal budget surplus for the first time since ]. | |||
=== Scandals and allegations === | |||
He took a personal interest in ] in ] and paid three visits there while he was president in order to encourage peace. His involvement was an important element in the peace process which set in motion the disarmament of the ] (PIRA) on ], ]. | |||
During his time as governor in the 1980s, Arkansas was the center of a drug smuggling operation through ]. ] agent ] allegedly imported three to five billion dollars worth of ] through the airport, and the operation was linked to the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/mena-intermountain-municipal-airport-4070/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref> Clinton was accused of knowing about this operation, although nothing could be proven against him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Micah |date=1994 |title=Mysterious Mena |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB833927551906129500 |website=Wall Street Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-11 |title=What Was Clinton's Role In 'Mena Mystery!?' - Oakland Post {{!}} HighBeam Research |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2359062.html |access-date=2024-07-28 |archive-date=June 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611030940/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2359062.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Journalist ] tied him to various questionable business dealings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Sam |date=1998 |title=Arkansas Connections: A Time-line of the Clinton Years by Sam Smith |url=https://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/clinton/arkansas.htm |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=ontology.buffalo.edu}}</ref> Clinton was also accused by ] to have used cocaine as governor<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1999-08-24 |title=Aides: Clinton Never Used Coke - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aides-clinton-never-used-coke/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and his half-brother Roger was sentenced to prison in 1985 for possession and smuggling of cocaine, but was later ] after serving his sentence.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Purdum |first=Todd S. |date=2001-02-23 |title=THE CLINTON PARDONS: THE BROTHERS; Siblings Who Often Emerge In an Unflattering Spotlight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/23/us/clinton-pardons-brothers-siblings-who-often-emerge-unflattering-spotlight.html |access-date=2024-07-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> During his time in Arkansas, there were also other scandals such as the ]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Engelberg |first=Stephen |date=1994-03-13 |title=THE NATION; Untangling the Threads Of the Whitewater Affair |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/13/weekinreview/the-nation-untangling-the-threads-of-the-whitewater-affair.html |access-date=2024-07-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> involving the Clintons' real estate dealings, and Bill Clinton was accused of serious sexual misconduct in Arkansas, including allegations of using the ] to gain access to women (]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clinton Tried To Derail Troopers' Sex Allegations |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/pjones/stories/pj122193.htm |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> The ] in 1987 started various ] that accused Clinton and the Arkansas state authorities of covering up the crime.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weiss |first=Philip |date=1997-02-23 |title=Clinton Crazy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/23/magazine/clinton-crazy.html |access-date=2024-07-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> | |||
===1988 Democratic presidential primaries=== | |||
In ], a UPI story stated that documents discovered in Afghanistan showed that ] may have plotted to assassinate Clinton toward the end of his term. | |||
] | |||
In 1987, the media speculated that Clinton would enter the presidential race. Clinton decided to remain as Arkansas governor (following consideration for the potential candidacy of Hillary for governor, initially favored—but ultimately vetoed—by the First Lady).<ref name=autogenerated1>], ''First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton'' (New York: Random House, 1996; {{ISBN|978-0-684-81890-0}}).</ref> For the nomination, Clinton endorsed ] ]. He gave the nationally televised opening night address at the ], but his speech, which was 33 minutes long and twice the length it was expected to be, was criticized for being too long.<ref>{{Cite magazine | last=Church | first=George J. | title=Cover: Is Bill Clinton For Real? | url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,974739,00.html | magazine=] | date=January 27, 1992 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> Clinton presented himself both as a moderate and as a member of the New Democrat wing of the Democratic Party, and he headed the moderate Democratic Leadership Council in 1990 and 1991.<ref name="The Natural" /><ref name="The Choice">{{Cite book | last=Woodward | first=Bob | author-link=Bob Woodward | title=The Choice: How Bill Clinton Won | publisher=] | year=2005 | isbn= 978-0-7432-8514-8}}</ref> | |||
===1992 United States presidential election=== | |||
===Legislation and programs=== | |||
{{Main|Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign|1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries|1992 United States presidential election}} | |||
{{col-begin}} | |||
{{col-2}} | |||
====Major legislation signed==== | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ] - Raised income tax rates; ], top rate: 39.6%; ]: 35% | |||
* ], ] - creation of the ] volunteer program | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ], part of an omnibus crime bill, the federal ] was expanded to some 60 different ]s (see ]) | |||
* 1995 - ], created tough new standards for the process of classifying documents. | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ]: eliminated major ownership restrictions for radio and television groups. | |||
* ], ] - Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, a ] bill | |||
* ], ] - authorized $100 million ] agreement with ] to track down and root out ]s. | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ] Increase Act | |||
* ], ] - ], allowed states the power to refuse to recognize ]s granted in other states, among other things | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
* ], ] - ] | |||
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====Major legislation vetoed==== | |||
* ] | |||
* H.R. 1833, ] ban | |||
* Twice vetoed ] before signing | |||
* the ]. ] overrode the veto, however, to enact the bill into law. | |||
In the first primary contest, the ], Clinton finished a distant third to Iowa senator ]. During the campaign for the ], reports surfaced that Clinton had engaged in an extramarital affair with ]. Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts senator ] in the New Hampshire polls.<ref name="First in His Class" /> Following ], Clinton and his wife Hillary went on '']'' to rebuff the charges.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 27, 2021|title=The women of 'Impeachment' explained: Hillary Clinton and Bill's infidelity|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-10-27/impeachment-american-crime-story-hillary-clinton-edie-falco|access-date=October 30, 2021|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Their television appearance was a calculated risk, but Clinton regained several delegates. He finished second to Tsongas in the ], but after trailing badly in the polls and coming within single digits of winning, the media viewed it as a victory. News outlets labeled him "The Comeback Kid" for earning a firm second-place finish.<ref>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Herstek |url=https://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/stories/01/11/clinton.nh/index.html |title=Clinton thanks New Hampshire for making him the 'Comeback Kid' |date=January 11, 2001 |agency=CNN|access-date=February 22, 2020 }}</ref> | |||
====Proposals not passed by Congress==== | |||
* ] | |||
* ] (1993) | |||
Winning the big prizes of Florida and Texas and many of the ] on ] gave Clinton a sizable delegate lead. However, former California governor ] was scoring victories and Clinton had yet to win a significant contest outside his native South.<ref name="First in His Class" /><ref name="The Choice" /> With no major Southern state remaining, Clinton targeted New York, which had many delegates. He scored a resounding victory in New York City, shedding his image as a regional candidate.<ref name="The Choice" /> 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.<ref name="First in His Class" /> | |||
====Initiatives==== | |||
* Appointed a committee on ] Reform and then dismissed their recommendations without ever proposing legislation. | |||
* Tried to get ] of ] and ] of the ], to agree to a final ]. | |||
* Initiated the ] policy toward ]s in the military, 1993. | |||
* Reversed a ban on senior ] politicians entering the U.S. | |||
* Proposed a national challenge to end the racial divide in America, the ]. | |||
* ], or "torture by proxy" got approval for the first time in the USA from the Clinton administration. | |||
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During the campaign, questions of ] regarding state business and the politically powerful ], at which Hillary Rodham Clinton was a partner, arose. Clinton argued the questions were moot because all transactions with the state had been deducted before determining Hillary's firm pay.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Ifill | first=Gwen | title=Hillary Clinton Defends Her Conduct in Law Firm | work=The New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/17/us/the-1992-campaign-hillary-clinton-defends-her-conduct-in-law-firm.html | date=March 17, 1992 | access-date=March 28, 2008}}</ref> Further concern arose when Bill Clinton announced that, with Hillary, voters would be getting two presidents "for the price of one".<ref>{{Cite news | last1=MacGillis | first1=Alec |last2=Kornblut |first2=Anne E. | title=Hillary Clinton Embraces Her Husband's Legacy | newspaper=The Washington Post | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102588.html | page=A1 | date=December 21, 2007 | access-date=March 28, 2008}}</ref> | |||
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===Cabinet=== | |||
{| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="4" style="margin:3px; border:3px solid #000000;" align="left" | |||
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"|'''OFFICE'''||align="left"|'''NAME'''||align="left"|'''TERM''' | |||
|- | |||
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–2001 | |||
|- | |||
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1994 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1995–1999 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1999–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1994 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1994–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1994 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1994–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1996 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1996–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2000 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||2000–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–1998 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1998–2001 | |||
|- | |||
|]||''']'''||1993–1997 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||1997–2000 | |||
|- | |||
| ||''']'''||2000–2001 | |||
|} | |||
{{col-2}} | |||
] | |||
Clinton was still the governor of Arkansas while campaigning for U.S. president, and he returned to his home state to see that ] 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 did not understand the idea of death. According to both Arkansas state law and federal law, a seriously mentally impaired inmate cannot be executed. The courts disagreed with the allegation of grave mental impairment and allowed the execution. Clinton's return to Arkansas for the execution was framed in an article for '']'' as a possible political move to counter "soft on crime" accusations.<ref name="mbsrgd">], ''All Too Human: A Political Education'', 1999, {{ISBN|978-0-316-92919-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last=Applebome | first=Peter | title=Arkansas Execution Raises Questions on Governor's Politics | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/25/us/1992-campaign-death-penalty-arkansas-execution-raises-questions-governor-s.html | work=The New York Times | date=January 25, 1992 | access-date=March 28, 2008}}</ref> | |||
===Supreme Court appointments=== | |||
Clinton appointed the following justices to the ]: | |||
* ] - 1993, making Clinton the first Democratic president to appoint a female supreme court justice. | |||
* ] - 1994 | |||
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Bush's ] were around 80 percent during the ], and he was described as unbeatable. When Bush compromised with Democrats to try to lower federal deficits, he reneged on his ], which hurt his approval rating. Clinton repeatedly condemned Bush for making a promise he failed to keep.<ref name="The Choice" /> By election time, the economy was souring and Bush saw his approval rating plummet to just slightly over 40 percent.<ref name="The Choice" /><ref>{{Cite news | title=How the Presidents Stack Up: A look at U.S. presidents' job-approval ratings | work=The Wall Street Journal | year=2006 | url=https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-presapp0605-31.html | access-date=October 30, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081025015927/http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-presapp0605-31.html| archive-date= October 25, 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> Finally, conservatives were previously united by anti-communism, but with the end of the Cold War, the party lacked a uniting issue. When ] and ] addressed Christian themes at the ]—with Bush criticizing Democrats for omitting God from their platform—many moderates were alienated.<ref>{{cite web | last=Le Beau | first=Bryan | title=The Political Mobilization of the New Christian Right | date=December 10, 1998 | publisher=] | url=http://are.as.wvu.edu/lebeau1.htm | access-date=December 1, 2006 | archive-date=December 6, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206022453/http://are.as.wvu.edu/lebeau1.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Walker | first=Martin | title=Tough love child of Kennedy | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1992/jan/06/usa.martinwalker | location=London | work=] | date=January 6, 1992 |access-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref> Many Democrats who had supported Ronald Reagan and Bush in previous elections switched their support to Clinton.<ref name=BBConthisday>{{cite news | title=On this day (November 4) in 1992: Clinton beats Bush to the White House | work=BBC News | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/4/newsid_3659000/3659498.stm | date=November 4, 1992 | access-date=October 31, 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081218141055/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/4/newsid_3659000/3659498.stm| archive-date= December 18, 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> Clinton and his running mate, ], toured the country during the final weeks of the campaign, shoring up support and pledging a "new beginning".<ref name=BBConthisday /> | |||
===The economy=== | |||
During Clinton's tenure, the U.S. enjoyed continuous economic expansion, reductions in unemployment, and growing wealth through a massive rise in the ]. The economic boom ended shortly before his term ended, possibly indicative of a ]; Although the reasons for the expansion are continually debated, Clinton proudly pointed to a number of economic accomplishments, including: | |||
On March 26, 1992, during a Democratic ] of the presidential campaign, ] confronted then Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and asked what he was going to do about ], to which Clinton replied, "I feel your pain".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.thinkprogress.org/the-future-of-gay-parents-on-television-378cc67a76b5/|title=The Future of Gay Parents On Television|work=ThinkProgress|first=Alyssa|last=Rosenberg|date=November 1, 2012}}</ref> The televised exchange led to AIDS becoming an issue in the 1992 presidential election. On April 4, then candidate Clinton met with members of ] and other leading AIDS advocates to discuss his AIDS agenda and agreed to make a major AIDS policy speech, to have people with HIV speak to the ], and to sign onto the ] Action five point plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://actupny.org/campaign96/rafsky-clinton.html|title=The ACT UP Historical Archive: Bob Rafsky Confronts Candidate Bill Clinton, 1992|website=actupny.org}}</ref> | |||
* More than 22 million new jobs | |||
* Homeownership rate increase from 64.0% to 67.5% | |||
* Lowest unemployment rate in 30 years | |||
* Higher incomes at all levels | |||
* Largest budget deficit in American history converted to the largest surplus of over $200 billion | |||
* Lowest government spending as a percentage of GDP since 1974 | |||
* Higher stock ownership by families than ever before | |||
] | |||
The reasons for this growth are hotly debated, but Clinton supporters cite his ] as the reason that eventually led to the reduction in the annual budget deficits every year of his tenure. These deficit reductions stimulated consumption and consumer spending, and strengthening the dollar, which encouraged foreign investment in the United States economy. ] supported the 1993 tax increase, which was approved by Congress without a single Republican vote . His critics credit ], the Republican Congress' 1995 spending cuts, the ] initiatives, and ]'s ]. Critics also point to the fact that the economic recovery had already begun before Bill Clinton took office. Some further contend that the 1993 tax increase actually hurt the economy and that the negative impact of that tax increase was stymied by reduced interest rates during the same period. Additionally, Republicans point to the fact that the recovery did not pick up momentum until 1995 and 1996, after the GOP took over Congress. | |||
Clinton won the ] (370 electoral votes) against Republican incumbent George H. W. Bush (168 electoral votes) and billionaire ] ] (zero electoral votes), who ran as an independent on a platform that focused on domestic issues. Bush's steep decline in public approval was a significant part of Clinton's success.<ref name=BBConthisday /> Clinton's victory in the 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 ],<ref name="whitehouse.gov bio" /> the first time one party controlled both the executive and legislative branches since Democrats held the ] during the ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm | title=Party Division in the Senate, 1789–present | publisher=United States Senate | access-date=August 30, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110718045714/https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm| archive-date= July 18, 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://artandhistory.house.gov/house_history |title=House History |publisher=United States House of Representatives |access-date=August 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026183800/http://artandhistory.house.gov/house_history/ |archive-date=October 26, 2011 }}</ref> | |||
According to ], the 1992 election had several unique characteristics. Voters felt that economic conditions were worse than they actually were, which harmed Bush. A rare event was the presence of a strong third-party candidate. Liberals launched a backlash against 12 years of a conservative White House. The chief factor was Clinton's uniting his party, and winning over a number of heterogeneous groups.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lipset |first1=Seymour Martin |title=The Significance of the 1992 Election |journal=PS: Political Science and Politics |date=1993 |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=7–16 |doi=10.2307/419496 |jstor=419496 |s2cid=227288247 }}</ref> | |||
===Trade=== | |||
President Clinton strongly supported the ]. It was negotiated by his predecessor, ], but it was passed by the ] in ], after Clinton and Vice President Gore lobbied heavily for it. | |||
==Presidency (1993–2001)== | |||
The Clinton administration used the ] ] thirteen times | |||
{{Main|Presidency of Bill Clinton}} | |||
and prevailed in the WTO thirteen times ( audio 12:40-16:30). | |||
{{for timeline|Timeline of the Bill Clinton presidency}} | |||
Clinton's "]" of moderate liberalism built up the nation's fiscal health and put the nation on a firm footing abroad amid globalization and the development of anti-American terrorist organizations.<ref>David Palmer, "'What Might Have Been'--Bill Clinton and American Political Power." ''Australasian Journal of American Studies'' (2005): 38–58.</ref> | |||
===Foreign policy=== | |||
].]] | |||
] and Bill Clinton.]] | |||
] at a private dinner in Russia, January 13, 1994]] | |||
Clinton deployed the U.S. military several times under hostile circumstances. In 1993, U.S. troops, initially deployed to ] by the Bush administration, fought the ] which attempted to capture local warlord ]. The administration withdrew U.S. troops after suffering 18 casualties (19 according to the film ''Black Hawk Down'') and 73 wounded in the battle. In 1994, Clinton sent U.S. troops into ] to restore ] as president, ending a period of intense violence. Aristide, who had been elected, had been ousted in a coup just seven months into his term in 1991. Clinton also committed troops twice in the former-] to stop ethnic violence, most notably in ]. In addition, Clinton launched military strikes on Iraq several times to punish violations of ] sanctions and an attempt to have former President George H. W. Bush assassinated. Clinton did not intervene militarily to end the ], a decision he later regarded as a "personal failure". | |||
During his presidency, ], most of which were enacted into law or implemented by the executive branch. His policies, particularly the ] and ], have been attributed to a ] ] philosophy of governance.<ref>{{cite news | last=Safire | first=William | author-link=William Safire | title=Essay; Looking Beyond Peace | work=The New York Times | date=December 6, 1993 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/06/opinion/essay-looking-beyond-peace.html | access-date=October 29, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Duffy|first1=Michael |last2=Barrett |first2=Laurence I. |last3=Blackman |first3=Ann |last4=Carney |first4=James | title=Secrets Of Success | magazine=] | date=November 29, 1993 | url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979697,00.html | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> His policy of ] helped to reduce deficits on budgetary matters.<ref name=wp070914>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091402451.html | title=Greenspan Is Critical Of Bush in Memoir | first=Bob | last=Woodward | author-link=Bob Woodward | newspaper=] | date=September 15, 2007 | access-date=January 9, 2014}}</ref><ref name=bbc010115>{{cite news | author=Steve Schifferes | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1110165.stm | title=Bill Clinton's economic legacy | work=] | date=January 15, 2001 | access-date=January 9, 2014}}</ref> Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/02/AR2008020202521.html | title=Bill Clinton's Legacy | first=Peter| last=Baker| newspaper=The Washington Post | date=February 3, 2008 | access-date=July 13, 2010}}</ref><ref name=NYTExpansion>{{cite news| title=The Battle of the Decades; Reaganomics vs. Clintonomics Is a Central Issue in 2000| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/08/business/the-battle-of-the-decades-reaganomics-vs-clintonomics-is-a-central-issue-in-2000.html| last=Stevenson| first=Richard| newspaper=The New York Times| date=February 8, 2000| access-date=March 15, 2011}}</ref> | |||
In 1994, Clinton negotiated and signed the Nuclear Accords with ]. The underlying concern was that North Korea was developing ]s technology under the guise of a nuclear power plant. In exchange for assistance with energy needs, North Korea agreed to abandon all ambitions for acquiring nuclear weapons. However, by the mid 1990s defectors from North Korea, along with reports from the ], indicated that North Korea was violating both the Nuclear Accords and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In ], North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors from its Yongbyon nuclear facility, and announced (privately in 2003 and publicly in 2005), that they possessed nuclear weapons. | |||
The ] reported budget surpluses of $69 billion in 1998, $126 billion in 1999, and $236 billion in 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43904 |title=Revenues, Outlays, Deficits, Surpluses, and Debt Held by the Public, 1968 to 2007, in Billions of Dollars |publisher=Congressional Budget Office |date=September 2008 |format=PDF |access-date=July 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208082112/http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43904 |archive-date=February 8, 2013 }}</ref> during the last three years of Clinton's presidency.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://factcheck.org/2008/02/the-budget-and-deficit-under-clinton | title=The Budget and Deficit Under Clinton | publisher=FactCheck.org | access-date=August 17, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110728091132/http://factcheck.org/2008/02/the-budget-and-deficit-under-clinton/| archive-date=July 28, 2011 | url-status=live| date=February 3, 2008 }}</ref> Over the years of the recorded surplus, the gross national debt rose each year. At the end of the fiscal year (September 30) for each of the years a surplus was recorded, the U.S. Treasury reported a gross debt of $5.413 trillion in 1997, $5.526 trillion in 1998, $5.656 trillion in 1999, and $5.674 trillion in 2000.<ref>{{cite web | title=Historical Debt Outstanding—Annual 1950–1999 | url=https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm | publisher=] | access-date=April 3, 2015 | archive-date=April 28, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428030645/https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Historical Debt Outstanding—Annual 2000–2015 | url=https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm | publisher=TreasuryDirect | access-date=October 31, 2016 | archive-date=May 8, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508122149/https://treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> Over the same period, the Office of Management and Budget reported an end of year (December 31) gross debt of $5.369 trillion in 1997, $5.478 trillion in 1998, $5.606 in 1999, and $5.629 trillion in 2000.<ref>{{cite web | title=Fiscal Year 2013 Historical Tables | url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2013-TAB/pdf/BUDGET-2013-TAB.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2013-TAB/pdf/BUDGET-2013-TAB.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live | publisher=]}}</ref> At the end of his presidency, the Clintons moved to 15 Old House Lane in ], in order to quell political worries about his wife's residency for election as a U.S. Senator from New York.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nagourney |first=Adam |date=September 3, 1999 |title=With Some Help, Clintons Purchase a White House |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/03/nyregion/with-some-help-clintons-purchase-a-white-house.html |access-date=August 25, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> | |||
In November, 1995, Clinton committed troops to the Balkans saying the mission would be “precisely defined with clear realistic goals” that could be achieved in a “definite period of time." Clinton assured Americans the mission would take about one year. In October 1996, shortly before Clinton's reelection, the Clinton Administration denied any change in the plans to withdraw troops in December, 1996. However, shortly after reelection, Clinton announced troops would stay longer. Troops ultimately stayed in Bosnia for nine years. | |||
===First term (1993–1997)=== | |||
On ], ], Clinton gave a speech signaling the danger of rogue nations providing weapons of mass destruction to terrorist organizations with global reach. Clinton specifically pointed to Saddam Hussein's Iraq. In August 1998 UN weapons inspectors left Iraq, leading to ] in December. | |||
{{Listen | |||
| title = First inauguration of Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993) | |||
| filename = First Inaugural (January 20, 1993) Bill Clinton.ogv | |||
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{{Quote box | width=25em | bgcolor=#c6dbf7 | align=right | quote="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." | source=Inaugural address, January 20, 1993.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/clinton1.asp | first=Bill | last=Clinton | title=First Inaugural Address of William J. Clinton; January 20, 1993 | publisher=] | date=January 20, 1993 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref>}} | |||
During Clinton's tenure, ] began to emerge as a major terrorist threat. In 1998, the group ] the American embassies in ] and ]. In retaliation, Clinton ordered ], which involved ] strikes on terrorist camps in ], ] and a suspected chemical weapons facility in ], ] that was believed to be tied to bin Laden. Clinton also gave orders authorizing the arrest or, if need be, assassination of Al-Qaeda leader ]. At the end of his term, in late 2000, the terrorists struck again with the ]. By this time, Clinton has stated he regarded Al-Qaeda as the foremost threat to national security. In the wake of the ], the independent investigating commission was critical of Clinton for focusing more on diplomatic than military means to eliminate the bin Laden threat. | |||
], with ] (left) and King ] (right)]] | |||
After ], Clinton was ] as the 42nd president of the United States on January 20, 1993. Clinton was physically exhausted at the time, and had an inexperienced staff. His high levels of public support dropped in the first few weeks, as he made a series of mistakes. His first choice for attorney general had not paid her taxes on babysitters and was forced to withdraw. The second appointee also withdrew for the same reason. Clinton had repeatedly promised to encourage gays in the military service, despite what he knew to be the strong opposition of the military leadership. He tried anyway, and was publicly opposed by the top generals, and forced by Congress to a compromise position of "]" whereby gays could serve if and only if they kept it secret.<ref>Elizabeth Drew, ''On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency'' (1994), pp. 36–56.</ref> He devised a $16-billion stimulus package primarily to aid inner-city programs desired by liberals, but it was defeated by a Republican filibuster in the Senate.<ref>Drew, pp 114–122.</ref> His popularity at the 100 day mark of his term was the lowest of any president at that point.<ref>Stanley A. Renshon, ed., ''The Clinton Presidency: Campaigning, Governing, and the Psychology of Leadership'' (1995), p. 138.</ref> | |||
Public opinion did support one liberal program, and Clinton signed the ], which required large employers to allow employees to take unpaid leave for pregnancy or a serious medical condition. This action had bipartisan support,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=103&session=1&vote=00011 | title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 103rd Congress—1st Session | publisher=United States Senate | access-date= August 30, 2011}}</ref> and was popular with the public.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.protectfamilyleave.org/pdf/030608_ncpfl_fmla_national_survey.pdf |title=New Nationwide Poll Shows Strong Support for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) |publisher=Protect Family Leave |access-date=August 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227065806/http://www.protectfamilyleave.org/pdf/030608_ncpfl_fmla_national_survey.pdf |archive-date=December 27, 2011 }}</ref> | |||
Some critics argue that the American attacks in ], Somalia, Bosnia, Sudan, and Afghanistan violated international law. , , | |||
Two days after taking office, on January 22, 1993—the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in '']''—Clinton reversed restrictions on domestic and international ] programs that had been imposed by Reagan and Bush.<ref>{{cite book|author=Sharon L. Camp|chapter=The Politics of U.S. Population Assistance|title=Beyond the Numbers: A Reader on Population, Consumption and the Environment|editor=Laurie Ann Mazur|page=130}}</ref> Clinton said abortion should be kept "safe, legal, and rare"—a slogan that had been suggested by political scientist ] and first used by Clinton in December 1991, while campaigning.<ref>Amy Sullivan, ''The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap'' (Simon & Schuster: 2008), pp. 91–92.</ref> During the eight years of the Clinton administration, the abortion rate declined by 18 percent.<ref>Sullivan, ''The Party Faithful'', pp. 236–237.</ref> | |||
After his presidency, Clinton identified his proudest foreign policy accomplishments as mediating peace talks between Israel and the PLO, resulting in the ] (]). Subsequent events, including the collapse of the ] and the commencement of the ], resulted in the Oslo Accords being widely discredited within Israel and in various Palestinian factions by ]. | |||
On February 15, 1993, Clinton made his first address to the nation, announcing his plan to raise taxes to close a ].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/15/us/white-house-hones-all-out-campaign-to-sell-sacrifice.html | title=White House Hones All-Out Campaign to Sell Sacrifice | newspaper=The New York Times | date=February 15, 1993 | author=Richard L. Burke | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> Two days later, in a nationally televised address to a ], Clinton unveiled his economic plan. The plan focused on reducing the deficit rather than on cutting taxes for the middle class, which had been high on his campaign agenda.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/cron | title=The Clinton Years: Chronology | work=] | access-date=June 13, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502012813/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/cron/| archive-date=May 2, 2010 | url-status=live}}</ref> Clinton's advisers pressured him to raise taxes, based on the theory that a smaller federal budget deficit would reduce bond interest rates.<ref>{{cite book | last=Woodward | first=Bob | author-link=Bob Woodward | title=Maestro | url=https://archive.org/details/maestrogreenspan00wood | url-access=registration | publisher=Simon & Schuster | location=New York | year=2000 | page=}}</ref> | |||
Clinton identified his major foreign policy failure as lack of response to the 1994 ] in ]. Along with the United Nations, the Clinton administration initially did not publicly acknowledge that genocide was occurring. | |||
President Clinton's attorney general ] authorized the FBI's use of armored vehicles to deploy tear gas into the buildings of the Branch Davidian community near Waco, Texas, in hopes of ending a ]. During the operation on April 19, 1993, the buildings caught fire and 75 of the residents died, including 24 children. The raid had originally been planned by the Bush administration; Clinton had played no role.<ref>Mollie Dickenson, "A Bipartisan Disaster" ''New York Times'' August 3, 1995, p. A25</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://theconversation.com/waco-the-siege-25-years-on-94324| author=Andrew Crome| title=Waco: the siege 25 years on| publisher=The Conversation| date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> | |||
===Impeachment and other scandals=== | |||
{{main|Impeachment of Bill Clinton}} | |||
President Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on four charges: perjury, suborning perjury, and obstruction of justice arising from the Lewinsky testimony before a federal Grand Jury and a federal judge hearing the Jones case. On February 12, 1999, 55 senators voted "guilty" while 45 senators voted "not guilty" to the charge of obstruction of justice, while the Senate ended in a 50-50 tie on the charge of perjury. Since the U.S. Constitution requires a 2/3 majority to convict and remove an office holder, President Clinton served the reaminder. President Clinton joined Andrew Johnson as the only other impeached president. Richard Nixon resigned under threat of impeachment. | |||
In August, Clinton signed the ], which passed Congress without a Republican vote. It cut taxes for 15{{nbsp}}million low-income families, made tax cuts available to 90 percent of small businesses,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.clintonfoundation.org/legacy/080393-presidential-press-conference-in-nevada.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927022455/http://www.clintonfoundation.org/legacy/080393-presidential-press-conference-in-nevada.htm | archive-date=September 27, 2007 | title=Presidential Press Conference in Nevada | date=August 3, 1993 | first=Bill | last=Clinton}}</ref> and raised taxes on the wealthiest 1.2 percent of taxpayers. Additionally, it mandated that the budget be balanced over many years through the implementation of spending restraints.<ref>{{cite web | first=Bill | last=Clinton | url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/219941 | title=William J. Clinton: Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union | publisher=Presidency.ucsb.edu | date=January 25, 1994 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> | |||
The charges, in part, resulted from a lawsuit brought by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones in 1994 alleging sexual harassment on the part of then Arkansas Governor Clinton eventually led to Clinton being impeached The day before leaving office, Clinton agreed to a five year suspension of his Arkansas law license as part of an agreement with the independent counsel to end the investigation. Based on this suspension, Clinton was also automatically suspended from the United States Supreme Court bar, from which he chose to resign. | |||
] on the South Lawn, August 10, 1993]] | |||
Clinton's resignation was mostly symbolic and will have little practical effect. He had never practiced before the Supreme Court and was not expected to in the future. Clinton also was assessed a $90,000 fine by federal judge Susan Webber Wright for contempt of court. The Paula Jones lawsuit was settled out of court for $850,000. | |||
On September 22, 1993, Clinton made a major speech to Congress regarding ]; the program aimed at achieving universal coverage through a national health care plan. This was one of the most prominent items on Clinton's legislative agenda and resulted from a task force headed by Hillary Clinton. The plan was well received in political circles, but it was eventually doomed by well-organized lobby opposition from conservatives, the ], and the health insurance industry. However, Clinton biographer ] said the program failed because of a lack of coordination within the White House.<ref name="The Survivor" /> Despite the Democratic majority in Congress, the effort to create a national health care system ultimately died when compromise legislation by ] failed to gain a majority of support in August 1994. The failure of the bill was the first major legislative defeat of the Clinton administration.<ref name="The Natural" /><ref name="The Survivor" /> | |||
In addition to impeachment and the ], the Clinton White House was the subject of many lesser scandals. | |||
On November 30, 1993, Clinton signed into law the ], which mandated federal ]s on people who purchase firearms in the United States. The law also imposed a five-day waiting period on purchases, until the ] was implemented in 1998. He also expanded the ], a subsidy for low-income workers.<ref name="The Survivor" /> | |||
'']'' refers to the firing of White House travel office civil service staffers. | |||
In December of the same year, allegations by Arkansas state troopers ] and Roger Perry were first reported by ] in ''].'' In the affair later known as "]", the officers alleged that they had arranged sexual liaisons for Clinton back when he was governor of Arkansas. The story mentioned a woman named ''Paula'', a reference to ]. Brock later apologized to Clinton, saying the article was politically motivated "bad journalism", and that "the troopers were greedy and had slimy motives".<ref name="apology">{{Cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/03/10/brocks.remorse | title=Reporter Apologizes For Clinton Sex Article | work=CNN | date=March 10, 1998 | first=Jonathan | last=Karl | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614124146/http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/03/10/brocks.remorse/| archive-date=June 14, 2008}}</ref> | |||
'']'' refers to the request for access to FBI files on White House personnel, without asking for the individuals' permission. | |||
], Clinton and ] during the ] on September 13, 1993]] | |||
'']'' involved Democrats allegedly accepting improper campaign contributions; supposedly the ultimate source of this money was the Chinese government. | |||
