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can’t do anything about it; all we can do is life with whatever is going on in the day- get up tomorrow and try to do our job. Why to-day headlines. It’s destructive. Otherwise did we come here? We came here to help you shrivel and become little. move the country forward and bring the The President should always be trying to country together, and that’s what we’re going be bigger than he is and lifting the country to do. And our convention showed how pro- up. And you just have to keep putting that ductive our administration had been and our out of your mind; you just have to let it go. country had been in the last 4 years. And I can’t do anything about anything that hap- I think the fact that we could do it while pened yesterday or even an hour ago; you having people like Senator D’Amato on us just have to let that stuff go and keep trying day-in and day-out I think is a tribute to the to lift the country up. character and the public devotion of the peo- Ms. Soren. Well, thank you very much. ple in this administration. I’m proud of them. The President. Thank you. Ms. Soren. That’s what I wanted to ask you. If you can just—try to take this in the NOTE: The interview began at 6:12 p.m. aboard way that I mean it, but you’ve suffered inces- the MTV Choose or Lose bus. The President re- sant character assassination over the past 4 ferred to comedian Bill Cosby; and Jim Guy Tuck- years; your family has been maligned. You er, former Arkansas . This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate get up, there’s another funeral; you’ve prob- issue. A tape was not available for verification of ably only had a couple hours of sleep that the content of this interview. night. Between the funeral, a scandal, an- other country maybe going to war, why do you want 4 more years? I mean, what are Remarks in Cairo, you thinking? August 30, 1996 The President. Well, first of all, there’s been a lot more good than bad. The President. Thank you. Ms. Soren. Really? Audience members. Four more years! The President. Oh, yes. It is the most re- Four more years! Four more years! warding thing in the world for a citizen of The President. Thank you. Ladies and our country, who loves our country and be- gentlemen, thank you. I want to thank the lieves in the promise of its people, to be Mayor and everybody who’s worked so hard President. To look back on the last 4 years to make this day happen. I thank those who and to go out here as I did on the train ride sang and performed before, especially the or on this bus trip, and you look into the Egyptian High School Band. Let’s give them eyes of people and you go through these a hand over there—[applause]—the Jerry crowds, and somebody will say, ‘‘I’ve got a Ford Combo. I understand Helen Bishaw home because of one of your programs’’; made this wonderful long sign. Beautiful ‘‘I’ve gotten a job since you were here’’; ‘‘I’m sign. Thank you very much. on one of your college loans’’; ‘‘I’m an Folks, I love to come to southern Illinois. AmeriCorps student.’’—when you see how When I was Governor of my State, I chaired the country is changing for the better, it’s a study of the lower Valley, and immensely rewarding. I used to come to southern Illinois. And I And in this day and time—you know, as know that Senator ’s home is not I said, we’ve had periods like this in our poli- far from here. And you know, he’s retiring tics before. In the early 1800’s, Mr. Jefferson from the Senate, and I hope you’ll elect Dick faced many of the same things. When you Durbin to take his place, because we need live in a time which is really rough, with no him desperately there. But Paul Simon has holds barred, and a lot of people seek per- served you and the with dignity sonal advantage by what I call the politics and honor and distinction. And I want him of destruction, you have to be always, always, to come up here and say just 2 minutes of always defining yourself and the quality of thanks to you and make a few comments be- your life by what is inside. And you can’t con- cause he is retiring after a great career, and fuse who you are and the quality of your own you need to express your appreciation to him.

