Posted on 04/30/2002 6:24:18 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
Question: With your permission, Mr. President, can you take us inside Camp David and describe us one of the crucial moments, one of the crucial crises?
The President: Well, I think the only thing I can talk about without revealing the substance of the talks, which I have promised not to do, is the first time the talks almost broke up. Right before I went to Okinawa, I thought the talks were over. I even went by and said goodbye to Chairman Arafat. And I went by and said goodbye to Prime Minister Barak. And I was walking around talking to the Palestinian and Israeli peace teams. And it was obvious to me that they did not want to go, and that they feared that if they left in the position the talks were then in, that there would be an enormous harshness and recrimination, and it could wind up being a net setback, if you will, for the peace process.
And then, all of a sudden, it became obvious to me that they didn't want to go, that they wanted to keep trying, that they thought it was still possible. So I went back around, I made two more visits. By then, it's very late at night and I'm leaving at dawn the next day. It was like 1:30 a.m. or 1:45 a.m. I made two more visits to both Prime Minister Barak and his team and to Chairman Arafat and his team.
And I finally concluded that they really didn't want to quit. And so I invited them to stay. And I said that I had to go to the G-8 because the United States had some strong interest in Okinawa--it's a main base for a lot of our forces in the Pacific--and because I owed it to my partners to go there to my last meeting, and because I wanted to ask them for money to help the peace process. But that if they would stay, I would leave Secretary Albright behind in charge and they could keep talking, and they wanted to do it.
That was, I think, the pivotal moment which turned this from a negative result to a positive result, even though we didn't get an agreement. Because in the next few days, they relaxed, they began to talk, the Palestinians began to open up a little bit, and we began to get a sense that--at least how we might get an agreement, even if the parties couldn't reach it this time. In my mind, looking back on it, I think that was a pivotal moment.
Question: Finally, I wanted to ask you, many critics of yours are saying that you are looking desperately for the missing chapter of your legacy, and maybe you tried to overcome the impeachment process. Is the Middle East issue is the missing chapter of this legacy?
The President: No. Look, you know, I'm not proud of the personal mistake I made, but I'm proud of what happened in the impeachment process. As far as I'm concerned, we saved the United States Constitution. And I think history will record it favorably to me and unfavorably to those who did it. And I think I have a pretty good legacy here with our economy, with our social progress on crime, on welfare, on education; on health care, for the elderly, for children. And I am proud of what I have done in the Middle East, in the Balkans, in Northern Ireland, in Africa, in Latin America.
This has nothing to do with my legacy. All my life, I have wanted to see peace in the Middle East, and I promised myself when I got elected President, I would work until the last day to achieve it. This is not about me; it's about the children who live in the Middle East. It's about whether those children will be living together or living apart, whether there will be fighting or learning together.
Question: And you're convinced it can be done?
The President: Absolutely. And if it doesn't happen while I'm here, I just want to know that I have done everything I possibly could to make sure it will happen as soon as possible. But I am absolutely convinced that we can do it and that we should do it before the end of the year, because the parties have committed themselves to this September deadline. The parties came to Camp David; nobody had to come. Prime Minister Barak thought it was a good time and I knew if we didn't do it, we would never get around to dealing with this.
We have a saying in America, this is like going to the dentist without having your gums deadened, you know? It's like having somebody pull your teeth with no painkiller. This is not easy. This was hard for these people. But if we hadn't started -- you know, you never get to the end of the road unless you get out on the road and take the first step. And this was a huge, important thing.
"You know, I have always wanted to move our embassy to West Jerusalem. We have a designated site there. I have not done so because I didn't want to do anything to undermine our ability to help to broker a secure and fair and lasting peace for Israelis and for Palestinians. But in light of what has happened, I've taken that decision under review and I'll make a decision sometime between now and the end of the year on that."
"The people of Israel may differ with their Prime Minister on some of the details, but they should never question whether he had the long-term security and vital interests of Israel uppermost in his mind. That was clear. And as I said, to me something that should be very encouraging is that they really did make a lot of progress on the security issue. And Israel was, I think, the big winner there."
"I don't know if anybody else will ever put the time in on this that I have, or have the kind of personal, almost religious conviction I have about it. But, keep in mind, this is an evolutionary process. If we don't finish--and I believe we can, and I still believe we will--but if we don't finish this year, the negotiating teams for the two sides, and the attitudes of the people will be in a different place than they were because of all that has happened over the last seven years, and especially because of what happened at Camp David, as long as there is a constructive attitude taken about it, and a deepened resolve to be frank with the public, and that this is especially important for the Palestinians."
"There is, I think, some interest, interestingly enough, on both sides, in also having a fund which compensates the Israelis who were made refugees by the war, which occurred after the birth of the State of Israel. Israel is full of people, Jewish people, who lived in predominantly Arab countries who came to Israel because they were made refugees in their own land. ....
That's another piece of good news I think I can reveal out of the summit. The Palestinians said they thought those people should be eligible for compensation, as well. So we'll have to set up a fund and we will contribute. I went to the G-8 in Okinawa in part to give them a report, and I asked the Europeans and the Japanese to contribute, as well. And there will be other costs associated with this. So it will not be inexpensive."
