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| name=William Jefferson Clinton | image=Bill_Clinton.jpg | order=42nd President | term_start= January 20 1993 | term_end= January 20 2001 | vicepresident= Al Gore | predecessor= George H. W. Bush | successor= George W. Bush | birth_date= August 19 1946 | birth_place= Hope, Arkansas | party= Democrat | spouse= Hillary Rodham Clinton }}William Jefferson Clinton, (born '''William Jefferson Blythe III''' on August 19 1946 ) was the 42nd President Of The United States , serving from 1993 to 2001. Clinton served five terms as the Governor of Arkansas . His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton , is presently in her first term as the Junior U.S. Senator from New York . Generally regarded as a Moderate and a member of the moderate New Democrat wing of the Democratic Party , he headed the centrist Democratic Leadership Council in 1990 and 1991. During his tenure as president, his domestic priorities included efforts to create a universal healthcare system, to improve Education , to restrict Handgun sales, to balance the federal budget, to strengthen Environmental regulations, to improve race relations, and to protect the jobs of workers during pregnancy or medical emergency. His domestic agenda also included other themes such as reforming welfare programs, expanding the " War On Drugs ", and increasing Law Enforcement funding. Internationally , his priorities included reducing Trade Barrier s, preventing Nuclear Proliferation , and mediating the Northern Ireland Peace Process and Israeli-Palestinian Conflict s. Clinton was the third-youngest president, behind , accessed February 27 , 2006 Early life William Jefferson Blythe III; was born in Hope, Arkansas , and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas . He was named after his father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr. , a traveling salesman who had been killed in an auto accident three months before his son was born. His mother, born Virginia Dell Cassidy (1923–1994), remarried in 1950 to Roger Clinton . Roger Clinton owned an automobile dealership business with his brother, Raymond Clinton. The young Billy, as he was called, was raised by his mother and stepfather, assuming his last name "Clinton" throughout elementary school, but not formally changing it until he was 14. Clinton grew up in a traditional, albeit blended, family; however, according to Clinton, his stepfather was a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused Clinton's mother, and sometimes Clinton's half-brother Roger, Jr. . Clinton was a member of the Masonic Youth Order of DeMolay , but never became a Freemason . While at Hot Springs High School , Clinton was an excellent student and a talented Saxophonist . He considered dedicating his life to music, but a visit to the White House of President John F. Kennedy, following his election as a Boys Nation Senator, led him to pursue a career in politics. Clinton received a Bachelor Of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.) degree from the Edmund A. Walsh School Of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. , where he became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega , worked for Senator J. William Fulbright , was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and won a Rhodes Scholarship to the University Of Oxford , ( University College ) in England. While at Oxford he played Rugby Union as a Lock , later in life he played for The Little Rock Rugby club in his home state of Arkansas. After attending Oxford, Clinton obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Yale Law School in 1973. While at Yale, he met a classmate who would eventually be his wife, Hillary Rodham ; the couple married in 1975. Their only child, Chelsea , was born in 1980. Arkansas political career In 1974, his first year as a University Of Arkansas law professor, Clinton ran for the House Of Representatives . The incumbent, John Paul Hammerschmidt , defeated Clinton with 52% of the vote. In 1976, Clinton was elected Attorney General of Arkansas without opposition in the general election. In 1978, Bill Clinton was first elected Governor Of The State Of Arkansas , the youngest to be elected governor since 1938. His first term was fraught with difficulties, including an unpopular motor vehicle tax and popular anger over the escape of Cuban prisoners (from the Mariel Boatlift ) detained in Fort Chafee in 1980. In the 1980 election, Clinton was defeated in his bid for a second term by Republican challenger Frank D. White . As he once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history. But in 1982, Clinton won his old job back, and over the next decade helped Arkansas transform its economy. He became a leading figure among the New Democrats, a branch of the Democratic Party that called for welfare reform, smaller government, and other ideas that reached out to Democrats and Republicans alike. Clinton's approach mollified conservative criticism during his terms as governor. However, personal and business transactions made by the Clintons during this period became the basis of the Whitewater investigation, which dogged his later presidential administration. After very extensive investigation over several years, no indictments of any kind were made against either of the Clintons growing out of their Arkansas years. Presidency 1992 presidential campaign Clinton's first foray into national politics occurred when he was enlisted to speak at the , August 15 , 2000 Toward the end of the speech, conventioneers began chanting “Get off!” The speech drew cheers only when Clinton uttered the words, “in conclusion.” Clinton later poked fun at himself on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show by saying that the speech "had not been my finest hour, not even my finest hour and a half." Four years later, Clinton prepared for a run in 1992 against