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Senator Simon. of the police department in this town was funded by the crime bill.’’ I fought hard for [At this point, Senator Paul Simon made brief it. They fought against it. We were right. remarks.] We have invested a lot of money in this The President. Thank you, Senator, and area in job retraining. I think there ought to Congressman Costello, Congressman to be more of it. They think there ought to Poshard, all these legislative candidates and be less of it. That’s a clear signal. You cannot university officials and others who are up on expect people to go through the changes we the stage with me. Ladies and gentlemen, have had in the American economy unless I am delighted to be back here. we do more and more quickly, to give people I loved coming in on the bus. And I looked immediate access, no matter their age, to at the bean fields and the river bottoms, and whatever education and training they need when I came into town, I felt like I was to get a new job and a better job. It is critical home. And I saw the big welcome on the to our future. Laborers Building. It even had a billboard I’m told you have the best Job Corps re- up there. I appreciated that. Then their lead- training center in the country right here. er was back here saying, ‘‘You know, we’re That’s the kind of thing we need to do for closer to Arkansas than . These peo- everybody. ple talk like you do. You don’t have an accent And let me just say, you’re going to have here, Mr. President. You don’t have an ac- some races for the legislature here. I want cent here.’’ to talk about how all of these races fit to- We have had a wonderful week. I started off on a train going from West to gether. If we’re going to build a bridge to to Ohio to Michigan to Indiana to the next century, we have to keep growing the Democratic Convention in Chicago to this economy until it reaches every Delta prove that we’re on the right track to the town and every inner-city neighborhood in 21st century, but also to see people like you the United States. It’s not enough to say who never see a President. And then we there are 10 million more jobs. We want to came back to our bus so we could come down know there’s a job for everybody that lives here. I learned today that the last Presidents in the Mississippi Delta who wants to go to who came to Cairo were Teddy Roosevelt work and a good job. in 1907 and William Howard Taft in 1909. Last night I said to the American people— I don’t know what the others were doing, I say to you again here tonight—we changed but I’m glad to be back. And it’s high time. the welfare laws, and we said we’re going My fellow Americans, last night I had a to have a new bargain with people who are chance to talk at the Democratic Convention poor and out of work and able-bodied with about what we were going to do in the next little children. We will guarantee health care. 4 years to build that bridge to the 21st cen- We will guarantee food. We will guarantee tury. And tonight I just want to say again child care. But now the income has to come to you, the choice here is about more than from effort. Well, that’s fine. Now, I say, we a choice between two candidates. It is a have to go out and create the jobs. choice between the future and the past, a And I outlined a plan last night in Chicago choice between a philosophy that we’re all to the American people to invest several bil- in this together—we have an obligation to lion dollars—all of it paid for in my balanced help each other make the most of our own budget plan—in poor rural areas and small lives—and a theory that you’re on your own towns, in our inner cities to create jobs, to and we hope you do well. It’s a choice be- give incentives to invest in those areas. The tween people who believe, as and best untapped market for the United States I do, that we have a responsibility to help today is those parts of the United States you make this a strong community and help which haven’t gotten investment, which give your children the best lives. haven’t fully recovered, which need more I was asking here—right just when I was jobs. That’s what we need to do. And we have standing here—the Congressman said, ‘‘Half a strategy to do it.

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I want everybody walking across that The President. God bless you. Stay with bridge to the 21st century. I don’t intend to us and we will make the kind of future you see the lower Mississippi Valley left behind. and your children deserve. Thank you. We’re I want your children to have the best edu- delighted to be here. cation, your parents to have the best jobs, and your people to have the best future. That NOTE: The President spoke at 7:26 p.m. at the is my commitment to you. Stafford Public Library. In his remarks, he re- ferred to Mayor James Wilson of Cairo. This item Let me just say a word about education. was not received in time for publication in the Al Gore and I, in the next 4 years, are com- appropriate issue. mitted to seeing that every classroom in America, in the remotest mountain village, in the poorest city neighborhood, up and Remarks in Paducah, Kentucky down this Delta, every single classroom and August 30, 1996 library not only has the computers they need with the teachers trained to help use them The President. Thank you very much, la- but is connected to an information super- dies and gentlemen. I’m glad to be back in highway that will give, for the first time in Paducah. Folks, I don’t know if you remem- the history of this country, every child, rich ber this, but on the day before the election or poor, immediate access to the highest in 1992, I flew to Paducah and I didn’t have quality information available on any subject, any voice at all. I’ve still got a little left now. to any child, in any school in the United And I could only get up and say to you, States or in the world. That is worth fighting ‘‘Folks, I have lost my voice, but if you folks for. in Paducah and Kentucky will vote for me I’ll be your voice for the next 4 years.’’ We are committed to the right kind of tax Well, folks, I’m here tonight with what the cuts for working families: a tax cut in the crowd counters tell me is 25,000 of our good form of a $500 credit for young children; a friends and Americans to tell you I have been tax cut in the form of a $1,500 credit to make your voice. Compared to 4 years ago, we are 2 years of education after high school as uni- better off. We are on the right track, but we versal in 4 years as a high school education still have work to do. And I want you tonight, is today. We ought to make it possible for for the next 4 years, to help me build that every family to go to a community college bridge to the 21st century. Will you do it? at least and have it paid for and not have Will you do it? to worry about it through tax cuts. We ought Audience members. Yes! to give every family with a child in college The President. I want to thank Governor or a parent in college a deduction for the Patton and Mrs. Patton for being here, for cost of tuition up to $10,000 a year. We ought their leadership and their energy. I want to to educate America and do it now. thank our good friend Senator , So I say to you, if you want that kind of a great leader in the Senate and an im- future, if you want the feeling you have to- mensely respected man. I don’t know how night on this beautiful lawn of this magnifi- many times I’ve thought to myself, if we just cent old library to carry you through, if you had about 10 people like Wendell Ford in want to feel on election day the way the Vice the Senate we could solve half the country’s President says and feel that way all through problems in a month or two. the next 4 years, you have to help me build I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Steve that bridge to the 21st century. Will you do Henry for being here. I want to thank Steve that? Beshear and join in what has been said about Audience members. Yes! him. When I was looking at him speak to- The President. Will you help us for 68 night, I thought, boy, Kentucky would be days to talk to your friends and neighbors better off if he were the United States Sen- about going into the future instead of going ator, along with Wendell Ford. back? Will you do that? You know, it’s really too bad that a person Audience members. Yes! like or our fine candidate for

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