"So it wasn't really a matter of charm. Believe me, if I could have prevailed by charming, cajoling, arguing, or just depriving them of sleep, we would have a deal. The last 2 nights I went to bed at 5:00 a.m., in the morning both nights. I did my best so I would by the last person standing on both sides, you know. Of all the sides there."
President William J. Clinton
Interview of the President by Israeli Television
The White House, The Roosevelt Room
Washington, DC, July 27, 2000
Apologies to those truly suffering.
Counted ~75 "I, me, my, I'm," etc. in this short segment.
Klinton never disappoints.
(Satan speaks, Paradise Lost, 4.73-78)
Live! Now on RadioFR!
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Click HERE to listen LIVE! while you FReep!
Question: With your permission, Mr. President, can you take us inside Camp David and describe us one of the crucial moments, one of the crucial crises?
The President: Well, I think the only thing I can talk about without revealing the substance of the talks, which I have promised not to do, is the first time the talks almost broke up. Right before I went to Okinawa, I thought the talks were over. I even went by and said goodbye to Chairman Arafat. And I went by and said goodbye to Prime Minister Barak. And I was walking around talking to the Palestinian and Israeli peace teams. And it was obvious to me that they did not want to go, and that they feared that if they left in the position the talks were then in, that there would be an enormous harshness and recrimination, and it could wind up being a net setback, if you will, for the peace process.
And then, all of a sudden, it became obvious to me that they didn't want to go, that they wanted to keep trying, that they thought it was still possible. So I went back around, I made two more visits. By then, it's very late at night and I'm leaving at dawn the next day. It was like 1:30 a.m. or 1:45 a.m. I made two more visits to both Prime Minister Barak and his team and to Chairman Arafat and his team.
And I finally concluded that they really didn't want to quit. And so I invited them to stay. And I said that I had to go to the G-8 because the United States had some strong interest in Okinawa--it's a main base for a lot of our forces in the Pacific--and because I owed it to my partners to go there to my last meeting, and because I wanted to ask them for money to help the peace process. But that if they would stay, I would leave Secretary Albright behind in charge and they could keep talking, and they wanted to do it.
That was, I think, the pivotal moment which turned this from a negative result to a positive result, even though we didn't get an agreement. Because in the next few days, they relaxed, they began to talk, the Palestinians began to open up a little bit, and we began to get a sense that--at least how we might get an agreement, even if the parties couldn't reach it this time. In my mind, looking back on it, I think that was a pivotal moment.
Question: Finally, I wanted to ask you, many critics of yours are saying that you are looking desperately for the missing chapter of your legacy, and maybe you tried to overcome the impeachment process. Is the Middle East issue is the missing chapter of this legacy?
The President: No. Look, you know, I'm not proud of the personal mistake I made, but I'm proud of what happened in the impeachment process. As far as I'm concerned, we saved the United States Constitution. And I think history will record it favorably to me and unfavorably to those who did it. And I think I have a pretty good legacy here with our economy, with our social progress on crime, on welfare, on education; on health care, for the elderly, for children. And I am proud of what I have done in the Middle East, in the Balkans, in Northern Ireland, in Africa, in Latin America.
This has nothing to do with my legacy. All my life, I have wanted to see peace in the Middle East, and I promised myself when I got elected President, I would work until the last day to achieve it. This is not about me; it's about the children who live in the Middle East. It's about whether those children will be living together or living apart, whether there will be fighting or learning together.
Question: And you're convinced it can be done?
The President: Absolutely. And if it doesn't happen while I'm here, I just want to know that I have done everything I possibly could to make sure it will happen as soon as possible. But I am absolutely convinced that we can do it and that we should do it before the end of the year, because the parties have committed themselves to this September deadline. The parties came to Camp David; nobody had to come. Prime Minister Barak thought it was a good time and I knew if we didn't do it, we would never get around to dealing with this.
We have a saying in America, this is like going to the dentist without having your gums deadened, you know? It's like having somebody pull your teeth with no painkiller. This is not easy. This was hard for these people. But if we hadn't started -- you know, you never get to the end of the road unless you get out on the road and take the first step. And this was a huge, important thing.
"You know, I have always wanted to move our embassy to West Jerusalem. We have a designated site there. I have not done so because I didn't want to do anything to undermine our ability to help to broker a secure and fair and lasting peace for Israelis and for Palestinians. But in light of what has happened, I've taken that decision under review and I'll make a decision sometime between now and the end of the year on that."
"The people of Israel may differ with their Prime Minister on some of the details, but they should never question whether he had the long-term security and vital interests of Israel uppermost in his mind. That was clear. And as I said, to me something that should be very encouraging is that they really did make a lot of progress on the security issue. And Israel was, I think, the big winner there."
" I don't know if anybody else will ever put the time in on this that I have, or have the kind of personal, almost religious conviction I have about it. But, keep in mind, this is an evolutionary process. If we don't finish--and I believe we can, and I still believe we will--but if we don't finish this year, the negotiating teams for the two sides, and the attitudes of the people will be in a different place than they were because of all that has happened over the last seven years, and especially because of what happened at Camp David, as long as there is a constructive attitude taken about it, and a deepened resolve to be frank with the public, and that this is especially important for the Palestinians."
