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Remarks at the White House Bicentennial Dinner November 9

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Remarks at the White House Bicentennial Dinner November 9 2852 Nov. 9 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 Remarks at the White House Remarks at the White House Bicentennial Dinner Bicentennial Dinner November 9, 2000 November 9, 2000 Good evening, Mrs. Johnson, President Well, Mr. Sidey, we just saw the first exam- ple of your comment about doing without and Mrs. Ford, President and Mrs. Carter, Air Force One. President Bush is having air- President and Mrs. Bush, distinguished plane trouble and will stay with us for the guests. It has been said that an invitation to remainder of the evening. [Laughter] Actu- the White House to dinner is one of the high- ally, I've commiserated with all these people est compliments a President can bestow on about what our new life is about to be like. anyone. Tonight Hillary and I would amend And I understand that the worst part of it that to say that an even higher compliment is that I will be lost for the first 4 months has been bestowed on us by your distin- because no one will be playing a song any- guished presence this evening. In the entire more. [Laughter] 200 years of the White House's history, never I want to thank Lady Bird Johnson and before have this many former Presidents and President and Mrs. Ford, President and Mrs. First Ladies gathered in this great room. Carter, and President and Mrs. Bush, for Hillary and I are grateful beyond words being here. to have served as temporary stewards of the I thought that joke about Harry Truman people's house these last 8 years, an honor living with his mother-in-law was particularly exceeded only by the privilege of service that apt, since my mother-in-law is upstairs at this comes with the key to the front door. very moment. And she has agreed to let me In the short span of 200 years, those whom live with her for the next 2 years, when I'm the wings of history have brought to this in Arkansas trying to build my library. place have shaped not only their own times I, like previous speakers, would like to ac- but have also left behind a living legacy for knowledge President and Mrs. Reagan and our own. In ways both large and small, each say that we miss them and wish them well. and every one of you has cast your light upon I'd also like to acknowledge a person who's this house and left it and our country brighter been a particular friend of Hillary's and mine these last 8 years, who suffered two losses for it. For that, Hillary and I and all Ameri- in her family recently and could not be here cans owe you a great debt of gratitude. tonight, with whom we care very much I salute you and all those yet to grace these about, Margaret Truman Daniel. And we're halls with the words of the very first occupant thinking of her and wish her well. of the White House, John Adams, who said, I would like to thank Senator and Mrs. ``I pray to heaven to bestow the best of bless- Robb for being here and for their service to ings on this house and all that shall hereafter America. And I'd like to thank you, General inhabit it. May none but the honest and wise Eisenhower. Thank you for coming. We're rule under this roof.'' honored to have you here. And Ethel Ken- Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to join nedy, thank you for coming; and other mem- me in a toast to Mrs. Johnson, President and bers of Presidents' families. Mrs. Ford, President and Mrs. Carter, Presi- One of the most interesting things, to me, dent and Mrs. Bush for their honest and wise about living here these last 8 years is watch- service to the people while they inhabited ing the threads of American history weave this house. their way through the families of Presidents. The other day we had an actual ceremony here commemorating the 200th anniversary NOTE: The President spoke at 8:20 p.m. in the of the opening of the White House. And East Room at the White House. The dinner was hosted by the White House Historical Association. someone played John Adams and came up This item was not received in time for publication with his one footman and the horses and the in the appropriate issue. old 18th-century carriage and got out. And then we had a little reception for all the Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / Nov. 9 2853 Adams family members in the direct line of So Gary, from you to all the people that John and John Quincy Adams who were here. are down in the basement tonight keeping And it turned out that one of them had the lights on, making sure that the tempera- two sons in the United States Navy today, ture works, all the people that you never to one of whom serves on a destroyer that is see, to all these wonderful people who served the twin to the U.S.S. Cole and was there our dinner tonight, we thank you from the when Hillary and I spoke with the families bottom of our hearts. Thank you. and at the memorial service a few days ago. History tells us that even as the city's plan- It made me, once again, very grateful to be ners debated the final design of this house, an American, as well as to have the oppor- masons laid its stone foundations 4 feet thick. tunity to live here. Like our Nation's Founders, these men were I thank the members of the White House building a monument to freedom that they Historical Association, and especially Bob wanted to last. Over the course of two cen- Breeden and Hugh Sidey. Hugh, I hope you turies, as all of you knowÐand we've seen won't mindÐyou've had fun at our ex- some references tonightÐthis old house has penseÐI was thinking, there are at least two withstood war and fire and bulldozers, just of us up here at the table that you've said as its inhabitants have faced a stern test or more nice things about tonight than you have two. in our entire career in public life. [Laughter] In this remarkable audience are former And we are immensely grateful. I was also residents, historians, and others who have thinking that between all of us, we've served very little to learn about the White House. so long, we've been here together about half But I thought I would use, if I might, the as long as Helen Thomas has. And we're de- story of the East Room, where we are now lighted to see you. [Laughter] tonight, as just a metaphor. You've already I want to thank the members of the Ma- heard that Dolly Madison cut down George rine Band. You know, I was a band boy in Washington's picture here, and you may re- high school, which, if you were from Arkan- member that it was said that the East Room sas and over 6 feet tall, was a bad thing to began its existence as Abigail Adams' laundry be. [Laughter] But I loved music from the room. But it was soon after that Thomas Jef- time I was a child. And I think it would be ferson, with Merriwether Lewis, unrolled fair to say that I doubt if any President has maps on the floor amidst animal skins to plan ever enjoyed the Marine Band as much as what became known as the Lewis and Clark I have. I have loved every encounter I've ever expedition, on this very floor. Whether you had with them, and they are absolutely mag- agree with all of Thomas Jefferson's policies nificent. or not, it's interesting; just in buying Lou- I know that all of you noticed that every isiana and doing the Lewis and Clark expedi- President who has spoken here tonight tion, he helped to make us the great conti- thanked Gary Walters and the White House nental nation that we are today. staff. They were not going through the mo- Now, a few years after that, President Lin- tions. They were not saying that because that coln introduced Ulysses Grant to well- was something they had to say. Until you've wishers. You may remember that a lot of peo- lived here and you realize how totally bizarre ple in Washington didn't like General Grant. your life can get from time to time, it's im- He was 5'4'', unimposing. He forgot to shave possible to express how grateful you are to on some days when he was more interested people who make it normal, no matter what; in battle, and he was said to enjoy drink from who are always there for you at all hours of time to time. And when some of the people the day or night. When you're up in the polls in Washington were criticizing this rube from and down in the polls, when you're cele- the hinterland because of his drinking habits, brating your greatest triumph or the wheel President Lincoln wryly suggested that he runs off, they still try to make it a home. wished the person would find out what Gen- And then, when you have to get out and eral Grant drank and give it to the other gen- make it a public place, simultaneously, they erals; it might end the war more quickly.
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