That month, Clinton implemented a Department of Defense directive known as "]", which allowed gay men and women to serve in the armed services provided they kept their sexual orientation a secret. The Act forbade the military from inquiring about an individual's sexual orientation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Feder |first1=Jody | title="Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis | publisher=DIANE Publishing | year=2010 | isbn=978-1-4379-2208-0}}</ref> The policy was developed as a compromise after Clinton's proposal to allow gays to serve openly in the military met staunch opposition from prominent Congressional Republicans and Democrats, including senators ] (R-AZ) and ] (D-GA). According to ], Clinton's support for the compromise led to a heated dispute with Vice President Al Gore, who felt that "the President should lift the ban ... even though was sure to be overridden by the Congress".<ref name="Mixner2009">{{cite book | last=Mixner | first=David | title=Stranger Among Friends | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Jeg2X025UgC| date=November 25, 2009 | publisher=Random House Publishing Group | isbn=978-0-307-42958-2 | pages=495–497}}</ref> Some gay-rights advocates criticized Clinton for not going far enough and accused him of making his campaign promise to get votes and contributions.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stranger Among Friends—book reviews |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n11_v28/ai_18855826 |newspaper=] |first=John | last=Cloud |date=November 1996 |access-date=August 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826114431/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n11_v28/ai_18855826/ |archive-date=August 26, 2011 }}</ref> Their position was that Clinton should have integrated the military by executive order, noting that President ] used executive order to racially desegregate the armed forces. Clinton's defenders argued that an executive order might have prompted the Senate to write the exclusion of gays into law, potentially making it harder to integrate the military in the future.<ref name="The Natural" /> Later in his presidency, in 1999, Clinton criticized the way the policy was implemented, saying he did not think any serious person could say it was not "out of whack".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://archives.cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/11/clinton.gays.military/index.html | title=President seeks better implementation of 'don't ask, don't tell' | date=December 11, 1999 | work=CNN | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> The policy remained controversial, and was finally ], removing open sexual orientation as a reason for dismissal from the armed forces.<ref>{{cite news | title=Obama certifies end of military's gay ban | agency=] | work=] | date=July 22, 2011 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43859711 | access-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref> | |||
'']'' refers to a grant of clemency to ] bombers in 1999 and pardons to his ], tax-evading billionaire ] and others in 2001 (see ]). | |||
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In March, 1998 ], a White House aide, alleged that Clinton had sexually assaulted her. Also in 1998, ] alleged that Clinton had raped her in 1978. No charges were filed in either case. | |||
|title=Remarks on the Signing of NAFTA (December 8, 1993) | |||
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] ] was acquitted on each of 30 charges of illegally accepting gifts such as sports tickets, lodging, and transportation from companies regulated by his department in exchange for favors. | |||
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|title2=Remarks on the Signing of NAFTA (December 8, 1993) | |||
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On January 1, 1994, Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement into law.<ref name=NAFTA>{{cite journal |last1=Livingston |first1=C. Don |last2=Wink |first2=Kenneth A. |title=The Passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the U.S. House of Representatives: Presidential Leadership or Presidential Luck? |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=1997 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=52–70 |id={{Gale|A19354304}} {{ProQuest|215685340}} |jstor=27551700 }}</ref> Throughout his first year in office, Clinton consistently supported ratification of the treaty by the U.S. Senate. Clinton and most of his allies in the Democratic Leadership Committee strongly supported free trade measures; there remained, however, strong disagreement within the party. Opposition came chiefly from anti-trade Republicans, protectionist Democrats and supporters of Ross Perot. The bill passed the house with 234 votes in favor and 200 votes opposed (132 Republicans and 102 Democrats in favor; 156 Democrats, 43 Republicans, and one independent opposed). The treaty was then ratified by the Senate and signed into law by the president.<ref name=NAFTA /> | |||
On July 29, 1994, the Clinton administration launched the first official White House website, ].<ref name=":1">{{cite news |title=The Clinton White House Web Site |publisher=] |url=http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa012201b.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=August 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722064216/http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa012201b.htm |archive-date=July 22, 2011}}</ref> The site was followed with three more versions, with the final version being launched on July 21, 2000.<ref name=":1" /> 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 July 17, 1996, Clinton issued Executive Order 13011—Federal Information Technology, ordering the heads of all federal agencies to utilize information technology fully to make the information of the agency easily accessible to the public."<ref>{{cite web |last=Longley |first=Robert |title=The Clinton White House Web Site: Part 1: Perhaps the most important Web site in American history |url=http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa012201a.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118024833/http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa012201a.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |access-date=June 6, 2007 |publisher=About.com}}</ref> | |||
The ], which Clinton signed into law in September 1994,<ref>{{cite web | title=HR 3355—Omnibus Crime Bill | url=https://votesmart.org/bill/2666/8428/omnibus-crime-bill | publisher=votesmart.org | access-date=September 12, 2015}}</ref> made many changes to U.S. crime and law enforcement legislation including the expansion of the death penalty to include crimes not resulting in death, such as running a large-scale drug enterprise. 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."<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Clinton |date=February 25, 2015 |url=http://www.4to40.com/biographies-for-kids/bill-clinton/ |publisher=4to40.com |access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> It also included a subsection of ] for a ten-year period.<ref>Jeffrey A. Roth and Christopher S. Koper, "Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 1994–96". U.S. Department of Justice/National Institute of Justice, ''Research in Brief'' (Mar. 1999); available at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/173405.pdf</ref> | |||
After two years of Democratic Party control, the Democrats lost control of Congress to the Republicans in the ], for the first time in forty years.<ref>{{cite web | last=Hulsey | first=Byron | title=The Altered Terrain of American Politics (Review of Do Elections Matter?) | url=http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=1463 | date=November 27, 1997 | access-date=October 29, 2008}}</ref> | |||
A speech delivered by President Bill Clinton at the December 6, 1995 ] on HIV/AIDS projected that a cure for AIDS and a vaccine to prevent further infection would be developed. The President focused on his administration's accomplishments and efforts related to the ], including an accelerated drug-approval process. He also condemned ] and discrimination against people with ]. Clinton announced three new initiatives: creating a special working group to coordinate AIDS research throughout the ]; convening public health experts to develop an action plan that integrates HIV prevention with substance abuse prevention; and launching a new effort by the ] to ensure that health care facilities provide equal access to people with HIV and AIDS.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Activists at gathering plead with Clinton to take the lead |journal=AIDS Policy & Law |date=December 29, 1995 |volume=10 |issue=22 |pages=1, 10 |pmid=11362952 }}</ref> 1996 would mark the first year since the beginning of the ] that the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses would decline, with the U.S. ] (CDC) even later reporting a significant 47% decline in the number of AIDS-related deaths in 1997 compared to the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00049322.htm|title=Update: Trends in AIDS Incidence -- United States, 1996|publisher=Center for Disease Control|accessdate=September 16, 2024}}</ref><ref name=clintonhhs>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/10/08/aids-death-rate-in-97-down-47/6ca3a56d-2015-42fa-b4f4-0ffe2aa22d12/|title=AIDS Death Rate In '97 Down 47%|first=David|last=Brown|newspaper=Washington Post|date=October 7, 1998|accessdate=September 16, 2024}}</ref><ref name=responsetohivaids>{{cite news|url=https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/history/hiv-and-aids-timeline|title=A Timeline of HIV and AIDS|publisher=hiv.gov|access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref> Credit for this decline would be given to the growing effectiveness of new drug therapy which was promoted by the Clinton Administration's Department of Health and Human Services, such as ] (HAART).<ref name=clintonhhs /><ref name=responsetohivaids /> | |||
] in 1995]] | |||
On September 21, 1996, Clinton signed into law the ] (DOMA), which defined marriage for federal purposes as the legal union of one man and one woman; the legislation allowed individual states to refuse to recognize gay marriages that were performed in other states.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-104publ199 | publisher=United States Government Printing Office | title=Public Law 104 - 199 - Defense of Marriage Act }}</ref> ], speaking for the White House gay and lesbian liaison office, said Clinton's signing DOMA "was a political decision that they made at the time of a re-election". In defense of his actions, Clinton has said that DOMA was intended to "head off an attempt to send a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the states", a possibility he described as highly likely in the context of a "very reactionary Congress".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://nymag.com/news/frank-rich/bill-clinton-doma-2012-3/ | work=] | first=Frank | last=Rich | title=Bill Clinton's shifting justifications for signing the Defense of Marriage Act | date=February 26, 2012}}</ref> Administration spokesman ] said, "the alternatives we knew were going to be far worse, and it was time to move on and get the president re-elected."<ref name="metroweekly">{{cite news | url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2011/09/becoming-law/ | work=] | first=Chris | last=Geidner | title=Becoming Law | date=September 29, 2011}}</ref> Clinton himself said DOMA was something "which the Republicans put on the ballot to try to get the base vote for Bush up, I think it's obvious that something had to be done to try to keep the Republican Congress from presenting that";<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nymag.com/news/frank-rich/bill-clinton-doma-2012-3/ | title=Bill Clinton's Justifications for Signing DOMA—New York Magazine | work=New York | date=February 24, 2012 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> others were more critical. The veteran gay rights and gay marriage activist ] has called these claims "historic revisionism".<ref name="metroweekly" /> Despite this, it has been noted that other than a brief written response to a Reader's Digest that questioned whether he agreed with it, Clinton had made no documented reference to the issue of gay marriage until May 1996.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/18/doma-anniversary-bill-clinton-book-excerpt-512686|title=Bill Clinton Tried to Avoid the DOMA Trap Republicans Set. Instead, He Trapped Himself.|first=Sasha|last=Issenberg|publisher=Politico|date=September 18, 2021|accessdate=November 29, 2022}}</ref> In a July 2, 2011, editorial ''The New York Times'' opined, "The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted in 1996 as an election-year wedge issue, signed by President Bill Clinton in one of his worst policy moments."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/opinion/sunday/03sun1.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/opinion/sunday/03sun1.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited | work=The New York Times | title=Unfinished Business: The Defense of Marriage Act | date=July 2, 2011 | department=Editorial}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Ultimately, in '']'', the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA in June 2013.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-the-court-ruled-on-doma-and-prop-8 | title=How The Court Ruled on DOMA and Prop. 8 | first=Richard | last=Socarides | date=June 26, 2013 | magazine=] | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Despite DOMA, Clinton was the first president to select openly gay persons for administrative positions,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/Accomplishments/ac399.html | title=ClintonGore Accomplishments: Gay and Lesbian Americans | publisher=Clinton2.nara.gov | access-date=September 12, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319132707/http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/Accomplishments/ac399.html | archive-date=March 19, 2013 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> and he is generally credited as being the first president to publicly champion gay rights.<ref name="newyorker.com">{{cite magazine | last=Socarides | first=Richard | url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-bill-clinton-signed-the-defense-of-marriage-act | title=Why Bill Clinton Signed the Defense of Marriage Act | magazine=The New Yorker | date=March 8, 2013 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> During his presidency, Clinton issued two substantially controversial executive orders on behalf of gay rights, the first lifting the ban on security clearances for LGBT federal employees<ref>Volsky, Igor. (August 5, 1995) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326175219/http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/08/05/288942/clinton-issued-order-letting-gays-get-security-clearances-16-years-ago-today/?mobile=nc |date=March 26, 2014 }}</ref> and the second outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/29/us/clinton-grants-gay-workers-job-protection.html | title=Clinton Grants Gay Workers Job Protection | work=The New York Times | date=May 29, 1998 | access-date=September 12, 2013}}</ref> Under Clinton's leadership, federal funding for HIV/AIDS research, prevention and treatment more than doubled.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://archive.hhs.gov/news/press/2000pres/00fsaids.html | title=2000.12.01: (Fact Sheet) Clinton Administration Record on HIV/AIDS | publisher=Archive.hhs.gov | access-date=September 12, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930185839/http://archive.hhs.gov/news/press/2000pres/00fsaids.html | archive-date=September 30, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Clinton also pushed for passing hate crimes laws for gays and for the private sector ], which, buoyed by his lobbying, failed to pass the Senate by a single vote in 1996.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/104-1996/s281 | title=S. 2056 (104th): Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 (On Passage of the Bill) | publisher=Govtrack.us | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> Advocacy for these issues, paired with the politically unpopular nature of the gay rights movement at the time, led to enthusiastic support for Clinton's election and reelection by the ].<ref name="newyorker.com" /> Clinton came out for gay marriage in July 2009<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/bill-clinton-backs-same-sex-marriage/ | title=Bill Clinton Backs Same-Sex Marriage | magazine=] | date=July 14, 2009 | access-date=February 22, 2020| last1=Tracey | first1=Michael }}</ref> and urged the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA in 2013.<ref>{{cite news | last=Clinton | first=Bill | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bill-clinton-its-time-to-overturn-doma/2013/03/07/fc184408-8747-11e2-98a3-b3db6b9ac586_story.html | title=It's time to overturn DOMA | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=March 7, 2013 | access-date=September 12, 2013}}</ref> He was later honored by ] for his prior pro-gay stances and his reversal on DOMA.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/entertainment/glaad-honours-bill-clinton-2013042206 | work=] | title=GLAAD honours Bill Clinton| date=April 22, 2013}}</ref> | |||
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The ] was an alleged effort by ] to influence the domestic policies of the United States, before and during the Clinton administration, and involved the fundraising practices of the administration itself.<ref name="wsjchinagate">{{cite news |title=China Was Bill Clinton's Russia |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-was-bill-clintons-russia-1488585526 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=March 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Not All Foreign-Influence Scandals Are Created Equal |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/07/chinese-illegally-donated-bill-clinton-reelection-campaign-media-downplayed/ |work=] |date=July 16, 2017}}</ref> Despite the evidence,<ref name="wsjchinagate"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Findings Link Clinton Allies to Chinese Intelligence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/02/10/findings-link-clinton-allies-to-chinese-intelligence/87265d5d-7452-41f2-ad2f-aa4abe7e579e/?noredirect=on |newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Bob|last=Woodward|author-link=Bob Woodward |date=February 10, 1998}}</ref> the ] denied all accusations.<ref name=embassy>{{cite news|first1=Bob | last1=Woodward |first2=Brian | last2=Duffy | author-link1=Bob Woodward | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/china1.htm | title=Chinese Embassy Role In Contributions Probed | newspaper=] | date=February 13, 1997 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> | |||
As part of a 1996 initiative to curb ], Clinton signed the ] (IIRIRA) on September 30, 1996. Appointed by Clinton,<ref>{{cite news | author=Louis Freedberg | url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/PAGE-ONE-WASHINGTON-New-Limits-In-Works-on-3031581.php | title=New Limits In Works on Immigration / Powerful commission focusing on families of legal entrants | newspaper=] | date=June 2, 1995 | access-date=February 22, 2020 }}</ref> the ] recommended reducing legal immigration from about 800,000 people a year to about 550,000.<ref>{{cite book | last=Jones|first=Plummer Alston Jr. | year=2004 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bmSKvXN2a1IC&pg=PA153 | title=Still Struggling for Equality: American public library services with minorities | publisher=Libraries Unlimited | page=154 | isbn=978-1-59158-243-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/08/us/clinton-embraces-a-proposal-to-cut-immigration-by-a-third.html | title=Clinton Embraces a Proposal To Cut Immigration by a Third | first=Robert | last=Pear | newspaper=The New York Times | date=June 8, 1995 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> | |||
In November 1996, Clinton narrowly escaped possible assassination in the Philippines,<ref name="youtube.com">{{cite AV media | last1=Discovery TV | title=Clinton Assassination Attempt—Secret Service Secrets | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvhldq-OHK0 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220083137/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvhldq-OHK0 | archive-date=February 20, 2015 | via=YouTube | access-date=March 29, 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref> which was a bridge bomb planted by ] and was masterminded by ]. During Clinton's presidency, the attempt remained top secret,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gormley|first1=Ken | title=The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr | date=February 1, 2011 | publisher=Crown Publishing Group | isbn=978-0-307-40945-4 | page=800}}</ref> and it remains classified {{As of|lc=yes|2024|03}}, when ] reported having spoken with eight retired secret service agents about the incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/al-qaeda-plot-kill-bill-clinton-that-history-nearly-forgot-2024-03-23/|title=The al Qaeda plot to kill Bill Clinton that history nearly forgot|first=Jonathan|last=Landay|work=]|date=2024-03-23|access-date=2024-03-24}}</ref> | |||
====1996 presidential campaign==== | |||
{{Main|Bill Clinton 1996 presidential campaign|1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries|1996 United States presidential election}} | |||
] | |||
Leading up to the ], Clinton's chances of being re-elected initially seemed slim, partially due to his growing untrust among the general public due to the ]<ref>. ]. March 29, 1994. Retrieved December 12, 2024.</ref><ref>Germond, Jack W., Witcover, Jules (February 6, 1995). . '']''. Retrieved December 14, 2024.</ref> and the lopsided defeat of national Democrats in the 1994 elections.<ref>Brown, Peter A. (November 9, 1994). . '']''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref><ref>Beltrame, Julian (January 26, 1995). . '']''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> His ] got as low as 40 percent in early 1995, which led to several high-profile Democrats suggesting he drop out of the race.<ref>Cannon, Angie (January 23, 1995). . '']''. Retrieved December 12, 2024.</ref><ref>Thompson, Robert E. (February 13, 1995). . '']''. Retrieved December 14, 2024.</ref> However in mid-1995, as a result of a rebounding economy and the growing unpopularity of congressional Republicans, public opinion of Clinton steadily up-ticked<ref>Lewis, Kathy (April 26, 1995). . '']''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref><ref>. '']''. May 17, 1995. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref><ref>Kondracke, Morton (December 2, 1995). . '']''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> and early 1996 polls found he had a lead of up to 20 points over his likely Republican opponent ].<ref>Balz, Dan (March 27, 1996). . ''Saint John Times Globe''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> | |||
Unlike Bush in the 1992 election, Clinton's incumbency greatly benefited him in the general election,<ref>Weeks, Linton (June 11, 2012). . '']''. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref> as most Americans felt the country was going in the right direction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bob-dole-on-life-after-losing-the-1996-presidential-election/2012/09/28/eaef4102-f78e-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_story.html|title=Bob Dole on life after losing the 1996 presidential election|first=Bob|last=Dole|date=September 30, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Along with Dole, Clinton once again faced Ross Perot, who was nominated by the ], but he garnered significantly less support than he did in the 1992 election.<ref>Kelly, John Michael (August 19, 1996). . ''The Stuart News''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> In the month leading up the election, pundits were predicting ] for Clinton, as his approval rating saw a high of 60 percent<ref>. '']''. September 4, 1996. Retrieved December 8, 2024.</ref> and pollsters finding he was favored with voters in over 30 states.<ref>Raum, Tom (November 1, 1996). . '']''. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref><ref>. '']''. November 1, 1996. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref><ref>Apple Jr., R.W. (October 25, 1996). . '']''. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref> | |||
On election day, Clinton won 379 ], securing reelection and defeating Dole, who received 159 electoral votes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Defines a Landslide Victory in Politics? |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-a-landslide-election-3367585 |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=ThoughtCo |language=en}}</ref> Clinton garnered 49.2 percent of the popular vote to Dole's 40.7 percent and Perot's 8.4 percent. With his victory, he became the first Democrat to win two consecutive presidential elections since ].<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 6, 1996|title=Clinton Rides Landslide First Democrat To Be Re-Elected Since Roosevelt|work=]|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/nov/06/clinton-rides-landslide-first-democrat-to-be-re/|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Clinton@2">{{Cite book | last=Jones | first=Charles O. | title=The Presidency in a Separated System | url=https://archive.org/details/presidencysepara00jone | url-access=limited | publisher=] | year=2005 | page=}}</ref> | |||
===Second term (1997–2001)=== | |||
], 1997]] | |||
In the January 1997, State of the Union address, Clinton proposed a new initiative to provide health coverage to up to five million children. Senators ]—a Democrat—and ]—a Republican—teamed up with Hillary Rodham Clinton and her staff in 1997, and succeeded in passing legislation forming the ] (SCHIP), the largest (successful) health care reform in the years of the Clinton Presidency. That year, Hillary Clinton shepherded through Congress the ] and two years later she succeeded in helping pass the ]. Bill Clinton negotiated the passage of the ] by the Republican Congress. | |||
In October 1997, Clinton announced he was getting hearing aids, due to hearing loss attributed to his age, and his time spent as a musician in his youth.<ref>{{cite news | last=Shogren | first=Elizabeth | title=Clinton to Get Hearing Aids for Both Ears | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-04-mn-39089-story.html | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=October 4, 1997 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> In 1999, he signed into law the Financial Services Modernization Act also known as the ], which repealed the part of the ] that had prohibited a bank from offering a full range of ], ]ing, and insurance services since its enactment in 1933.<ref>{{cite news | title=Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 | url=https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/gramm_leach_bliley_act | publisher=Federal Reserve History | access-date=February 22, 2020 }}</ref> | |||
==== Investigations ==== | |||
In November 1993, ]—the source of criminal allegations against Bill Clinton in the Whitewater controversy—alleged that while governor of Arkansas, Clinton pressured Hale to provide an illegal $300,000 loan to Susan McDougal, the Clintons' partner in the Whitewater land deal.<ref name="salon031798">{{cite news |last1=Broder |first1=Jonathan |last2=Waas |first2=Murray |author2-link=Murray Waas |date=March 17, 1998 |title=The Road To Hale |work=] |url=http://www.salon.com/news/1998/03/cov_17news.html |url-status=dead |access-date=August 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060616194202/http://salon.com/news/1998/03/cov_17news.html |archive-date=June 16, 2006}}</ref> A ] investigation resulted in convictions against the McDougals for their role in the Whitewater project, but the Clintons themselves were never charged, and Clinton maintains his and his wife's innocence in the affair.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Washingtonpost.com: Caught in the Whitewater Quagmire |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/whitewater/stories/wwtr950828.htm |access-date=October 23, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Investigations by ] and ] found insufficient to evidence to prosecute the Clintons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 21, 2002 |title='Insufficient Evidence' Ends Whitewater Case |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-21-mn-33965-story.html |access-date=October 23, 2022 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Washingtonpost.com: Whitewater Special Report |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/whitewater112098.htm |access-date=October 23, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> | |||
The ] of June 1996 arose concerning improper access by the White House to ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ray |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Ray (prosecutor) |date=March 16, 2000 |title=Final Report of the Independent Counsel ... of the Investigation In Re: Anthony Marceca |url=http://www.gpoaccess.gov/icreport/marceca/sec1-2.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/icreport/marceca/sec1-2.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |access-date=August 30, 2011 |publisher=]}}{{dead link|date=April 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> In March 2000, Independent Counsel ] determined there was no credible evidence of any crime. Ray's report further stated, "there was no substantial and credible evidence that any senior White House official was involved" in seeking the files.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 28, 2000 |title=Independent counsel: No evidence to warrant prosecution against first lady in 'filegate' |work=CNN|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/07/28/clinton.filegate |url-status=dead |access-date=April 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529015957/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/07/28/clinton.filegate/ |archive-date=May 29, 2010}}</ref> | |||
On May 19, 1993, Clinton fired seven employees of the White House Travel Office. This caused the ] even though the travel office staff served at the pleasure of the president and could be ]. The White House responded to the controversy by claiming that the firings were done in response to financial improprieties that had been revealed by a brief FBI investigation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Clinton |first=Hillary |title=Living History |title-link=Living History (book) |publisher=] |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7432-2224-2 |page= |author-link=Hillary Clinton}}</ref> Critics contended that the firings had been done to allow friends of the Clintons to take over the travel business and the involvement of the FBI was unwarranted.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gormley |first=Ken |url=https://archive.org/details/deathofamericanv00gorm/page/70 |title=The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr |publisher=] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-307-40944-7 |location=New York |pages= |author-link=Ken Gormley (academic)}}</ref> The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee issued a report which accused the Clinton administration of having obstructed their efforts to investigate the affair.<ref name="cnn_com">{{Cite web |title=AllPolitics - Travelgate Report OK'd - Sept. 18, 1996 |url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9609/18/travelgate/index.shtml |access-date=October 23, 2022 |website=CNN}}</ref> Special counsel Robert Fiske said that Hillary Clinton was involved in the firing and gave "factually false" testimony to the GAO, congress, and the independent counsel. However Fiske said there was not enough evidence to prosecute.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2007 |title=III. Findings |url=http://a255.g.akamaitech.net/7/255/2422/13may20041504/icreport.access.gpo.gov/watkins/13-17.pdf |access-date=October 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628181404/http://a255.g.akamaitech.net/7/255/2422/13may20041504/icreport.access.gpo.gov/watkins/13-17.pdf |archive-date=June 28, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="cnn_com" /> | |||
====Impeachment and acquittal==== | |||
{{Main|Impeachment of Bill Clinton|Impeachment trial of Bill Clinton}} | |||
] | |||
After ], Clinton was ] on December 19, 1998, by the House of Representatives. The House voted 228–206 to impeach him for perjury to a ]<ref name=ai>{{cite web | author = Miller, Lorraine C. | title = Final vote results for roll call 543 | publisher = Office of the Clerk | date = December 19, 1998 | url = http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1998/roll543.xml | access-date = April 20, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100106230404/http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1998/roll543.xml | archive-date = January 6, 2010 | url-status = live }}</ref> and voted 221–212 to impeach him for obstruction of justice.<ref name=aiii>{{cite web | author = Miller, Lorraine C. | title = Final vote results for roll call 545 | publisher = Office of the Clerk | date = December 19, 1998 | url = http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1998/roll545.xml | access-date = April 20, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100302015416/http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1998/roll545.xml | archive-date = March 2, 2010 | url-status = live }}</ref> Clinton was only the second U.S. president (the first being ]) to be impeached.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-have-presidents-been-impeached-for-these-were-the-articles-of-impeachment-johnson-nixon-and-clinton/|title=What have presidents been impeached for? These were the articles of impeachment for Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton|agency=CBS News|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> Impeachment proceedings were based on allegations that Clinton had illegally lied about and covered up his relationship with 22-year-old White House (and later ]) employee ].<ref>{{cite news | title=Time Line | date=September 13, 1998 | page=A32 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/timeline.htm | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=January 20, 2007}}</ref> After the ] was submitted to the House providing what it termed "substantial and credible information that President Clinton Committed Acts that May Constitute Grounds for an Impeachment",<ref>{{cite book | title=The Starr Report: The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair | year=1998 | isbn=978-1-891620-24-9 | url=https://archive.org/details/starrreportfindi00star }}</ref> the House began impeachment hearings against Clinton before the ]. To hold impeachment proceedings, Republican leadership called a ] in December 1998. | |||
], shaking hands with future 45th and 47th President ]]] | |||
While the ] hearings ended in a straight party-line vote, there was lively debate on the House floor. The two charges passed in the House (largely with 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 before a grand jury that had been convened to investigate perjury he may have committed in his sworn deposition during ''],'' Paula Jones's sexual harassment lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/pjones/pjones.htm | title=Case Closed | first=Dan | last=Froomkin | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=August 26, 1999 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> The obstruction charge was based on his actions to conceal his relationship with Lewinsky before and after that deposition. | |||
The Senate later acquitted Clinton of both charges.<ref name=senvoteai>{{cite web | author=Senate LIS | title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 106th Congress—1st Session: vote number 17—Guilty or Not Guilty (Art I, Articles of Impeachment v. President W. J. Clinton) | publisher=United States Senate | date=February 12, 1999 | url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=1&vote=00017 |access-date =February 22, 2020}}</ref> The Senate refused to meet 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 ].<ref>{{cite news | title=Clinton impeached | work=BBC News | date=December 19, 1998 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/clinton_under_fire/latest_news/238784.stm | access-date=October 29, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211142909/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/clinton_under_fire/latest_news/238784.stm | archive-date=December 11, 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> The Senate finished a twenty-one-day trial on February 12, 1999, with the vote of 55 not guilty/45 guilty on the perjury charge<ref name=senvoteai /> and 50 not guilty/50 guilty on the obstruction of justice charge.<ref name="washingtonpostimpeachment">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-impeachment/senate-acquits-president-clinton/ | title=The Senate Acquits President Clinton | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=February 13, 1999 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> Both votes fell short of the constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an officeholder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty, and only a handful of Republicans voting not guilty.<ref name=senvoteai /> | |||
On January 19, 2001, Clinton's law license was suspended for five years after he acknowledged to an Arkansas circuit court he had engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice in the ''Jones'' case.<ref name="arkcomm">{{cite court |litigants=Neal v. Clinton |opinion=Civ. No. 2000-5677 |pinpoint=Agreed Order of Discipline |court=Ark. Cir. Ct. |year=2001 |quote=Mr. Clinton admits and acknowledges ... that his discovery responses interfered with the conduct of the ''Jones'' case by causing the court and counsel for the parties to expend unnecessary time, effort, and resources |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826214725/https://www.arcourts.gov/sites/default/files/opc_opinions_59 |url=https://www.arcourts.gov/sites/default/files/opc_opinions_59 }}</ref><ref name="wsj01plea">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB980120797221261327|title=Bill cops a plea|author=<!--No by-line.-->|date=January 22, 2001|newspaper=]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> On October 1, the U.S. Supreme Court suspended Clinton from practicing law in the high court, citing fallout from the Lewinsky scandal,<ref>Kirkland, Michael (October 1, 2001). . '']''. Retrieved December 5, 2024.</ref> but rather than appealing the decision he resigned from the bar entirely.<ref>. '']''. November 10, 2001. Retrieved December 5, 2024.</ref> | |||
====Pardons and commutations ==== | |||
Clinton ] 141 pardons and 36 commutations on his last day in office on January 20, 2001.<ref name="The Survivor" /><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010120/aponline135239_000.htm | title=Clinton Pardon's List | agency=] | newspaper=] | date=January 20, 2001 | access-date=August 30, 2011 | archive-date=January 15, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115053709/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010120/aponline135239_000.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> Controversy surrounded ] and allegations that Hillary Clinton's brother, ], accepted payments in return for influencing the president's decision-making regarding the pardons.<ref>{{cite news | title=Clinton pardons: Cast of characters | work=BBC News | date=February 22, 2001 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1184118.stm | access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Federal prosecutor ] was appointed to investigate the pardon of Rich. She was later replaced by then-Republican ]. The investigation found no wrongdoing on Clinton's part.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/james-comey-fbi-bill-clinton-233808|title = Comey 'enthusiastic' about Bill Clinton probe in 2001, FBI memo says|newspaper = ]}}</ref> Clinton also pardoned four defendants in the ], ], ], ], and ], all of whom had ties to Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Clinton Pardons McDougal, Hearst, Others|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=122001&page=1|access-date=August 11, 2021|agency=ABC News}}</ref> Former Clinton ] ], who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, was also among Clinton's pardons.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stout|first=David|date=January 20, 2001|title=Clinton Pardons McDougal, Cisneros|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/20/politics/clinton-pardons-mcdougal-cisneros.html|access-date=August 11, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> | |||
==== Campaign finance controversies ==== | |||
{{Further|Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy|1996 United States campaign finance controversy}} | |||
In February 1997 it was discovered upon documents being released by the ] that 938 people had stayed at the White House and that 821 of them had made donations to the ] and got the opportunity to stay in the Lincoln bedroom as a result of the donations.<ref>{{Cite news|title=AllPolitics - White House Sleepovers - Feb. 25, 1997|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/02/25/clinton.money/|access-date=August 9, 2021|agency=CNN}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{Cite news|title=President Had Big Role in Setting Donor Perks|date=February 26, 1997|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|first2=Susan|last2=Schmidt|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/lincoln.htm|access-date=August 9, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Some donors included ], ], ], and ]. Top donors also got golf games and morning jogs with Clinton as a result of the contributions.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> ] was called on to investigate the matter by ], but she refused.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AllPolitics - Reno Resisting Pressure - Feb. 27, 1997|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/02/27/fundraising/|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=CNN}}</ref> | |||
