What Does it Take to be a Great President?

 

By Megan Brown, Reham Khan, and Carolyn Kirschner

 

William J Clinton

 

 

Where I Lived:

 

I've lived all over the place, including:

Hope, Arkansas,

Hot Springs, Arkansas,

Oxford, England

and in that great big White House (1993-2001)

 

About Me:

I'm the forty second president of the US, and of course I am the 'jazziest' of them all, no pun intended, for I am a saxophonist. For most of the 1990's, I was a dominant political figure who was all for peace and general well-being of my American people; With me came the lowest unemployment rate, lowest inflation in 30 years, highest home ownership in history, not to mention reduced crime rate and welfare rolls. If those aren't the most perfect examples of my greatness then I don't know what is! Being the first president to be born after World War II, I symbolize the rise to political maturity my role models being Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Also, an unknown fact about me is that I legally changed my name from Blythe to Clinton when my brother entered school.

 

Date of Birth:

 I was born August 19th in 1946, in the little city of Hope, Arkansas

 

Date of Death:

I'm still alive...and I hope to continue living

 

Sex:

Male

 

Political Views:

I support the Democratic Party

 

Religious Views:   

Before my Presidency I was an active member of my Baptist church

 

Years Served as President:

I served from 1993 to 2001

 

Status:

Well, if this question is referring to my status DURING presidency, I would have to say Hillary Rodman Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, and Jennifer flowers.  If this question is referring to my status NOW, I will say Hillary Rodman Clinton only.

 

Children:

I have one child- Chelsea Victoria Clinton, born February 27, 1980.

 

Looking for:

I'm always interested in intellectuals to have deep and meaningful conversations with- or anyone for that matter

 

Occupations:

I have been a teacher of law at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the U.S. President, Governor of Arkansas, and Attorney General of Arkansas. I also worked as the intern in the office of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright.

 

Interests/Hobbies:

• Women ;)
• Reclaiming the future for the nation's children
• Playing my ol' saxophone
• Politics
• Communicating with others
• "Putting the People first"
• Restoring the hopes of the middle class
• Fighting against racial discrimination
• Presidency
• Preserving the American Dream 
• My dog Buddy
• Jogging

 

Education:

Let's see here… I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in International Affairs.  I've gone to Georgetown University, University College in Oxford by the Rhodes scholarship, and Yale Law College.

 

Favorite Books:

That would include: The Silver Chalice, The Last of the Mohicans, The Robe, and Black Beauty

 

Favorite Movies:

 American Pie, The Best Man, An Ideal Husband, Payback, 10 Things I Hate About You, A Civil Action, Enemy of the State, Home Fries, Absolute Power, Liar Liar, Beautiful Girls, Flirting with Disaster, My Fellow Americans, The American President

 

Favorite Music:

My favorite music genre would be jazz, but I wouldn't say I have a particular favorite song

 

Friends:

• Senator J. William Fulbright
• Senator Albert Gore Jr.
• Hillary Rodman Clinton
• Vernon Jordan
• Monica Lewinsky…
• Gennifer Flowers… 

 

Sports:

• Rugby (in high school)

 

During my stint as president, the political, social and economic factors and challenges that I had to deal with (at home) included:

 

Political

• I was impeached (1998) and there was a trial (1999), which ended to my benefits
• I signed a bill that set the blood alcohol limit for drunkenness at 0.08 percent
• I signed into law legislation that extended the life of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for three more years 
• My political emphasis was on issues that attracted mainstream support

 

Social

•  I focused on education,
• civil rights,
• and national health insurance
• People distrusted me due to my lies about my draft status in the Vietnam War, my usage of marijuana as a teen, my extramarital affairs, and my lies leading to my impeachment (which led to exclusion of most matters of public policy)
• I wanted less welfare and more reliance on “workfare” and job-training programs
• I emphasized the reduction of crime
• I supported the supply of additional money for police and prisons
• I supported of death penalty
• I wanted to end discrimination against gays and lesbians in the army (“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy”)
•  I began programs to combat child obesity in the US together with the American Heart Association
• I had empathy for the black people, which secured their votes
• There were issues about abortion (I am pro-choice)

 

Economic

• I wanted to balance the budget
• There were rumors that the I had been involved in the suspect land deals in Arkansas
• I was dealing with the increasing budget surplus
• Some people think I was involved in illegal fundraising
• I raised automobile licensing fees
• I lowered interest rates
• I was committed to minority businesses and received the National Coalition of Minority Businesses Legacy Award

 

 

During my stint as president, the political, social and economic factors and challenges that I had to deal with (abroad) included:

 

Political

• I was involved in foreign policy issues due to the demise of the Soviet Empire
• I had peace negotiations and agreements with the Middle East about the issue of Jerusalem
• I had agreements with the Serb political leadership that ended the bombings in Yugoslavia in exchange for Serb withdrawal from Kosovo, return of the Albanian refugees, and a multinational peacekeeping force
• I tried to explain to the Russians that they should not fear America's missile defense program
• I encouraged Russia’s strengthening of democracy

 

Social

• I was involved in issues of national self-determination in the Balkans; There were issues with violence against the Albanians by the Serbs, so the US interfered due to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