incumbent President George H. W. Bush . In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War , Bush seemed unbeatable, and several potential Democratic candidates — notably New York Governor Mario Cuomo — passed on what seemed to be a lost cause. Clinton won the Democratic Party's nomination. Clinton chose U.S. Senator Albert A. Gore Jr. ( D - Tennessee ) to be his running mate on July 9 1992 . Initially this decision sparked criticism from strategists due to the fact that Gore was from Clinton's neighboring state of Tennessee which would go against the popular strategy of balancing a Southern candidate with a Northern partner. In retrospect, many now view Gore as a helpful factor in the 1992 campaign. Many character issues were raised during the campaign, including allegations that Clinton had dodged the draft during the , accessed February 25 , 2006 Election Clinton won the 1992 Presidential Election (43.01% of the vote) against Republican George H. W. Bush (37.4% of the vote) and billionaire populist H. Ross Perot who ran as an independent (18.9% of the vote), largely on a platform focusing on domestic issues; a large part of his success was due to George H.W. Bush's steep decline in public approval. Previously described as "unbeatable" due to his approval ratings in the 80 percent range during the Persian Gulf Conflict , Bush saw his public approval rating drop to just over 40% by election time. Clinton's victory came about for several reasons. The Recession Of 1992 caused job losses in the white collar sector, and this fueled strong discontent with Bush, who to many voters seemed out of touch, and overly focused on foreign affairs. By contrast, the highly telegenic Clinton appeared to voters as sympathetic, and more in touch with ordinary families. Bush's reneging on his promise not to raise taxes was exploited by the Clinton campaign. In his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention of 1988, Bush had famously proclaimed: "" Clinton repeatedly condemned Bush's failure to keep this promise. His campaign ran ads hinting that the failure reflected on Bush's character. Finally, Bush's coalition was in disarray. Ross Perot's independent campaign played to moderates' concerns about the budget deficit, siphoning crucial swing votes from Bush. Previously, conservatives had been united by anti-communism; with the end of the Cold War, old rivalries re-emerged. The Republican Convention of 1992 was dominated by evangelical Christians, and this alarmed some moderate voters, who thought the Republican Party had been taken over by religious conservatives.Mark Silk. ''Spiritual Politics: Religion and America Since World War 11''. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988, p. 160. {Link without Title} All this worked in Clinton's favor. Clinton could point to his moderate, 'New Democrat' record as Governor of Arkansas. Liberal Democrats were impressed by Clinton's academic credentials, his 1960s-era protest record, and support for social causes such as a woman's right to abortion. The Reagan Democrats who had supported Reagan and Bush in previous elections switched their allegiance to the more moderate candidate, Clinton. Clinton was the first Democrat to serve two full terms as president since Franklin D. Roosevelt . His election ended an era in which the Republican party had controlled the White House for 12 consecutive years, and for 20 of the previous 24 years. That election also brought the Democrats full control of the political branches of the federal government, including both houses of U.S. Congress as well as the presidency, for the first time since the administration of the last Democratic president, Jimmy Carter . Significant events of the first term Shortly after taking office, Clinton fulfilled a campaign promise by signing the '', November 1996, Washington Blade Editorial: Bush Has Mandate to Let Gays Serve - Kevin Naff, Center For The Study Of Sexual Minorities In The Military , January 10 , 2003 These advocates felt Clinton should have integrated the military by executive order, noting that President Harry S Truman ended segregation of the armed forces in that manner. Clinton's defenders argued that an executive order might have prompted the then-Democrat-controlled Senate to write the exclusion of gays into law, potentially making it even harder to integrate the military in the future. Clinton pushed another controversial issue during this period: that of free trade. In 1993, Clinton supported the North American Free Trade Agreement for ratification by the US Senate. Despite being negotiated by his Republican predecessor, Clinton (along with most of his Democratic Leadership Committee allies) strongly supported free trade measures. Though the measure was opposed by some anti-trade Republicans, most of the opposition came from protectionist Democrats and supporters of Ross Perot. Ultimately, the treaty was ratified, a major legislative victory. Clinton also signed into law the Brady Bill , which imposes a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases so that background checks can be done to help keep handguns away from criminals. President Clinton expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit , which benefits Working Class families with dependent children. The most important item on Clinton's legislative agenda, however, was A Complex Health Care Reform Plan , the result of a taskforce headed by Hillary Clinton , aimed at achieving universal coverage via a national healthcare plan. Though initially well-received in political circles, it was ultimately doomed by well-organized opposition from conservatives, the American Medical Association , and the health insurance industry. Despite his party holding a majority in the House and Senate, the effort to create a national healthcare system ultimately died under heavy public pressure. It was the first major legislative defeat of