In 1996, it was found that several Chinese foreigners made contributions to Clinton's reelection campaign and the ] with the backing of the People's Republic of China. Some of them also attempted to donate to Clinton's defense fund.<ref>{{Cite news|title=washingtonpost.com: Campaign Finance Key Player – Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/players/trie.htm|access-date=August 9, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> This violated United States law forbidding non-American citizens from making campaign contributions. Clinton and ] also allegedly met with the foreign donors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AllPolitics - Fund-Raising Flap - Cast of Characters|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/infocus/fundraising.flap/characters.html|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=May 24, 2008|title=Chinese Aerospace Official Denies Giving To Democrats - May 21, 1998|website=]|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/21/china.money/|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524033516/http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/21/china.money/|archive-date=May 24, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 5, 2006|title=Fund-raiser Charlie Trie pleads guilty under plea agreement - May 21, 1999|website=]|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/21/trie/|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060805092557/http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/21/trie/|archive-date=August 5, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=April 23, 2009|title=AllPolitics - A Chinese Spy? - May 12, 1997|website=]|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/05/12/chinese.donor/|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423050727/http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/05/12/chinese.donor/|archive-date=April 23, 2009}}</ref> A Republican investigation led by ] found that Clinton was targeted by the Chinese government. However, Democratic senators ] and ] said that the evidence showed that China only targeted congressional elections and not presidential elections.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Washingtonpost.com: Campaign Finance Special Report|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/cf072097.htm|access-date=August 9, 2021|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> | |||
===Military and foreign affairs=== | |||
{{Further|Foreign policy of the Bill Clinton administration}} | |||
====Somalia==== | |||
] ], ] and Clinton speak before boarding ], November 4, 1999]] | |||
American troops had first entered ] during the ] in response to a humanitarian crisis and ]. Though initially involved to assist humanitarian efforts, the Clinton administration shifted the objectives set out in the mission and began pursuing a policy of attempting to neutralize Somali warlords. In 1993, during the ], ] were shot down by ] attacks to their ]s, trapping soldiers behind enemy lines. This resulted in an urban battle that killed 18 American soldiers, wounded 73 others, and resulted in one being taken prisoner.<ref name="NPR">{{cite web|title=What A Downed Black Hawk In Somalia Taught America|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/10/05/229561805/what-a-downed-black-hawk-in-somalia-taught-america|website=]|date=October 5, 2013|access-date=March 3, 2022}}</ref> Television news programs depicted the supporters of warlord ] desecrating the corpses of troops.<ref name="NPR"/> The backlash resulting from the incident prompted in a drop in support for American intervention in the country and coincided with a more cautious use of troops throughout the rest of the Clinton administration.<ref name="NPR"/> Following a subsequent national security policy review, U.S. forces were withdrawn from Somalia and later conflicts were approached with fewer soldiers on the ground.<ref>{{cite news |title=The people killed them. Chopped them up. I consider myself lucky |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1993/oct/09/usa |work=The Guardian |date=October 9, 1993}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dauber |first1=Cori Elizabeth |title=The Shot Seen 'Round the World: The Impact of the Images of Mogadishu on American Military Operations |journal=Rhetoric & Public Affairs |date=December 1, 2001 |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=653–687 |doi=10.1353/rap.2001.0066 |id={{Project MUSE|29928}} |jstor=41940265 |s2cid=153565083 }}</ref> | |||
====Rwanda==== | |||
In April 1994, ] broke out in ]. Intelligence reports indicate that Clinton was aware a "final solution to eliminate all ]s" was underway, long before the administration publicly used the word "genocide".<ref>{{cite news|last=Carrol|first=Rory|title=US chose to ignore Rwandan genocide|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/31/usa.rwanda|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|date=April 1, 2004|access-date=February 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228191139/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/31/usa.rwanda|archive-date=December 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=] |title=Secretary 's Morning Summary |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB117/Rw23.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB117/Rw23.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |date=April 26, 1994}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=] |title=National Intelligence Daily |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB117/Rw34.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB117/Rw34.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |date=April 23, 1994}}</ref> Fearing a reprisal of the events in Somalia the previous year, Clinton chose not to intervene.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ambush in Mogadishu: Transcript |publisher=] |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ambush/etc/script.html |access-date=October 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506142008/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ambush/etc/script.html |archive-date=May 6, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clinton has called his failure to intervene one of his main foreign policy failings, saying "I don't think we could have ended the violence, but I think we could have cut it down. And I regret it."<ref>{{cite news|last=Chozick|first=Amy|title=In Africa, Bill Clinton Toils for a Charitable Legacy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/us/politics/in-africa-bill-clinton-works-to-leave-a-charitable-legacy.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 4, 2012 |access-date=October 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022022004/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/us/politics/in-africa-bill-clinton-works-to-leave-a-charitable-legacy.html?pagewanted=all|archive-date=October 22, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
====Bosnia and Herzegovina==== | |||
] on December 22, 1997. Clinton is seen alongside future President ].]] | |||
In 1993 and 1994, Clinton pressured Western European leaders to adopt a strong military policy against ] during the ]. This strategy faced staunch opposition from the ], ] allies, and Congressional Republicans, leading Clinton to adopt a more diplomatic approach.<ref>{{cite book|first=Carole|last=Hodge|title=Britain and the Balkans: 1991 Until the Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qNqCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA55|year=2006|publisher=Routledge|pages=55–56|isbn=9781134425570}}</ref> In 1995, U.S. and NATO aircraft ] to halt attacks on UN safe zones and pressure them into a peace accord that would end the ]. Clinton deployed U.S. peacekeepers to Bosnia in late 1995, to uphold the subsequent ].<ref>Halberstam, 2001, pp 349–60.</ref> | |||
====Irish peace talks==== | |||
] outside a business in East Belfast, November 30, 1995]] | |||
In 1992, before his presidency, Clinton proposed sending a peace envoy to ], but this was dropped to avoid tensions with the British government. In November 1995, in a ceasefire during ], Clinton became the first president to visit Northern Ireland, examining both of the two divided communities of ].<ref>{{Cite news|title=1995: Clinton kindles hope in Northern Ireland|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/30/newsid_4459000/4459860.stm|date=November 30, 1995 |access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> Despite ] criticism, Clinton used his visit as a way to negotiate an end to the violent conflict, playing a key role in the ] that produced the ] in 1998.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=MacGinty |first1=Roger |title=American Influences on the Northern Ireland Peace Process |journal=Journal of Conflict Studies |date=1997 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=31–50 |url=https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/jcs17_02art02 }}</ref> | |||
] at a private dinner in Russia, January 13, 1994.]] | |||
====Iran==== | |||
Clinton sought to continue the Bush administration's policy of limiting Iranian influence in the Middle East, which he laid out in the ] strategy. In 1994, Clinton declared that Iran was a "]" and a "rogue state", marking the first time that an American President used that term.<ref></ref> Subsequent executive orders heavily sanctioned Iran's oil industry and banned almost all trade between U.S. companies and the Iranian government. In February 1996, the Clinton administration agreed to pay Iran US$131.8{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|131.8|1996|r=2}} million in {{Inflation-year|US}}) in settlement to discontinue a case brought by Iran in 1989 against the U.S. in the ] after the shooting down of ] by the U.S. Navy ].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/07/the-vincennes-downing-of-iran-air-flight-655-the-united-states-tried-to-cover-up-its-own-destruction-of-a-passenger-plane.html | title=America's Flight 17 | work=]|first=Fred|last=Kaplan | date=July 23, 2014}}</ref> | |||
====Iraq==== | |||
In Clinton's ], he warned Congress that Iraqi dictator ] was building an arsenal of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.<ref>{{cite press release | title=Text of President Clinton's 1998 State of the Union Address | date=January 27, 1998 | first=Bill | last=Clinton | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/states/docs/sou98.htm | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> | |||
Clinton signed the ] on October 31, 1998, which instituted a policy of "regime change" against Iraq, though it explicitly stated it did not provide for direct intervention on the part of American military forces.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/libera.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218092435/http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/libera.htm | archive-date=February 18, 2007 | title=Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, H.R.4655, One Hundred Fifth Congress of United States of America at Second Session | publisher=Library of Congress | access-date=February 18, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-bill/4655 | title=H.R.4655—Iraq Liberation Act of 1998| date=October 31, 1998}}</ref> The administration then launched a four-day bombing campaign named ], lasting from December 16 to 19, 1998. At the end of this operation Clinton announced that "So long as Saddam remains in power, he will remain a threat to his people, his region, and the world. With our allies, we must pursue a strategy to contain him and to constrain his weapons of mass destruction program, while working toward the day Iraq has a government willing to live at peace with its people and with its neighbors."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/225872 | title=Address to the Nation on Completion of Military Strikes in Iraq | publisher=Presidency.ucsb.edu | date=December 19, 1998 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> American and British aircraft in the Iraq no-fly zones attacked hostile Iraqi air defenses 166 times in 1999 and 78 times in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title= Colin Powell, former soldier and still an all-American hero |url= https://mclane65.tripod.com/cpowell.html|website= tripod.com |access-date= February 3, 2023 }}</ref> | |||
====Osama bin Laden==== | |||
Capturing Osama bin Laden was an objective of the U.S. government during the Clinton presidency (and continued to be until ]).<ref>{{cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/24/clinton.binladen/index.html | title=Bill Clinton: I got closer to killing bin Laden | work=CNN | date=September 24, 2006 | access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Despite claims by ] and Sudanese officials that the Sudanese government had offered to arrest and extradite bin Laden, and that U.S. authorities rejected each offer,<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-05-oe-ijaz05-story.html | title=Clinton Let Bin Laden Slip Away and Metastisize | work=Los Angeles Times | date=December 5, 2001 | access-date=February 22, 2020 | first=Mansoor | last=Ijaz}}</ref> the ] stated that "we have not found any reliable evidence to support the Sudanese claim".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/staff_statement_5.pdf | title=Staff Statement No. 5 | publisher=9/11 Commission | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> | |||
In response to a 1996 State Department warning about bin Laden<ref>{{cite news | last=Lichtblau | first=Eric | title=State Dept. Says It Warned About bin Laden in 1996 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/world/asia/state-dept-says-it-warned-about-bin-laden-in-1996.html | work=The New York Times | date=August 17, 2005 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> and the ] by al-Qaeda (which killed 224 people, including 12 Americans), Clinton ordered several military missions to capture or kill bin Laden, all of which were unsuccessful. In August 1998, Clinton ], targeting the ] in Sudan, which was suspected of assisting bin Laden in making chemical weapons, and bin Laden's terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. The factory was destroyed by the attack, resulting in the death of one employee and the wounding of 11 other people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CNN - U.S. missiles pound targets in Afghanistan, Sudan - August 21, 1998 |url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.02/ |access-date=September 24, 2022 |website=CNN}}</ref> After the destruction of the factory, there was a medicine shortage in Sudan due to the plant providing 50 percent of Sudan's medicine, and the destruction of the plant led to a shortage of chloroquine, a drug which is used to treat malaria.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 14, 2007 |title=United States Terrorism in the Sudan (by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed) - Media Monitors Network |url=http://www.mediamonitors.net/mosaddeq16.html |access-date=September 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614024139/http://www.mediamonitors.net/mosaddeq16.html |archive-date=June 14, 2007 }}</ref> U.S. officials later acknowledged that there was no evidence the plant was acknowledging manufacturing or storing nerve gas.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cloud |first=David S. |date=April 23, 2006 |title=Colleagues Say C.I.A. Analyst Played by the Rules |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/washington/colleagues-say-cia-analyst-played-by-the-rules.html |access-date=September 24, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The attack provoked criticism of Clinton from journalists and academics including ],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hitchens |first=Christopher |date=September 23, 1998 |title=They bomb pharmacies, don't they? |url=https://www.salon.com/1998/09/23/news_114/ |access-date=September 24, 2022 |website=Salon.com}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=October 5, 1998 |title=The Missiles of August |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/10/12/the-missiles-of-august |access-date=September 24, 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Max |last2=Elbushra |first2=Mohamed E. |date=September 1, 2006 |title=Research Note: Hassan al-Turabi, Osama bin Laden, and Al Qaeda in Sudan |journal=Terrorism and Political Violence |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=449–464 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/895988 |doi=10.1080/09546550600752022|s2cid=144769891 }}</ref> and others.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Noah |first=Timothy |date=April 1, 2004 |title=More on Clinton's Sudan bombing. |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2004/04/more-on-clinton-s-sudan-bombing.html |access-date=September 24, 2022 |magazine=]}}</ref> | |||
====Kosovo==== | |||
] | |||
In the midst of a brutal crackdown on ] in the province of ] by the ], Clinton authorized the use of U.S. Armed Forces in a NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, named ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clines |first1=Francis X. |title=NATO Opens Broad Barrage Against Serbs as Clinton Denounces 'Brutal Repression' |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/032599kosovo-rdp.html |work=The New York Times |date=March 25, 1999}}</ref> The stated reasoning behind the intervention was to stop the ] (and what the Clinton administration labeled ])<ref>{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=William |date=April 7, 1999 |url=https://archive.defense.gov/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=582 |title=Secretary Cohen's Press Conference at NATO Headquarters |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604215218/https://archive.defense.gov/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=582 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Clinton |first=Bill |date=August 30, 2011 |url=http://clinton6.nara.gov/1999/06/1999-06-25-press-conference-by-the-president.html |title=Press Conference by the President |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006054609/http://clinton6.nara.gov/1999/06/1999-06-25-press-conference-by-the-president.html |archive-date=October 6, 2006 }}</ref> of Albanians by Yugoslav anti-guerilla military units. General ] was ] and oversaw the mission. With ], the bombing campaign ended on June 10, 1999. The resolution placed Kosovo under UN administration and authorized a ] to be deployed to the region.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nato.int/kosovo/docu/u990610a.htm | title=Resolution 1244 (1999) | date=June 10, 1999 | publisher=NATO | access-date=August 17, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110629135857/http://www.nato.int/kosovo/docu/u990610a.htm| archive-date= June 29, 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref> NATO announced its soldiers all survived combat,<ref name="roblect">{{cite web | first=Adam | last=Roberts | url=https://lisd.princeton.edu/sites/lisd2017/files/Roberts_Lecture.pdf | title=The Impact of the Laws of War in Contemporary Conflicts (PDF) | date=April 10, 2003 | publisher=Princeton University | access-date=February 22, 2020 | archive-date=February 23, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223022737/https://lisd.princeton.edu/sites/lisd2017/files/Roberts_Lecture.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> though two died in an ] crash.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/335709.stm | title=Two die in Apache crash | work=BBC News | date=May 5, 1999 | access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> Journalists in the popular press criticized genocide statements by the Clinton administration as false and greatly exaggerated.<ref>{{cite web | last=Pilger | first=John | date=September 4, 2000 | url=https://www.newstatesman.com/node/151946 | title=US and British officials told us that at least 100,000 were murdered in Kosovo. A year later, fewer than 3,000 bodies have been found | work=] | access-date=August 28, 2019 | archive-date=May 4, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504061509/https://www.newstatesman.com/node/151946 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Daniel | last1=Pearl |first2=Robert | last2=Block | date=December 31, 1999 | url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB946593838546941319 | title=Despite Tales, the War in Kosovo Was Savage, but Wasn't Genocide | work=The Wall Street Journal | page= A1}}</ref> Prior to the bombing campaign on March 24, 1999, estimates showed that the number of civilians killed in the over year long ] had been approximately 1,800, with critics asserting that little or no evidence existed of genocide.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Layne |first1=Christopher |last2=Schwarz |first2=Benjamin |title=Was It A Mistake? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-03/26/081r-032600-idx.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 26, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cockburn |first1=Alexander |title=Where's the Evidence of Genocide of Kosovar Albanians? |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-29-me-27493-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 29, 1999}}</ref> In a post-war inquiry, the ] noted "the patterns of the expulsions and the vast increase in lootings, killings, rape, kidnappings and pillage once the NATO air war began on March 24."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Erlanger |first1=Steven |title=Monitors' Reports Provide Chronicle of Kosovo Terror |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/05/world/monitors-reports-provide-chronicle-of-kosovo-terror.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 22, 2020 |orig-date=December 5, 1999}}</ref> In 2001, the ] ] ruled that genocide (the ] a people) did not take place, but recognized "a systematic campaign of terror, including murders, rapes, arsons and severe maltreatments" with the intention being the forceful departure of the Albanian population.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1530781.stm | title=Kosovo assault 'was not genocide' | work=BBC News | date=September 7, 2001 | access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> 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 little difference.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | author=George J. Andreopoulos | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/ethnic-cleansing | title=Ethnic Cleansing | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> ], the president of Yugoslavia at the time of the atrocities, was ] before the ] in ] on charges including ] and war crimes for his role in the war.<ref name="Milosevic Charges">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1402790.stm#kosovo | title=The charges against Milosevic | work=BBC News | date=March 11, 2006 | access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> He died in 2006, before the completion of the trial.<ref name="Milosevic Charges" /><ref>{{cite news | title=Milosevic's war crimes trial a 4-year marathon | work=CNN | date=March 11, 2006 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/11/milosevic.trial/ | access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> | |||
====China==== | |||
{{See also|1996 United States campaign finance controversy}} | |||
] holding a joint press conference at the White House, October 29, 1997]] | |||
Clinton aimed to increase trade with China, minimizing import tariffs and offering the country ] status in 1993, his administration minimized tariff levels in Chinese imports. Clinton initially conditioned extension of this status on ] reforms, but ultimately decided to extend the status despite a lack of reform in the specified areas, including free emigration, treatment of prisoners in terms of international human rights, and observation of human rights specified by UN resolutions, among others.<ref>Song, ed., ''Encyclopedia of Chinese-American Relations'' p 74.</ref> | |||
Relations were damaged briefly by the ] in May 1999. Clinton apologized for the bombing, stating it was accidental.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://congressionalresearch.com/RS20547/document.php |title = Chinese Embassy Bombing In Belgrade: Compensation Issues |publisher = Congressional Research Service }}</ref> | |||
], President Clinton and Palestinian leader ] at ], July 2000]] | |||
On October 10, 2000, Clinton signed into law the ], which granted ] (PNTR) trade status to China.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith |first=Matt |url=http://cgi.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/10/clinton.pntr |title=Clinton signs China trade bill |work=CNN|date=October 10, 2000 |access-date=July 3, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714142523/http://cgi.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/10/clinton.pntr/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref> The president asserted that free trade would gradually open China to democratic reform.<ref>{{cite book | author=Peter B. Levy | year=2002 | url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofcl00levy| url-access=registration | title=Encyclopedia of the Clinton Presidency | page= | publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group | isbn=978-0-313-31294-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Was Letting China Into the WTO a Mistake? |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2018-04-02/was-letting-china-wto-mistake |work=Foreign Affairs |date=April 2, 2018}}</ref> | |||
In encouraging Congress to approve the agreement and China's accession to the ] (WTO), Clinton stated that more trade with China would advance America's economic interests, saying that "economically, this agreement is the equivalent of a one-way street. It requires China to open its markets—with a fifth of the world's population, potentially the biggest markets in the world—to both our products and services in unprecedented new ways."<ref>, Federal News Service, March 9, 2000</ref> | |||
====Israeli-Palestinian conflict==== | |||
], ], ], Clinton, ], ] and ] in ], March 1996]] | |||
Clinton attempted to end the ]. Secret negotiations mediated by Clinton between Israeli Prime Minister ] and ] (PLO) Chairman ] led to a historic declaration of peace in September 1993, called the ], which were signed at the White House on September 13. The agreement led to the ] in 1994 and the ] in October 1998, however, this did not end the conflict. He brought Israeli prime minister ] and Palestinian Authority chairman ] together at ] for the ], which lasted 14 days in July.<ref name="The Survivor" /> Following another attempt in December 2000 at ], in which the president offered the ], the situation broke down completely after the end of the ] and with the start of the ].<ref name="The Survivor" /> | |||
===Judicial appointments=== | |||
{{Main|Bill Clinton Supreme Court candidates|List of federal judges appointed by Bill Clinton}} | |||
] accepting her nomination to the Supreme Court from President Clinton, 1993]] | |||
Clinton appointed two justices to the ]: ] in 1993<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx | title=Biographies of Current Justices of the Supreme Court | publisher=Supreme Court | access-date=August 30, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721063602/https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx| archive-date=July 21, 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref> and ] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://law.onecle.com/ussc/justices/512usxi-appointment-of-justice-breyer.html | title=Appointment and swearing in of Justice Breyer, 1994 | publisher=Law.onecle.com | date=September 30, 1994 | access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> Both justices went on to serve until the 2020s, leaving a lasting judicial legacy for President Clinton.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Clinton Legacy: Moderate Judge Appointments|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/politics/0801clinton-crime-judges.html|access-date=January 31, 2022|website=archive.nytimes.com}}</ref> | |||
Clinton was the first president in history to appoint more women and minority judges than white male judges to the federal courts.<ref name="Scherer, p. 85">{{cite book|author=Nancy Scherer|title=Scoring Points: Politicians, Activists, and the Lower Federal Court Appointment Process|publisher=Stanford University Press|date=2005|page=85}}</ref> In his eight years in office, 11.6% of Clinton's court of appeals nominees and 17.4% of his district court nominees were black; 32.8% of his court of appeals nominees and 28.5% of his district court nominees were women.<ref name="Scherer, p. 85"/> | |||
==Public opinion== | |||
] throughout his presidential career (Roper Center)]] | |||
Throughout Clinton's first term, his job approval rating fluctuated in the 40s and 50s. In his second term, his rating consistently ranged from the high-50s to the high-60s.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pollingreport.com/clinton-.htm | title=Bill Clinton: Job Ratings | publisher=Pollingreport.com | access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> After his impeachment proceedings in 1998 and 1999, Clinton's rating reached its highest point.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/20/impeachment.poll/ | title=Clinton's approval rating up in wake of impeachment | work=CNN | date=December 20, 1998 | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> According to a ]/''New York Times'' poll, Clinton left office with an approval rating of 68 percent, which matched those of Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-look-back-at-the-polls/ | title=A Look Back at the Polls | work=] | first=Bootie | last=Cosgrove-Mather | date=June 7, 2004 | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Clinton's average ] approval rating for his last quarter in office was 61 percent, the highest final quarter rating any president has received for fifty years.<ref name="Jan2001Gallup">{{cite web|first=David W.|last=Moore|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/2125/clinton-leaves-office-mixed-public-reaction.aspx|title=Clinton Leaves Office With Mixed Public Reaction, Gallup Organization|website=]|date=January 12, 2001}}</ref> Forty-seven percent of the respondents identified themselves as being Clinton supporters.<ref name="Jan2001Gallup" /> | |||
As he was leaving office, a CNN/'']''/Gallup poll revealed that 45 percent of Americans said they would miss him; 55 percent thought he "would have something worthwhile to contribute and should remain active in public life"; 68 percent thought he would be remembered more for his "involvement in personal scandal" than for "his accomplishments"; and 58 percent answered "No" to the question "Do you generally think Bill Clinton is honest and trustworthy?"<ref name="Jan2001Gallup" /> The same percentage said he would be remembered as either "outstanding" or "above average" as a president, while 22 percent said he would be remembered as "below average" or "poor".<ref name="Jan2001Gallup" /> ] 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."<ref name=langer>{{cite web| url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=120952| title=Poll: Clinton Legacy Mixed| agency=ABC News| date=January 17, 2001| first=Gary | last=Langer | website=]| access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref> During his first term, roughly 7 in 10 Americans believed that the media unfairly covered Clinton's character flaws, according to polling.<ref>. '']''. May 22, 1995. Retrieved December 18, 2024.</ref> | |||
] Secretary ] was indicted on 18 counts of conspiracy, giving false statements and obstruction of Justice. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of lying to the ] about the amount of money he gave his mistress, political fundraiser ]. Medlar plead guilty to 28 counts related to the investigation. Both Medlar and Cisneros were pardoned by Clinton. | |||
A year after he left office, a Gallup poll found that 51 percent of respondents said they approved of the overall job Clinton did as president.<ref>. '']''. April 15, 2002. Retrieved December 5, 2024.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/12/bush.clinton.poll/index.html | title=Poll: Clinton outperformed Bush | work=CNN | date=May 15, 2006 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> A June 2006 poll by Gallup found that 61 percent of Americans said they approved of the job Clinton did as president, a 10-point increase from the 2002 poll.<ref>. ]. '']''. December 30, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2024.</ref> Gallup polls in 2007 and 2011 showed that Clinton was regarded by 13 percent of Americans as the greatest president in U.S. history.<ref>Lydia Saad, , Gallup (February 19, 2007).</ref><ref>Frank Newport, , Gallup (February 18, 2011).</ref> | |||
], appointed by then Governor Clinton as chief justice of the Arkansas State Supreme Court, and later by President Clinton as associate Attorney General of the United States, plead guilty to federal mail fraud and tax evasion charges in connection with his handling of billing at the Rose Law Firm where he worked with ]. | |||
In 2010, 69 percent of respondents in a Gallup survey said they approved of the job Clinton did as president, including 47 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of independents. His sudden spike in popularity during this time was attributed to Americans comparing him to then-incumbent Democratic president ], who had low approval ratings.<ref>Jones, Jeffrey M. (February 15, 2018). . '']''. Retrieved December 6, 2024.</ref> In 2014, 18 percent of respondents in a ] poll of American voters regarded Clinton as the best president since World War II, making him the third most popular among postwar presidents, behind John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.<ref name="Q Poll"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703073437/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2056 |date=July 3, 2014 }}, Quinnipiac University (July 2, 2014).</ref> The same poll showed that just 3 percent of American voters regarded Clinton as the worst president since World War II.<ref name="Q Poll" /> | |||
===Timeline=== | |||
* ] ] - ], defeating ] incumbent ] and billionaire businessman ]. | |||
* ] ] - First ]. | |||
* ], ] - World Trade Center terrorist attack. The ] killed 6 and injured over 1,000 people. | |||
* ], ] - A government siege of the ] compound at ], results in the deaths of 80 people when a cult leader allegedly sets fire to his own compound. Clinton and ] ] receive criticism for mishandling the stand-off. | |||
* ], ] - Clinton friend and confidant ] is found dead of a gunshot wound; later determined to be ]. | |||
* ] ] - Clinton brings together ] ] and Chairman of the ] ] on the ] lawn. | |||
* ], ] - ] - ] receive heavy casualties in ] (the ] incident). | |||
* ], ] - Clinton and ] ] sign the ] which stop the preprogrammed aiming of ]s to targets and also provide for the dismantling of the nuclear arsenal in ]. | |||
* ] ] - Republicans elected to majorities in both houses of Congress. | |||
* ], ] - ] - Terrorist bombing of federal building in ] results in the deaths of 168 people, 19 of whom were children. | |||
* ], ] - Budget negotiations between Congress and Clinton break down, resulting in a temporary ] until ]. A longer shutdown will last from mid-December 1995 until early January 1996. | |||
* ], ] - Clinton organizes peace talks for ] at the ], ], eventually resulting in the ]. | |||
* ], ] - Clinton visits ], leading to the establishment of an International Commission chaired by former U.S. Senator ]. | |||
* ], ] - ] a powerful truck bomb exploded outside the ] barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, tearing the front from the building, blasting a crater 35 feet deep, and killing 19 American soldiers. | |||
* ], ] - ], defeating ] challenger ] and ] founder ]. | |||
* ] ] - Second ]. | |||
* ], ] - Visit by ] ] to the ]. | |||
* ], ] - Clinton orders ] strikes on ] to hit ] and a suspected ]s ] in ]. Republicans cried "]" as ] testified before a grand jury about her relationship with Clinton. | |||
* ] ] - Clinton testifies before a ] about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. In the evening, he delivers a in which he describes the relationship as "not appropriate" but also "nobody's business." (See ].) | |||
* ] ] - Clinton is impeached by the ] on grounds of ] and ]. (See ].) | |||
* ] ] - The trial of Clinton in the ] begins. (See ].) | |||
* ] ] - Clinton is acquitted of all charges by the Senate. | |||
* ] to ] ] - ] bombs ] and ]. (See ].) | |||
* ] ] - U.S. planes accidentally bomb ] embassy in ]. (See ].) | |||
* ], ] - ] hands control of ] to the ]. (See ].) | |||
* ] ] - Visited ] to participate in a Memorial sermon in ] in respect of the late Israeli Prime Minister ]. | |||
* ] ] - The defeat of ] in earlier ]s leads to mass ]s in ] and the ultimate collapse of the regime's authority. Opposition leader ] takes office as the ]n president the next day. (See ].) | |||
* ] ] - Leaves office at the end of second term. | |||
A 2015 poll by '']'' asked 162 scholars of the ] to rank all the U.S. presidents in order of greatness. According to their findings, Clinton ranked eighth overall, with a rating of 70 percent.<ref>{{cite news | first1=Brandon | last1=Rottinghaus | first2=Justin | last2=Vaughn | title=New ranking of U.S. presidents puts Lincoln at No. 1, Obama at 18; Kennedy judged most overrated | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=February 16, 2015 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/02/16/new-ranking-of-u-s-presidents-puts-lincoln-1-obama-18-kennedy-judged-most-over-rated/ | access-date=March 24, 2015}}</ref> | |||
==Public approval== | |||
While Clinton's job approval rating varied over the course of his first term, ranging from a low of 36% in 1993, to a high of 64% in 1993 and 1994, his job approval rating consistently ranged from the high 50s to the high 60s in his second term, with a high of 73% approval in 1998 and 1999. A CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup poll, conducted as he was leaving office, revealed deeply contradictory attitudes regarding Clinton. Although his approval rating at 68 percent was higher than any departing president since polling began more than seven decades earlier, only 45 percent said they would miss him. While 55 percent thought he "would have something worthwhile to contribute and should remain active in public life", and 47 percent rated him as either outstanding or above average as a president, 68 percent thought he would be remembered for his "involvement in personal scandal" rather than his accomplishments as president, and 58 percent 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. | |||
==Public image== | ==Public image== | ||
{{Main|Public image of Bill Clinton}} | |||
] | |||
] on November 29, 1995]] | |||
Clinton was the first ] president.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sandalow |first=Marc |title=Clinton Era Marked by Scandal, Prosperity: 1st Baby Boomer in White House Changed Notions of Presidency |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 14, 2001 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/01/14/MN71509.DTL |access-date=October 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611162047/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2001%2F01%2F14%2FMN71509.DTL |archive-date=June 11, 2008 }}</ref> Authors Martin Walker and ] stated that Clinton's innovative use of ]-ready dialogue, personal charisma, and public perception-oriented campaigning were a major factor in his high public approval ratings.<ref>Martin Walker, ''Clinton: the President they deserve'', Fourth Estate 1999</ref><ref>Bob Woodward, ''The choice: how Clinton won'', Touchstone 1996, {{ISBN|978-0-684-81308-0}}</ref> When Clinton played the saxophone on '']'', he was described by some religious conservatives as "the MTV president".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vargas |first1=Jose Antonio |title=Bill Clinton -- The MTV President |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bill-Clinton-The-MTV-President-2961362.php |work=SFGATE |date=January 21, 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bresler |first1=Robert J. |title=The Muddled Meaning of the 2000 Election |id={{Gale|A6969839}} |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Muddled+Meaning+of+the+2000+Election.-a069698398 |newspaper=USA Today |volume=129 |issue=2668 |date=January 1, 2001 |page=13 }}</ref> Opponents sometimes referred to him as "Slick Willie", a nickname which was first applied to him in 1980 by ''Pine Bluff Commercial'' journalist ];<ref name=mafadgreenberg>. Retrieved May 4, 2015</ref> Greenberg believed that Clinton was abandoning the progressive policies of previous Arkansas Governors such as ], ] and ].<ref name=mafadgreenberg /> The claim "Slick Willie" would last throughout his presidency.<ref name=WaPoNickname>{{Cite news| title = It's Come To This: A Nickname That's Proven Hard to Slip | last = Mérida| first = Kevin| date = December 20, 1998 | newspaper=The Washington Post | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/slick122098.htm}}</ref> His folksy manner led him to be ] ] starting from the 1992 presidential election.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Kenneth C. |title=Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-06-008381-6 |edition=1st |location=New York |pages=541 |author-link=Kenneth C. Davis}}</ref> Since 2000, he has frequently been referred to as "The Big Dog" or "Big Dog".<ref>{{cite news | last=Dowd | first=Maureen | author-link=Maureen Dowd | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/22/opinion/liberties-dare-speak-his-name.html | title=Liberties; Dare Speak His Name | work= The New York Times | date=October 22, 2000 | access-date=August 23, 2012 | quote="They're going to have to let the big dog run."}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first1=Jim | last1=Rutenberg |first2=Kate | last2=Zernike | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/us/politics/21clinton.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/us/politics/21clinton.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited | title=Bill Clinton Stumps for Obama | work= The New York Times | date=September 20, 2010 | access-date=August 23, 2012 | quote=The Big Dog, as he is known among those in the tight world of Clinton associates ...}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His prominent role in campaigning for Obama during the ] and his widely publicized speech at the ], where he officially nominated Obama and criticized Republican nominee ] and Republican policies in detail, earned him the nickname "Explainer-in-Chief".<ref>{{cite news | author=McDuffee, Allen | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/think-tanked/post/bill-clintons-dnc-speech-as-explainer-in-chief-it-takes-some-brass-and-more-am-briefing/2012/09/06/088a467a-f821-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_blog.html | title=Bill Clinton's DNC speech as 'explainer in chief,' 'it takes some brass,' and more | newspaper= The Washington Post | date = September 6, 2012 | access-date=January 25, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | author=Poniewozik, James | url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/06/the-morning-after-obama-turns-to-bill-clinton-explainer-in-chief/ | title=The Morning After: Obama Turns to Bill Clinton, Explainer-in-Chief | magazine= ] | date=September 6, 2012 | access-date=January 25, 2013}}</ref> | |||