·         I assisted in improvements in the global health issue of AIDS

 

Economic

• I improved the situation in northern Ireland
• I embraced free enterprise
• I was committed to a global free market trading system
• I partly destroyed the economic infrastructure of Serbian portions of Yugoslavia  due to bombings
• I encouraged Russia’s strengthening of the economy
• I established a national advisory board on the balance between ocean ecology and economics
• I signed a bill on October 10, 2000, which extended permanent, normal trade status to China

 

Looking back at my presidential career, I had to wear several "hats."  Wearing these different "hats," these were my most significant achievements and failures:

 

Commander-in-Chief

 

To stop ethnic cleansing of the Albanians by the Serbians, I issued the use of American troops in a 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. This resulted in Kosovo being placed under the administration of the UN and lead to a peacekeeping force.

 

I tried to readdress the Arab-Israeli conflict by bringing together Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak, however common ground was not found, making the negotiations unsuccessful.

 

Chief Executive

 

I signed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allowing employees to take unpaid leave for a serious medical condition or pregnancy.  This was a popular bill. But the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding homosexuality was criticized by some. This was enacted to allow homosexual men and women to serve in the army, as long as they didn’t mention their sexuality.

 

Chief Diplomat

 

The H.R. 4655 law was signed in order to weaken Saddam Hussein’s power. A four day bombing campaign called Operation Desert Fox was launched. This was done in order to seek change in Iraq.

Here my attempt to address the Arab-Israeli conflict can be noted… ultimately unsuccessful.

Ceremonial Head of State

 

Most notably, the William J. Clinton Foundation was initiated to provide for a number of causes including aiding with treatment for HIV and AIDS and making programs and treatment more affordable.

 

Manager of the Economy

 

AmeriCorps was passed in order to secure the nation’s spending on education, the environment, and the government.

During my administration, the economy grew 4.0% per year, consecutively for 116 months, the most in US history. More than 22.5 million jobs were created during my administration, more than ever before. Overall unemployment rates dropped down to 4.0%, the lowest level in more than 30 years. Inflation rates fell to their lowest rates since the JFK administration. The US also had a projected federal surplus in their budget, the largest ever. All of these figures contributed to the economic boom in the US during my presidency and role as the Manager of the Economy.

Party Leader

 

The Deficit Reduction Act of 1993 — passed by both the House and Senate without a single Republican vote — put America on the road to fiscal responsibility and led to the end of perennial budget deficits.

 

National Leader

 

After the Monica Lewinsky sitation I apologized with the following statement

“I constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible."

I was able to let the nation know that I was wrong and thankfully I remained popular with the nation, ending my presidency with a 65% approval rating, the highest since Dwight D. Eisenhower.

 

Favorite Quote About Me by a Famous Historian:

"Clinton is the best choice to lead" - John White (Authur of Perut Economic Plan)

 

An  Interview About My Impeachment:

Interview with an Ex- President

Today's Guest: Former President William J. Clinton

With your Host: Overachiever's Presidential reporter Remegolyn Browschneran

Ms. Browschneran: Well, here we are- doing something very few people get to actually do- to speak with a former president! And not just any prez, but Bill Clinton!

[Applause]

Bill Clinton: Thank you for inviting me to your show, Ms. Kirschner.  Any questions you have please feel free to ask.

Ms. Browschneran: Now that you mention it, there is one question that's been dying to be asked and it has to do with your Impeachment- now, I know as a reporter I should be well informed on the issues, but I'd like to hear your side of this one.

Bill Clinton: [Coughs] Ah yes, my Impeachment- not a highlight of my presidency to say the least.

Ms. Browschneran: The audience and I would still enjoy hearing the truth from your perspective and we have plenty of time- this is a 30-min show…

Bill Clinton: To summarize it briefly, I did something that I shouldn't have done.  While in office and married to my wife, Hillary Rodman Clinton, I had an affair with Monica Lewinsky (my main affair) which was then quickly exposed to the public. [Sighs] I abused the trust of my fellow Americans and my wife, and untrustworthiness…is not a trait that a good president should have.  So for my sin I had to face redemption; I was impeached by the House of Representatives, tried in front of the Senate, and charged with obstruction of justice and perjury because of the Lewinsky scandal. I finally left office in January of 2001.

Ms. Browschneran: I'm sure that both I and the audience are equally informed on this matter, thank you for your time but the show is being cut short.  So until next time everyone, good bye--

Bill Clinton: --And goodnight!

 

 

Positive Political Cartoon

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUHT-hmGvjQ

 

Negative Political Cartoon

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/L/z/1/clinton_superdelegate_lk0215bd.jpg

 

 

Works Cited:

"William J. Clinton." The White House. 23 May 2008 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/bc42.html>.

 

 "It All Began In a Place Called hope." 23 May 2008 <http://clinton4.nara.gov/textonly/WH/EOP/OP/html/Hope.html>.

 

McConnell, Tandy. "Bill Clinton." American Decades 1990-1999 K2437000015 (2001)

23 May 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/>

 

"William Jefferson Clinton." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1998. Gale Research. 23

May 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/>