Clinton's administration. Two months later, after two years of Democratic party control under Clinton's leadership, the Mid-term Elections In 1994 proved disastrous for the Democrats. They lost control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years, in large part due to the failed attempt to create a comprehensive health care system. , Clinton, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords on September 13 1993 .]] Significant events of the second term After the 1994 election, the spotlight shifted to the Contract With America spearheaded by Speaker Of The House Newt Gingrich . This initiative presented a blanket of traditional Republican proposals, plus a number of anti-corruption measures. Without a friendly legislative body, Clinton shifted from pushing new policy to blocking the Republican (GOP) agenda. In August of 1993, Clinton had signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Of 1993 which passed Congress without a single Republican vote. It significantly raised taxes on the top 2% of taxpayers, without providing middle class tax cuts as he promised during the campaign. But more importantly, it mandated that the budget be balanced over a number of years, and put spending restraints in place. The Republicans objected vociferously, claiming that it would wreck the economy. In November of 1994, the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. They were furious at being strait jacketed into spending cuts by the bill, but they couldn't ignore it without appearing to be softer on deficit spending than the Democrats. In 1996, the GOP passed a budget with significant spending cuts thinking that Clinton could either sign the bill (a major political defeat) or veto it (resulting in a shutdown of most government services). GOP leaders believed that their recently energized supporters would stand with them, while the shutdown would be blamed on Clinton's veto of the spending bills. Clinton instead vetoed the bills and staged a media blitz, rallying his constituencies to blame the shutdown on the Republicans. The public largely agreed with Clinton's interpretation of the situation, and the Republicans suffered a major political defeat. The perception that the congressional Republicans were dangerous radicals stayed with them for the remainder of the Clinton presidency, and Clinton repeatedly made skillful use of this perception to pass his initiatives while blocking theirs. Clinton cleverly managed the other major challenge posed by the Contract with America: that of of 1996. This proved to be a major political victory, and a vindication of his strategy of "triangulation." Republicans were robbed of the issue with which they were getting the best traction, while Clinton was presented as a fair-minded, mainstream moderate. In the 1996 Presidential Election a few months later, Clinton was re-elected, receiving 49.2% of the popular vote over Republican Bob Dole (40.7% of the popular vote) and Reform candidate Ross Perot (8.4% of the popular vote). The Republicans lost a few seats, but overall retained control of the Congress. Throughout 1998, there was a controversy over Clinton's relationship with a young White House intern, Monica Lewinsky . Clinton initially denied having any improper relationship with Lewinsky. After it was revealed that investigators had obtained a semen-stained dress as well as testimony from Lewinsky, Clinton admitted that an improper relationship with Lewinsky had taken place. He apologized to the nation for his actions, agreed to pay a $25,000 court fine, settled his sexual harassment lawsuit with Paula Jones for $850,000 and was disbarred from practicing law in Arkansas and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was not tried for nor found guilty of perjury in a court. In a Lame Duck session after the 1998 elections, the Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Clinton. The next year, the Senate voted to acquit Clinton of the charges brought against him. In the closing year of his Administration, Clinton attempted to address the Arab-Israeli Conflict . After initial successes such as the Oslo accords of the early 90's, the situation had quietly deteriorated, breaking down completely with the start of the Second Intifada . Clinton brought Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat together at Camp David . However, these negotiations proved unsuccessful. Critics charged Clinton with trying to "shoot the moon" to benefit his historical legacy, but instead making the situation worse with a botched negotiation. Supporters consider Clinton to have attempted to address new tensions from the recent outbreak of violence at its root causes, and that Clinton can hardly be blamed for a centuries-old conflict. Some further argue that the perception that Arafat walked away from an offer that supposedly contained all of his previously stated demands enabled the US to pursue a more pro-Israel policy in later years. Despite occasional political troubles, Clinton remained popular with the American people. In addition to his political skills, Clinton also benefited from a very skillful management of the US economy. In 1999, the United States had a projected federal budget surplus for the first time since 1969. By 1998 it was a $70 billion budget surplus. While Clinton, Congress and the private sector have all been given credit at different times, this economic success was a source of immense political strength for Clinton. He remained popular through and beyond the end of his terms in office. Legislation and programs Major legislation signed
Major legislation vetoed
Proposals not passed by Congress Initiatives
Cabinet Supreme Court appointments Clinton appointed the following justices to the Supreme Court :