Clinton drew strong support from the African American community and insisted that the improvement of race relations would be a major theme of his presidency.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/07/b122950.html | title=A Conversation With President Bill Clinton on Race in America Today | publisher=] | date=July 16, 2004 | access-date=August 30, 2011 | archive-date=November 8, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108130318/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/07/b122950.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1998, ] laureate ] called Clinton "the first black president", saying, "Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, ]-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas".<ref name=MorrisonNewYorker>{{cite magazine | last=Morrison | first=Toni | author-link=Toni Morrison | title=Clinton as the first black president | magazine=The New Yorker | date=October 1998 | url=http://ontology.buffalo.edu./smith/clinton/morrison.html | access-date=December 1, 2006| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061021020246/http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/clinton/morrison.html| archive-date= October 21, 2006 | url-status=live}}</ref> Morrison noted that Clinton's sex life was scrutinized more than his career accomplishments, and she compared this to the stereotyping and ]s that, she said, black people typically endure.<ref name=MorrisonNewYorker /> Many viewed this comparison as unfair and disparaging both to Clinton and to the African-American community.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Coates|first1=Ta-Nehisi|title=It Was No Compliment to Call Bill Clinton 'The First Black President'|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2015/08/toni-morrison-wasnt-giving-bill-clinton-a-compliment/402517/ |work=] |date=August 27, 2015 |access-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> | |||
As the first ] president, Clinton was seen during his presidency and during his candidacy as a change from the presidents of the ]. With his ]-ready dialogue and pioneering use of pop culture in his campaigning (he appeared on '']'' playing the ] during the ] campaign), Clinton was described, often negatively, as the "] president". Despite criticisms that his appeal to young voters lacked substance, Clinton won among ] voters in the 1992 election, with the highest Gen-X turnout ever. Clinton clearly came across as popular to young people. Until his inauguration as president, he had earned substantially less money than his wife, and had the smallest net worth of any president in modern history, according to '']'', Clinton's autobiography. Clinton was also very popular overall among ]s and made improving race relations a major theme of his presidency. | |||
=== Sexual assault and misconduct allegations === | |||
Many people saw the couple as an unprecedented political partnership. Some even suspected that Hillary, and not Bill, was the dominant force behind the team, and many jokes implied that Hillary, not Bill, was the real President of the United States. | |||
{{Main|Bill Clinton sexual assault and misconduct allegations}} | |||
] on February 28, 1997]] | |||
Several women have publicly accused Clinton of sexual misconduct, including rape, harassment, and sexual assault. Additionally, some commentators have characterized Clinton's sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky as predatory or non-consensual, despite the fact that Lewinsky called the relationship consensual at the time. These allegations have been revisited and lent more credence in 2018, in light of the ], with many commentators and Democratic leaders now saying Clinton should have been compelled to resign after the Lewinsky affair.<ref name="hallmark1">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/abuse-allegations-have-revived-scrutiny-of-bill-clinton--and-divided-democrats/2017/11/17/3d1711c8-cba4-11e7-b244-2d22ac912500_story.html|title=Abuse allegations have revived scrutiny of Bill Clinton—and divided Democrats|first1=Karen|last1=Tumulty|first2=Katie|last2=Mettler|date=November 17, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 19, 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119050428/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/abuse-allegations-have-revived-scrutiny-of-bill-clinton--and-divided-democrats/2017/11/17/3d1711c8-cba4-11e7-b244-2d22ac912500_story.html|archive-date=November 19, 2017}}</ref><ref name="mccoy1">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/11/reckoning-with-bill-clintons-sex-crimes/545729|title=Bill Clinton: A Reckoning|first=Caitlin|last=Flanagan|website=The Atlantic|date=November 13, 2017|access-date=November 19, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118231945/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/11/reckoning-with-bill-clintons-sex-crimes/545729/|archive-date=November 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/17/politics/kirsten-gillibrand-bill-clinton-democrats/index.html|title=Should Democrats turn their backs on Bill Clinton?|first=Z. Byron|last=Wolf|work=CNN|date=November 17, 2017|access-date=November 19, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119055217/https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/11/17/politics/kirsten-gillibrand-bill-clinton-democrats/index.html|archive-date=November 19, 2017}}</ref> | |||
Social conservatives were put off by the impression of Clinton having been a "]" during the late ], his coming-of-age era. In the 1960s, however, Clinton might not have been viewed as such by many of those in the hippie subculture. Clinton avoided the draft with a student deferment while studying abroad during the ]. Clinton's marijuana experimentation, clumsily excused by Clinton's statement that he "didn't inhale" further tarnished his image with some voters, although he was actually to the right of previous Democratic candidates for the presidency on many issues - he supported the ], ]s, uniforms in public schools, and other measures opposed by ] supporters, and he expanded the ] greatly while in office. | |||
In 1994, ] initiated a ] against Clinton, claiming he had made unwanted advances towards her in 1991; Clinton denied the allegations. In April 1998, the case was initially dismissed by Judge ] on the grounds that it lacked legal merit.<ref name="JO#$">{{Cite news | url=https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/04/02/clinton.jones.reax/ | title=Clinton Welcomes Jones Decision; Appeal Likely | date=April 2, 1998 | work=CNN | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Jones appealed Webber Wright's ruling, and her suit gained traction following Clinton's admission to having an affair with Monica Lewinsky in August 1998.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/jonesappeal073198.htm | title=Text of Jones's Appeal |date = July 31, 1998 | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=August 25, 2010}}</ref> In 1998, lawyers for Paula Jones released court documents that alleged a pattern of sexual harassment by Clinton when he was Governor of Arkansas. ], Clinton's main lawyer for the case, called the filing "a pack of lies" and "an organized campaign to smear the President of the United States" funded by Clinton's political enemies.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Francis X. | last=Clines | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/14/us/testing-president-accuser-jones-lawyers-issue-files-alleging-clinton-pattern.html | title=Testing of a President: The Accuser; Jones Lawyers Issue Files Alleging Clinton Pattern of Harassment of Women | work=The New York Times | date=March 14, 1998 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> In October 1998, Clinton's attorneys tentatively offered $700,000 to settle the case, which was then the $800,000 which Jones' lawyers sought.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-17-mn-33462-story.html|title=Paula Jones to Get $200,000 of Settlement|first=Robert L.|last=Jackson|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 17, 1998|accessdate=March 31, 2024}}</ref> Clinton later agreed to an out-of-court settlement and paid Jones $850,000.<ref name="CO">{{Cite news | url=https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/11/18/jones/ | title=Appeals court ponders Paula Jones settlement | date=November 18, 1998 | work=CNN | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Bennett said the president made the settlement only so he could end the lawsuit for good and move on with his life.<ref name=clqc>{{cite news | first=Peter | last=Baker | title=Clinton Settles Paula Jones Lawsuit for $850,000 | date=November 14, 1998 | url =https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/jones111498.htm | newspaper =The Washington Post | access-date = October 27, 2011}}</ref> During the deposition for the Jones lawsuit, which was held at the White House,<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/03/13/jones.v.clinton.docs/clinton | title=Deposition of William Jefferson Clinton, January 17, 1998 | work=CNN | date=March 13, 1998 | access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Clinton ] with Monica Lewinsky—a denial that became the basis for an impeachment charge of perjury.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | chapter=Lewinsky scandal | title=The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | publisher=Columbia University Press | year=2008 | chapter-url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Lewinsky_scandal.aspx | access-date=February 9, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618062707/http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Lewinsky_scandal.aspx | archive-date=June 18, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> | |||
], ], ], ], ], and their wives at the funeral of President ] on April 27, 1994.]] | |||
In 1998, ] alleged that Clinton had ] her in a hallway in 1993. An independent counsel determined Willey gave "false information" to the FBI, inconsistent with sworn testimony related to the Jones allegation.<ref name=wilo9r>{{cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/03/23/time/willey.html | title=The Lives Of Kathleen Willey | work=CNN | date= March 30, 1998 | access-date =September 11, 2011}}</ref> On March 19, 1998, Julie Hiatt Steele, a friend of Willey, released an ], accusing the former White House aide of asking her to lie to corroborate Ms. Willey's account of being sexually groped by Clinton in the Oval Office.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/19/us/friend-accuses-willey-of-plea-for-her-to-lie.html | title=Friend Accuses Willey for Plea to her to Lie | author=John M. Broder | work=The New York Times | date=March 19, 1998 | access-date=February 15, 2014}}</ref> An attempt by Kenneth Starr to prosecute Steele for making false statements and obstructing justice ended in a mistrial and Starr declined to seek a retrial after Steele sought an investigation against the former independent counsel for prosecutorial misconduct.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofcl00levy| url-access=registration| title=Encyclopedia of the Clinton Presidency | first=Peter | last=Levy | pages=–329 | date=November 30, 2001 | publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group | isbn=978-0-313-31294-6}}</ref> | |||
Starting from ], rumors about Clinton's ] were floating about, and these surfaced and increased with ]' accusations of ]. After allegations had linked him to Jones, ], and ], Clinton's sex life would become the focus of his public image when, in January ], recorded conversations by ] contained statements by White House intern ] about having ]. | |||
Also in 1998, ] alleged that Clinton had raped her in the spring of 1978, although she said she did not remember the exact date.<ref name=CapitalHillBlueWebArchive1>{{cite web | url=http://www.capitolhillblue.com/Feb1999/022599/datelinetranscript022599.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216043650/http://www.capitolhillblue.com/Feb1999/022599/datelinetranscript022599.htm | archive-date=February 16, 2006 | title=Full Transcript of NBC Dateline report on Juanita Broaddrick | date=February 1999}}</ref> To support her charge, Broaddrick notes that she told multiple witnesses in 1978 she had been raped by Clinton, something these witnesses also state in interviews to the press.<ref name="vox.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/1/6/10722580/bill-clinton-juanita-broaddrick|title=The rape allegation against Bill Clinton, explained|first=Dylan|last=Matthews|work=Vox|date=January 6, 2016}}</ref> Broaddrick had earlier filed an affidavit denying any "unwelcome sexual advances" and later repeated the denial in a sworn deposition.<ref name="CapitalHillBlueWebArchive1"/> In a 1998 NBC interview wherein she detailed the alleged rape, Broaddrick said she had denied (under oath) being raped only to avoid testifying about the ordeal publicly.<ref name="CapitalHillBlueWebArchive1"/> | |||
Clinton's warmth, curiosity and openness unite to create an intense personal charm, but his character and policies were viewed with intense, personal dislike by some conservative critics. Several unsubstantiated accusations were leveled on conservative talk radio programs. Among these were rumors of involvement with drug traffickers and personal ] use. Some talk show personalities fomented ] about Clinton's involvement in the death of long-time ] and ] ], which was later ruled a ] in an extensive investigation by ]. The deadly ] standoff near ] in ], which many considered to be a bungled operation, engendered further hostility in some conservative circles towards the Clinton administration. | |||
The Lewinsky scandal has had an enduring impact on Clinton's legacy, beyond his impeachment in 1998.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/us/politics/bill-clinton-elections-democrats.html|title = No One Wants to Campaign With Bill Clinton Anymore|date = November 2, 2018|work = ]|last = Lerer|first = Lisa}}</ref> In the wake of the #MeToo movement (which shed light on the widespread prevalence of ] and ], especially in the workplace), various commentators and Democratic political leaders, as well as Lewinsky herself, have revisited their view that the Lewinsky affair was consensual, and instead characterized it as an abuse of power or harassment, in light of the power differential between a president and a 22-year-old intern. In 2018, Clinton was asked in several interviews about whether he should have resigned, and he said he had made the right decision in not resigning.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/clinton-i-wouldn-t-have-done-anything-differently-lewinsky-affair-n879721|title=Bill Clinton: I wouldn't have done anything differently with Lewinsky affair|work=NBC News|first=Adam|last=Edelman|date=June 4, 2018|access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref> During the ], ''The New York Times'' alleged that having no Democratic candidate for office asking Clinton to campaign with them was a change that attributed to the revised understanding of the Lewinsky scandal.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> However, former DNC interim chair ] previously urged Clinton in November 2017 to campaign during the 2018 midterm elections, in spite of New York U.S. senator ]'s recent criticism of the Lewinsky scandal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://theintercept.com/2017/11/22/donna-brazile-bill-clinton-campaign-trail-democrats/|title=Donna Brazile: Bill Clinton Should Hit The Campaign Trail For Democrats In 2018|first=Nicholas|last=Ballasy|publisher=The Intercept|date=November 27, 2017|access-date=December 25, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Clinton is often referred to by nickname among both detractors and fans. One of the earliest was "Bubba", which alludes to his Southern ] background. Other common nicknames include "Slick Willy" and "Clintoon" (by detractors), and the "Big Dog" (by fans). Although the phrase typically refers to ]'s presidency, Clinton's presidency is sometimes referred to as the "] Presidency" for how scandals and setbacks never seem to stick to him, at least in terms of dropped public support. During his first presidential campaign in ] he claimed the moniker of the "Comeback Kid" after placing second in the ] to ] ("Tonight New Hampshire's made me the Comeback Kid" ). | |||
=== Alleged affairs === | |||
==Post-presidential career== | |||
Clinton admitted to having extramarital affairs with singer ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Here's a guide to the sex allegations that Donald Trump may raise in the presidential debate|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Glenn|last=Kessler|date=October 9, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/10/09/heres-a-guide-to-the-sex-allegations-that-donald-trump-may-raise-in-the-presidential-debate/|access-date=January 8, 2022|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Actress ],<ref>{{Cite news|title=Actress Admits Affair With Clinton|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/actress-admits-affair-with-clinton/|access-date=January 8, 2022|agency=CBS News|date=March 31, 1998}}</ref> Miss Arkansas winner ],<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Plotz|first=David|date=January 29, 1998|title=All the President's Women|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1998/01/all-the-president-s-women.html|access-date=January 8, 2022|magazine=Slate}}</ref> and Dolly Kyle Browning<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bradner|first=Eric|date=January 8, 2016|title=Bill Clinton's alleged sexual misconduct: Who you need to know|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/politics/bill-clinton-history-2016-election/index.html|access-date=January 8, 2022|agency=CNN}}</ref> all claimed that they had affairs with Clinton during his time as governor of Arkansas. Browning later sued Clinton, ], ], and ], alleging they engaged in a conspiracy to attempt to block her from publishing a book loosely based on her relationship with Clinton and tried to defame him. However, Browning's lawsuit was dismissed.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Clinton Sex Allegation Lawsuit Dropped|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94016&page=1|access-date=January 8, 2022|agency=ABC News|first=Josh|last=Gerstein|date=February 22, 2001}}</ref> | |||
] observe.]] | |||
On ] ], he addressed the nation one last time on television from the Oval Office of the White House, two days before handing over the presidency to ], whose father he had defeated in ]. | |||
==Post-presidency (2001–present)== | |||
Like many former American presidents, Clinton has engaged in a career as a public speaker on a variety of issues. In these, he continues to comment on aspects of contemporary politics. One notable theme is his advocacy of multilateral solutions to problems facing the world. Clinton's close relationship with the ] community has been highlighted in his post-Presidential career with his opening of his personal office in the ] section of ]. He assisted his wife ] in her campaign for office as a ] representing ]. | |||
{{Main|Post-presidency of Bill Clinton}} | |||
===Activities until 2008 campaign=== | |||
In ] ], Clinton (along with ] and ]) won a ] for ] for narrating the ]'s album '']/Wolf Tracks''. Clinton won a second Grammy in February ], ] for '']''. | |||
In 2002, Clinton warned that pre-emptive military action against Iraq would have unwelcome consequences,<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0210/02/ip.00.html | title=House Passes Resolution Authorizing Use of Force in Iraq; New Jerssy Supreme Court Hears Argument For, Against New Democrat on Ballot | work=CNN | date=October 2, 2002 | access-date=August 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/clinton-urges-caution-over-iraq-as-bush-is-granted-war-powers-607775.html |work=The Independent |location=London |first=Andrew | last=Grice |date=October 3, 2002 |title=Clinton urges caution over Iraq as Bush is granted war powers |access-date=August 30, 2011 | quote="A pre-emptive action today, however well justified, may come back with unwelcome consequences in the future."<br /><br />As someone who had ordered military action before, he said: "I don't care how precise your bombs and your weapons are, when you set them off, innocent people will die." | url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821084326/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/clinton-urges-caution-over-iraq-as-bush-is-granted-war-powers-607775.html |archive-date=August 21, 2011 }}</ref> and later claimed to have opposed the Iraq War from the start (though some dispute this).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/bill_clinton_says_he_opposed_iraq_war_from_start | title=Bill Clinton Says He Opposed Iraq War from Start (UPDATED) | publisher=Outside The Beltway | date=November 28, 2007 | access-date=September 12, 2013}}</ref> In 2005, Clinton criticized the Bush administration for its handling of emissions control, while speaking at the ] in Montreal.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4515898.stm | title=Last-minute climate deals reached | work=BBC News | date=December 10, 2005 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> | |||
Clinton collected his ]s into a ] entitled '']'', which was released on ] ]. Commenting on memoirs in general, he said "some are dull and self-serving, hopefully mine will be interesting and self-serving." The book made an unprecedented three appearances on the ] best-seller list before it was even released. In an ] with ] which aired on the ] on ] ], Clinton was questioned at length about the effects to his presidency of his affair with ], conceding that he had made many mistakes while in office. He also spoke about the prospects of a future Clinton presidency, should his wife Hillary Clinton decide to run for office in ]. | |||
The ] in ], was dedicated in 2004.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4021201.stm | title=Clinton Library open for business | work=BBC News | date=November 18, 2004 | access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Clinton released a best-selling autobiography, '']'', in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Glaister | first=Dan | title=Oprah Winfrey book deal tops Clinton's $12 m | date=May 22, 2006 | work=The Guardian | location=London | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/may/22/books.media | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> In 2007, he released '']'', which also became a ] and garnered positive reviews.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/books/bestseller/0923besthardnonfiction.html | title=Best Sellers | date = September 23, 2007 | work=The New York Times | access-date=September 18, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130510044404/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/books/bestseller/0923besthardnonfiction.html| archive-date=May 10, 2013| url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
Clinton has gone to other countries for his book tours and has given media interviews on them. One of those was in ]. On ], ], ], which is the ]'s cable news network, began its sixth season of "" with an interview Clinton gave with the program's host, the network's chief correspondent, ] . Unlike Dimbleby, Mansbridge didn't mention the ]. Nor was there any mention of Hillary Clinton. Clinton mostly talked about his book and how he went about writing it, his thoughts on the issues that confronted the Bush administration, and the ]. He also talked about repealing the ] in the event of a ]. | |||
In the aftermath of the ], ] ] appointed Clinton to head a relief effort.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6894871 | title=Clinton to be U.N.'s envoy on tsunami relief | date=February 1, 2005 | agency=Associated Press | work = NBC News | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> After ], Clinton joined with fellow former president George H. W. Bush to establish the Bush-Clinton Tsunami Fund in January 2005, and the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund in October of that year.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.constitutioncenter.org/libertymedal/recipient_2006.html | title=2006 Philadelphia Liberty Medal Award | publisher=Constitutioncenter.org | access-date=August 26, 2011}}</ref> As part of the tsunami effort, these two ex-presidents appeared in a ] pre-game show,<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39788-2005Jan26.html | title=Senior Bush, Clinton to Appear at Super Bowl | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Mark | last=Maske | date=January 27, 2005 | access-date=April 26, 2010}}</ref> and traveled to the affected areas.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4281627.stm | title=Bush, Clinton end tsunami visit | work=BBC News | date=February 21, 2005 | access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> They also spoke together at the funeral of ] in April 2007.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268092,00.html | title=Former Presidents Bush, Clinton Represent U.S. at Boris Yeltsin's Funeral | work=Fox News | date=April 24, 2007 | access-date=May 10, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208142544/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268092,00.html | archive-date=December 8, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> | |||
Based on his philanthropic worldview,<ref>{{cite web|first=Jon | last=Meacham |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/12/20/planetary-problem-solver.html |title=Planetary Problem Solver |work=] |date=December 20, 2009 |access-date=September 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816140119/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/12/20/planetary-problem-solver.html |archive-date=August 16, 2011 }}</ref> Clinton created the ] to address issues of global importance. This foundation includes the Clinton Foundation HIV and AIDS Initiative (CHAI), which strives to combat that disease, and has worked with the Australian government toward that end. The ] (CGI), begun by the Clinton Foundation in 2005, attempts to address world problems such as global ], poverty alleviation and religious and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org |title=Clinton Global Initiative |publisher=] |date=June 19, 2011 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20110807000555/http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/ |archive-date=August 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2005, Clinton announced through his foundation an agreement with manufacturers to stop selling sugary drinks in schools.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2006/05/03/383279.html | title=William J. Clinton Foundation announces agreement to reduce junk food in schools | publisher=Comcast.net | access-date=August 25, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501105724/http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=%2F2006%2F05%2F03%2F383279.html | archive-date=May 1, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Clinton's foundation joined with the ] in 2006 to improve cooperation among those cities, and he met with foreign leaders to promote this initiative.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.clintonfoundation.org/080106-nr-cf-cci-pr-president-clinton-launches-clinton-climate-initiative.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927022059/http://www.clintonfoundation.org/080106-nr-cf-cci-pr-president-clinton-launches-clinton-climate-initiative.htm | archive-date=September 27, 2007 | title=Clinton Foundation and Climate Partnership, Press Release | date=August 1, 2006}}</ref> The foundation has received donations from many governments all over the world, including Asia and the Middle East.<ref name="theage.com.au">{{Cite news | first1=Peter | last1=Baker | first2=Anne | last2=Davies | date=November 18, 2008 | url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/obama-team-turns-scrutiny-on-bill-clinton-20081117-692j.html | title=Obama team turns scrutiny on Bill Clinton | work=] | location=Melbourne | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> In 2008, Foundation director ] announced deals to reduce the price of anti-malaria drugs by 30 percent in developing nations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08233/905462-114.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131140152/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08233/905462-114.stm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2010 |title=Young man combines expertise in economics and social issues at Clinton Foundation |first=Pohla | last=Smith |date=August 20, 2008 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date=August 30, 2011 }}</ref> Clinton also spoke in favor of ] on ], which was voted down.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Peach | last=Indravudh | title=Clinton backs Prop. 87 | date=October 15, 2006 | work=Daily Bruin | publisher=] | url=http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2006/10/clinton-backs-prop-87 | access-date=August 31, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108163926/http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2006/10/clinton-backs-prop-87 | archive-date=November 8, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
]'', promoting '']'']]On ], ], Clinton spoke for the fifth time in a row to the ]. He used his speech to praise candidate ]. Many have argued that Clinton's speech was one of the best in Convention history. In it, Clinton criticized George W. Bush's depiction of Kerry, saying that "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values." | |||
===2008 presidential election=== | |||
On ] ], Clinton had an episode of ] and was evaluated at ]. It was determined that he had not suffered a ], and he was sent home, returning the following day for ], which disclosed multiple vessel ]. He was transferred to ] in New York City, where he successfully underwent quadruple ] on ], ]. The medical team responsible for Clinton claimed that, had he not had surgery, he would likely have suffered a massive ] within a few months. On ], ], he underwent a follow-up surgery to remove scar tissue and fluid from his left chest cavity, a result of his open-heart surgery. | |||
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During the ], Clinton vigorously advocated on behalf of his wife, Hillary. Through speaking engagements and fundraisers, he was able to raise $10 million toward her campaign.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/30/bill-clinton-2007-speech-haul-tops-10-million | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305154926/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/30/bill-clinton-2007-speech-haul-tops-10-million/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 5, 2009 | title=Bill Clinton 2007 speech haul tops $10 million | first=Robert | last=Yoon | date=July 30, 2008 | work=CNN | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> Some worried that as an ex-president, he was too active on the trail, too negative to Clinton rival ], and alienating his supporters at home and abroad.<ref name="CBS-Tarnish">{{Cite news | author=Vaughn Ververs | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/analysis-bill-clintons-lost-legacy/ | title=Analysis: Bill Clinton's Lost Legacy | work=CBS News | date= January 26, 2008 | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Many were especially critical of him following his remarks in the South Carolina primary, which Obama won. Later in the 2008 primaries, there was some infighting between Bill and Hillary's staffs, especially in Pennsylvania.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08recon.html | title=The Long Road to a Clinton Exit | work=The New York Times | author=Peter Baker |author2=Jim Rutenberg | date=June 8, 2008 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> Considering Bill's remarks, many thought he could not rally Hillary supporters behind Obama after Obama won the primary.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/08/06/a-catharsis-in-denver.html | date=August 6, 2008 | work=Newsweek | first=Jonathan | last=Alter | title=A Catharsis in Denver? | access-date=September 11, 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110110248/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/08/06/a-catharsis-in-denver.html | archive-date=November 10, 2011 }}</ref> Such remarks led to apprehension that the party would be split to the detriment of Obama's election. Fears were allayed August 27, 2008, when Clinton enthusiastically endorsed Obama at the ], saying all his experience as president assures him that Obama is "ready to lead".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/08/bill_clinton_vouches_for_obama.html |title=Bill Clinton vouches for Obama: now 'ready to lead'. |date=August 28, 2008 |work=] |first=Lynn | last=Sweet |access-date=August 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017063638/http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/08/bill_clinton_vouches_for_obama.html |archive-date=October 17, 2011 }}</ref> After Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was over, Bill Clinton continued to raise funds to help pay off her campaign debt.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/clinton-turns-to-husbands-charity-to-retire-campaign-debt/ | title=Clinton Turns to Husband's Charity to Retire Campaign Debt | work=Fox News | date=December 24, 2008 | access-date=August 31, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216041228/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/24/clinton-turns-husbands-charity-retire-campaign-debt/ | archive-date=February 16, 2012 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-clinton-raffles-himself-to-pay-hillarys-campaign-debt/ | title=Bill Clinton Raffles Himself to Pay Hillary's Campaign Debt | work=CBS News | date=May 13, 2010 | first=Stephanie | last=Condon | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> | |||
He dedicated his ], which is the largest in the nation, the ], in ] on ], ]. Under rainy skies, Clinton received words of praise from former presidents ] and ], as well as from the current president, ]. He was also treated to a musical rendition from ] and ] from ], who expressed their gratitude at Clinton's efforts to resolve the Northern Ireland conflict during his presidency. | |||
===After the 2008 election=== | |||
] | |||
In 2009, Clinton travelled to North Korea on behalf of two American journalists ] there. ] and ] had been imprisoned for illegally entering the country from China.<ref name=BBCDPRK>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8182716.stm | title=Bill Clinton meets N Korea leader | work=BBC News | date=August 4, 2009 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> ] had made a similar visit in 1994.<ref name=BBCDPRK /> After Clinton met with North Korean leader ], Kim issued a pardon.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8184583.stm | title=North Korea pardons US reporters | work=BBC News | date=August 4, 2009 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | first1=Mark | last1=Landler | first2=Peter | last2=Baker | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/world/asia/06korea.html | title=Bill Clinton and Journalists in Emotional Return to U.S. | work=The New York Times | date=August 5, 2009 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
Since then, Clinton has been assigned many other diplomatic missions. He was named United Nations ] to Haiti in 2009 following a series of hurricanes which caused $1 billion in damages.<ref name="haiti">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8056762.stm | title=Bill Clinton to be UN Haiti envoy | work=BBC News | date=May 19, 2009 | access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Clinton organized a conference with the Inter-American Development Bank, where a new industrial park was discussed in an effort to "build back better".<ref name="Sontag">{{cite news |author=Deborah Sontag |title=Earthquake Relief Where Haiti Wasn't Broken |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/world/americas/earthquake-relief-where-haiti-wasnt-broken.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/world/americas/earthquake-relief-where-haiti-wasnt-broken.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 5, 2012 |access-date=August 24, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In response to the ], U.S. president Barack Obama announced that Clinton and George W. Bush would coordinate efforts to raise funds for Haiti's recovery.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/16/presidents-clinton-bush-lead-effort-to-raise-funds-for-haiti | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117211525/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/16/presidents-clinton-bush-lead-effort-to-raise-funds-for-haiti/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 17, 2010 | title=Presidents Clinton, Bush lead effort to raise funds for Haiti | work=CNN | date=January 16, 2010 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> Funds began pouring into Haiti, which led to funding becoming available for Caracol Industrial Park in a part of the country unaffected by the earthquake. While Hillary Clinton was in South Korea, she and ] worked to convince SAE-A, a large apparel subcontractor, to invest in Haiti despite the company's deep concerns about plans to raise the minimum wage. In the summer of 2010, the South Korean company signed a contract at the U.S. State Department, ensuring that the new industrial park would have a key tenant.<ref name="Sontag"/> In 2010, Clinton announced support of, and delivered the keynote address for, the inauguration of ], Ireland's first environmental foundation.<ref>{{cite news | title=Clinton backs NTR's environment foundation | work=] | url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/clinton-backs-ntrs-environment-foundation-2089592.html | first=Emmet | last=Oliver | date=March 5, 2010 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=President Bill Clinton Delivers Keynote Address | publisher=NTR Foundation | date=March 4, 2010 | url=http://www.ntr-foundation.org/uploads/documents/press/clinton_event_press_release_March_4_2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ntr-foundation.org/uploads/documents/press/clinton_event_press_release_March_4_2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live | access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Clinton gave a widely praised speech nominating Barack Obama.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/06/opinion/opinion-roundup-clinton/index.html | title =Bill Clinton brings it for Obama | publisher =CNN | date =September 6, 2012}}</ref> | |||
On ] ], New York Republican Governor ] named Clinton and the other living former presidents (], ], and ]) as honorary members of the board rebuilding the ]. | |||
===2016 presidential election and after=== | |||
On ] ], Clinton announced that he was the new spokesperson for ], an ] ] company. | |||
] | |||
During the ], Clinton again encouraged voters to support Hillary, and made appearances speaking on the campaign trail.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.wwaytv3.com/2016/10/26/bill-clinton-rallies-for-hillary-in-wilmington/ | title=Bill Clinton Rallies for Hillary in Wilmington | publisher=WWAY News | date=October 26, 2016 | access-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> In a series of tweets, then-President-elect ] criticized his ability to get people out to vote.<ref name="CBS">{{Cite news | first=Rebecca |last=Shabad | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-goes-after-bill-clinton-hillary-clinton/ | title=Trump goes after Bill Clinton over post-election comments | agency=CBS News | date= December 20, 2016 | access-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> Clinton served as a member of the electoral college for the state of New York. He voted for the Democratic ticket consisting of his wife Hillary and her running-mate ].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mahoney|first=Bill|title=Electoral delegate Bill Clinton: 'Never cast a vote I was prouder of'|url=https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2016/12/electoral-delegate-bill-clinton-never-cast-a-vote-i-was-prouder-of-108194|access-date=November 10, 2020|newspaper=Politico}}</ref> | |||
There had been reported signs of a friendship growing between Clinton and George W. Bush. After the official unveiling of his White House portrait in June 2004, the Asian Tsunami disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and the ], Clinton and Bush met on occasion, although the nature of the friendship did not appear to be a reconciliation of political opinions. | |||