"There is, I think, some interest, interestingly enough, on both sides, in also having a fund which compensates the Israelis who were made refugees by the war, which occurred after the birth of the State of Israel. Israel is full of people, Jewish people, who lived in predominantly Arab countries who came to Israel because they were made refugees in their own land. ....
That's another piece of good news I think I can reveal out of the summit. The Palestinians said they thought those people should be eligible for compensation, as well. So we'll have to set up a fund and we will contribute. I went to the G-8 in Okinawa in part to give them a report, and I asked the Europeans and the Japanese to contribute, as well. And there will be other costs associated with this. So it will not be inexpensive."
"So it wasn't really a matter of charm. Believe me, if I could have prevailed by charming, cajoling, arguing, or just depriving them of sleep, we would have a deal. The last 2 nights I went to bed at 5:00 a.m., in the morning both nights. I did my best so I would by the last person standing on both sides, you know. Of all the sides there."
President William J. Clinton
Interview of the President by Israeli Television
The White House, The Roosevelt Room
Washington, DC, July 27, 2000
...............................................................
I'm exhausted.
"I, however, regard Clinton as a psychopath, and do not believe that the worst about him even began to be suspected until recently—with the disclosures of Juanita Broaddrick, and the confirmation (through congressional testimony by the perjurer’s apprentices) of presidential slanders against Monica Lewinsky. With the impeachment battle played out, one is left to contemplate the lies he told, not just in public—and to the public—but in relative private, and also the motives he had for telling them, and finally (and crucially) his cold-blooded ways of doing so. " Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire, Christopher Hitchens
More evidence for the mental health files:
FIGHT CLUB: FURIOUS CLINTON ORDERS REPORTER BANNED AFTER GRILLING!
DRUDGE REPORT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1999 17:09:42 ET
**Exclusive**
A furious President Clinton has ordered a Washington reporter banned from the White House, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, after the reporter quizzed the president during a press picnic about illegal money from China and the campaign-finance scandal!
Paul Sperry, Washington bureau chief of INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, was thrown off the invite list at the White House after he grilled the president for more than 10 minutes about various political scandals.
"It turned into a real shout match on the south lawn," one eyewitness told the DRUDGE REPORT.
At one point during the argument, President Clinton put his hands up to both sides of his head, wiggled them, rolled his eyes and gave Sperry a funny face.
"Make sure that guy never gets close to me again!" the president ordered one of his aides after the showdown.
White House press secretary Joe Lockhart, angry that Sperry transformed a family picnic into a confrontational press conference, told an associate that Sperry is a "Class A s**thead."
Lockhart personally informed Sperry during a phone conversation late Monday that he would never be invited back to the White House.
"The only regret we have is inviting you -- and we won't make that mistake again," Lockhart warned Sperry.
It began innocently enough.
"When are you going to have your next formal press conference, Mr. President?" Sperry casually asked Clinton while he was shaking hands and socializing with reporter and their families.
Clinton: "I don't know. I'll have one."
Sperry: "When?"
The president replied, "Why?"
Sperry: "The American people have a lot of unanswered questions."
Clinton: "Like what!"
Sperry: "Questions about illegal money from China and the campaign-finance scandal."
It was at that point that Clinton started to become unglued.
"Who are you with?" Clinton demanded to know.
"I don't like your accusatory tone. It sounds like you've already got the story written."
Sperry gave the president his business card and said that the public wanted answers about the allegations of illegal contributions from China.
Clinton: "I've been all around this country, and you are the first person to ask me about it. Not one person has brought that up... You want to know the only person who has been linked to money from China? Haley Barbour and the RNC, that's who!"
A red-faced Clinton began to rant about Waco, Republicans, the FBI and gun control.
Pictures taken by a newspaper photographer show Clinton wagging his finger in Sperry's face, Washington's version of THE FIGHT CLUB.
Sperry says he was stunned and "woozy" for hours after.
When asked on Tuesday if he felt intimidated during his one-on-one with the most powerful man in the world, Sperry said: "No, he's only about a half an inch taller than I am."
I still can't believe he said this. Incredible statement, just blows me away! (pardon the pun!:) )
So many things come to mind... BizzarroWorld, FlatLand- where everything's two-dimensional- and one constant remains.
The press, and the bigger media industry, still worships this fraud.
He had eight years, so I have to ask- what, besides scandals and broken buildings, do we have to show for them?
You can read how Clinton does it...he flatters one side and criticizes their opponents...then turns and does exactly the same thing to the opponent. He sets them up...and lies. To top that, when they can't agree, he quickly blames them and gives himself full credit for trying. He's a con man.
CBS, CNN, ABC and friends read these last minute accounts and gushed over Clinton's "efforts."
Thank God for FR...and kindred, "seeing" spirits. (^:
Not "The" President - -- -
It should be the "EX" (if not just X) president !! !! !!
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