Remarks to the Conference on the Progressive Tradition in Princeton, New Jersey October 5, 2000
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Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / Oct. 5 last step we made. But there are still significant And we ought to be investing money in that. questions about how soon the product will be— There are technologies available today off the can go to the refinery and whether we not only shelf that pay out in 2 years or less that would can get fuel but fuel oil out of the refinery permit us to dramatically reduce energy con- and into the supply chain in time to make sure sumption in homes, offices, and factories all over there’s no adverse price impact for the winter. America. We ought to give people a tax break I do think we’re going to have enough supplies to buy them, and we ought to do it now. We to get through the winter. And I’m just going ought to create a market that will move quickly to watch it every day and do what seems indi- to a very different energy future that will actu- cated. ally grow the economy faster. I would just say this, since you raised that So you know where—we differ over—and question—and then I have to let these Members there are some production incentives we could of Congress go, and Mr. Casserly and Secretary adopt now that we agree on. The most signifi- Riley will go out and talk more about the edu- cant difference we have I think is over whether cation report—but what I would hope is that there should be drilling in the Arctic National what we’re going through here would prompt Wildlife Refuge. And that’s an issue that’s being the majority in Congress to work with us on debated in the election; the American people some longer term strategies on which we ought can draw their own conclusions. I think we’re to be able to agree. right. They think they’re right. They can hear We are very close to the development of very the debate. But that should not be an excuse high mileage vehicles with fuel cells, alternative to walk away from the long-term elements of fuels, blended fuels. We are within sight of an energy strategy that I’ve been trying to pass cracking the chemical mystery of the conversion for more than 2 years, that we can do today of biomass to fuels at a ratio that would make at very modest cost and enormous return. it—change the whole future of this issue. Right Thank you very much. now it takes 7 gallons of gasoline to make 8 gallons of ethanol or any other biomass fuel, NOTE: The President spoke at 11:27 a.m. in the but the chemists believe they can get the con- Rose Garden at the White House. In his remarks, version down to one gallon of gasoline for 8 he referred to Michael D. Casserly, executive di- gallons of fuel. When that happens, then all rector, Council of Great City Schools; President of you will drive to work every day with the Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of equivalent of 500 miles a gallon. And this will Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro); Chairman be a very different world. We will be living Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority; and in a different world when that happens. Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel. Remarks to the Conference on the Progressive Tradition in Princeton, New Jersey October 5, 2000 Thank you very much. Thank you for the I could come here today. I want to thank Pro- wonderful welcome. Thank you, President Sha- fessor Sean Wilentz for putting on this con- piro, for your distinguished leadership here and ference and for his many acts of generosity and the vital work you did during the course of kindness and support for our efforts over the our common Presidencies. It occurred to me last 8 years. that this might be the only place in America I’d like to thank the Congressman from where people thought Woodrow Wilson got a Princeton, Representative Rush Holt, for coming demotion when he was elected President of the here. Thank you. I know this is not really a United States. [Laughter] political event, but I can’t help noting that Rush Thank you, Dean Rothschild. And thank you, Holt is the only bona fide scientist in the Con- Ruth Miller, for putting off your retirement so gress, and Lord knows, we need at least one. 2037 Oct. 5 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 Another Member of Congress wanted to come the leeway of quoting Theodore Roosevelt, who here today, Senator John Edwards from North said in his speech on the new nationalism, ‘‘I Carolina, a good friend of mine, whose daughter do not speak merely from a historical standpoint. Katherine is in the freshman class. And I prom- It is of little use for us to pay lip service to ised to give his excuses to his daughter and the mighty men of the past, unless we sincerely the rest of you, but they are voting in the Senate endeavor to apply those qualities to the prob- today. And part of the Progressives’ tradition lems of the present.’’ is showing up. [Laughter] And so he’s showing It is in that spirit that I would like to say up down in Washington. a few words today, about the Progressive tradi- And I thank you, Katharine Strong Gilbert, tion, about what it means for today and how for giving me this Whig-Clio Award. it is part, I believe, of a larger ongoing debate You know, James Madison is a very important in American history about the whole idea of figure to every American and every President America. What does the Nation mean? What who cares, in particular, about the framework does it mean to be an American? and history of the Constitution. But it’s inter- The Progressives thought we could only keep esting to me that he actually participated in faith with the past by keeping faith with the debates here in the 18th century, including one future. Their time had much in common with with Aaron Burr, where Madison was the Whig ours, and therefore, our responsibilities have and Burr was the Clio. It was that debate that much in common with theirs, to preserve what produced a memorable line that is too often is enduring but to adapt our Nation time and attributed to me: The era of Whig Government again to what is new. is over. [Laughter] I must say, when I first saw the program Woodrow Wilson said, ‘‘It behooves us once for this conference, I felt some ambivalence. again to stand face to face with our ideals, to The student in me wanted to come here and renew our enthusiasm, to reckon again our du- stay for the whole thing. But the politician in ties, to take fresh views of our aims, and fresh me wondered what in the living daylights I was courage for their pursuit.’’ These words ring doing here. I’m supposed to lead off a group with relevance for your time. Not simply be- of people whose books I have read, who know cause we stand at the dawn of a new century, more about the subject I’m supposed to address as Wilson and Roosevelt did, but because this than I ever will. time, like theirs, is characterized by swift and I can say that I had some unique experience stunning change. in carrying on the progressive tradition. I always Like the industrial revolution, this information felt that the work we did the last 8 years made revolution is a true seismic shift. It alters forever us the heir of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow the way we work, live, relate to each other and Wilson—Al Gore and me, our entire administra- those beyond our borders. The consequences tion. And I have a fascination with that period of the digital chip, nano-technology, the Inter- of history. net, and the sequencing of the human genome I own a lot of Theodore Roosevelt’s books will be every bit as profound, if not more pro- in the first edition, including a fascinating ac- found, than those of the telephone, the assembly count of how he organized the Rough Riders. line, and the vast migration of Americans to I’ve also got a wonderful book that Owen Wis- the cities and the opening of America to its ter, the writer of westerns, wrote about his first great wave of immigrants. friendship with Theodore Roosevelt, when, like But these are only the most obvious parallels many of you, they were undergraduates together between the Progressive Era and what I call at Harvard. The other day I acquired Joseph this time, the last time I came to Princeton, Tumulty’s book—he was Woodrow Wilson’s pri- a new progressive era. I also believe in a larger vate secretary—about his relationship with Presi- sense the Progressive Era and this time rep- dent Wilson, both as Governor and as President. resent two of the five pivotal points in American It’s a fascinating account of the time, by some- history, when we have been called upon to reaf- one who was admittedly biased but still had firm and to redefine not just the role of Govern- a unique perspective. ment for new times but the very idea of the So I’ve thought a lot about this period. And American Nation. That debate has gone on from I suppose as a politician, I should give myself the beginning.