On September 7, 2017, Clinton partnered with former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama to work with ] to help the victims of ] and ] in the ] and ] communities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/349993-former-presidents-add-irma-recovery-to-fundraising-appeal/|title=Former presidents fundraise for Irma disaster relief|last=Shelbourne|first=Mallory|date=September 10, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref> | |||
On ] ], President George W. Bush named Clinton and George H. W. Bush to lead a nationwide campaign to help the victims of the ]. On ] ], he was picked by UN Secretary-General ] to head the ] ]. Five days later, he and Bush both appeared on the ] pre-game show on ] in support of their bipartisan effort to raise money for relief of the disaster through the ], an action which Bush described as "transcending politics." Thirteen days later, they both traveled to the affected areas to see how the relief efforts are going. | |||
] and President ] in February 2023]] | |||
Following the ] on ], ] Clinton stirred up a mini-controversy saying the late pontiff, "may have had a mixed legacy…there will be debates about him. But on balance, he was a man of God, he was a consistent person, he did what he thought was right." Clinton sat with both President George W. Bush and former President George H.W. Bush as the first current or former American heads of state to attend a papal funeral. | |||
In ], Clinton again served as a member of the United States Electoral College from New York, casting his vote for the successful Democratic ticket of ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Electoral College members from New York, 2020 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Electoral_College_members_from_New_York,_2020 |agency=] |access-date=January 2, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Jon |title=Clintons cast first ballots as New York Electoral College votes for Joe Biden |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/politics/albany/2020/12/14/new-york-electoral-college-vote-joe-biden-clinton/6538629002/ |newspaper=] |access-date=January 2, 2021 |date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Clinton was one of the first public figures to endorse Biden's re-election campaign in ], with him appearing in interviews and fundraisers with various politicians and national figures. He was also one of the most notable politicians to defend Biden after his critically maligned ] on June 27, with him stating that "bad debate nights happen" and continued to press support for him despite increasing demand from the public and Democratic party requesting for him to drop out.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Picciotto |first1=Rebecca |title=Obama, Clinton excuse Biden's debate performance to fend off Democratic meltdown: 'Bad debate nights happen' |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/29/obama-clinton-excuse-biden-trump-debate.html|newspaper=] |access-date=June 29, 2024 |date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> After Biden ] and vice president Harris replaced him on the ticket, both Bill and Hillary Clinton endorsed her and praised Biden for his work in public service. Clinton later gave a critically acclaimed speech at the ], where he emphasized the Democratic Party's record on job creation and Harris' career achievements as a prosecutor, Senator, and Vice President.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mandler |first1=C |title=WATCH: Former President Bill Clinton rallies the crowd around 'clear choice' in November |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/g-s1-18611/bill-clinton-democratic-national-convention|newspaper=] |access-date=August 21, 2024 |date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> | |||
In ], 2005, following the devastation of the ] by ], Clinton again teamed with George H. W. Bush to coordinate private relief donations, in a campaign similar to their earlier one in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami. Clinton was highly critical of the federal government response to the hurricane, saying that the government "failed" the people affected, and that an investigation into the response was warranted. | |||
He later stumped for Harris at various battleground states, where he met with supporters in small towns and at campaign stops. At a stop in Michigan, Clinton caused a backlash by criticizing Arab and Muslim Americans hesitant to support Harris due to her pro-Israeli position, stating Israel had been "forced" to kill civilians during ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Clinton criticised for saying Israel 'forced' to kill Gaza civilians |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/31/bill-clinton-criticised-for-saying-israel-forced-to-kill-gaza-civilians |website=Al Jazeera English |access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref> His comments led the ] to state, "Bill Clinton’s racist and ahistorical remarks were meant to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land. The Harris campaign is doing itself no favors attaching itself to that kind of hateful rhetoric".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Karanth |first1=Sanjana |title=Bill Clinton Justifies The Mass Killings Of Palestinians In Racist Michigan Speech |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/bill-clinton-justifies-mass-killings-000813500.html |website=Yahoo! News |date=November 2024 |publisher=HuffPost |access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref> He expanded on his comments in an interview with CNN shortly after, stating that he was trying to appeal to both sides of the issue and highlighted his work with Arafat and Rabin in the Oslo Occords, although his response still received sharp condemnation from Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian-Americans.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dovere |first1=Edward-Isaac |title=CNN Exclusive: Bill Clinton has hopes and fears on what comes after 2024 – for the country, the party and himself|date=November 3, 2024 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/03/politics/bill-clinton-cnn-interview/index.html|publisher=CNN |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> | |||
On ], 2005, Clinton appeared on '']'' to talk about Senator Clinton's political career. | |||
After Harris lost the general election to Trump, Clinton's remarks were brought up by critics and pundits, who stated that they were the reason why Harris lost support among Arab-American voters and why she fared poorly in the Muslim-populated cities of ] and ] when compared to previous Democratic candidates.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harb |first1=Ali |title='We warned you,' Arab Americans in Michigan tell Kamala Harris|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/6/we-warned-you-arab-americans-in-michigan-tell-kamala-harris|publisher=Aljazeera |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> Critics also questioned his relevance to the modern Democratic Party, with pundits stating that his centrist policies and promotion of candidates who align with his views no longer work with a party that has tried to rebrand itself after losing support amongst progressive and populist supporters.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mandel |first1=Seth |title=Bill Clinton in Winter|date=November 4, 2024 |url=https://www.commentary.org/seth-mandel/bill-clinton-in-winter/|publisher=Commentary |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> After the election, he and Hillary released a statement congratulating president-elect Trump and vice-president-elect ], while stating that Harris and her running-mate ] ran a "positive, forward-looking campaign to be proud of."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fortinsky |first1=Sarah |title=Clintons hope Trump, Vance 'will govern for all of us'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4978399-bill-clinton-hillary-clinton-kamala-harris-donald-trump-jd-vance-2024-election/|work=The Hill |date=November 7, 2024 |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> | |||
On ], 2005, Clinton publicly criticised the Bush Administration about their handling of emissions control. | |||
Clinton's second volume of memoirs, '']'', was published in November 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-04 |title=Bill Clinton reflects on post-White House years in the upcoming memoir 'Citizen' |url=https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-citizen-memoir-after-white-house-9daddfec321b49c84052962b84bd16b2 |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shelton |first=Shania |date=2024-04-04 |title=Bill Clinton to publish a memoir about life after the White House following the November election {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/04/politics/bill-clinton-memoir-life-after-white-house/index.html |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hutchinson Heinemann to publish new Bill Clinton memoir |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/hutchinson-heinemann-to-publish-new-bill-clinton-memoir |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=President Bill Clinton to Publish Memoir About Life After Leaving Office |url=https://people.com/bill-clinton-to-publish-memoir-8624733 |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kurtz |first=Judy |date=2024-04-04 |title=Bill Clinton memoir planned for post-election release |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4574137-bill-clinton-memoir-planned-for-post-election-release/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Simmons |first=Ken |date=2024-04-04 |title=Bill Clinton's New Memoir 'Citizen' Talks Post-White House Years |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/bill-clintons-new-memoir-citizen-talks-post-white-house-years/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Us Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
==Trivia== | |||
] | |||
* Clinton suffers from heart problems. | |||
* Clinton is 6' 2½" (1.89m). | |||
* Clinton is left-handed. | |||
* Clinton is allergic to dust, mold, pollen, and cat dander, mildly allergic to beef and dairy products. | |||
* Clinton was a brother of ], a service fraternity and ], a band service fraternity. | |||
* Clinton is nearly fluent in ]; he studied German in college as his language-of-choice. | |||
* Clinton owned two pets during his presidency: a male chocolate-colored ] named "]" and a ] named "]". Socks arrived in 1993 and was the first cat to live in the White House since ]. Clinton acquired Buddy as a puppy in 1997 and named him after his late uncle. Buddy and the Clinton's pet cat Socks fought frequently at the White House and were kept at separate quarters. Since this would be no longer possible in the Clintons' smaller home in New York, Socks was given away to President Clinton's secretary when he left office. Buddy died after being run over by a car driven by Halie Ritterman at the intersection of Old House Lane (the street on which the Clinton home is located) and South Bedford Road in ] in 2002. See also: ]. | |||
* ], a Dutch insurance company famous for its humoristic commercials, once had a TV commercial involving President Clinton and a ]. This commercial was taken down after a few weeks at the request of the White House. | |||
* Clinton reportedly owned a 1970 El Camino at one time. Speaking to a group of GM employees, Clinton joked, "It had astro-turf in the back. You don't want to know why." | |||
===Post-presidential health concerns=== | |||
==Controversial Quotes== | |||
{{Sectfact}} | |||
In September 2004, Clinton underwent quadruple bypass surgery.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8511817.stm | work=BBC News | title=Bill Clinton 'in good spirits' after heart procedure | date=February 12, 2010 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> In March 2005, he again underwent surgery, this time for a partially collapsed lung.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7127096 | title=Clinton surgery called successful | agency=Associated Press | work=NBC News | date=March 10, 2005 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> On February 11, 2010, he was rushed to ] in Manhattan after complaining of chest pains, and he had two ]s implanted in his heart.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk" /><ref>{{Cite news | first=Mark | last=Egan | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-clinton-idUSTRE61A5L020100211 | title=Bill Clinton in good spirits after heart procedure | work=Reuters | date=February 11, 2010 | access-date=September 11, 2011 | archive-date=July 26, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726194837/http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/11/us-clinton-idUSTRE61A5L020100211 | url-status=live }}</ref> After this procedure, Clinton adopted a plant-based whole foods (]) diet, which had been recommended by doctors ] and ].<ref name="cnn2011">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/18/bill.clinton.diet.vegan/index.html | title=From omnivore to vegan: The dietary education of Bill Clinton | first=David S.|last=Martin | date=August 18, 2011 | work=CNN | access-date=September 17, 2012}}</ref> He has since incorporated fish and lean animal flesh at the suggestion of ], a proponent of the ] ethos of ].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Heasman|first=Chris|date=April 16, 2018|title=This Is What Hillary Clinton Eats|url=https://www.mashed.com/118104/hillary-clinton-eats/|access-date=February 18, 2021|website=]}}</ref> As a result, he is no longer a strict vegan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brodwin|first=Erin|title=What the author of 'Eat Fat, Get Thin' eats — and avoids — every day|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/eat-fat-get-thin-diet-clintons-doctor-2017-5|access-date=February 18, 2021|website=]}}</ref> | |||
* "We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans to legitimately own handguns and rifles that we are unable to think about reality." | |||
* "You know the one thing that's wrong with this country? Everyone gets a chance to have their fair say." | |||
In October 2021, Clinton was treated for ] at the ].<ref>{{cite news|url = https://thehill.com/homenews/news/576882-bill-clinton-hospitalized-with-sepsis/|title = Bill Clinton hospitalized with sepsis|work = ]|date = October 14, 2021|access-date = October 14, 2021|last = Choi|first = Joseph}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-released-hospital-98cfbab9c7cb593a8449d4ca8c916cbf|title = Bill Clinton back home after hospitalization from infection|last = Daley|first = Haven|date= October 17, 2021|access-date = October 19, 2021|work = ]}}</ref> In December 2022, Clinton tested positive for ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Former U.S. President Clinton tests positive for COVID |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bill-clinton-tests-positive-covid-tweet-2022-11-30/ |access-date=December 1, 2022 |work=] |date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> In December 2024, Clinton was hospitalized after developing fever at the ] in Washington D.C..<ref>{{cite news |title=Former President Bill Clinton is in the hospital after developing a fever, spokesperson says |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/23/politics/bill-clinton-hospital-fever/index.html |access-date=December 23, 2024 |work=CNN |date=December 23, 2024|last = Zeleny|first = Jeff}}</ref> | |||
* "We could give it all back to you and hope you spend it right... But ... if you don't spend it right, here's what's going to happen. In 2013 -- that's just 14 years away -- taxes people pay on their payroll for Social Security will no longer cover the monthly checks... I want every parent here to look at the young people here, and ask yourself, 'Do you really want to run the risk of squandering this surplus?" | |||
* "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." | |||
===Wealth=== | |||
The Clintons incurred several million dollars in legal bills during his presidency, which were paid off four years after he left office.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/clintons-pay-off-legal-bills | title=Clintons Pay Off Legal Bills | website=] | date=June 14, 2005 | access-date=March 28, 2015}}</ref> Bill and Hillary Clinton have each earned millions of dollars from book publishing.<ref name="NYT-2008-04-05">{{cite news | last=McIntire | first=Mike | title=Clintons made $109 Million in Last 8 Years | date=April 5, 2008 | work=The New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/politics/05clintons.html}}</ref> In 2016, '']'' reported Bill and Hillary Clinton made about $240{{nbsp}}million in the 15{{nbsp}}years from January 2001, to December 2015, (mostly from paid speeches, business consulting and book-writing).<ref>{{cite news | last=Alexander | first=Dan | title=How Bill And Hillary Clinton Made $240 Million In The Last 15 Years | work=Forbes | date=November 8, 2016 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2016/11/08/how-bill-house-hillary-clinton-made-240-million-how-much-earnings-rich-white/ | access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> Also in 2016, ] reported the Clintons combined to receive more than $153{{nbsp}}million in paid speeches from 2001 until spring 2015.<ref name="CNN-2006-02-06">{{cite web | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/05/politics/hillary-clinton-bill-clinton-paid-speeches/index.html | title=$153 million in Bill and Hillary Clinton speaking fees, documented |first=Robert | last=Yoon |work=CNN| date=February 6, 2016 | access-date= February 7, 2016}}</ref> In May 2015, '']'' reported that Bill and Hillary Clinton have made more than $25{{nbsp}}million in speaking fees since the start of 2014, and that Hillary Clinton also made $5{{nbsp}}million or more from her book, '']'', during the same time period.<ref>Ben Kamisar, (May 15, 2015), '']''</ref> In July 2014, '']'' reported that at the end of 2012, the Clintons were worth between $5{{nbsp}}million and $25.5{{nbsp}}million, and that in 2012 (the last year they were required to disclose the information) the Clintons made between $16 and $17{{nbsp}}million, mostly from speaking fees earned by the former president.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Mullins | first1=Brody | last2=Nicholas | first2=Peter | last3=Ballhaus | first3=Rebecca | title=The Bill and Hillary Clinton Money Machine Taps Corporate Cash | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=July 1, 2014 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bill-and-hillary-clinton-money-machine-taps-corporate-cash-1404268205 | access-date=July 30, 2019 | url-access=subscription}}</ref> Clinton earned more than $104{{nbsp}}million from paid speeches between 2001 and 2012.<ref name="bloomberg.com">{{cite news|last1=Epstein|first1=Jennifer | title=Clinton Family Speeches Netted as Much as $26 Million for Foundation |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=May 22, 2015 | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-22/clinton-foundation-discloses-speech-fees | publisher=Bloomberg News | access-date=May 23, 2015}}</ref> In June 2014, ABC News and ''The Washington Post'' reported that Bill Clinton has made more than $100{{nbsp}}million giving paid speeches since leaving public office, and in 2008, ''The New York Times'' reported that the Clintons' income tax returns<ref>(linked in the NYT article)</ref> show they made $109{{nbsp}}million in the eight years from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2007, including almost $92{{nbsp}}million from his speaking and book-writing.<ref name="NYT-2008-04-05" /><ref name="washingtonpost-2014-06-26">{{cite news | first1=Philip | last1=Rucker | first2=Tom | last2=Hamburger | first3=Alexander | last3=Becker | title=How the Clintons went from 'dead broke' to rich, with $104.9 million for ex-president's speaking fees | newspaper=] | date=June 26, 2014 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-clintons-went-from-dead-broke-to-rich-bill-earned-1049-million-for-speeches/2014/06/26/8fa0b372-fd3a-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html | access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name="ABC-News-2014-06-09">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-defends-high-dollar-speaking-fees/story?id=24052962|title=Hillary Clinton Defends High-Dollar Speaking Fees|date=June 9, 2014|publisher=] and ]|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Salameh|last=Nematt|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2008/11/17/bills-500000-kuwait-lecture.html|title=Bill's $500,000 Kuwait Lecture|date=November 17, 2008|website=]}}</ref> | |||
Bill Clinton has given dozens of paid speeches each year since leaving office in 2001, mostly to corporations and philanthropic groups in North America and Europe; he often earned $100,000 to $300,000 per speech.<ref name="CNN-2006-02-06" /><ref>{{cite news|first=Josh|last=Gerstein|title=Clinton Eligible, Once Again, To Practice Law|newspaper=]|date=January 17, 2006|url=http://www.nysun.com/article/25965?page_no=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/us/politics/10clinton.html | title=Bill Clinton Ponders a Role as First Gentleman | work=] | first=Patrick | last=Healy | date=May 10, 2007 | access-date=May 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Bentley |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2300374.ece |title=Forty Million Dollar Bill, Independent, 2007 |work=] |date=February 24, 2007 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015064614/http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2300374.ece |archive-date=October 15, 2007 }}</ref> Russian investment bank with ties to the Kremlin paid Clinton $500,000 for a speech in ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html|title=Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal|first1=Jo|last1=Becker|first2=Mike|last2=McIntire|newspaper=]|date=April 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/clinton-foundation-received-millions-uranium-132500796.html|first1=Colin|last1=Campbell|first2=Pamela|last2=Engel|title=The Clinton Foundation received millions from investors as Putin took over 20% of US uranium deposits|date=April 23, 2015|website=]}}</ref> Hillary Clinton said she and Bill came out of the White House financially "broke" and in debt, especially due to large legal fees incurred during their years in the White House. "We had no money when we got there, and we struggled to, you know, piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for Chelsea's education". She added, "Bill has worked really hard ... we had to pay off all our debts ... he had to make double the money because of, obviously, taxes; and then pay off the debts, and get us houses, and take care of family members".<ref name="ABC-News-2014-06-09" /> | |||
=== Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein === | |||
] in the White House, September 1993]] | |||
In the early 2000s, Clinton took flights on ]'s private jet in connection with Clinton Foundation work.<ref name="McDonald">{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Scott |date=July 8, 2019 |title=Bill Clinton says he didn't know about Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking crimes |work=] |url=https://www.newsweek.com/bill-clinton-says-he-didnt-know-about-jeffrey-epsteins-alleged-sex-trafficking-crimes-1448171 |access-date=September 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Michael |date=July 9, 2019 |title=Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein: How Are They Connected? |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/nyregion/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein.html |access-date=September 16, 2019}}</ref> According to Epstein's attorney ], Epstein was "part of the original group that conceived of the ]".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hill|first1=James|first2=Matthew|last2=Mosk|date=February 11, 2016|title=Victims: Feds Hid 'Sweetheart' Deal for Sex Offender With Deep Political Ties|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/victims-feds-hid-sweetheart-deal-sex-offender-deep/story?id=36843144|work=ABC|access-date=July 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720073439/https://abcnews.go.com/US/victims-feds-hid-sweetheart-deal-sex-offender-deep/story?id=36843144|archive-date=July 20, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, a spokesperson for Clinton praised Epstein as "a committed philanthropist" with "insights and generosity".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 9, 2019 |title=Clinton and Trump Plead Ignorance as Epstein's Old Friends Begin to Sweat |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/clinton-trump-plead-ignorance-as-jeffrey-epstein-friends-begin-to-sweat |access-date=October 20, 2022 |magazine=Vanity Fair }}</ref> While Clinton was president, Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times between 1993 and 1995.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 3, 2021 |title=Jeffrey Epstein Visited Bill Clinton's White House at Least 17 Times From 1993 to 1995, Visitor Logs Show |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-visited-bill-clintons-white-house-at-least-17-times-from-1993-to-1995-visitor-logs-show/ |access-date=October 20, 2022 |magazine=National Review }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ruhalter |first=Kana |date=December 2, 2021 |title=White House Visitor Logs Show Just How Friendly Epstein and President Clinton Were |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-visited-president-bill-clinton-17-times-white-house-visitor-logs-show |access-date=October 20, 2022 |website=The Daily Beast}}</ref> Years later, Epstein was convicted on sex trafficking charges. Clinton's office released a statement in 2019 saying, "President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York. In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took four trips on Jeffrey Epstein's airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation. Staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg of every trip. He's not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade."<ref name="McDonald" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Moye |first1=David |date=July 8, 2019 |title=Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Anything About Jeffrey Epstein's 'Terrible Crimes' |work=] |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein-statement_n_5d23c6c6e4b0cfb595fad85a |access-date=September 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Arciga |first=Julia |date=July 9, 2019 |title=Bill Clinton: I Flew With Jeffrey Epstein but Knew 'Nothing' About 'Terrible Crimes' |website=]}}</ref> | |||
However, later reports showed that Clinton had flown on Epstein's plane 26 times.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 14, 2016 |title=Report: Bill Clinton Flew on Disgraced Donor's Jet 26 Times |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2016/05/13/report-bill-clinton-flew-on-disgraced-donors-jet-26-times/ |access-date=October 20, 2022 |newspaper=Roll Call}}</ref> In another statement Clinton said "one meeting with Epstein in his Harlem office in 2002, and around the same time made one brief visit to Epstein's New York apartment with a staff member and his security detail". In July 2019 it was reported that Clinton attended a dinner with Epstein in 1995, a meeting with Epstein that Clinton had not previously disclosed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Melendez |first=Pilar |date=July 11, 2019 |title=Bill Clinton Failed to Mention His Intimate 1995 Dinner With Epstein |website=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/bill-clinton-failed-to-mention-his-intimate-1995-dinner-with-epstein |access-date=October 22, 2022}}</ref> | |||
Clinton reportedly used Epstein's private jet to visit ], where Epstein resided,<ref name="independent 3">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/prince-andrew-sex-allegations-billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-had-21-phone-numbers-for-bill-clinton-9959491.html|title=Prince Andrew sex allegations: Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein 'had 21|date=January 6, 2015|website=The Independent}}</ref> on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2005.<ref name="independent">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/who-is-jeffrey-epstein-a-study-of-the-man-linked-to-worlds-of-celebrity-politics-and-royalty-9954397.html|title=Jeffrey Epstein – the billionaire paedophile at the centre of the Prince Andrew sex claim|date=January 2, 2015|website=The Independent}}</ref> ], later known as Virginia Giuffre, says in a lawsuit that while working at ]'s ] resort<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article233704797.html |title=Huge cache of records details how Jeffrey Epstein and madam lured girls into depraved world |last1=Brown |first1=Julie K. |last2=Blaskey |first2=Sarah |date=August 9, 2019 |website=] |access-date=July 28, 2020 |quote=Virginia Roberts, now Giuffre, says she was 16 and working as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort when she was approached by ], Jeffrey Epstein’s associate, about becoming a masseuse for Epstein.}}</ref> she was lured into a ] ring run by Epstein and while traveling with Epstein she saw Clinton on the island.<ref name="politico">{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/04/jeffrey-epstein-trump-lawsuit-sex-trafficking-237983|title=The one weird court case linking Trump, Clinton, and a billionaire pedophile|first=Josh|last=Gerstein|website=POLITICO|date=May 4, 2017 }}</ref> In a 2011 conversation with her lawyers, Roberts stated that Clinton traveled to Epstein's retreat on Little St. James in 2002.<ref name="Buzzfeed"/> According to Roberts, Epstein told her that Clinton "owes me favors" when she asked what he was doing there.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/bill-clinton-went-jeffrey-epsteins-island-2-young-girls-virginia-giuffre-says-1521845|title=Bill Clinton Went to Jeffrey Epstein's Island With 2 'Young Girls,' Virginia Giuffre Says|newspaper=Newsweek|date=30 July 2020|first=Daniel|last=Villarreal}}</ref> She also reportedly claimed that Epstein and Clinton had dined in the presence of two girls aged approximately seventeen whom she believed Epstein had invited to have sex with Clinton, but that Clinton showed no interest in them.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bill-clinton-didn-t-bait-013258134.html|title=Bill Clinton 'Didn't Take The Bait' Of Two 'Underaged' Girls, Jeffrey Epstein Docs Claim|newspaper=Yahoo! News|date=4 January 2024|first=Afouda|last=Bamidele}}</ref> A ] request for ] records of visits Clinton may have made to Little St. James produced no such evidence.<ref name="politico"/> According to Epstein's flight logs, Clinton never flew near the U.S. Virgin Islands.<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/clinton-epstein-innuendo|title=Plenty Of Innuendo, But No Hard Evidence Of New Clinton Sex Scandal|website=BuzzFeed News|date=January 28, 2015}}</ref> In July 2019, a Clinton spokesperson issued a statement saying Clinton never visited the island.<ref name="APnews">{{cite news |last=Coto |first= Dánica |url=https://www.apnews.com/cd794044e8be4e619093582d6d3355d2 |title=Whispers, suspicion about Epstein on Caribbean island |work=] |date=July 11, 2019 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813012919/https://www.apnews.com/cd794044e8be4e619093582d6d3355d2 |archive-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Kate|last=Sullivan|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/politics/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein/index.html|title=Bill Clinton 'knows nothing' about Epstein's 'terrible crimes,' spokesman says|website=]|date=July 8, 2019}}</ref> When he was personally asked by a journalist about his ties with Epstein in a rally in ] in November 2022, Clinton said "I think the evidence is clear".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mayer |first1=Chloe |title=Video of Bill Clinton Grilled About Jeffrey Epstein Ties Viewed 1M Times |url=https://www.newsweek.com/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein-viral-video-1757925 |work=] |date=8 November 2022}}</ref> According to former Clinton aide, ], Clinton visited Epstein's island in January 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Norton |first1=Tom |title=Did Bill Clinton Visit Jeffrey Epstein's Island? What We Know |url=https://www.newsweek.com/did-bill-clinton-visit-jeffrey-epstein-island-what-we-know-1857039 |work=] |date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sherman |first1=Gabriel |title=Confessions of a Clintonworld Exile |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/confessions-of-a-clintonworld-exile |work=] |date=2 December 2020}}</ref> | |||
In 2024, unsealed court documents revealed allegations that Clinton had visited the offices of '']'' and 'threatened' the paper not to print stories about Epstein's sexual trafficking. Former ''Vanity Fair'' editor ] denied the incident ever took place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/jeffrey-epstein-court-documents-bill-clinton-threatened-magazine-not-to-publish-articles-about-his-good-friend-13042406|title=Jeffrey Epstein court documents: Bill Clinton 'threatened' magazine not to publish articles about his 'good friend'|newspaper=Sky News|date=5 January 2024|first=Connor|last=Sephton}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/01/04/new-epstein-documents-unsealed-bill-clinton-threatened-vanity-fair-over-sex-trafficking-coverage-email-alleges/|title=New Epstein Documents Unsealed: Bill Clinton 'Threatened' Vanity Fair Over Sex Trafficking Coverage, Email Alleges|newspaper=Forbes|date=4 January 2024|author=Antonio Pequeño IV}}</ref> | |||
== Personal life == | |||
At the age of 10, he was baptized at Park Place ] Church in ].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Philip|last=Yancey|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1994/april-25/riddle-of-bill-clintons-faith.html|title=The Riddle of Bill Clinton's Faith|magazine=]|date=April 25, 1994}}</ref> When he became president in 1993, he became a member of ] in ] with his wife, a ].<ref>Paul Galloway, , chicagotribune.com, USA, Feb 10, 1999</ref> | |||
On October 11, 1975, in ], he married ], whom he met while studying at ]. They had ], their only child, on February 27, 1980.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica, , britannica.com, USA, retrieved April 30, 2021</ref> He is the maternal grandfather to Chelsea's three children.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Happy Anniversary, Hillary and Bill Clinton! Looking Back at Their 1975 Wedding in Photos|url=https://www.brides.com/story/tbt-hillary-clinton-wedding-photos|access-date=September 22, 2021|website=Brides}}</ref> | |||
=== '''Health''' === | |||
In October 2021, Clinton was admitted to the ]’s intensive care unit for a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gangel |first=Jamie |date=2021-10-15 |title=Former President Bill Clinton hospitalized for infection but ‘on the mend’ {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/14/politics/bill-clinton-hospitalized/index.html?cid=ios_app |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> He was discharged the following day after close monitoring.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CNN |date=2021-10-17 |title=Former President Bill Clinton released from hospital {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/17/politics/bill-clinton-released-hospital-infection/index.html?cid=ios_app |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> | |||
In December 2024, Clinton was admitted to the ] where he underwent testing and observation after developing a fever.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zeleny |first=Jeff |date=2024-12-23 |title=Former President Bill Clinton is in the hospital after developing a fever, spokesperson says {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/23/politics/bill-clinton-hospital-fever?cid=ios_app |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> He was released the following day in stable condition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fossum |first=Edward-Isaac Dovere, Sam |date=2024-12-24 |title=Former President Bill Clinton discharged from hospital after being treated for flu {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/24/politics/bill-clinton-hospital-flu?cid=ios_app |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> | |||
==Accolades== | |||
{{Main|List of awards and honors received by Bill Clinton}} | |||
] from ], 2013]] | |||
Various colleges and universities have awarded Clinton honorary degrees, including ] degrees<ref>{{cite web | url=http://faccoun.unc.edu/awards/honorary-degrees | title=Honorary Degrees | year=1993 | publisher=UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Faculty Governance | access-date=August 31, 2011 | archive-date=February 9, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209142252/http://faccoun.unc.edu/awards/honorary-degrees/ | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tulane.edu/newwave/cornerpics/051906_grads.html |title=President Bill Clinton with an honorary doctorate of law |publisher=Tulane University |date=May 19, 2006 |access-date=August 31, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808192350/http://www.tulane.edu/newwave/cornerpics/051906_grads.html |archive-date=August 8, 2011 }}</ref> and ] degrees.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rit.edu/news/story.php?id=45649 | title=Clinton to address graduates, Honorary doctorate will be bestowed | publisher=RIT News, Rochester Institute of Technology | date=May 18, 2007 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> He received an honorary degree from Georgetown University, his alma mater, and was the commencement speaker in 1980.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hughes|first=Tracey|date=May 24, 1980|title=GU Honors Statesmen, Scientists, Educators|work=]|url=https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/555085/1980-05-24.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|access-date=September 22, 2021}}</ref> He is an honorary fellow of University College, Oxford, which he attended as a ], although he did not complete his studies there.<ref>{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Hoffman |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-bill-clinton-we-knew-at-oxford-apart-from-smoking-dope-and-not-inhaling-what-else-did-he-learn-1556769.html |title=The Bill Clinton we knew at Oxford: Apart from smoking dope (and not inhaling), what else did he learn over here? College friends share their memories with Matthew Hoffman |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=October 27, 2016 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623195343/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-bill-clinton-we-knew-at-oxford-apart-from-smoking-dope-and-not-inhaling-what-else-did-he-learn-1556769.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/content/honorary-fellows |title=www.univ.ox.ac.uk |publisher=University of Oxford |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313140432/http://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/content/honorary-fellows |archive-date=March 13, 2016 }}</ref> Schools have been named for Clinton,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.compton.k12.ca.us/www/schoolsites/showschool.aspx?id=13900 | title=Clinton Elementary | publisher=Compton Unified School District | access-date=August 31, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927162333/http://www.compton.k12.ca.us/www/schoolsites/showschool.aspx?id=13900 | archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lausd.net/Clinton_MS | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719002854/http://www.lausd.net/Clinton_MS/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 19, 2011 | title=William Jefferson Clinton Middle School | publisher=Los Angeles Unified School District | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.clintonschool.uasys.edu | title=Clinton School of Public service | publisher=University of Arkansas | access-date=August 31, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720063224/http://clintonschool.uasys.edu/ | archive-date=July 20, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and statues have been built to pay him homage.<ref name=WJCstatue>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8336789.stm | title=Kosovo unveils Clinton's statue | work=BBC News | date=November 1, 2009 | access-date=November 2, 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091102101327/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8336789.stm| archive-date= November 2, 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-serbia-kosovo-clinton-idUSL2316200920070523 | title=Kosovo to honor Bill Clinton with statue | work=Reuters | date=May 23, 2007 | access-date=September 11, 2011 | archive-date=August 5, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805022616/http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/05/23/us-serbia-kosovo-clinton-idUSL2316200920070523 | url-status=live }}</ref> U.S. states where he has been honored include Missouri,<ref name="DeMolay-1">{{cite web|url=http://www.demolay.org/aboutdemolay/halloffame.php |title=DeMolay Hall of Fame |publisher=DeMolay International |access-date=August 25, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100905133239/http://www.demolay.org/aboutdemolay/halloffame.php |archive-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Arkansas,<ref>{{Cite news | last=Purdum | first=Todd S. | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/17/us/campaign-season-another-first-for-clinton.html | title=Campaign Season; Another First for Clinton | work=The New York Times | date=October 17, 2002 | access-date=August 6, 2009}}</ref> Kentucky,<ref name="HOOKC">{{cite web | url=http://kycolonels.org/index.cgi?id=54 | title=Colonels website | publisher=Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels | access-date=December 21, 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625033818/http://kycolonels.org/index.cgi?id=54 | archive-date=June 25, 2009 }}</ref> and New York.<ref>{{cite news | last=Dunlap | first=David | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/23/nyregion/23rebuild.html | title=Pataki Offers Peek at 9/11 Memorial Progress | work=] | date=November 23, 2004 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> He was presented with the ] by ] ] in 2001.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.defense.gov/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=3174 | title=Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen presents the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service to President Bill Clinton in a ceremonial farewell at Fort Myer, Va., on Jan. 5, 2001. | publisher=U.S. Department of Defense | access-date=September 1, 2011}}</ref> The ] was opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, in his honor on December 5, 2001.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/28/us/dinner-for-a-presidential-library-contributions-welcome.html | title=Dinner for a Presidential Library, Contributions Welcome | date=June 28, 1999 | last=Van Natta | first=Don Jr. | work=The New York Times | access-date=December 17, 2009}}</ref> | |||
