Administration of William J. Clinton, 1998 / July 30 1543 preconditions were satisfied, including rec- been out here working to try to improve edu- ognition of the ‘‘Turkish Republic of North- cation and move our country forward, move ern Cyprus’’ and the withdrawal of Cyprus’ our States forward. application to the European Union. I want to thank Margaret Rose Sanford, Although progress was not possible during Mrs. Terry Sanford, for being here tonight. Ambassador Holbrooke’s May visit, he as- Thank you for coming. But most of all, I want sured both parties that the United States to thank John Edwards and his wife and his would remain engaged in the search for a children for this race for the Senate. solution. You know, it’s just a common place today Sincerely, that you can’t beat a Republican incumbent William J. Clinton running for the Senate because they have all the money, and that’s why campaign finance NOTE: Identical letters were sent to Newt Ging- reform never passes, I might add. [Laughter] rich, Speaker of the House of Representatives, And so times are good; people are happy; and Jesse Helms, chairman, Senate Committee on your opponent has money, he’s already in; Foreign Relations. therefore, you can’t win. And John Edwards said, ‘‘I don’t think so. Remarks at a Reception for I think we can do better.’’ And I appreciate Senatorial Candidate John Edwards and respect that. I also want to thank them in Raleigh, North Carolina for giving up their anniversary dinner to come here and be with us. [Laughter] I’m July 30, 1998 not going to talk that long. It will still be Thank you very much. Thank you for being open when we finish tonight. [Laughter] here. Thank you for waiting. Thank you for I want to make a couple of brief points. enduring the heat. I’ll tell the Vice President It’s hot, and you’ve heard it all. I feel like 100 percent of the people in this crowd be- the guy that got up to the banquet and said, lieve there is global warming now. [Laughter] ‘‘Everything that needs to be said has already Thank you so much. been said, but not everyone has said it yet I’d like to thank all the young people who so you all sit tight.’’ [Laughter] I’ll be very provided our music over there. [Inaudible]— brief. thank you very much. I’d like to thank the First, I bring you greetings from the Vice Lt. Governor, your Education Commis- President and the First Lady, who wish they sioner, and the other officials who are here; could be here tonight. We want to thank the my old friend, Dan Blue; my former Ambas- people in North Carolina who have been our sador Jennette Hyde, and Wallace are here. friends since 1992, who stayed with us every Barbara Allen, your State chair, thank you step of the way, who believed in us when very much. I saw Sheriff Baker here. I thank we were often under attack. him for being here. I think every county Here are the points I want to make, and ought to have a sheriff that’s 9 feet tall. I they all bear on this race for the Senate. wish I could find one everywhere. Number one: We came to office in 1992 car- I want to thank my good friend, Erskine ried by people who believed our country Bowles, for coming home to North Carolina could do better if we had not only new lead- with me. You should know that on October ership but new ideas. We not only had the 1st, when we have that balanced budget and right people, I believe we did the right surplus for the first time in so many years, things. We said, ‘‘We want a Democratic there is no single person in America more Party based on the old virtues of opportunity, responsible for the first balanced budget in responsibility, and community, but with new a generation than Erskine Bowles, and it’s ideas for the 21st century.’’ a good thing for this country. And I appre- Five and a half years later, we have the ciate it. lowest unemployment rate in 28 years, the I thank my great friend, Jim Hunt. We’ve lowest crime rate in 25 years, the lowest wel- been friends for 20 years now, a long time fare rolls in 29 years, the first balanced budg- before some of you were born. And we’ve et in 29 years, the lowest inflation in 32 years, 1544 July 30 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1998 the highest homeownership in American his- And pretty soon the word got around. This tory with the smallest Federal Government is a little State, keep in mind. So I went to in 35 years, since John Kennedy was the a place, and they said, ‘‘Bill, if you get 50 President of the United States. people it’s an acceptable crowd. If you get There were fights over these ideas. When 150 people, it’s a huge crowd.’’ There were we passed the budget in 1993 that reduced 400 people who showed up. Why? Because the deficit by over 90 percent, not a single they wanted to participate in their democ- member of the other party was with us. racy. John Edwards is trying to give this Sen- When we passed the crime bill to put ate race and this Senate seat back to you, 100,000 police officers on the street, which and I hope that his opponent will accept his officers had been begging for. I just left Bris- offer. tol, Tennessee, the airport, all these law en- Here’s the second point I want to make. forcement officers standing there in east Here’s why you ought to be for him: Most Tennessee, saying, ‘‘Thank you very much for people, when times are good, especially if still helping us to keep our community safe.’’ times have been bad, want to take a breather. Very few members of the other party were They want to say, ‘‘Oh, everything is fine in there. America today’’—it’s in my self-interest to When we passed the family and medical say that. So people say, ‘‘Oh, everything is leave bill that’s allowed 121⁄2 million people fine. Let’s just relax and kick back and kick to get a little time off from work when off our shoes,’’ and ‘‘It’s a hot summer. We’ll they’ve got a new baby or a sick parent, most drink lemonade and leave them all in.’’ of the people in the other party opposed us. But let me tell you, those of you who study It was the Democratic Party that said, what’s going on know that the world is chang- ‘‘Yes, balance the budget, but give 5 million ing very fast still every day. The way we work, poor children health insurance. Give a the way we live, the way we learn, the way HOPE scholarship to make the first 2 years we relate to the rest of the world, it’s chang- of college free for virtually all Americans. In- ing. We cannot afford to sit back. We have crease those Pell grants. Increase those work- to bear down. Pretty soon us baby boomers study funds. Give tax deductibility for the in- will retire, and we don’t want to bankrupt terest rates on student loans. Let’s make col- our kids and our grandkids. That’s why I lege universal for everybody who is willing say—and John Edwards says—don’t you dare to work for it.’’ That was our party’s legacy. spend that surplus until we save the Social It was the Democratic Party that said, ‘‘We Security system for the next generation. can grow the economy and improve the envi- We have already 160 million Americans in ronment; we can’t afford to do the reverse.’’ HMO’s and other managed care plans. We And against often relentless odds, I can tell say, ‘‘Okay, manage the care. Save the you today, compared to 6 years ago, we not money, but don’t turn people away from an only have more new jobs, we have cleaner emergency room. Don’t turn people away air, cleaner water, safer food, fewer toxic from a specialist. Don’t have an accountant waste dumps, the most land set aside for making a decision a doctor should make with eternal preservation since the administration a patient to save lives and guarantee quality of Franklin Roosevelt. We are moving this health care.’’ That’s what the Patients’ Bill country in the right direction. of Rights is all about. I love John Edwards’ idea for the way to We say America has the finest system of conduct a Senate campaign. I’m convinced college education in the world, and most of that one of the few reasons that I am Presi- our public schools are doing a good job. But dent today is that when I went to New nobody believes every American child has Hampshire in 1992, a State with fewer than the finest elementary and secondary edu- a million people, with the first election, I just cation in the world. So let’s keep working started having open town hall meetings— until they do; with smaller classes in the early said, ‘‘Folks, come on in here. We’re going grades; hooking up all the schools, even the to talk.’’ And I’d talk 5 or 6 minutes, and poorest, to the Internet; giving kids the they would ask questions for an hour or two. chance to have opportunities in the summer Administration of William J. Clinton, 1998 / July 30 1545 and after school if they need it to learn more. and the First Lady and the Vice President In other words, let’s make a commitment that over the last 51⁄2 years, for the support that our elementary and high school education I’ve gotten from people from North Carolina, will be world-class for everybody just like col- especially from my number one North Caro- lege education is. That’s my commitment, linian, Erskine Bowles, who has been a won- and that’s his. derful Chief of Staff. And so, I have never given a speech in I want to thank you for your commitment a cool room in North Carolina. [Laughter] to John Edwards. And I want to ask you— And I tell you, you got my blood running you know, you heard us talking in the speech- strong. You make me feel good. I can’t wait es about his proposal today to Senator Fair- to go home and tell about it. But don’t you cloth that they give up the ads and just spend forget, this good man and his family, here all their money paying for honest conversa- before you on their 21st anniversary, defied tions with the people of North Carolina. I all the conventional wisdom along with the think that’s a good idea. good people that ran in the primary with him, You just think about how it would change and they said, ‘‘We can do better. Just be- politics in America forever if North Carolina cause America’s doing well, just because had an election in which there were no 30- North Carolina’s doing well, we have to think second attack ads and the two candidates sat about the long-term challenges.’’ down around a table or maybe had 20 or 30 Folks, when times are good, that’s the time or 50 citizens sitting with them, and honestly to repair the house; that’s the time to prepare discussed the issues on television where ev- for the future; that’s the time to build on erybody could be a part of it, write them, the confidence you have. You stay with him tell them what they thought, decide what and bring him home to the United States they agree with, what they disagree with. Senate, and we’ll build a stronger America Think about it. It would recreate old-fash- together for the 21st century. ioned citizenship again. Thank you, and God bless you. Now, if you like that, don’t let it be one letter in one statement in one day. Go out NOTE: The President spoke at 7:35 p.m. in the tomorrow and talk about it and the next day Governor W. Kerr Scott Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. In his remarks, he re- and talk to your friends and neighbors about ferred to Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker of North Caro- it and get a little ground swell built up about lina; Lynda McCulloch, Education Commissioner; it, because I can tell you that I think that State Representative Dan Blue; Jennette Hyde, this candidate will be much more eager to former Ambassador to Barbados, and her husband do this than his opponent. But it’s the right Wallace; Barbara Allen, chair, State Democratic thing to do for the folks. Party; Sheriff John Baker of Wake County; Gov. So stay with us; keep working. We’re going James B. Hunt of North Carolina; Margaret Rose to keep moving this country forward. Re- Sanford, wife of former Gov. Terry Sanford; and member the last thing I said in there—times Elizabeth Edwards, wife of candidate John Ed- are good now, and I’m grateful for that. But wards. that’s not a time to sit on your laurels and sit back and congratulate yourself. When Remarks to an Overflow Crowd America is going into a new century and in Raleigh things are changing as they are, we should July 30, 1998 use the confidence of these good times to take on those big long-term challenges. And Thank you. We wanted to come by and that’s what you have to think about with these thank you. I know that you had to come here; elections coming up. you didn’t get in the other room; you had Who do you really want to be dealing with to listen; you couldn’t see. But if it’s any con- the challenges of saving Social Security and solation, you are much, much cooler than Medicare for the 21st century? Who do you anybody in that other room is right now. really trust to do more to build the best pub- And I just want to thank you all from the lic schools in America for all of our children, bottom of my heart for being so good to me without regard to their income, their race,