Posted on 11/18/2004 11:51:35 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - Bill Clinton reveled in the spotlight on Thursday as political friend and foe alike, including two presidents named Bush, helped him dedicate his $165 million presidential library, which highlights his achievements with a little bit of Monica Lewinsky mixed in.
Only 91-year-old Gerald Ford was among former presidents absent, a group that grew smaller last summer with the death of Ronald Reagan. Democrat Jimmy Carter, 80, and Republican George Bush, 80, and his son, President Bush, and their wives, attended a rain-soaked ceremony on the bank of the Arkansas River.
The event featured 30,000 of Clinton's best friends and supporters, most of them huddled under a sea of red, blue and black umbrellas.
It was a day to set aside political disputes. "Today, we are all red, white and blue," said Clinton, 58, looking thin as he recovers from major heart surgery recently.
He urged Bush to take the opportunity of Yasser Arafat's death to try to bring peace to the Middle East: "I hope you get to cross over to the promised land of peace in the Middle East. You have a good opportunity and we are all praying for you."
And Clinton said he was troubled by America's political divide.
"I once said to a friend of mine about three days before the election... 'You know, am I the only person in the entire United States of America who likes both George W. Bush and John Kerry, who believes they're both good people, who believes they both love our country and they just see the world differently?" he said.
Former President Bush, defeated for re-election by Clinton in 1992, admired Clinton's persistence and resiliency in times of trouble and called him "one of the most gifted American political figures."
"Trust me, I learned it the hard way. ... Simply put, he was a natural. And he made it look too easy. And oh, how I hated him for that," Bush said.
He recalled his campaign debate with Clinton and Ross Perot in Richmond, Virginia, in which he was caught looking at his watch, a famously fateful political moment.
"I was wondering when the heck Ross Perot would be finished and how I could get out of there," Bush said.
CLASSIC CLINTON
Current President Bush said Clinton "led our country with optimism and a great affection for the American people and that affection has been returned." He told a tale about Clinton's political style.
"He'll look you in the eye, he'll shake your hand, he'll hold your baby, he'll pet your dog, all at the same time," Bush quoted a Clinton supporter as saying.
Clinton returned the favor: "The first time I ever heard George W. Bush give a speech in Iowa and I called a friend of mine and I said: 'My God that guy can beat us. He is a good politician."'
Carter recalled the first time he met Clinton 30 years ago.
"It may be a surprise to some of you that he was late to the appointment," Carter said of the famously tardy Clinton.
It was a classic Clinton event -- really long.
He was heralded by trumpets, serenaded by a college choir and a Latin children's band and the "Flying Razorbacks" of the Arkansas Air National Guard flew over. Bono sang "When the Rain Comes." And still the rain fell.
In the audience were Tipper and Al Gore, the former Clinton vice president defeated by the current president in 2000.
Standing by her man on stage was Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York senator mentioned as a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.
The Clinton Presidential Center, a box-like structure extending over the Arkansas River, includes replicas of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, and shelters Clinton's presidential archive of 80 million documents, 21 million e-mails and 2 million photographs.
Clinton's sexual dalliance with Lewinsky is not ignored, but is put in the context of a partisan battle with Congress. It is part of a section called "The Fight for Power" in which there are discussions of the partisan politics that led to Clinton's 1998 impeachment and acquittal. (Additional reporting by David Morgan and Steve Barnes)
With all that rain and all those libs, the place had to smell like wet dog.
"...event featured 30,000 of Clinton's best friends and supporters..."
Sure didn't look like that many people there to me! MSNBC
was the only one covering it in the Chicago area. Even
C-SPAN wasn't showing it.
Like Rush said, they want to have as many ceremonies that involve them so they can relish on the days that used to be. It's pathetic. Let's see if the dems will praise Bush the way he praised them at the ceremony today. What a joke. Hillary makes me sick. You can tell that they're personal life is in shambles. They have to be in the spotlight 24/7.
On the upside, this was the first Presidential Library to be built with only private donations. All others JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Carter, Reagan and Bush had their's built by the Federal tax payer.
I wonder if President Bush will go the way of Clinton and not shake down the Government to build his library?
I think they added another zero because they thought no one would notice.
GWB honored Clinton and Clinton turned around and disparaged an entire ideology.
The man's a festering canker on the history of the White House and the presidency. May he forever live in the shame he brought upon himself.
...b@stard...
I just saw a Fox news poll for president.
Rudy 49%
Hillary 38%
That is too close for comfort. What are we going to do? Would Conservatives consider voting for Rudy in large numbers? I think not. We could be looking at another Clinton presidency. Never under estimate that bunch.
I don't see another GWB in the horizon.
Start educating the public about her - now.
Can I get me a cigar there?
They should just shorten the title to "Clinton Enjoys the Spotlight", then they could use it time after time.
Jimmuh: "Geez!!! I told Bubba do it on Dubbya's chair, not mine..."
The city of little Rock and the state of Arkansas has put tons of money into that project (tax dollars) don't let anyone BS you about that.
I DO NOT see the red states going for Hillary. I don't see much of the blue states doing the same.
I, I, I..... it's always about him. A mendacious buffoon and pervert. I'm ashamed he was ever President and wish he would just go away.
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.