Clinton has been honored in various other ways, in countries that include the Czech Republic,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://old.hrad.cz/kpr/rady/rbl_lide_uk.html | title=List of Individuals Awarded the Order of the White Lion | publisher=Old.hrad.cz | date=October 13, 2005 | access-date=August 6, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Willoughby|first=Ian| url=https://english.radio.cz/enlargement-a-good-investment-clinton-tells-prague-nato-conference-8811085| title=Enlargement "a good investment", Clinton tells Prague NATO conference | work=]| date=March 12, 2024 | access-date=March 12, 2024}}</ref> Papua New Guinea,<ref>{{Cite news | title=It's now 'Chief' Bill Clinton | work=United Press International | date=December 3, 2006 | url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2006/12/03/Its-now-Chief-Bill-Clinton/UPI-99431165188768 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> Germany,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.karlspreis.de/index.php?id=12&doc=42 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206203817/http://www.karlspreis.de/index.php?id=12&doc=42 | archive-date=February 6, 2008 | title=International Prize of the city of Aachen (German)}}</ref> and Kosovo.<ref name=WJCstatue /> The Republic of Kosovo, in gratitude for his help during the ], renamed a major street in the capital city of ] as ] and added a monumental Clinton statue.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/statue-watch-bill-clinton-edition | title=Statue Watch: Bill Clinton Edition | first=Mike | last=Nizza | date=May 23, 2007 | work=The New York Times | access-date=October 8, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/europe/17kosovo.html | title=Kosovo Struggles to Forge an Identity | first=Dan | last=Bilefsky | date=December 17, 2007 | work = ] | access-date=October 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/world/europe/09iht-kosovo.1.8653760.html | title=Kosovo: Forging an identity on eve of new era | first=Dan | last=Bilefsky | date=December 9, 2007 | work = ] | access-date=October 8, 2012}}</ref> | |||
Clinton was selected as '']''{{'s}} "]" in 1992,<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19930104,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530071708/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19930104,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 30, 2007 | title=Bill Clinton, Man of the Year | magazine=] | author=Elizabeth P. Valk | date=January 4, 1993 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> and again in 1998, along with ].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19981228,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114194210/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19981228,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 14, 2007 | title=Kenneth Starr & Bill Clinton, Men of the Year | newspaper=] | first=Nancy | last=Gibbs | date=December 28, 1998 | access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> From a poll conducted of the American people in December 1999, Clinton was among eighteen included in ].<ref>{{cite book | title = The Gallup Poll 1999 | url = https://archive.org/details/galluppollcumula0000gall | url-access = registration | publisher=Scholarly Resources Inc | year = 1999 | location = Wilmington, Del. | pages = }}</ref> In 2001, Clinton received the ]'s ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Braxton |first=Greg |date=March 4, 2001 |title=NAACP Honors, Cheers Clinton |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-04-me-33265-story.html |access-date=February 28, 2022 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> He has also been honored with a J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding,<ref>{{Cite news| url =http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-506513 | title=President Bill Clinton Biography | author=AmericaLive | work=CNN |date =October 22, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151004095341/http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-506513|archive-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref> a ] Prize (named for the confluence of technology, entertainment and design),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://tedblog.typepad.com/tedblog/2007/04/2007_ted_prize__2.html | title=2007 TED Prize winner Bill Clinton on TEDTalks | publisher=TED Blog | date=April 4, 2007 | access-date=August 31, 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728122424/http://tedblog.typepad.com/tedblog/2007/04/2007_ted_prize__2.html | archive-date=July 28, 2011 }}</ref> and was named as an Honorary ] recipient for his work as an advocate for the LGBT community.<ref name="24-GLAAD-LA">{{cite web | url=http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/losangeles | title=24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards—Los Angeles | publisher=] | access-date=April 7, 2013}}</ref> | |||
Clinton, along with ] and ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolf Tracks |url=https://russiannationalorchestra.org/recordings/wolf-tracks/ |agency=Russian National Orchestra |access-date=August 1, 2020 }}</ref> received the ] for ] for '']''.<ref name=GRAMMY>{{cite web |title=Bill Clinton |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/bill-clinton/1590 |agency=Grammy Awards |access-date=August 1, 2020 |date=November 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Grammy Award Winners |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/arts/music/08grammy-list.html |newspaper=] |access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref> The ] edition of his autobiography, ], read by Clinton himself, won the ] for ],<ref name=GRAMMY/> as well as the ] as the Audiobook of the Year.<ref>{{cite web |title=2005 AUDIE AWARDS® |url=https://www.audiopub.org/2005-audies |publisher=] |access-date=January 13, 2023}}</ref> Clinton has two more Grammy nominations for his audiobooks: '']'' in ] and '']'' in ].<ref name=GRAMMY/> | |||
In 2011, Haitian president ] awarded Clinton with the ] to the rank of Grand Cross "for his various initiatives in Haiti and especially his high contribution to the reconstruction of the country after the earthquake of January 12, 2010". Clinton declared at the ceremony that "in the United States of America, I really don't believe former American presidents need awards anymore, but I am very honored by this one, I love Haiti, and I believe in its promise".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3429-haiti-social-bill-clinton-receives-the-national-order-of-honor-and-merit-to-the-rank-grand-cross-gold-plated.html |title=Haiti—Social: Bill Clinton receives the National Order of Honor and Merit to the rank Grand Cross gold plated |editor=Press |date=July 22, 2011 |publisher=Haiti Libre |access-date=March 14, 2016}}</ref> | |||
President Obama awarded Clinton the ] on November 20, 2013.<ref name="Medal of Honor">{{cite news |first1=David |last1=Jackson | title=Obama awards Medal of Freedom to Clinton, Oprah, others | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/11/20/obama-clinton-oprah-winfrey-dean-smith-ernie-banks/3650113 | work=]| date=November 20, 2013 | access-date=November 20, 2013}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | |||
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* ] | |||
* ] | |||
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==References== | |||
===Citations=== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
{{Main|Bibliography of Bill Clinton}} | |||
* ] (2000) ''The Breach : Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton'' Scribner ISBN 0-68-486813-X | |||
* ] (2003). ''The Clinton Wars''. Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0-37-412502-3 | |||
===Primary sources=== | |||
* ] (2000) ''Feeling Your Pain: The Explosion and Abuse of Government Power in the Clinton-Gore Years'' St. Martin's Press ISBN 0-31-223082-6 | |||
{{Refbegin|30em}} | |||
* Bill Clinton (2004) ''My Life''. Knopf. ISBN 0-37-541457-6. | |||
* Clinton, Bill. (with ]). ''.'' Washington, D.C.: The White House, August 1994. | |||
* ] and Gene Lyons (2003). ''The Hunting of the President : The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton''. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-31-227319-3 | |||
* --- (with Al Gore). ''.'' Washington, D.C.: The White House, October 1993. | |||
* ] (1994). ''On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency''. ]. ISBN 0-67-187147-1 | |||
* ] |
* ] ''The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President.'' (2009) Simon & Schuster. {{ISBN|978-1-4165-4333-6}} | ||
* ''Official Congressional Record Impeachment Set: ... Containing the Procedures for Implementing the Articles of Impeachment and the Proceedings of the Impeachment Trial of President William Jefferson Clinton.'' Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1999. | |||
* ] (2005) ''The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House''. Random House. ISBN 0-37-550847-3 | |||
* ''Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton.'' Washington, D.C.: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 1994–2002. | |||
* ] (1999) ''No One Left to Lie to: The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton''. Verso. ISBN 1-85-984736-6 | |||
* ] '']'', foreword by Bill Clinton | |||
* ] (1999) ''Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story''. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 0-60-960393-0 | |||
{{Refend}} | |||
* ] (2004) "Politics, Propaganda and Public Opinion: The Influence of Race and Class on the 1993 - 1994 Health Care Reform Debate". Lulu Publishing. ISBN 1-4116-6345-4 | |||
* ] (2003) ''The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton''. Broadway. ISBN 0-76-791412-0 | |||
===Popular books=== | |||
* ] (1996). ''First In His Class : A Biography Of Bill Clinton'', ]. ISBN 0-68-481890-6 | |||
{{Refbegin|30em}} | |||
* David Maraniss (1998) ''The Clinton Enigma : A Four and a Half Minute Speech Reveals This President's Entire Life'' Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-68-486296-4 | |||
* Peter Baker ''The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton'' (2000) {{ISBN|978-0-684-86813-4}} | |||
* ] with Eileen McGann (2004) ''Because He Could'' | |||
* ] |
* ] ''Feeling Your Pain: The Explosion and Abuse of Government Power in the Clinton-Gore Years'' (2000) {{ISBN|978-0-312-23082-1}} | ||
* ] and ] ''The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton'' (2003) {{ISBN|978-0-312-27319-4}} | |||
* ] (2000) ''The Clinton Scandal and the Future of American Government'' Georgetown University Press ISBN 0-87-840777-4 | |||
* ] ''On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency'' (1994) {{ISBN|978-0-671-87147-5}} | |||
* ] (1998) ''The ]: The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair'' PublicAffairs ISBN 1-89-162024-X | |||
* ] ''Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership.'' (2000) {{ISBN|978-0-684-82663-9}} | |||
* ] (1998) '']'' Little, Brown ISBN 0316929190 | |||
* ] ''Bill Clinton: An American Journey'' (2003) {{ISBN|978-0-375-50610-9}} | |||
* ] (2000). ''POTUS Speaks: Finding the Words That Defined the Clinton Presidency'' Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-74-320020-9. | |||
* ] ''No One Left to Lie to: The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton'' (1999) {{ISBN|978-1-85984-736-7}} | |||
* Washington Times articles January 21, 1999 | |||
* ] ''Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story'' (1999) {{ISBN|978-0-609-60393-2}} | |||
* USA TODAY, 11 March 1993, page 2A | |||
* ] ''Clinton and Me: A Real-Life Political Comedy'' (2004) {{ISBN|978-0-7868-6949-7}} | |||
* ] ''The Clinton Enigma: A Four and a Half Minute Speech Reveals This President's Entire Life'' (1998) {{ISBN|978-0-684-86296-5}} | |||
* ] with Eileen McGann ''Because He Could'' (2004) {{ISBN|978-0-06-078415-7}} | |||
* ] ''An Affair of State: The Investigation, Impeachment, and Trial of President Clinton'' (1999) {{ISBN|978-0-674-00080-3}} | |||
* Mark J. Rozell ''The Clinton Scandal and the Future of American Government'' (2000) {{ISBN|978-0-87840-777-4}} | |||
* Timperlake, Edward, and William C. Triplett II ''Year of the Rat: How Bill Clinton Compromised U.S. Security for Chinese Cash''. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 1998. {{ISBN|978-0-89526-333-9}} | |||
* Michael Waldman ''POTUS Speaks: Finding the Words That Defined the Clinton Presidency'' (2000) {{ISBN|978-0-7432-0020-2}} | |||
* Ivory Tower Publishing Company. Achievements of the Clinton Administration: the Complete Legislative and Executive. (1995) {{ISBN|978-0-88032-748-0}} | |||
{{Refend}} | |||
===Scholarly studies=== | |||
{{Refbegin|30em}} | |||
* Campbell, Colin, and Bert A. Rockman, eds. ''The Clinton Legacy'' (Chatham House Pub, 2000) | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Jeffrey E. |title=The Polls: Change and Stability in Public Assessments of Personal Traits, Bill Clinton, 1993-99 |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=December 2001 |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=733–741 |doi=10.1111/j.0000-0000.2001.00197.x }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Cronin |first1=Thomas E. |last2=Genovese |first2=Michael A. |title=President Clinton and Character Questions |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=1998 |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=892–897 |id={{Gale|A53409280}} {{ProQuest|215686695}} |jstor=27551947 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |id={{Gale|A118274932}} |last1=Davis |first1=John |title=The evolution of American grand strategy and the war on terrorism: Clinton and Bush perspectives |journal=White House Studies |date=September 22, 2003 |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=459–477 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Dumbrell |first1=J. |title=Was There a Clinton Doctrine? President Clinton's Foreign Policy Reconsidered |journal=Diplomacy & Statecraft |date=June 2002 |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=43–56 |doi=10.1080/714000309 |s2cid=153835555 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Edwards |first1=George C. |title=Bill Clinton and His Crisis of Governance |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=1998 |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=754–760 |id={{Gale|A53409260}} {{ProQuest|215682224}} |jstor=27551927 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |id={{Gale|A86058403}} |last1=Fisher |first1=Patrick |title=Clinton's greatest legislative achievement? The success of the 1993 Budget Reconciliation Bill |journal=White House Studies |date=September 22, 2001 |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=479–496 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Glad |first1=Betty |title=Evaluating Presidential Character |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=1998 |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=861–872 |id={{Gale|A53409276}} {{ProQuest|215694887}} |jstor=27551943 }} | |||
* Halberstam, David. ''War in a time of peace: Bush, Clinton, and the generals'' (Simon and Schuster, 2001). | |||
* Harris, John F. ''The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House'' (2006). | |||
* Head, Simon. (January 30, 2016), '']'' | |||
* Hyland, William G. ''Clinton's World: Remaking American Foreign Policy'' (1999) {{ISBN|978-0-275-96396-5}} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Jewett |first1=Aubrey W. |last2=Turetzky |first2=Marc D. |title=Stability and Change in President Clinton's Foreign Policy Beliefs, 1993-96 |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=1998 |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=638–665 |id={{Gale|A53390302}} {{ProQuest|215688436}} |jstor=27551906 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Claire Jean |title=Managing the Racial Breach: Clinton, Black-White Polarization, and the Race Initiative |journal=Political Science Quarterly |date=2002 |volume=117 |issue=1 |pages=55–79 |doi=10.2307/798094 |jstor=798094 }} | |||
* Laham, Nicholas, ''A Lost Cause: Bill Clinton's Campaign for National Health Insurance'' (1996) | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Lanoue |first1=David J. |last2=Emmert |first2=Craig F. |title=Voting in the Glare of the Spotlight: Representatives' Votes on the Impeachment of President Clinton |journal=Polity |date=1999 |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=253–269 |doi=10.2307/3235285 |jstor=3235285 |s2cid=155511442 }} | |||
* Levy, Peter B. ''Encyclopedia of the Clinton presidency'' (Greenwood, 2002) | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Maurer |first1=Paul J. |title=Media Feeding Frenzies: Press Behavior During Two Clinton Scandals |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=March 1999 |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=65–79 |id={{Gale|A54099170}} {{ProQuest|215686228}} |doi=10.1111/1741-5705.00019 |jstor=27551959 }} | |||
* {{cite book |doi=10.7591/9781501706202-006 |chapter=Triangulation: Position and Leadership in Clinton's Domestic Policy |title=42: Inside the Presidency of Bill Clinton |year=2017 |pages=46–76 |isbn=978-1-5017-0620-2 |first1=Bruce F. |last1=Nesmith |first2=Paul J. |last2=Quirk |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=scKdDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Nie |first1=Martin A. |title='It's the Environment, Stupid!' Clinton and the Environment |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=1997 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=39–51 |jstor=27551699 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=O’Connor |first1=Brendon |title=Policies, Principles, and Polls: Bill Clinton's Third Way Welfare Politics 1992–1996 |journal=Australian Journal of Politics & History |date=September 2002 |volume=48 |issue=3 |pages=396–411 |doi=10.1111/1467-8497.00267 }} | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Palmer |first1=David |title='What might have been': Bill Clinton and american political power |journal=Australasian Journal of American Studies |date=2005 |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=38–58 |jstor=41416024 }} | |||
* Renshon; Stanley A. ''The Clinton Presidency: Campaigning, Governing, and the Psychology of Leadership'' Westview Press, 1995 | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Renshon |first1=Stanley A. |title=The Polls: The Public's Response to the Clinton Scandals, Part 2: Diverse Explanations, Clearer Consequences |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |date=June 2002 |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=412–427 |id={{Gale|A87354430}} {{ProQuest|215686253}} |doi=10.1111/j.0360-4918.2002.00228.x |jstor=27552394 }} | |||
* Romano, Flavio. ''Clinton and Blair: the political economy of the third way'' (Routledge, 2007) | |||
* Rushefsky, Mark E. and Kant Patel. ''Politics, Power & Policy Making: The Case of Health Care Reform in the 1990s'' (1998) {{ISBN|978-1-56324-956-3}} | |||
* Schantz, Harvey L. ''Politics in an Era of Divided Government: Elections and Governance in the Second Clinton Administration'' (2001) {{ISBN|978-0-8153-3583-2}} | |||
* Troy, Gill. ''The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s'' (2015) | |||
* {{cite journal |last1=Walt |first1=Stephen M. |title=Two Cheers for Clinton's Foreign Policy |journal=Foreign Affairs |date=2000 |volume=79 |issue=2 |pages=63–79 |doi=10.2307/20049641 |jstor=20049641 }} | |||
* Warshaw, Shirley Anne. ''The Clinton Years'' (Infobase Publishing, 2009) | |||
* White, Mark, ed. ''The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy'' (I.B.Tauris, 2012) | |||
===Arkansas years=== | |||
* Allen, Charles and Jonathan Portis. ''The Life and Career of Bill Clinton: The Comeback Kid'' (1992). | |||
* Blair, Diane D. "The Big Three of Late Twentieth-Century Arkansas Politics: Dale Bumpers, Bill Clinton, and David Pryor." ''Arkansas Historical Quarterly'' 54.1 (1995): 53–79. | |||
* Blair, Diane D. "William Jefferson Clinton" in ''The Governors of Arkansas: Essays in Political Biography'' ed. by Willard B. Gatewood Jr., et al. (1995) | |||
* Brummett, John. ''Highwire: From the Backroads to the Beltway: The Education of Bill Clinton'' (Hyperion, 1994). | |||
* Clinton, Bill. '' My Life: The Early Years'' (Random House, 2004) | |||
* Dumas, Ernest, ed. ''The Clintons of Arkansas: An Introduction by Those Who Knew Them Best'' (University of Arkansas Press, 1993) . | |||
* ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas'' (2023) | |||
* Johnston, Phyllis F. ''Bill Clinton's Public Policy for Arkansas: 1979-80'' (Little Rock: August House, 1982). | |||
* Maraniss, David. ''First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton'' (Simon & Schuster, 1995). | |||
* Marcus, Alan. "Bill Clinton in Arkansas: generational politics, the technology of political communication and the permanent campaign." ''The Historian'' 72.2 (2010): 354–385. | |||
* Oakley, Meredith L. ''On the make: The rise of Bill Clinton'' (Regnery Publishing, 1994), attack from the right. | |||
* Osborne, David. "Turning around Arkansas' Schools: Bill Clinton and Education Reform." ''American Educator: The Professional Journal of the American Federation of Teachers'' 16.3 (1992): 6–17. | |||
* Smith, Stephen A., ed. ''Preface to the Presidency: Selected Speeches of Bill Clinton, 1974–1992'' (University of Arkansas Press, 1996). | |||
{{Refend}} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Sister project links|wikt=Clinton|b=no|s=Author:William Jefferson Clinton|v=no}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 23:50, 25 December 2024
President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 "William Clinton" redirects here. For other uses, see William Clinton (disambiguation).
Bill Clinton | |
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Official portrait, 1993 | |
42nd President of the United States | |
In office January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 | |
Vice President | Al Gore |
Preceded by | George H. W. Bush |
Succeeded by | George W. Bush |
40th & 42nd Governor of Arkansas | |
In office January 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992 | |
Lieutenant |
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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 |
50th Attorney General of Arkansas | |
In office January 3, 1977 – January 9, 1979 | |
Governor |
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Preceded by | Jim Guy Tucker |
Succeeded by | Steve Clark |
Personal details | |
Born | William Jefferson Blythe III (1946-08-19) August 19, 1946 (age 78) Hope, Arkansas, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Hillary Rodham (m. 1975) |
Children | Chelsea Clinton |
Parents | |
Relatives | Clinton family |
Education | |
Awards | Full list |
Signature | |
Bill Clinton's voice
Clinton speaking on U.S. decision to join NATO forces in military airstrikes against Yugoslavia Recorded March 24, 1999 | |
Other offices
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Personal
40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas 42nd President of the United States Tenure
Policies
Appointments Presidential campaigns
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William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe; born August 19, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the attorney general of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979 and as the governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1992. Clinton, whose policies reflected a centrist "Third Way" political philosophy, became known as a New Democrat.
Born and raised in Arkansas, Clinton graduated from Georgetown University in 1968, and later from Yale Law School, where he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham. After graduating from law school, Clinton returned to Arkansas and won election as state attorney general, followed by two non-consecutive tenures as Arkansas governor. As governor, he overhauled the state's education system and served as chairman of the National Governors Association. Clinton was elected president in the 1992 election, defeating the incumbent Republican Party president George H. W. Bush, and the independent businessman Ross Perot. He became the first president to be born in the Baby Boomer generation.
Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. He signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act but failed to pass his plan for national health care reform. Starting in the mid-1990s, he began an ideological evolution as he became much more conservative in his domestic policy, advocating for and signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, the State Children's Health Insurance Program and financial deregulation measures. He appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer to the U.S. Supreme Court. In foreign policy, Clinton ordered U.S. military intervention in the Bosnian and Kosovo wars, eventually signing the Dayton Peace agreement. He also called for the expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe and many former Warsaw Pact members joined NATO during his presidency. Clinton's foreign policy in the Middle East saw him sign the Iraq Liberation Act which gave aid to groups against Saddam Hussein. He also participated in the Oslo I Accord and Camp David Summit to advance the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, and assisted the Northern Ireland peace process.
Clinton won re-election in the 1996 election, defeating Republican nominee Bob Dole and Reform Party nominee Perot. In his second term, Clinton made use of permanent normal trade. Most of the accomplishments of his second term were overshadowed by the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal, when it was revealed that he had been engaging in a years-long sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. In 1998, news of the affair made tabloid headlines. This scandal escalated throughout the year, culminating in December when Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives, becoming the first U.S. president to be impeached since Andrew Johnson. The two impeachment articles that the House passed were centered around perjury and Clinton using the powers of the presidency to commit obstruction of justice. In January 1999, Clinton's impeachment trial began in the Senate, where he was acquitted two months later on both charges. During the last three years of Clinton's presidency, the Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus—the first such surplus since 1969.
Clinton left office in 2001 with the joint-highest approval rating of any U.S. president. His presidency ranks among the middle to upper tier in historical rankings of U.S. presidents. However, his personal conduct and misconduct allegations have made him the subject of substantial scrutiny. Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the Clinton Foundation to address international causes such as the prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2009, he was named the United Nations special envoy to Haiti. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Clinton founded the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund with George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He has remained active in Democratic Party politics, campaigning for his wife's 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns.
Early life and career
Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, at Julia Chester Hospital in Hope, Arkansas. He is the son of William Jefferson Blythe Jr., a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before his birth, and Virginia Dell Cassidy (later Virginia Kelley). Blythe had initially survived the crash, but drowned in a drainage ditch. His parents had married on September 4, 1943, but this union later proved to be bigamous, as Blythe was still married to his fourth wife. Virginia traveled to New Orleans to study nursing soon after Bill was born, leaving him in Hope with her parents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and ran a small grocery store. At a time when the southern United States was racially segregated, Clinton's grandparents sold goods on credit to people of all races. In 1950, Bill's mother returned from nursing school and married Roger Clinton Sr., who co-owned an automobile dealership in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with his brother and Earl T. Ricks. The family moved to Hot Springs in 1950.
Although he immediately assumed use of his stepfather's surname, it was not until Clinton turned 15 that he formally adopted the surname Clinton as a gesture toward him. Clinton has described his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr. The physical abuse only ceased after a then-14-year-old Bill challenged his stepfather to "stand and face" him, though the verbal/emotional abuse continued. Bill would eventually forgive Roger Sr. for his abusive actions near the latter's death.
In Hot Springs, Clinton attended St. John's Catholic Elementary School, Ramble Elementary School, and the segregated Hot Springs High School, where he was an active student leader, avid reader, and musician. Clinton was in the chorus and played the tenor saxophone, winning first chair in the state band's saxophone section. While in high school, Clinton performed for two years in a jazz trio, The 3 Kings, with Randy Goodrum, who became a successful professional pianist.
In 1961, Clinton became a member of the Hot Springs Chapter of the Order of DeMolay, a youth group affiliated with Freemasonry, but he never became a Freemason. 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.Clinton began an interest in law at Hot Springs High, when he took up the challenge to argue the defense of the ancient Roman senator Catiline in a mock trial in his Latin class. After a vigorous defense that made use of his "budding rhetorical and political skills", he told the Latin teacher Elizabeth Buck it "made him realize that someday he would study law".
Clinton has identified two influential moments in his life, both occurring in 1963, that contributed to his decision to become a public figure. One was his visit as a Boys Nation senator to the White House to meet President John F. Kennedy. The other was watching Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech on TV, which impressed him so much that he later memorized it.
College and law school years
Georgetown University
With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a Bachelor of Science in foreign service degree in 1968. Georgetown was the only university where Clinton applied.
In 1964 and 1965, Clinton won elections for class president. From 1964 to 1967, he was an intern and then a clerk in the office of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. While in college, he became a brother of service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity.
Oxford
Upon graduating from Georgetown in 1968, Clinton won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford, where he initially read for a B.Phil. in philosophy, politics, and economics but transferred to a B.Litt. in politics and, ultimately, a B.Phil. in politics. Clinton did not expect to return for the second year because of the draft and so he switched programs; this type of activity was common among other Rhodes Scholars from his cohort. He had received an offer to study at Yale Law School, and so he left early to return to the United States and did not receive a degree from Oxford.
During his time at Oxford, Clinton befriended fellow American Rhodes Scholar Frank Aller. In 1969, Aller received a draft letter that mandated deployment to the Vietnam War. Aller's 1971 suicide had an influential impact on Clinton. British writer and feminist Sara Maitland said of Clinton, "I remember Bill and Frank Aller taking me to a pub in Walton Street in the summer term of 1969 and talking to me about the Vietnam War. I knew nothing about it, and when Frank began to describe the napalming of civilians I began to cry. Bill said that feeling bad wasn't good enough. That was the first time I encountered the idea that liberal sensitivities weren't enough and you had to do something about such things". Clinton was a member of the Oxford University Basketball Club and also played for Oxford University's rugby union team.
While Clinton was president in 1994, he received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree and a fellowship from the University of Oxford, specifically for being "a doughty and tireless champion of the cause of world peace", having "a powerful collaborator in his wife", and for winning "general applause for his achievement of resolving the gridlock that prevented an agreed budget".
Vietnam War opposition and draft controversy
During the Vietnam War, Clinton received educational draft deferments while he was in England in 1968 and 1969. While at Oxford, he participated in Vietnam War protests and organized a Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam event in October 1969. He was planning to attend law school in the U.S. and knew he might lose his deferment. Clinton tried unsuccessfully to obtain positions in the National Guard and the Air Force officer candidate school, and he then made arrangements to join the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Arkansas.
He subsequently decided not to join the ROTC, saying in a letter to the officer in charge of the program that he opposed the war, but did not think it was honorable to use ROTC, National Guard, or Reserve service to avoid serving in Vietnam. He further stated that because he opposed the war, he would not volunteer to serve in uniform, but would subject himself to the draft, and would serve if selected only as a way "to maintain my political viability within the system". Clinton registered for the draft and received a high number (311), meaning that those whose birthdays had been drawn as numbers 1 to 310 would be drafted before him, making it unlikely he would be called up. (In fact, the highest number drafted was 195.)
Colonel Eugene Holmes, the Army officer who had been involved with Clinton's ROTC application, suspected that Clinton attempted to manipulate the situation to avoid the draft and avoid serving in uniform. He issued a notarized statement during the 1992 presidential campaign:
I was informed by the draft board that it was of interest to Senator Fulbright's office that Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar, should be admitted to the ROTC program ... I believe that he purposely deceived me, using the possibility of joining the ROTC as a ploy to work with the draft board to delay his induction and get a new draft classification.During the 1992 campaign, it was revealed that Clinton's uncle had attempted to secure him a position in the Navy Reserve, which would have prevented him from being deployed to Vietnam. This effort was unsuccessful and Clinton said in 1992 that he had been unaware of it until then. Although legal, Clinton's actions with respect to the draft and deciding whether to serve in the military were criticized during his first presidential campaign by conservatives and some Vietnam veterans, some of whom charged that he had used Fulbright's influence to avoid military service. Clinton's 1992 campaign manager, James Carville, successfully argued that Clinton's letter in which he declined to join the ROTC should be made public, insisting that voters, many of whom had also opposed the Vietnam War, would understand and appreciate his position.
Law school
After Oxford, Clinton attended Yale Law School and earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1973. In 1971, he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham, in the Yale Law Library; she was a class year ahead of him. They began dating and were soon inseparable. After only about a month, Clinton postponed his summer plans to be a coordinator for the George McGovern campaign for the 1972 United States presidential election in order to move in with her in California. The couple continued living together in New Haven when they returned to law school.
Clinton eventually moved to Texas with Rodham in 1972 to take a job leading McGovern's effort there. He spent considerable time in Dallas, at the campaign's local headquarters on Lemmon Avenue, where he had an office. Clinton worked with future two-term mayor of Dallas Ron Kirk, future governor of Texas Ann Richards, and then unknown television director and filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
Failed congressional campaign and tenure as Attorney General of Arkansas
Further information: Electoral history of Bill ClintonAfter graduating from Yale Law School, Clinton returned to Arkansas and became a law professor at the University of Arkansas. In 1974, he ran for the House of Representatives. Running in the conservative 3rd district against incumbent Republican John Paul Hammerschmidt, Clinton's campaign was bolstered by the anti-Republican and anti-incumbent mood resulting from the Watergate scandal. Hammerschmidt, who had received 77 percent of the vote in 1972, defeated Clinton by only a 52 percent to 48 percent margin. In 1976, Clinton ran for Arkansas attorney general. Defeating the secretary of state and the deputy attorney general in the Democratic primary, Clinton was elected with no opposition at all in the general election, as no Republican had run for the office.
Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)
Main article: Governorships of Bill ClintonIn 1978, Clinton entered the Arkansas gubernatorial primary. At just 31 years old, he was one of the youngest gubernatorial candidates in the state's history. Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas in 1978, having defeated the Republican candidate Lynn Lowe, a farmer from Texarkana. Clinton was only 32 years old when he took office, the youngest governor in the country at the time and the second youngest governor in the history of Arkansas. Due to his youthful appearance, Clinton was often called the "Boy Governor". He worked on educational reform and directed the maintenance of Arkansas's roads, with wife Hillary leading a successful committee on urban health care reform. However, 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. Monroe Schwarzlose, of Kingsland in Cleveland County, polled 31 percent of the vote against Clinton in the Democratic gubernatorial primary of 1980. Some suggested Schwarzlose's unexpected voter turnout foreshadowed Clinton's defeat by Republican challenger Frank D. White in the general election that year. As Clinton once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history.
After leaving office in January 1981, Clinton joined friend Bruce Lindsey's Little Rock law firm of Wright, Lindsey and Jennings. In 1982, he was elected governor a second time and kept the office for ten years. Effective with the 1986 election, Arkansas had changed its gubernatorial term of office from two to four years. During his term, he helped transform Arkansas's economy and improved the state's educational system. For senior citizens, he removed the sales tax from medications and increased the home property-tax exemption. He became a leading figure among the New Democrats, a group of Democrats who advocated welfare reform, smaller government, and other policies not supported by liberals. Formally organized as the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), the New Democrats argued that in light of President Ronald Reagan's landslide victory in 1984, the Democratic Party needed to adopt a more centrist political stance in order to succeed at the national level. Clinton delivered the Democratic response to Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address and served as chair of the National Governors Association from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas.
In the early 1980s, Clinton made reform of the Arkansas education system a top priority of his gubernatorial administration. The Arkansas Education Standards Committee was chaired by Clinton's wife Hillary, who was also an attorney as well as the chair of the Legal Services Corporation. The committee transformed Arkansas's education system. Proposed reforms included more spending for schools (supported by a sales-tax increase), better opportunities for gifted children, vocational education, higher teachers' salaries, more course variety, and compulsory teacher competency exams. The reforms passed in September 1983 after Clinton called a special legislative session—the longest in Arkansas history. Many have considered this the greatest achievement of the Clinton governorship. He defeated four Republican candidates for governor: Lowe (1978), White (1982 and 1986), Jonesboro businessmen Woody Freeman (1984), and Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock (1990).
