Posted on 11/18/2004 8:15:36 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
In honor of the first Democrat to win two terms as president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, members of many of the nation's past and present first families celebrated the life and political talents of Bill Clinton on Thursday as they dedicated his library here in a chilly, rain-drenched ceremony on the banks of the Arkansas River.
"Welcome to my rainy library dedication," a hatless Mr. Clinton said somewhat wistfully to a crowd of 30,000, most of them hidden under umbrellas. Bucking himself up, he said his late mother would have reminded him that "rain is liquid sunshine."
The ceremony, held two weeks after one of the most scathing presidential campaigns in modern history, demonstrated how tight the bonds can become within that tiny club of those who have sat in the Oval Office.
Former President George Bush, who lost re-election in 1992 to Mr. Clinton, said that one of the great blessings of being a former president "is the way one-time political adversaries have the tendency to become friends, and I feel such is certainly the case between President Clinton and me."
He lauded Mr. Clinton as "one of the most gifted American political figures in modern times," adding, "Trust me; I learned this the hard way." He said Mr. Clinton "was a natural and he made it look too easy, and oh, how I hated him for that!"
Mr. Clinton basked in the aura of political comity that had descended over Little Rock, at least for the day. "Today we're all red, white and blue," he said, alluding to the last election, in which so-called red states voted Republican and so-called blue states voted Democratic.
His message was one of bridging these divides. He said that when he ran for president in 1992, he wanted "to be more conservative in things like erasing the deficit," punishing criminals and overhauling the military, "and we needed to be more progressive in creating good jobs, reducing poverty, increasing the quality of education."
He said he was probably the only person in America who liked both President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry, his Democratic challenger. He said they were both "good people" who "just see the world differently."
But he saved his strongest endorsement for his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has made clear that she will run for a second term as a senator from New York in 2006 but is also widely believed to be seeking the presidency in 2008. "She has the best combination of mind and heart, conviction and compassion, I've ever encountered," he said.
Mrs. Clinton spoke briefly, noting that the library behind them "is like my husband - it's open, it's expansive, it's welcoming, it's filled with light."
From the moment the current first lady and three former first ladies stepped out of the library and onto the stage under umbrellas, followed by their husbands, without umbrellas, the mutual generosity was as gripping as the choreography.
Laura Bush, in a bright fuchsia coat, and her mother-in-law, Barbara, in a sensible raincoat, allowed Mrs. Clinton and Rosalynn Carter to precede them to the podium. The band then struck up "Hail to the Chief" and their husbands emerged, with President Bush squeezing past Mr. Clinton out the glass doors of the library and Mr. Clinton giving him deference with a guiding hand at his back. Jimmy Carter and the first President Bush followed.
President Bush first stopped under Chelsea Clinton's umbrella, putting his arm around her and posing for pictures. As Mr. Clinton, 58, gave the drenched crowd a big wave, President Bush peeked under the umbrella that obscured his wife's face, as if to make sure he was standing next to the right person.
The president praised Mr. Clinton as "able and energetic" and indicated a bond of faith between them. "Shortly before leaving office," Mr. Bush said, "President Clinton said, 'Christ admonished us that our lives will be judged by how we do unto the least of our neighbors.' Throughout his career, Bill Clinton has done his best to live up to that standard."
With a father's protectiveness, the first President Bush noted that Mr. Clinton had been "a little hard" on his son, the current president, in the recent campaign, "but in the spirit of being kinder and gentler, I've long since forgiven him for that."
Among the many politicians in the audience were the two Democrats whom the current President Bush defeated, Senator Kerry and former Vice President Al Gore.
Mr. Clinton told Mr. Gore, a noted environmentalist, that his library, built with solar panels, was energy efficient. Then in words that suggested he might be trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his vice president, who had kept him at arm's length during his 2000 campaign, Mr. Clinton added, "So Al, thanks for the inspiration, and I'm still trying to measure up to the challenge you set for me so long ago."
Also present were members of the families of other presidents, including Susan Eisenhower, Caroline Kennedy, Tricia Nixon Cox, Lynda Johnson Robb, Luci Johnson and Chip Carter. The only former living president who did not attend was Gerald R. Ford, 91, who said only that he was unable to come; his family was represented by Martin Allen, chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation. Mr. Clinton said he received a letter from Nancy Reagan, whose husband died earlier this year.
Sitting in the audience was Karl Rove, President Bush's top political strategist, who was traveling with his boss.
Mr. Clinton was also honored by ordinary Americans. Six of them spoke at the dedication, highlighting various Clinton policy initiatives.
"He understood that we needed a helping hand, not a handout," said one of them, Nancy Santana, who spoke of his welfare program.
Mr. Clinton said he "kept score" by trying to improve such lives.
"I grew up in the pretelevision age, in a family of uneducated but smart, hard-working, caring storytellers," he said. "They taught me that everyone has a story. And that made politics intensely personal to me. It was about giving people better stories."
The former presidents, their families and about 1,000 other guests retreated to the library and then to a large white tent with gilt chandeliers for a celebratory lunch. And President Bush again honored the man of the hour.
"Americans look to our former presidents as elder statesmen,'' he said. "In the case of President Clinton, the elder statesman is about one month younger than I am.'' The guests joined in the laughter as Mr. Bush noted that Mr. Clinton's "public service came early, and his service to America has not ended."
Did Teresa puke on the shag carpet?
Three words - ugly, damn, building
"so transparent and full of light" -
yeah, right
Did anyone else notice how angry and PEEVED and haughty Chelsea, Hitlery, and Bill ALL looked today?
Oh, and I LOVED that Mother Nature rained on the Clinton "Final Hurrah" parade!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.