Remarks at a Fundraiser for Senator Dianne Feinstein in Beverly Hills
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1136 May 20 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 Thank you very much. Lasorda to take over the lobbying for health care reform. [Laughter] NOTE: The President spoke at 2:24 p.m. in Pauley I don't knowÐbefore we get to Dianne's Pavilion at the 75th anniversary convocation. In main event we'll have to watch this primary his remarks, he referred to Charles E. Young, with Bill Dannemeyer and Michael Huff- chancellor, University of California-Los Angeles; ington, who spent $51¤2 million of his own Mayor Richard Riordan of Los Angeles; Jack W. money in the last election. And now he's Peltason, president, and Sue Johnson, board of spent $2 million to go on television to review regents vice chairperson, University of California; Harold T. Shapiro, president, Princeton Univer- Bill Bennett's book. I don't know how she sity; Kate Anderson, president, UCLA Under- can hope to meet and defeat a person who graduate Student Association; and Khosrow is foursquare for virtue. But I want to say Khosravani, external vice president, UCLA Grad- a little more about that in a moment. I think uate Student Association. This item was not re- Dianne Feinstein works for virtue and em- ceived in time for publication in the appropriate bodies virtue, and I hope she will be returned issue. on that basis. I want to say something serious, if I might. This is a, actually, kind of tough day for me Remarks at a Fundraiser for Senator to give a speech. I had the opportunity, as Dianne Feinstein in Beverly Hills, Senator Feinstein said, to go with her and California Senator Boxer and others to the Inland Em- May 20, 1994 pire today to talk about how we could revital- ize San Bernardino after the Norton Air Thank you very much to my friend Willie Force Base closure and what is being done Brown and to Sally Field for those wonderful there, which is truly astonishing, and then comments, to Ron and Jan Burkle for inviting to go to UCLA and speak to some wonderful us here to their beautiful place, to Dick Blum young people at their convocation. But this and all the other supporters of Senator Fein- is a sad day for Hillary and for me because stein's campaign. Jackie Kennedy Onassis passed away last There are two remarkable things about night, and she was not only a great symbol this evening for me. The first is, this is the of courage and grace and dignity for our third time I have been here, and every time country, but she was a real friend of ours I come, when I go back to the White House, and a special friend of my wife and very kind I feel like I'm in reasonably nice public hous- to our wonderful daughter. And like many ing. [Laughter] The second thing is that I of you, when I heard last night that she had want Dianne Feinstein to be reelected so lost her fight, my mind began to race over badly that I have spoken at two of her fund- the last 30 years, back to how it was then, raisers, but this is the first one where she's back to how it is now, back and forth, what showed up. [Laughter] It's a humbling job happened in between. I've got. [Laughter] One thing that Jackie and John Kennedy You know, Hollywood discovers stars all surely did was to make us all believe that the time, and now America is beginning to somehow together we could make a dif- discover Dianne Feinstein. [Applause] You ference, that what we did mattered, that our can clap for that. She's sort of replacing role as citizens was important, and that if we Tommy Lasorda as the person people think gave ourselves to public service, that was the of when they think of California. [Laughter] sign of good judgment and compassion. It You know, before I started running for Presi- was a fine thing to do. In other words, we dent, that's what I thought of in California. lived in a time then when there was much I'd see Tommy Lasorda getting smaller and less cynicism and pessimism and skepticism smaller and smaller on television, saying he'd and in which public discourse was a thing shrunk himself with that Slim-Fast. That's of honor, not a shouting match bent on de- what we're trying to pour into the Federal struction and division and distraction. budget. [Laughter] Now the deficit is down; I honestly believe that our ability to bring the Dodgers are in first place. I've asked this country into the 21st century as strong VerDate 14-MAY-98 11:40 May 18, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00001 Frm 00006 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 C:\TERRI\P21MY4.023 INET03 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 / May 20 1137 as it needs to be and as united as it needs this law. And Senator Feinstein went to work to be depends perhaps more than anything and Chuck Schumer went to work. And so else on our uncommon strength of purpose Chuck called me, and he said, ``Well, Mr. which we have mustered in times past, this President, we really need your help. We're time to muster on our own state of mind, probably 40 votes behind and we can't get to fight against all the forces that seek to drag there, but we ought to try.'' And I said, ``I'd us down and pit us against one another, and be happy to lose in this cause, but don't be to somehow elevate our sense of common too sure that we can't make it.'' purpose. Well, you all know what happened. But It isn't easy, and there are lots of folks who I wish I could tell you all the stories that hope it won't happen for all kinds of reasons. produced that 216-to-214 vote victory. One But if you think about this race in which of the clearer reasons was that a conservative Dianne Feinstein is involved, it is an example Republican from Illinois who is very much of what we plainly have to do. I'll never forget respected among his party members, Henry last fall when she was fighting for the assault Hyde, was undecided when Dianne Fein- weapons ban. And she called and she said, stein sent him a big, fat briefing book which ``Now, you said you were for this, Mr. Presi- included a list of the assault weapons shoot- dent, and I want you to help me.'' And I ings in Illinois since 1991. Henry Hyde said, ``Well, Dianne, we're probably not stunned the entire Congress by announcing going to win, but I'll work like crazy for it.'' that he had changed his position, he was So, she gave me my list to call, and call I going to vote for the ban. And he credited did. [Laughter] And then, that incredibly Dianne Feinstein for providing him with sensitive Senator on the other side of the convincing information. issue said thatÐ[laughter]Ðshe needed to When that happened, then other things become a little more familiar with firearms started to happen. First one, then another and their deadly characteristics. You all re- person would announce for the bill. A Con- member what she said in return. She recalled gressman from Michigan in a hunting area, how she became the mayor of San Francisco, who had never in 20 years in Congress, never how she tried to find the pulse of her slain cast one vote against the NRA, changed his colleague, how she had been trained in the position. Two Democrats from difficult con- shooting of a firearm when she had terrorist stituencies, one of whom was an ex-police attacks, with a bomb in her house when her officer, changed their vote walking down the husband was dying, when her windows were aisle to cast their ballot, people knowing they shot out. were putting their careers at risk because Well, I don't know if that other guy's made they grew weary of the shouting and pushing a speech on the floor of the Senate since and the division and the rhetoric and they then. [Laughter] But I do know that speech wished something to happen. And in doing had something to do not only with the pas- that, they ennobled the whole public enter- sage of the assault weapons ban but with prise again. They made us all believe that, changing the tone and tenor of the debate yes, we can, together, make a difference. in the United States Senate over an issue of I ran for President, as I told those young immense national importance. people at UCLA today, because I thought When we were trying to get the assault my generation did not finish its work for weapons bill passed in the HouseÐsame America, because I did not want to see my song, second verseÐCharles Schumer, a daughter grow up to be part of the first gen- wonderful Congressman from Brooklyn, had eration of Americans to do worse than their carried this bill and had been defeated by parents in a country that was coming apart 70 votes in 1991. Some significant changes when it ought to be coming together, be- were made in the bill; it was clarified and cause I always felt that we could restore the tightened up a bit.