Also in the 1980s, the Clintons' personal and business affairs included transactions that became the basis of the Whitewater controversy investigation, which later dogged his presidential administration. After extensive investigation over several years, no indictments were made against the Clintons related to the years in Arkansas.
According to some sources, Clinton was a death penalty opponent in his early years, but he eventually switched positions. However he might have felt previously, by 1992, Clinton was insisting that Democrats "should no longer feel guilty about protecting the innocent". During Clinton's final term as governor, Arkansas performed its first executions since 1964 (the death penalty had been reinstated in 1976). As Governor, he oversaw the first four executions carried out by the state of Arkansas since the death penalty was reinstated there in 1976: one by electric chair and three by lethal injection. To draw attention to his stance on capital punishment, Clinton flew home to Arkansas mid-campaign in 1992, in order to affirm in person that the controversial execution of Ricky Ray Rector, would go forward as scheduled.
Scandals and allegations
During his time as governor in the 1980s, Arkansas was the center of a drug smuggling operation through Mena Airport. CIA agent Barry Seal allegedly imported three to five billion dollars worth of cocaine through the airport, and the operation was linked to the Iran–Contra affair. Clinton was accused of knowing about this operation, although nothing could be proven against him. Journalist Sam Smith tied him to various questionable business dealings. Clinton was also accused by Gennifer Flowers to have used cocaine as governor and his half-brother Roger was sentenced to prison in 1985 for possession and smuggling of cocaine, but was later pardoned by his brother after serving his sentence. During his time in Arkansas, there were also other scandals such as the Whitewater controversy involving the Clintons' real estate dealings, and Bill Clinton was accused of serious sexual misconduct in Arkansas, including allegations of using the Arkansas State Police to gain access to women (Troopergate affair). The killing of Don Henry and Kevin Ives in 1987 started various conspiracy theories that accused Clinton and the Arkansas state authorities of covering up the crime.
1988 Democratic presidential primaries
In 1987, the media speculated that Clinton would enter the presidential race. Clinton decided to remain as Arkansas governor (following consideration for the potential candidacy of Hillary for governor, initially favored—but ultimately vetoed—by the First Lady). For the nomination, Clinton endorsed Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis. He gave the nationally televised opening night address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, but his speech, which was 33 minutes long and twice the length it was expected to be, was criticized for being too long. Clinton presented himself both as a moderate and as a member of the New Democrat wing of the Democratic Party, and he headed the moderate Democratic Leadership Council in 1990 and 1991.
1992 United States presidential election
Main articles: Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign, 1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries, and 1992 United States presidential electionIn the first primary contest, the Iowa Caucus, Clinton finished a distant third to Iowa senator Tom Harkin. During the campaign for the New Hampshire primary, reports surfaced that Clinton had engaged in an extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers. Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts senator Paul Tsongas in the New Hampshire polls. Following Super Bowl XXVI, Clinton and his wife Hillary went on 60 Minutes to rebuff the charges. 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. News outlets labeled him "The Comeback Kid" for earning a firm second-place finish.
Winning the big prizes of Florida and Texas and many of the Southern primaries on Super Tuesday 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 his native South. With no major Southern state remaining, Clinton targeted New York, which had many delegates. He scored a resounding victory in New York City, shedding his image as a regional candidate. 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.
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. Clinton argued the questions were moot because all transactions with the state had been deducted before determining Hillary's firm pay. Further concern arose when Bill Clinton announced that, with Hillary, voters would be getting two presidents "for the price of one".
Clinton was still the governor of Arkansas while campaigning for U.S. president, and he returned to his home state 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 did not understand the idea of death. According to both Arkansas state law and federal law, a seriously mentally impaired inmate cannot be executed. The courts disagreed with the allegation of grave mental impairment and allowed the execution. Clinton's return to Arkansas for the execution was framed in an article for The New York Times as a possible political move to counter "soft on crime" accusations.
Bush's approval ratings were around 80 percent during the Gulf War, and he was described as unbeatable. When Bush compromised with Democrats to try to lower federal deficits, he reneged on his promise not to raise taxes, which hurt his approval rating. Clinton repeatedly condemned Bush for making a promise he failed to keep. By election time, the economy was souring and Bush saw his approval rating plummet to just slightly over 40 percent. 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. 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. Many Democrats who had supported Ronald Reagan and Bush in previous elections switched their support to Clinton. Clinton and his running mate, Al Gore, toured the country during the final weeks of the campaign, shoring up support and pledging a "new beginning".
On March 26, 1992, during a Democratic fund raiser of the presidential campaign, Robert Rafsky confronted then Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and asked what he was going to do about AIDS, to which Clinton replied, "I feel your pain". The televised exchange led to AIDS becoming an issue in the 1992 presidential election. On April 4, then candidate Clinton met with members of ACT UP and other leading AIDS advocates to discuss his AIDS agenda and agreed to make a major AIDS policy speech, to have people with HIV speak to the Democratic Convention, and to sign onto the AIDS United Action five point plan.
Clinton won the 1992 presidential election (370 electoral votes) against Republican incumbent George H. W. Bush (168 electoral votes) and billionaire populist Ross Perot (zero electoral votes), who ran as an independent on a platform that focused on domestic issues. Bush's steep decline in public approval was a significant part of Clinton's success. Clinton's victory in the 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, the first time one party controlled both the executive and legislative branches since Democrats held the 96th United States Congress during the presidency of Jimmy Carter.
According to Seymour Martin Lipset, the 1992 election had several unique characteristics. Voters felt that economic conditions were worse than they actually were, which harmed Bush. A rare event was the presence of a strong third-party candidate. Liberals launched a backlash against 12 years of a conservative White House. The chief factor was Clinton's uniting his party, and winning over a number of heterogeneous groups.
Presidency (1993–2001)
Main article: Presidency of Bill Clinton For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Bill Clinton presidency.Clinton's "third way" of moderate liberalism built up the nation's fiscal health and put the nation on a firm footing abroad amid globalization and the development of anti-American terrorist organizations.
During his presidency, Clinton advocated for a wide variety of legislation and programs, most of which were enacted into law or implemented by the executive branch. His policies, particularly the North American Free Trade Agreement and welfare reform, have been attributed to a centrist Third Way philosophy of governance. His policy of fiscal conservatism helped to reduce deficits on budgetary matters. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history.
The Congressional Budget Office reported budget surpluses of $69 billion in 1998, $126 billion in 1999, and $236 billion in 2000, during the last three years of Clinton's presidency. Over the years of the recorded surplus, the gross national debt rose each year. At the end of the fiscal year (September 30) for each of the years a surplus was recorded, the U.S. Treasury reported a gross debt of $5.413 trillion in 1997, $5.526 trillion in 1998, $5.656 trillion in 1999, and $5.674 trillion in 2000. Over the same period, the Office of Management and Budget reported an end of year (December 31) gross debt of $5.369 trillion in 1997, $5.478 trillion in 1998, $5.606 in 1999, and $5.629 trillion in 2000. At the end of his presidency, the Clintons moved to 15 Old House Lane in Chappaqua, New York, in order to quell political worries about his wife's residency for election as a U.S. Senator from New York.
First term (1993–1997)
First inauguration of Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993) Video of the First inauguration of Bill ClintonFirst inauguration of Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993) audio only version
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Inaugural address, January 20, 1993."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."
After his presidential transition, Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United States on January 20, 1993. Clinton was physically exhausted at the time, and had an inexperienced staff. His high levels of public support dropped in the first few weeks, as he made a series of mistakes. His first choice for attorney general had not paid her taxes on babysitters and was forced to withdraw. The second appointee also withdrew for the same reason. Clinton had repeatedly promised to encourage gays in the military service, despite what he knew to be the strong opposition of the military leadership. He tried anyway, and was publicly opposed by the top generals, and forced by Congress to a compromise position of "Don't ask, don't tell" whereby gays could serve if and only if they kept it secret. He devised a $16-billion stimulus package primarily to aid inner-city programs desired by liberals, but it was defeated by a Republican filibuster in the Senate. His popularity at the 100 day mark of his term was the lowest of any president at that point.
Public opinion did support one liberal program, and 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. This action had bipartisan support, and was popular with the public.
Two days after taking office, on January 22, 1993—the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade—Clinton reversed restrictions on domestic and international family planning programs that had been imposed by Reagan and Bush. Clinton said abortion should be kept "safe, legal, and rare"—a slogan that had been suggested by political scientist Samuel L. Popkin and first used by Clinton in December 1991, while campaigning. During the eight years of the Clinton administration, the abortion rate declined by 18 percent.
On February 15, 1993, Clinton made his first address to the nation, announcing his plan to raise taxes to close a budget deficit. Two days later, in a nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress, Clinton unveiled his economic plan. The plan focused on reducing the deficit rather than on cutting taxes for the middle class, which had been high on his campaign agenda. Clinton's advisers pressured him to raise taxes, based on the theory that a smaller federal budget deficit would reduce bond interest rates.
President Clinton's attorney general Janet Reno authorized the FBI's use of armored vehicles to deploy tear gas into the buildings of the Branch Davidian community near Waco, Texas, in hopes of ending a 51 day siege. During the operation on April 19, 1993, the buildings caught fire and 75 of the residents died, including 24 children. The raid had originally been planned by the Bush administration; Clinton had played no role.
In August, Clinton signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, which passed Congress without a Republican vote. It cut taxes for 15 million low-income families, made tax cuts available to 90 percent of small businesses, and raised taxes on the wealthiest 1.2 percent of taxpayers. Additionally, it mandated that the budget be balanced over many years through the implementation of spending restraints.
On September 22, 1993, Clinton made a major speech to Congress regarding a health care reform plan; the program aimed at achieving universal coverage through a national health care plan. This was one of the most prominent items on Clinton's legislative agenda and resulted from a task force headed by Hillary Clinton. The plan was well received in political circles, but it was eventually doomed by well-organized lobby opposition from conservatives, the American Medical Association, and the health insurance industry. However, Clinton biographer John F. Harris said the program failed because of a lack of coordination within the White House. Despite the Democratic majority in Congress, the effort to create a national health care system ultimately died when compromise legislation by George J. Mitchell failed to gain a majority of support in August 1994. The failure of the bill was the first major legislative defeat of the Clinton administration.
On November 30, 1993, Clinton signed into law the Brady Bill, which mandated federal background checks on people who purchase firearms in the United States. The law also imposed a five-day waiting period on purchases, until the NICS system was implemented in 1998. He also expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, a subsidy for low-income workers.
In December of the same year, allegations by Arkansas state troopers Larry Patterson and Roger Perry were first reported by David Brock in The American Spectator. In the affair later known as "Troopergate", the officers alleged that they had arranged sexual liaisons for Clinton back when he was governor of Arkansas. The story mentioned a woman named Paula, a reference to Paula Jones. Brock later apologized to Clinton, saying the article was politically motivated "bad journalism", and that "the troopers were greedy and had slimy motives".
That month, Clinton implemented a Department of Defense directive known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", which allowed gay men and women to serve in the armed services provided they kept their sexual orientation a secret. The Act forbade the military from inquiring about an individual's sexual orientation. The policy was developed as a compromise after Clinton's proposal to allow gays to serve openly in the military met staunch opposition from prominent Congressional Republicans and Democrats, including senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Sam Nunn (D-GA). According to David Mixner, Clinton's support for the compromise led to a heated dispute with Vice President Al Gore, who felt that "the President should lift the ban ... even though was sure to be overridden by the Congress". Some gay-rights advocates criticized Clinton for not going far enough and accused him of making his campaign promise to get votes and contributions. Their position was that Clinton should have integrated the military by executive order, noting that President Harry S. Truman used executive order to racially desegregate the armed forces. Clinton's defenders argued that an executive order might have prompted the Senate to write the exclusion of gays into law, potentially making it harder to integrate the military in the future. Later in his presidency, in 1999, Clinton criticized the way the policy was implemented, saying he did not think any serious person could say it was not "out of whack". The policy remained controversial, and was finally repealed in 2011, removing open sexual orientation as a reason for dismissal from the armed forces.
Remarks on the Signing of NAFTA (December 8, 1993) Clinton's December 8, 1993, remarks on the signing of the North American Free Trade AgreementRemarks on the Signing of NAFTA (December 8, 1993) audio only version
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On January 1, 1994, Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement into law. Throughout his first year in office, Clinton consistently supported ratification of the treaty by the U.S. Senate. Clinton and most of his allies in the Democratic Leadership Committee strongly supported free trade measures; there remained, however, strong disagreement within the party. Opposition came chiefly from anti-trade Republicans, protectionist Democrats and supporters of Ross Perot. The bill passed the house with 234 votes in favor and 200 votes opposed (132 Republicans and 102 Democrats in favor; 156 Democrats, 43 Republicans, and one independent opposed). The treaty was then ratified by the Senate and signed into law by the president.
On July 29, 1994, the Clinton administration launched the first official White House website, whitehouse.gov. The site was followed with three more versions, with the final version being launched on July 21, 2000. 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 July 17, 1996, Clinton issued Executive Order 13011—Federal Information Technology, ordering the heads of all federal agencies to utilize information technology fully to make the information of the agency easily accessible to the public."
The Omnibus Crime Bill, which Clinton signed into law in September 1994, made many changes to U.S. crime and law enforcement legislation including the expansion of the death penalty to include crimes not resulting in death, such as running a large-scale drug enterprise. 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." It also included a subsection of assault weapons ban for a ten-year period.
After two years of Democratic Party control, the Democrats lost control of Congress to the Republicans in the mid-term elections in 1994, for the first time in forty years.
A speech delivered by President Bill Clinton at the December 6, 1995 White House Conference on HIV/AIDS projected that a cure for AIDS and a vaccine to prevent further infection would be developed. The President focused on his administration's accomplishments and efforts related to the epidemic, including an accelerated drug-approval process. He also condemned homophobia and discrimination against people with HIV. Clinton announced three new initiatives: creating a special working group to coordinate AIDS research throughout the federal government; convening public health experts to develop an action plan that integrates HIV prevention with substance abuse prevention; and launching a new effort by the Department of Justice to ensure that health care facilities provide equal access to people with HIV and AIDS. 1996 would mark the first year since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses would decline, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even later reporting a significant 47% decline in the number of AIDS-related deaths in 1997 compared to the previous year. Credit for this decline would be given to the growing effectiveness of new drug therapy which was promoted by the Clinton Administration's Department of Health and Human Services, such as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
On September 21, 1996, Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage for federal purposes as the legal union of one man and one woman; the legislation allowed individual states to refuse to recognize gay marriages that were performed in other states. Paul Yandura, speaking for the White House gay and lesbian liaison office, said Clinton's signing DOMA "was a political decision that they made at the time of a re-election". In defense of his actions, Clinton has said that DOMA was intended to "head off an attempt to send a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the states", a possibility he described as highly likely in the context of a "very reactionary Congress". Administration spokesman Richard Socarides said, "the alternatives we knew were going to be far worse, and it was time to move on and get the president re-elected." Clinton himself said DOMA was something "which the Republicans put on the ballot to try to get the base vote for Bush up, I think it's obvious that something had to be done to try to keep the Republican Congress from presenting that"; others were more critical. The veteran gay rights and gay marriage activist Evan Wolfson has called these claims "historic revisionism". Despite this, it has been noted that other than a brief written response to a Reader's Digest that questioned whether he agreed with it, Clinton had made no documented reference to the issue of gay marriage until May 1996. In a July 2, 2011, editorial The New York Times opined, "The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted in 1996 as an election-year wedge issue, signed by President Bill Clinton in one of his worst policy moments." Ultimately, in United States v. Windsor, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA in June 2013.
Despite DOMA, Clinton was the first president to select openly gay persons for administrative positions, and he is generally credited as being the first president to publicly champion gay rights. During his presidency, Clinton issued two substantially controversial executive orders on behalf of gay rights, the first lifting the ban on security clearances for LGBT federal employees and the second outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce. Under Clinton's leadership, federal funding for HIV/AIDS research, prevention and treatment more than doubled. Clinton also pushed for passing hate crimes laws for gays and for the private sector Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which, buoyed by his lobbying, failed to pass the Senate by a single vote in 1996. Advocacy for these issues, paired with the politically unpopular nature of the gay rights movement at the time, led to enthusiastic support for Clinton's election and reelection by the Human Rights Campaign. Clinton came out for gay marriage in July 2009 and urged the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA in 2013. He was later honored by GLAAD for his prior pro-gay stances and his reversal on DOMA.
Bill Clinton's announcement of Next Generation Internet initiative, October 1996."When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the Worldwide Web ... Now even my cat has its own page."
The 1996 United States campaign finance controversy was an alleged effort by China to influence the domestic policies of the United States, before and during the Clinton administration, and involved the fundraising practices of the administration itself. Despite the evidence, the Chinese government denied all accusations.
As part of a 1996 initiative to curb illegal immigration, Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) on September 30, 1996. Appointed by Clinton, the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform recommended reducing legal immigration from about 800,000 people a year to about 550,000.
In November 1996, Clinton narrowly escaped possible assassination in the Philippines, which was a bridge bomb planted by al-Qaeda and was masterminded by Osama bin Laden. During Clinton's presidency, the attempt remained top secret, and it remains classified as of March 2024, when Reuters reported having spoken with eight retired secret service agents about the incident.
1996 presidential campaign
Main articles: Bill Clinton 1996 presidential campaign, 1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries, and 1996 United States presidential electionLeading up to the 1996 presidential election, Clinton's chances of being re-elected initially seemed slim, partially due to his growing untrust among the general public due to the Whitewater controversy and the lopsided defeat of national Democrats in the 1994 elections. His approval rating got as low as 40 percent in early 1995, which led to several high-profile Democrats suggesting he drop out of the race. However in mid-1995, as a result of a rebounding economy and the growing unpopularity of congressional Republicans, public opinion of Clinton steadily up-ticked and early 1996 polls found he had a lead of up to 20 points over his likely Republican opponent Bob Dole.
Unlike Bush in the 1992 election, Clinton's incumbency greatly benefited him in the general election, as most Americans felt the country was going in the right direction. Along with Dole, Clinton once again faced Ross Perot, who was nominated by the Reform Party, but he garnered significantly less support than he did in the 1992 election. In the month leading up the election, pundits were predicting a big win for Clinton, as his approval rating saw a high of 60 percent and pollsters finding he was favored with voters in over 30 states.
On election day, Clinton won 379 electoral votes, securing reelection and defeating Dole, who received 159 electoral votes. Clinton garnered 49.2 percent of the popular vote to Dole's 40.7 percent and Perot's 8.4 percent. With his victory, he became the first Democrat to win two consecutive presidential elections since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Second term (1997–2001)
In the January 1997, State of the Union address, Clinton proposed a new initiative to provide health coverage to up to five million children. Senators Ted Kennedy—a Democrat—and Orrin Hatch—a Republican—teamed up with Hillary Rodham Clinton and her staff in 1997, and succeeded in passing legislation forming the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the largest (successful) health care reform in the years of the Clinton Presidency. That year, Hillary Clinton shepherded through Congress the Adoption and Safe Families Act and two years later she succeeded in helping pass the Foster Care Independence Act. Bill Clinton negotiated the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 by the Republican Congress.
In October 1997, Clinton announced he was getting hearing aids, due to hearing loss attributed to his age, and his time spent as a musician in his youth. In 1999, he signed into law the Financial Services Modernization Act also known as the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, which repealed the part of the Glass–Steagall Act that had prohibited a bank from offering a full range of investment, commercial banking, and insurance services since its enactment in 1933.
Investigations
In November 1993, David Hale—the source of criminal allegations against Bill Clinton in the Whitewater controversy—alleged that while governor of Arkansas, Clinton pressured Hale to provide an illegal $300,000 loan to Susan McDougal, the Clintons' partner in the Whitewater land deal. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation resulted in convictions against the McDougals for their role in the Whitewater project, but the Clintons themselves were never charged, and Clinton maintains his and his wife's innocence in the affair. Investigations by Robert B. Fiske and Ken Starr found insufficient to evidence to prosecute the Clintons.
The White House FBI files controversy of June 1996 arose concerning improper access by the White House 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 there was no credible evidence of any crime. Ray's report further stated, "there was no substantial and credible evidence that any senior White House official was involved" in seeking the files.
On May 19, 1993, Clinton fired seven employees of the White House Travel Office. This caused the White House travel office controversy even though the travel office staff served at the pleasure of the president and could be dismissed without cause. The White House responded to the controversy by claiming that the firings were done in response to financial improprieties that had been revealed by a brief FBI investigation. Critics contended that the firings had been done to allow friends of the Clintons to take over the travel business and the involvement of the FBI was unwarranted. The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee issued a report which accused the Clinton administration of having obstructed their efforts to investigate the affair. Special counsel Robert Fiske said that Hillary Clinton was involved in the firing and gave "factually false" testimony to the GAO, congress, and the independent counsel. However Fiske said there was not enough evidence to prosecute.
Impeachment and acquittal
Main articles: Impeachment of Bill Clinton and Impeachment trial of Bill ClintonAfter a House inquiry, Clinton was impeached on December 19, 1998, by the House of Representatives. The House voted 228–206 to impeach him for perjury to a grand jury and voted 221–212 to impeach him for obstruction of justice. Clinton was only the second U.S. president (the first being Andrew Johnson) to be impeached. Impeachment proceedings were based on allegations that Clinton had illegally lied about and covered up his relationship with 22-year-old White House (and later Department of Defense) employee Monica Lewinsky. After the Starr Report was submitted to the House providing what it termed "substantial and credible information that President Clinton Committed Acts that May Constitute Grounds for an Impeachment", the House began impeachment hearings against Clinton before the mid-term elections. To hold impeachment proceedings, Republican leadership called a lame-duck session in December 1998.
While the House Judiciary Committee hearings ended in a straight party-line vote, there was lively debate on the House floor. The two charges passed in the House (largely with 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 before a grand jury that had been convened to investigate perjury he may have committed in his sworn deposition during Jones v. Clinton, Paula Jones's sexual harassment lawsuit. The obstruction charge was based on his actions to conceal his relationship with Lewinsky before and after that deposition.
The Senate later acquitted Clinton of both charges. The Senate refused to meet 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. The Senate finished a twenty-one-day trial on February 12, 1999, with the vote of 55 not guilty/45 guilty on the perjury charge and 50 not guilty/50 guilty on the obstruction of justice charge. Both votes fell short of the constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an officeholder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty, and only a handful of Republicans voting not guilty.
On January 19, 2001, Clinton's law license was suspended for five years after he acknowledged to an Arkansas circuit court he had engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice in the Jones case. On October 1, the U.S. Supreme Court suspended Clinton from practicing law in the high court, citing fallout from the Lewinsky scandal, but rather than appealing the decision he resigned from the bar entirely.
Pardons and commutations
Clinton issued 141 pardons and 36 commutations on his last day in office on January 20, 2001. 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. Federal prosecutor Mary Jo White was appointed to investigate the pardon of Rich. She was later replaced by then-Republican James Comey. The investigation found no wrongdoing on Clinton's part. Clinton also pardoned four defendants in the Whitewater Scandal, Chris Wade, Susan McDougal, Stephen Smith, and Robert W. Palmer, all of whom had ties to Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. Former Clinton HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, was also among Clinton's pardons.
Campaign finance controversies
Further information: Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy and 1996 United States campaign finance controversyIn February 1997 it was discovered upon documents being released by the Clinton Administration that 938 people had stayed at the White House and that 821 of them had made donations to the Democratic Party and got the opportunity to stay in the Lincoln bedroom as a result of the donations. Some donors included Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Jane Fonda, and Judy Collins. Top donors also got golf games and morning jogs with Clinton as a result of the contributions. Janet Reno was called on to investigate the matter by Trent Lott, but she refused.
In 1996, it was found that several Chinese foreigners made contributions to Clinton's reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee with the backing of the People's Republic of China. Some of them also attempted to donate to Clinton's defense fund. This violated United States law forbidding non-American citizens from making campaign contributions. Clinton and Al Gore also allegedly met with the foreign donors. A Republican investigation led by Fred Thompson found that Clinton was targeted by the Chinese government. However, Democratic senators Joe Lieberman and John Glenn said that the evidence showed that China only targeted congressional elections and not presidential elections.
Military and foreign affairs
Further information: Foreign policy of the Bill Clinton administrationSomalia
American troops had first entered Somalia during the Bush administration in response to a humanitarian crisis and civil war. Though initially involved to assist humanitarian efforts, the Clinton administration shifted the objectives set out in the mission and began pursuing a policy of attempting to neutralize Somali warlords. In 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu, two U.S. helicopters were shot down by rocket-propelled grenade attacks to their tail rotors, trapping soldiers behind enemy lines. This resulted in an urban battle that killed 18 American soldiers, wounded 73 others, and resulted in one being taken prisoner. Television news programs depicted the supporters of warlord Mohammed Aidid desecrating the corpses of troops. The backlash resulting from the incident prompted in a drop in support for American intervention in the country and coincided with a more cautious use of troops throughout the rest of the Clinton administration. Following a subsequent national security policy review, U.S. forces were withdrawn from Somalia and later conflicts were approached with fewer soldiers on the ground.
Rwanda
In April 1994, genocide broke out in Rwanda. Intelligence reports indicate that Clinton was aware a "final solution to eliminate all Tutsis" was underway, long before the administration publicly used the word "genocide". Fearing a reprisal of the events in Somalia the previous year, Clinton chose not to intervene. Clinton has called his failure to intervene one of his main foreign policy failings, saying "I don't think we could have ended the violence, but I think we could have cut it down. And I regret it."
Bosnia and Herzegovina
In 1993 and 1994, Clinton pressured Western European leaders to adopt a strong military policy against Bosnian Serbs during the Bosnian War. This strategy faced staunch opposition from the United Nations, NATO allies, and Congressional Republicans, leading Clinton to adopt a more diplomatic approach. In 1995, U.S. and NATO aircraft bombed Bosnian Serb targets to halt attacks on UN safe zones and pressure them into a peace accord that would end the Bosnian war. Clinton deployed U.S. peacekeepers to Bosnia in late 1995, to uphold the subsequent Dayton Agreement.
Irish peace talks
In 1992, before his presidency, Clinton proposed sending a peace envoy to Northern Ireland, but this was dropped to avoid tensions with the British government. In November 1995, in a ceasefire during the Troubles, Clinton became the first president to visit Northern Ireland, examining both of the two divided communities of Belfast. Despite unionist criticism, Clinton used his visit as a way to negotiate an end to the violent conflict, playing a key role in the peace talks that produced the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Iran
Clinton sought to continue the Bush administration's policy of limiting Iranian influence in the Middle East, which he laid out in the dual containment strategy. In 1994, Clinton declared that Iran was a "state sponsor of terrorism" and a "rogue state", marking the first time that an American President used that term. Subsequent executive orders heavily sanctioned Iran's oil industry and banned almost all trade between U.S. companies and the Iranian government. In February 1996, the Clinton administration agreed to pay Iran US$131.8 million (equivalent to $256.05 million in 2023) in settlement to discontinue a case brought by Iran in 1989 against the U.S. in the International Court of Justice after the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser.
Iraq
In Clinton's 1998 State of the Union Address, he warned Congress that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was building an arsenal of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 on October 31, 1998, which instituted a policy of "regime change" against Iraq, though it explicitly stated it did not provide for direct intervention on the part of American military forces. The administration then launched a four-day bombing campaign named Operation Desert Fox, lasting from December 16 to 19, 1998. At the end of this operation Clinton announced that "So long as Saddam remains in power, he will remain a threat to his people, his region, and the world. With our allies, we must pursue a strategy to contain him and to constrain his weapons of mass destruction program, while working toward the day Iraq has a government willing to live at peace with its people and with its neighbors." American and British aircraft in the Iraq no-fly zones attacked hostile Iraqi air defenses 166 times in 1999 and 78 times in 2000.
Osama bin Laden
Capturing Osama bin Laden was an objective of the U.S. government during the Clinton presidency (and continued to be until bin Laden's death in 2011). Despite claims by Mansoor Ijaz and Sudanese officials that the Sudanese government had offered to arrest and extradite bin Laden, and that U.S. authorities rejected each offer, the 9/11 Commission Report stated that "we have not found any reliable evidence to support the Sudanese claim".
In response to a 1996 State Department warning about bin Laden and the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa by al-Qaeda (which killed 224 people, including 12 Americans), Clinton ordered several military missions to capture or kill bin Laden, all of which were unsuccessful. In August 1998, Clinton ordered cruise missile strikes on terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Sudan, targeting the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan, which was suspected of assisting bin Laden in making chemical weapons, and bin Laden's terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. The factory was destroyed by the attack, resulting in the death of one employee and the wounding of 11 other people. After the destruction of the factory, there was a medicine shortage in Sudan due to the plant providing 50 percent of Sudan's medicine, and the destruction of the plant led to a shortage of chloroquine, a drug which is used to treat malaria. U.S. officials later acknowledged that there was no evidence the plant was acknowledging manufacturing or storing nerve gas. The attack provoked criticism of Clinton from journalists and academics including Christopher Hitchens, Seymour Hersh, Max Taylor, and others.
Kosovo
In the midst of a brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in the province of Kosovo by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Clinton authorized the use of U.S. Armed Forces in a NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, named Operation Allied Force. The stated reasoning behind the intervention was to stop the ethnic cleansing (and what the Clinton administration labeled genocide) of Albanians by Yugoslav anti-guerilla military units. 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 to be deployed to the region. NATO announced its soldiers all survived combat, though two died in an Apache helicopter crash. Journalists in the popular press criticized genocide statements by the Clinton administration as false and greatly exaggerated. Prior to the bombing campaign on March 24, 1999, estimates showed that the number of civilians killed in the over year long conflict in Kosovo had been approximately 1,800, with critics asserting that little or no evidence existed of genocide. In a post-war inquiry, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe noted "the patterns of the expulsions and the vast increase in lootings, killings, rape, kidnappings and pillage once the NATO air war began on March 24." In 2001, the UN-supervised Supreme Court of Kosovo ruled that genocide (the intent to destroy a people) did not take place, but recognized "a systematic campaign of terror, including murders, rapes, arsons and severe maltreatments" with the intention being the forceful departure of the Albanian population. 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 little difference. Slobodan Milošević, the president of Yugoslavia at the time of the atrocities, was eventually brought to trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague on charges including crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in the war. He died in 2006, before the completion of the trial.
China
See also: 1996 United States campaign finance controversyClinton aimed to increase trade with China, minimizing import tariffs and offering the country most favoured nation status in 1993, his administration minimized tariff levels in Chinese imports. Clinton initially conditioned extension of this status on human rights reforms, but ultimately decided to extend the status despite a lack of reform in the specified areas, including free emigration, treatment of prisoners in terms of international human rights, and observation of human rights specified by UN resolutions, among others.
Relations were damaged briefly by the American bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in May 1999. Clinton apologized for the bombing, stating it was accidental.
On October 10, 2000, Clinton signed into law the United States–China Relations Act of 2000, which granted permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) trade status to China. The president asserted that free trade would gradually open China to democratic reform.
In encouraging Congress to approve the agreement and China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Clinton stated that more trade with China would advance America's economic interests, saying that "economically, this agreement is the equivalent of a one-way street. It requires China to open its markets—with a fifth of the world's population, potentially the biggest markets in the world—to both our products and services in unprecedented new ways."
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Clinton attempted to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Secret negotiations mediated by Clinton between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat led to a historic declaration of peace in September 1993, called the Oslo Accords, which were signed at the White House on September 13. The agreement led to the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994 and the Wye River Memorandum in October 1998, however, this did not end the conflict. He brought Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat together at Camp David for the 2000 Camp David Summit, which lasted 14 days in July. Following another attempt in December 2000 at Bolling Air Force Base, in which the president offered the Clinton Parameters, the situation broke down completely after the end of the Taba Summit and with the start of the Second Intifada.
Judicial appointments
Main articles: Bill Clinton Supreme Court candidates and List of federal judges appointed by Bill ClintonClinton appointed two justices to the Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993 and Stephen Breyer in 1994. Both justices went on to serve until the 2020s, leaving a lasting judicial legacy for President Clinton.
