Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / Oct. 2 2289 and in order for them to have the economy That's why this is important, quite apart that would generate the tax revenues to im- from the way I feel about Carol and Pat and plement their education plans for Montana. Whitney and my feelings for Montana and But second, and more important, it runs the gratitude I feel because we won there the other way. Most of the important social in 1992. This is a big deal. If you really be- progress we have made in the last 8 yearsÐ lieve that we changed America, we turned whether it is cutting the welfare rolls in half it around, we're going in the right direction, or seeing a steep decline in crime or any of and you want it to amount to something, then the other things that have happened here to you've got to help them. improve the fabric of our Nation, including And I'm very grateful to all of you. I just an increased high school graduation rate, a saw Congressman Pomeroy back there, from record college-going rate, increased test neighboring North Dakota. Thank you for scores in math and science, a two-thirds being here. increase in the number of our kids taking So remember what Carol said. Thanks for advance placement courses, all these being here. And if you can send her a little thingsÐthe Federal Government can do cer- more money between now and election day, tain things here, but who runs the politics you ought to do that, too. of a State and who drives the vision of a State Thank you very much. is pivotal to the success of anything that the NOTE: The President spoke at 7:20 p.m. at the next President and the next Congress can do Sewell-Belmont House. In his remarks, he re- to shape the future of Americans at home. ferred to Mark O'Keefe, candidate for Governor I was just looking the other day, for exam- in Montana, and his daughter Maggie; Carol Wil- pleÐone of the things that I'm proudest of liams, candidate for Lieutenant Governor in Mon- is that the Democrats insisted on including tana, and her husband, former Representative Pat in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 a Chil- Williams; Bob Ream, chair, Montana Democratic dren's Health Insurance Program, the big- Party; former Representative Bruce Morrison and gest expansion of health care for our kids his wife, Nancy; former Gov. Ted Schwinden of since Medicaid was established when Montana; the President's mother-in-law, Dorothy Rodham; and Nancy Keenan, candidate for Con- Lyndon Johnson was President. And in 2 gress from Montana. years and a couple of days, we have enrolled 21¤2 million people in that program. But there are at least 6 million children Remarks at a Reception for eligible for that program. There is a dramatic Representative Dennis Moore differenceÐdramaticÐin the enrollment October 2, 2000 levels from State to State. And what is the determining event? The leadership at the Thank you very much. First of all, I would State level, starting with the Governor and like to thank all of you for being here today. someone else who is passionately committed, I want to thank Dennis and Stephane for pre- who is assigned to do this. That's just one senting themselves to the people of Kansas example. and for giving the people of Kansas a chance So I know that most of the people in Wash- to send a Democrat to Congress who rep- ington, a lot of you may be here because Pat resents what the Republicans say they're for. and Carol are old friends of yours. Maybe [Laughter] And I really appreciate that. you're here because you have ties to Mon- I'd also like to say, I thank the Members tana. But what you need to understand is, of Congress who are here, but I am particu- if you believe in what we have been doing larly grateful to Jim Slattery and Peter the last 8 years and you want more positive Hoagland, who are here, because without changes to occur in this direction, it is pro- them, I wouldn't be here, because they foundly important not just to help in the con- helped me turn this country around in 1993 gressional races and to make sure we prevail and 1994, and I thank them for that. in the Presidential race but to make sure that Now, after Secretary Glickman sort of we win every single solitary Governor's race threw down the gauntletÐ[laughter]ÐI and Lieutenant Governor's race we can. completely forgot what I was supposed to talk 2290 Oct. 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 about because I wasted 2 minutes back there lowing story, as a candidate. He said, ``You thinking about whether there was anything know, I spent almost $40 million getting I could still do to him. [Laughter] Now, I'm nominated, so I was convinced that everyone at a loss. There's a lesson in that somewhere. in New Jersey knew who I wasÐeveryone.'' [Laughter] So he said, ``I was campaigning the other day Actually, I was thinking that I kind of re- in a nursing home, and I went up to this sented that Al Gore has gotten all this cred- lady, and I said, `Ma'am, do you know my itÐ[laughter]Ðfor naming Joe Lieberman to name?' And she said, `You know, sonny, I the ticket. I mean, I know it's a big deal to don't, but if you go up to the nurse's station, have the first Jewish Vice Presidential nomi- they'll tell you.' '' [Laughter] nee. But I mean, come on, now, look at I told him, I said, ``Jon, that's not a bad American history. That is nothing compared joke, but you need to let me tell that.'' to the first Jewish Agriculture Secretary. [Laughter] ``Until you get past the election, [Laughter] I mean, just with a decision, I I don't believe I'd tell that one again.'' destroyed one of the great stereotypes in [Laughter] American life. [Laughter] Nobody thinks So anyway, here we are. Let me be serious ``Jewish farmer'' is an oxymoron anymore. just for a moment. This is a different country [Laughter] than in it was in 1992. The country is in bet- Not only that, if those Republicans would ter shape. We have done it by a combination have listened to Dan and me back in 1995, of new ideas and old-fashioned values. I was we wouldn't have had to have all these bail- down in Texas the other day with my first outs the last 3 years with the farmers because Treasury Secretary, Lloyd Bentsen. And I of their failure to farm act that I warned said to him something which is true. People, about back then, which is just one of the rea- now that I'm about to leave office, they come sons Dennis ought to be reelected, because to me all the time and say, ``What great new he'll have a chance next year to rewrite the idea did you bring to the economic policy farm law. And I hope it will be done in a process in Washington?'' People ask me way that really supports the farmers of this questions like that all the time, you knowÐ countryÐall the farmers of this country, ``what great new sweeping reform?'' And I without regard to where they live, what they always have a one-word answer: Arithmetic. produce, or how big they are. And it's very We restored arithmetic. That's what the important that we have people who have Democrats brought back. And those of us in Democratic values and the understanding of the heartland, we still think 2 and 2 ought agriculture that anyone from Kansas has to to add up to 4. have in order to serve in the United States So I'm profoundly indebted to people like Congress. Steny Hoyer, who helped me turn this budg- Let me just say a word or two very briefly. et deficit around. And last week, we had a I realize that I'm preaching to the saved couple of announcementsÐlet me just men- hereÐI'll explain that later, Dan. [Laughter] tion the announcements we had last week. Glickman and I get a lot more leeway since Last week the annual report came out which we're not on the ballot. [Laughter] It's amaz- showed that the Government budgetÐwhich ing what you can say. [Laughter] I say, this was supposed to be $455 billion in the hole one story. Jon Corzine, who is our nominee this year; when I took office, that was the for Senator in New Jersey, and who spent estimateÐwill have a $230 billion surplus, like $38 million of his own money winning the biggest in history. It showed that poverty the nomination, got up andÐRush Holt and figures were the lowest in 20 years, the big- IÐhe may still be hereÐI did a deal for gest drop in child poverty in 34 years, the Rush Holt the other day in New Jersey, in biggest recorded drop in Hispanic and Princeton. African-American poverty in history. So Jon comes to the event, and we were And furthermore, it showed that, for the elated to see him. He's a great friend of mine, first time in a dozen years, there were actu- has been for many years.