Clinton was the first president in history to appoint more women and minority judges than white male judges to the federal courts. In his eight years in office, 11.6% of Clinton's court of appeals nominees and 17.4% of his district court nominees were black; 32.8% of his court of appeals nominees and 28.5% of his district court nominees were women.
Public opinion
Throughout Clinton's first term, his job approval rating fluctuated in the 40s and 50s. In his second term, his rating consistently ranged from the high-50s to the high-60s. After his impeachment proceedings in 1998 and 1999, Clinton's rating reached its highest point. According to a CBS News/New York Times poll, Clinton left office with an approval rating of 68 percent, which matched those of Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era. Clinton's average Gallup poll approval rating for his last quarter in office was 61 percent, the highest final quarter rating any president has received for fifty years. Forty-seven percent of the respondents identified themselves as being Clinton supporters.
As he was leaving office, a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll revealed that 45 percent of Americans said they would miss him; 55 percent thought he "would have something worthwhile to contribute and should remain active in public life"; 68 percent thought he would be remembered more for his "involvement in personal scandal" than for "his accomplishments"; and 58 percent answered "No" to the question "Do you generally think Bill Clinton is honest and trustworthy?" The same percentage said he would be remembered as either "outstanding" or "above average" as a president, while 22 percent said he would be remembered as "below average" or "poor". 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." During his first term, roughly 7 in 10 Americans believed that the media unfairly covered Clinton's character flaws, according to polling.
A year after he left office, a Gallup poll found that 51 percent of respondents said they approved of the overall job Clinton did as president. 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. A June 2006 poll by Gallup found that 61 percent of Americans said they approved of the job Clinton did as president, a 10-point increase from the 2002 poll. Gallup polls in 2007 and 2011 showed that Clinton was regarded by 13 percent of Americans as the greatest president in U.S. history.
In 2010, 69 percent of respondents in a Gallup survey said they approved of the job Clinton did as president, including 47 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of independents. His sudden spike in popularity during this time was attributed to Americans comparing him to then-incumbent Democratic president Barack Obama, who had low approval ratings. In 2014, 18 percent of respondents in a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll of American voters regarded Clinton as the best president since World War II, making him the third most popular among postwar presidents, behind John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. The same poll showed that just 3 percent of American voters regarded Clinton as the worst president since World War II.
A 2015 poll by The Washington Post asked 162 scholars of the American Political Science Association to rank all the U.S. presidents in order of greatness. According to their findings, Clinton ranked eighth overall, with a rating of 70 percent.
Public image
Main article: Public image of Bill ClintonClinton was the first baby boomer president. Authors Martin Walker and Bob Woodward stated that Clinton's innovative use of sound bite-ready dialogue, personal charisma, and public perception-oriented campaigning were a major factor in his high public approval ratings. When Clinton played the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show, he was described by some religious conservatives as "the MTV president". Opponents sometimes referred to him as "Slick Willie", a nickname which was first applied to him in 1980 by Pine Bluff Commercial journalist Paul Greenberg; Greenberg believed that Clinton was abandoning the progressive policies of previous Arkansas Governors such as Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. The claim "Slick Willie" would last throughout his presidency. His folksy manner led him to be nicknamed Bubba starting from the 1992 presidential election. Since 2000, he has frequently been referred to as "The Big Dog" or "Big Dog". His prominent role in campaigning for Obama during the 2012 presidential election and his widely publicized speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where he officially nominated Obama and criticized Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Republican policies in detail, earned him the nickname "Explainer-in-Chief".
Clinton drew strong support from the African American community and insisted that the improvement of race relations would be a major theme of his presidency. In 1998, Nobel laureate 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". Morrison noted that Clinton's sex life was scrutinized more than his career accomplishments, and she compared this to the stereotyping and double standards that, she said, black people typically endure. Many viewed this comparison as unfair and disparaging both to Clinton and to the African-American community.
Sexual assault and misconduct allegations
Main article: Bill Clinton sexual assault and misconduct allegationsSeveral women have publicly accused Clinton of sexual misconduct, including rape, harassment, and sexual assault. Additionally, some commentators have characterized Clinton's sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky as predatory or non-consensual, despite the fact that Lewinsky called the relationship consensual at the time. These allegations have been revisited and lent more credence in 2018, in light of the #MeToo movement, with many commentators and Democratic leaders now saying Clinton should have been compelled to resign after the Lewinsky affair.
In 1994, Paula Jones initiated a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton, claiming he had made unwanted advances towards her in 1991; Clinton denied the allegations. In April 1998, the case was initially dismissed by Judge Susan Webber Wright on the grounds that it lacked legal merit. Jones appealed Webber Wright's ruling, and her suit gained traction following Clinton's admission to having an affair with Monica Lewinsky in August 1998. In 1998, lawyers for Paula Jones released court documents that alleged a pattern of sexual harassment by Clinton when he was Governor of Arkansas. Robert S. Bennett, Clinton's main lawyer for the case, called the filing "a pack of lies" and "an organized campaign to smear the President of the United States" funded by Clinton's political enemies. In October 1998, Clinton's attorneys tentatively offered $700,000 to settle the case, which was then the $800,000 which Jones' lawyers sought. Clinton later agreed to an out-of-court settlement and paid Jones $850,000. Bennett said the president made the settlement only so he could end the lawsuit for good and move on with his life. During the deposition for the Jones lawsuit, which was held at the White House, Clinton denied having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky—a denial that became the basis for an impeachment charge of perjury.
In 1998, Kathleen Willey alleged that Clinton had groped her in a hallway in 1993. An independent counsel determined Willey gave "false information" to the FBI, inconsistent with sworn testimony related to the Jones allegation. On March 19, 1998, Julie Hiatt Steele, a friend of Willey, released an affidavit, accusing the former White House aide of asking her to lie to corroborate Ms. Willey's account of being sexually groped by Clinton in the Oval Office. An attempt by Kenneth Starr to prosecute Steele for making false statements and obstructing justice ended in a mistrial and Starr declined to seek a retrial after Steele sought an investigation against the former independent counsel for prosecutorial misconduct.
Also in 1998, Juanita Broaddrick alleged that Clinton had raped her in the spring of 1978, although she said she did not remember the exact date. To support her charge, Broaddrick notes that she told multiple witnesses in 1978 she had been raped by Clinton, something these witnesses also state in interviews to the press. Broaddrick had earlier filed an affidavit denying any "unwelcome sexual advances" and later repeated the denial in a sworn deposition. In a 1998 NBC interview wherein she detailed the alleged rape, Broaddrick said she had denied (under oath) being raped only to avoid testifying about the ordeal publicly.
The Lewinsky scandal has had an enduring impact on Clinton's legacy, beyond his impeachment in 1998. In the wake of the #MeToo movement (which shed light on the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace), various commentators and Democratic political leaders, as well as Lewinsky herself, have revisited their view that the Lewinsky affair was consensual, and instead characterized it as an abuse of power or harassment, in light of the power differential between a president and a 22-year-old intern. In 2018, Clinton was asked in several interviews about whether he should have resigned, and he said he had made the right decision in not resigning. During the 2018 Congressional elections, The New York Times alleged that having no Democratic candidate for office asking Clinton to campaign with them was a change that attributed to the revised understanding of the Lewinsky scandal. However, former DNC interim chair Donna Brazile previously urged Clinton in November 2017 to campaign during the 2018 midterm elections, in spite of New York U.S. senator Kirsten Gillibrand's recent criticism of the Lewinsky scandal.
Alleged affairs
Clinton admitted to having extramarital affairs with singer Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky. Actress Elizabeth Gracen, Miss Arkansas winner Sally Perdue, and Dolly Kyle Browning all claimed that they had affairs with Clinton during his time as governor of Arkansas. Browning later sued Clinton, Bruce Lindsey, Robert S. Bennett, and Jane Mayer, alleging they engaged in a conspiracy to attempt to block her from publishing a book loosely based on her relationship with Clinton and tried to defame him. However, Browning's lawsuit was dismissed.
Post-presidency (2001–present)
Main article: Post-presidency of Bill ClintonActivities until 2008 campaign
In 2002, Clinton warned that pre-emptive military action against Iraq would have unwelcome consequences, and later claimed to have opposed the Iraq War from the start (though some dispute this). In 2005, Clinton criticized the Bush administration for its handling of emissions control, while speaking at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Montreal.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock, Arkansas, was dedicated in 2004. Clinton released a best-selling autobiography, My Life, in 2004. In 2007, he released Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, which also became a New York Times Best Seller and garnered positive reviews.
In the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami, U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan appointed Clinton to head a relief effort. After Hurricane Katrina, Clinton joined with fellow former president George H. W. Bush to establish the Bush-Clinton Tsunami Fund in January 2005, and the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund in October of that year. As part of the tsunami effort, these two ex-presidents appeared in a Super Bowl XXXIX pre-game show, and traveled to the affected areas. They also spoke together at the funeral of Boris Yeltsin in April 2007.
Based on his philanthropic worldview, Clinton created the William J. Clinton Foundation to address issues of global importance. This foundation includes the Clinton Foundation HIV and AIDS Initiative (CHAI), which strives to combat that disease, and has worked with the Australian government toward that end. The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), begun by the Clinton Foundation in 2005, attempts to address world problems such as global public health, poverty alleviation and religious and ethnic conflict. In 2005, Clinton announced through his foundation an agreement with manufacturers to stop selling sugary drinks in schools. Clinton's foundation joined with the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group in 2006 to improve cooperation among those cities, and he met with foreign leaders to promote this initiative. The foundation has received donations from many governments all over the world, including Asia and the Middle East. In 2008, Foundation director Inder Singh announced deals to reduce the price of anti-malaria drugs by 30 percent in developing nations. Clinton also spoke in favor of California Proposition 87 on alternative energy, which was voted down.
2008 presidential election
During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign, Clinton vigorously advocated on behalf of his wife, Hillary. Through speaking engagements and fundraisers, he was able to raise $10 million toward her campaign. Some worried that as an ex-president, he was too active on the trail, too negative to Clinton rival Barack Obama, and alienating his supporters at home and abroad. Many were especially critical of him following his remarks in the South Carolina primary, which Obama won. Later in the 2008 primaries, there was some infighting between Bill and Hillary's staffs, especially in Pennsylvania. Considering Bill's remarks, many thought he could not rally Hillary supporters behind Obama after Obama won the primary. Such remarks led to apprehension that the party would be split to the detriment of Obama's election. Fears were allayed August 27, 2008, when Clinton enthusiastically endorsed Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, saying all his experience as president assures him that Obama is "ready to lead". After Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was over, Bill Clinton continued to raise funds to help pay off her campaign debt.
After the 2008 election
In 2009, Clinton travelled to North Korea on behalf of two American journalists imprisoned there. Euna Lee and Laura Ling had been imprisoned for illegally entering the country from China. Jimmy Carter had made a similar visit in 1994. After Clinton met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim issued a pardon.
Since then, Clinton has been assigned many other diplomatic missions. He was named United Nations Special Envoy to Haiti in 2009 following a series of hurricanes which caused $1 billion in damages. Clinton organized a conference with the Inter-American Development Bank, where a new industrial park was discussed in an effort to "build back better". In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, U.S. president Barack Obama announced that Clinton and George W. Bush would coordinate efforts to raise funds for Haiti's recovery. Funds began pouring into Haiti, which led to funding becoming available for Caracol Industrial Park in a part of the country unaffected by the earthquake. While Hillary Clinton was in South Korea, she and Cheryl Mills worked to convince SAE-A, a large apparel subcontractor, to invest in Haiti despite the company's deep concerns about plans to raise the minimum wage. In the summer of 2010, the South Korean company signed a contract at the U.S. State Department, ensuring that the new industrial park would have a key tenant. In 2010, Clinton announced support of, and delivered the keynote address for, the inauguration of NTR, Ireland's first environmental foundation. At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Clinton gave a widely praised speech nominating Barack Obama.
2016 presidential election and after
During the 2016 presidential election, Clinton again encouraged voters to support Hillary, and made appearances speaking on the campaign trail. In a series of tweets, then-President-elect Donald Trump criticized his ability to get people out to vote. Clinton served as a member of the electoral college for the state of New York. He voted for the Democratic ticket consisting of his wife Hillary and her running-mate Tim Kaine.
On September 7, 2017, Clinton partnered with former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama to work with One America Appeal to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in the Gulf Coast and Texas communities.
In 2020, Clinton again served as a member of the United States Electoral College from New York, casting his vote for the successful Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Clinton was one of the first public figures to endorse Biden's re-election campaign in 2024, with him appearing in interviews and fundraisers with various politicians and national figures. He was also one of the most notable politicians to defend Biden after his critically maligned first presidential debate on June 27, with him stating that "bad debate nights happen" and continued to press support for him despite increasing demand from the public and Democratic party requesting for him to drop out. After Biden withdrew his candidacy and vice president Harris replaced him on the ticket, both Bill and Hillary Clinton endorsed her and praised Biden for his work in public service. Clinton later gave a critically acclaimed speech at the 2024 DNC, where he emphasized the Democratic Party's record on job creation and Harris' career achievements as a prosecutor, Senator, and Vice President.
He later stumped for Harris at various battleground states, where he met with supporters in small towns and at campaign stops. At a stop in Michigan, Clinton caused a backlash by criticizing Arab and Muslim Americans hesitant to support Harris due to her pro-Israeli position, stating Israel had been "forced" to kill civilians during its war with Hamas. His comments led the Institute for Middle East Understanding to state, "Bill Clinton’s racist and ahistorical remarks were meant to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land. The Harris campaign is doing itself no favors attaching itself to that kind of hateful rhetoric". He expanded on his comments in an interview with CNN shortly after, stating that he was trying to appeal to both sides of the issue and highlighted his work with Arafat and Rabin in the Oslo Occords, although his response still received sharp condemnation from Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian-Americans.
After Harris lost the general election to Trump, Clinton's remarks were brought up by critics and pundits, who stated that they were the reason why Harris lost support among Arab-American voters and why she fared poorly in the Muslim-populated cities of Dearborn and Hamtramck when compared to previous Democratic candidates. Critics also questioned his relevance to the modern Democratic Party, with pundits stating that his centrist policies and promotion of candidates who align with his views no longer work with a party that has tried to rebrand itself after losing support amongst progressive and populist supporters. After the election, he and Hillary released a statement congratulating president-elect Trump and vice-president-elect JD Vance, while stating that Harris and her running-mate Tim Walz ran a "positive, forward-looking campaign to be proud of."
Clinton's second volume of memoirs, Citizen: My Life After the White House, was published in November 2024.
Post-presidential health concerns
In September 2004, Clinton underwent quadruple bypass surgery. In March 2005, he again underwent surgery, this time for a partially collapsed lung. On February 11, 2010, he was rushed to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital in Manhattan after complaining of chest pains, and he had two coronary stents implanted in his heart. After this procedure, Clinton adopted a plant-based whole foods (vegan) diet, which had been recommended by doctors Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn. He has since incorporated fish and lean animal flesh at the suggestion of Mark Hyman, a proponent of the pseudoscientific ethos of functional medicine. As a result, he is no longer a strict vegan.
In October 2021, Clinton was treated for sepsis at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. In December 2022, Clinton tested positive for COVID-19. In December 2024, Clinton was hospitalized after developing fever at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C..
Wealth
The Clintons incurred several million dollars in legal bills during his presidency, which were paid off four years after he left office. Bill and Hillary Clinton have each earned millions of dollars from book publishing. In 2016, Forbes reported Bill and Hillary Clinton made about $240 million in the 15 years from January 2001, to December 2015, (mostly from paid speeches, business consulting and book-writing). Also in 2016, CNN reported the Clintons combined to receive more than $153 million in paid speeches from 2001 until spring 2015. In May 2015, The Hill reported that Bill and Hillary Clinton have made more than $25 million in speaking fees since the start of 2014, and that Hillary Clinton also made $5 million or more from her book, Hard Choices, during the same time period. In July 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported that at the end of 2012, the Clintons were worth between $5 million and $25.5 million, and that in 2012 (the last year they were required to disclose the information) the Clintons made between $16 and $17 million, mostly from speaking fees earned by the former president. Clinton earned more than $104 million from paid speeches between 2001 and 2012. In June 2014, ABC News and The Washington Post reported that Bill Clinton has made more than $100 million giving paid speeches since leaving public office, and in 2008, The New York Times reported that the Clintons' income tax returns show they made $109 million in the eight years from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2007, including almost $92 million from his speaking and book-writing.
Bill Clinton has given dozens of paid speeches each year since leaving office in 2001, mostly to corporations and philanthropic groups in North America and Europe; he often earned $100,000 to $300,000 per speech. Russian investment bank with ties to the Kremlin paid Clinton $500,000 for a speech in Moscow. Hillary Clinton said she and Bill came out of the White House financially "broke" and in debt, especially due to large legal fees incurred during their years in the White House. "We had no money when we got there, and we struggled to, you know, piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for Chelsea's education". She added, "Bill has worked really hard ... we had to pay off all our debts ... he had to make double the money because of, obviously, taxes; and then pay off the debts, and get us houses, and take care of family members".
Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
In the early 2000s, Clinton took flights on Jeffrey Epstein's private jet in connection with Clinton Foundation work. According to Epstein's attorney Gerald B. Lefcourt, Epstein was "part of the original group that conceived of the Clinton Global Initiative". In 2002, a spokesperson for Clinton praised Epstein as "a committed philanthropist" with "insights and generosity". While Clinton was president, Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times between 1993 and 1995. Years later, Epstein was convicted on sex trafficking charges. Clinton's office released a statement in 2019 saying, "President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York. In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took four trips on Jeffrey Epstein's airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation. Staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg of every trip. He's not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade."
However, later reports showed that Clinton had flown on Epstein's plane 26 times. In another statement Clinton said "one meeting with Epstein in his Harlem office in 2002, and around the same time made one brief visit to Epstein's New York apartment with a staff member and his security detail". In July 2019 it was reported that Clinton attended a dinner with Epstein in 1995, a meeting with Epstein that Clinton had not previously disclosed.
Clinton reportedly used Epstein's private jet to visit Little St. James Island, where Epstein resided, on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2005. Virginia Roberts, later known as Virginia Giuffre, says in a lawsuit that while working at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort she was lured into a sex-trafficking ring run by Epstein and while traveling with Epstein she saw Clinton on the island. In a 2011 conversation with her lawyers, Roberts stated that Clinton traveled to Epstein's retreat on Little St. James in 2002. According to Roberts, Epstein told her that Clinton "owes me favors" when she asked what he was doing there. She also reportedly claimed that Epstein and Clinton had dined in the presence of two girls aged approximately seventeen whom she believed Epstein had invited to have sex with Clinton, but that Clinton showed no interest in them. A Freedom of Information Act request for United States Secret Service records of visits Clinton may have made to Little St. James produced no such evidence. According to Epstein's flight logs, Clinton never flew near the U.S. Virgin Islands. In July 2019, a Clinton spokesperson issued a statement saying Clinton never visited the island. When he was personally asked by a journalist about his ties with Epstein in a rally in Laredo, Texas in November 2022, Clinton said "I think the evidence is clear". According to former Clinton aide, Doug Band, Clinton visited Epstein's island in January 2003. In 2024, unsealed court documents revealed allegations that Clinton had visited the offices of Vanity Fair and 'threatened' the paper not to print stories about Epstein's sexual trafficking. Former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter denied the incident ever took place.
Personal life
At the age of 10, he was baptized at Park Place Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. When he became president in 1993, he became a member of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. with his wife, a Methodist.
On October 11, 1975, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he married Hillary Rodham, whom he met while studying at Yale University. They had Chelsea Clinton, their only child, on February 27, 1980. He is the maternal grandfather to Chelsea's three children.
Health
In October 2021, Clinton was admitted to the UC Irvine Medical Center’s intensive care unit for a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream. He was discharged the following day after close monitoring.
In December 2024, Clinton was admitted to the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital where he underwent testing and observation after developing a fever. He was released the following day in stable condition.
Accolades
Main article: List of awards and honors received by Bill ClintonVarious colleges and universities have awarded Clinton honorary degrees, including Doctorate of Law degrees and Doctor of Humane Letters degrees. He received an honorary degree from Georgetown University, his alma mater, and was the commencement speaker in 1980. He is an honorary fellow of University College, Oxford, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar, although he did not complete his studies there. Schools have been named for Clinton, and statues have been built to pay him homage. U.S. states where he has been honored include Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and New York. He was presented with the Medal for Distinguished Public Service by Secretary of Defense William Cohen in 2001. The Clinton Presidential Center was opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, in his honor on December 5, 2001.
Clinton has been honored in various other ways, in countries that include the Czech Republic, Papua New Guinea, Germany, and Kosovo. The Republic of Kosovo, in gratitude for his help during the Kosovo War, renamed a major street in the capital city of Pristina as Bill Clinton Boulevard and added a monumental Clinton statue.
Clinton was selected as Time's "Man of the Year" in 1992, and again in 1998, along with Ken Starr. From a poll conducted of the American people in December 1999, Clinton was among eighteen included in Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century. In 2001, Clinton received the NAACP's President's Award. He has also been honored with a J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, a TED Prize (named for the confluence of technology, entertainment and design), and was named as an Honorary GLAAD Media Award recipient for his work as an advocate for the LGBT community.
Clinton, along with Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren, received the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for Wolf Tracks and Peter and the Wolf. The audiobook edition of his autobiography, My Life, read by Clinton himself, won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, as well as the Audie Award as the Audiobook of the Year. Clinton has two more Grammy nominations for his audiobooks: Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World in 2007 and Back to Work in 2012.
In 2011, Haitian president Michel Martelly awarded Clinton with the National Order of Honour and Merit to the rank of Grand Cross "for his various initiatives in Haiti and especially his high contribution to the reconstruction of the country after the earthquake of January 12, 2010". Clinton declared at the ceremony that "in the United States of America, I really don't believe former American presidents need awards anymore, but I am very honored by this one, I love Haiti, and I believe in its promise".
President Obama awarded Clinton the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 20, 2013.
See also
- Clinton family
- Clinton School of Public Service
- Efforts to impeach Bill Clinton
- Electoral history of Bill Clinton
- Gun control policy of the Clinton Administration
- List of presidents of the United States
- List of presidents of the United States by previous experience
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{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - Zeleny, Jeff (December 23, 2024). "Former President Bill Clinton is in the hospital after developing a fever, spokesperson says | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- Fossum, Edward-Isaac Dovere, Sam (December 24, 2024). "Former President Bill Clinton discharged from hospital after being treated for flu | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
{{cite web}}
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Further reading
Main article: Bibliography of Bill ClintonPrimary sources
- Clinton, Bill. (with Al Gore). Science in the National Interest. Washington, D.C.: The White House, August 1994.
- --- (with Al Gore). The Climate Change Action Plan. Washington, D.C.: The White House, October 1993.
- Taylor Branch The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President. (2009) Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-4333-6
- Official Congressional Record Impeachment Set: ... Containing the Procedures for Implementing the Articles of Impeachment and the Proceedings of the Impeachment Trial of President William Jefferson Clinton. Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1999.
- Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 1994–2002.
- S. Daniel Abraham Peace Is Possible, foreword by Bill Clinton
Popular books
- Peter Baker The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton (2000) ISBN 978-0-684-86813-4
- James Bovard Feeling Your Pain: The Explosion and Abuse of Government Power in the Clinton-Gore Years (2000) ISBN 978-0-312-23082-1
- Joe Conason and Gene Lyons The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton (2003) ISBN 978-0-312-27319-4
- Elizabeth Drew On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency (1994) ISBN 978-0-671-87147-5
- David Gergen Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership. (2000) ISBN 978-0-684-82663-9
- Nigel Hamilton Bill Clinton: An American Journey (2003) ISBN 978-0-375-50610-9
- Christopher Hitchens No One Left to Lie to: The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton (1999) ISBN 978-1-85984-736-7
- Michael Isikoff Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story (1999) ISBN 978-0-609-60393-2
- Mark Katz Clinton and Me: A Real-Life Political Comedy (2004) ISBN 978-0-7868-6949-7
- David Maraniss The Clinton Enigma: A Four and a Half Minute Speech Reveals This President's Entire Life (1998) ISBN 978-0-684-86296-5
- Dick Morris with Eileen McGann Because He Could (2004) ISBN 978-0-06-078415-7
- Richard A. Posner An Affair of State: The Investigation, Impeachment, and Trial of President Clinton (1999) ISBN 978-0-674-00080-3
- Mark J. Rozell The Clinton Scandal and the Future of American Government (2000) ISBN 978-0-87840-777-4
- Timperlake, Edward, and William C. Triplett II Year of the Rat: How Bill Clinton Compromised U.S. Security for Chinese Cash. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 1998. ISBN 978-0-89526-333-9
- Michael Waldman POTUS Speaks: Finding the Words That Defined the Clinton Presidency (2000) ISBN 978-0-7432-0020-2
- Ivory Tower Publishing Company. Achievements of the Clinton Administration: the Complete Legislative and Executive. (1995) ISBN 978-0-88032-748-0
Scholarly studies
- Campbell, Colin, and Bert A. Rockman, eds. The Clinton Legacy (Chatham House Pub, 2000)
- Cohen, Jeffrey E. (December 2001). "The Polls: Change and Stability in Public Assessments of Personal Traits, Bill Clinton, 1993-99". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 31 (4): 733–741. doi:10.1111/j.0000-0000.2001.00197.x.
- Cronin, Thomas E.; Genovese, Michael A. (1998). "President Clinton and Character Questions". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 28 (4): 892–897. JSTOR 27551947. Gale A53409280 ProQuest 215686695.
- Davis, John (September 22, 2003). "The evolution of American grand strategy and the war on terrorism: Clinton and Bush perspectives". White House Studies. 3 (4): 459–477. Gale A118274932.
- Dumbrell, J. (June 2002). "Was There a Clinton Doctrine? President Clinton's Foreign Policy Reconsidered". Diplomacy & Statecraft. 13 (2): 43–56. doi:10.1080/714000309. S2CID 153835555.
- Edwards, George C. (1998). "Bill Clinton and His Crisis of Governance". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 28 (4): 754–760. JSTOR 27551927. Gale A53409260 ProQuest 215682224.
- Fisher, Patrick (September 22, 2001). "Clinton's greatest legislative achievement? The success of the 1993 Budget Reconciliation Bill". White House Studies. 1 (4): 479–496. Gale A86058403.
- Glad, Betty (1998). "Evaluating Presidential Character". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 28 (4): 861–872. JSTOR 27551943. Gale A53409276 ProQuest 215694887.
- Halberstam, David. War in a time of peace: Bush, Clinton, and the generals (Simon and Schuster, 2001). online
- Harris, John F. The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House (2006). online
- Head, Simon. The Clinton System (January 30, 2016), The New York Review of Books
- Hyland, William G. Clinton's World: Remaking American Foreign Policy (1999) ISBN 978-0-275-96396-5
- Jewett, Aubrey W.; Turetzky, Marc D. (1998). "Stability and Change in President Clinton's Foreign Policy Beliefs, 1993-96". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 28 (3): 638–665. JSTOR 27551906. Gale A53390302 ProQuest 215688436.
- Kim, Claire Jean (2002). "Managing the Racial Breach: Clinton, Black-White Polarization, and the Race Initiative". Political Science Quarterly. 117 (1): 55–79. doi:10.2307/798094. JSTOR 798094.
- Laham, Nicholas, A Lost Cause: Bill Clinton's Campaign for National Health Insurance (1996)
- Lanoue, David J.; Emmert, Craig F. (1999). "Voting in the Glare of the Spotlight: Representatives' Votes on the Impeachment of President Clinton". Polity. 32 (2): 253–269. doi:10.2307/3235285. JSTOR 3235285. S2CID 155511442.
- Levy, Peter B. Encyclopedia of the Clinton presidency (Greenwood, 2002) online
- Maurer, Paul J. (March 1999). "Media Feeding Frenzies: Press Behavior During Two Clinton Scandals". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 29 (1): 65–79. doi:10.1111/1741-5705.00019. JSTOR 27551959. Gale A54099170 ProQuest 215686228.
- Nesmith, Bruce F.; Quirk, Paul J. (2017). "Triangulation: Position and Leadership in Clinton's Domestic Policy". 42: Inside the Presidency of Bill Clinton. pp. 46–76. doi:10.7591/9781501706202-006. ISBN 978-1-5017-0620-2.
- Nie, Martin A. (1997). "'It's the Environment, Stupid!' Clinton and the Environment". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 27 (1): 39–51. JSTOR 27551699.
- O’Connor, Brendon (September 2002). "Policies, Principles, and Polls: Bill Clinton's Third Way Welfare Politics 1992–1996". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 48 (3): 396–411. doi:10.1111/1467-8497.00267.
- Palmer, David (2005). "'What might have been': Bill Clinton and american political power". Australasian Journal of American Studies. 24 (1): 38–58. JSTOR 41416024.
- Renshon; Stanley A. The Clinton Presidency: Campaigning, Governing, and the Psychology of Leadership Westview Press, 1995
- Renshon, Stanley A. (June 2002). "The Polls: The Public's Response to the Clinton Scandals, Part 2: Diverse Explanations, Clearer Consequences". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 32 (2): 412–427. doi:10.1111/j.0360-4918.2002.00228.x. JSTOR 27552394. Gale A87354430 ProQuest 215686253.
- Romano, Flavio. Clinton and Blair: the political economy of the third way (Routledge, 2007)
- Rushefsky, Mark E. and Kant Patel. Politics, Power & Policy Making: The Case of Health Care Reform in the 1990s (1998) ISBN 978-1-56324-956-3
- Schantz, Harvey L. Politics in an Era of Divided Government: Elections and Governance in the Second Clinton Administration (2001) ISBN 978-0-8153-3583-2
- Troy, Gill. The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s (2015)
- Walt, Stephen M. (2000). "Two Cheers for Clinton's Foreign Policy". Foreign Affairs. 79 (2): 63–79. doi:10.2307/20049641. JSTOR 20049641.
- Warshaw, Shirley Anne. The Clinton Years (Infobase Publishing, 2009)
- White, Mark, ed. The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy (I.B.Tauris, 2012)
Arkansas years
- Allen, Charles and Jonathan Portis. The Life and Career of Bill Clinton: The Comeback Kid (1992).
- Blair, Diane D. "The Big Three of Late Twentieth-Century Arkansas Politics: Dale Bumpers, Bill Clinton, and David Pryor." Arkansas Historical Quarterly 54.1 (1995): 53–79. online
- Blair, Diane D. "William Jefferson Clinton" in The Governors of Arkansas: Essays in Political Biography ed. by Willard B. Gatewood Jr., et al. (1995)
- Brummett, John. Highwire: From the Backroads to the Beltway: The Education of Bill Clinton (Hyperion, 1994).
- Clinton, Bill. My Life: The Early Years (Random House, 2004)
- Dumas, Ernest, ed. The Clintons of Arkansas: An Introduction by Those Who Knew Them Best (University of Arkansas Press, 1993) online.
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas (2023) online
- Johnston, Phyllis F. Bill Clinton's Public Policy for Arkansas: 1979-80 (Little Rock: August House, 1982).
- Maraniss, David. First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton (Simon & Schuster, 1995).
- Marcus, Alan. "Bill Clinton in Arkansas: generational politics, the technology of political communication and the permanent campaign." The Historian 72.2 (2010): 354–385. online
- Oakley, Meredith L. On the make: The rise of Bill Clinton (Regnery Publishing, 1994), attack from the right.
- Osborne, David. "Turning around Arkansas' Schools: Bill Clinton and Education Reform." American Educator: The Professional Journal of the American Federation of Teachers 16.3 (1992): 6–17. online
- Smith, Stephen A., ed. Preface to the Presidency: Selected Speeches of Bill Clinton, 1974–1992 (University of Arkansas Press, 1996).
External links
Official
Interviews, speeches, and statements
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Bill Clinton at TED
- Full audio of a number of Clinton speeches Miller Center of Public Affairs
- Oral History Interview with Bill Clinton from Oral Histories of the American South, June 1974
- "The Wanderer", a profile from The New Yorker, September 2006
Media coverage
- Bill Clinton collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- Bill Clinton collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Other
- Extensive essays on Bill Clinton and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
- "Life Portrait of Bill Clinton", from C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits, December 20, 1999
- Clinton Archived March 13, 2017, at the Wayback Machine an American Experience documentary
- Bill Clinton on Twitter
- Bill Clinton at IMDb
- Works by Bill Clinton at Project Gutenberg
- 1992 election episode in CNN's Race for the White House
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