The economy During Clinton's tenure, the U.S. enjoyed continuous economic expansion, reductions in unemployment, and growing wealth through a massive rise in the Stock Market . The economic boom ended in the first quarter of 2000, approximately 10 months before his term ended in January 2001, possibly indicative of a Stock Market Bubble . Although the reasons for the expansion are continually debated, Clinton proudly pointed to a number of economic accomplishments, including:
The reasons for this growth are hotly debated, but Clinton supporters cite his '', November 12 , 2000 Critics of Clinton point to Alan Greenspan 's strong chairmanship of the Federal Reserve, 1995 spending cuts and the Republican Party's Contract With America initiatives as alternative reasons for America's strong economic growth of the late 90's. Critics also argue that the economic recovery had already begun before Bill Clinton took office and did not pick up momentum until 1995 and 1996, after the GOP took over Congress (despite the fact that GDP growth was higher in 1994 than in either 1995 or 1996). Many economists attribute massive growth to the dot-com boom which just happened to come during Clinton's term, thus adding many new jobs which may not be directly attributed to policies of the Clinton administration. Trade Clinton strongly supported the NAFTA, The North American Free Trade Agreement . Initiated during the tenure of his predecessor, George H.W. Bush , it was passed by the United States Congress in 1993, after Clinton and Gore lobbied heavily for it. The Clinton administration used the WTO Agreement On Trade-Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights thirteen times and prevailed in the WTO thirteen times. Policing Intellectual Property Across Borders - audio 12:40-16:30, WBUR Boston , NPR news, aired July 25 , 2005 Foreign policy .]] and Bill Clinton.]] at a private dinner in Russia, January 13, 1994]] In 1994, Clinton negotiated and signed the Nuclear Accords with North Korea . The underlying concern was that North Korea was developing Nuclear Weapon s technology under the guise of a nuclear power plant. In exchange for assistance with energy needs, North Korea agreed to abandon all ambitions for acquiring nuclear weapons. However, by the mid 1990s defectors from North Korea, along with reports from the IAEA , indicated that North Korea was violating both the Nuclear Accords and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In December 2002, North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors from its Yongbyon nuclear facility, and announced (privately in 2003 and publicly in 2005), that they possessed nuclear weapons. In November, 1995, Clinton committed troops to the Balkans saying the mission would be “precisely defined with clear realistic goals” that could be achieved in a “definite period of time". Clinton assured Americans the mission would take about one year. In October 1996, shortly before Clinton's reelection, the Clinton Administration denied any change in the plans to withdraw troops in December, 1996. However, shortly after reelection, Clinton announced troops would stay longer. Troops ultimately stayed in Bosnia for nine years. Should Congress Investigate Misleading Prewar Intelligence? - Timothy Lynch, FOX , November 25 , 2005 On , 1998 , retrieved from CNN , February 25 , 2006 In August 1998 UN weapons inspectors left Iraq, leading to Operation Desert Fox in December. During Clinton's tenure, '', March 24 , 2004 Some critics argue that the American attacks in , 1999 After his presidency, Clinton identified his proudest foreign policy accomplishments as mediating peace talks between Israel and the PLO, resulting in the Oslo Accords (1993). Subsequent events, including the collapse of the 2000 Camp David Summit and the commencement of the Al-Aqsa Intifada , resulted in the Oslo Accords being widely discredited within Israel and in various Palestinian factions by 2004. Clinton identified his major foreign policy failure as lack of response to the 1994 - - July 23 , 2005 However, the Clinton administration deployed 2,300 troops to Rwanda in an attempt to stop the genocide. The troops were withdrawn two months afterwards. Investigation, impeachment, and controversies See Also: Impeachment of Bill Clinton Investigation and impeachment In 1998, as a result of allegations that he had lied during grand jury testimony regarding his relationship with a young female White House intern ( session in December 1998 to hastily hold impeachment proceedings: if they had waited until the newly-elected Congress convened in January 1999, the Republicans would not have had enough votes. Although the House Judiciary Committee hearings were perfunctory and ended in a straight party line vote, the debate on the Floor of the House was lively. The two charges which were narrowly passed by the House were for Perjury and Obstruction Of Justice . The perjury charge arose from Clinton's testimony about his relationship to Monica Lewinsky during a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by former Arkansas-state employee Paula Jones . The obstruction charge was based on his actions during the subsequent investigation of that testimony. Two other charges were voted down. The presumptive incoming Speaker Of The House , Bob Livingston lost his job as an indirect result of the impeachment process, after he was forced to admit to marital infidelity of his own. Impeachment trial in the Senate The Senate refused to convene to hold an impeachment trial before the end of the old term, so the trial was held over until the next Congress. The Constitutionality of this was widely questioned, although the most recent set of impeachment proceedings, against Judge Walter Nixon in 1988 and 1989, also spanned two Congresses. On , February 12 , 1999 Clinton, like the only other president to be impeached, Andrew Johnson , served the remainder of his term. Contempt of court citation In April, 1999, about two months after being acquitted by the Senate, Clinton was cited by Federal District Judge Susan Webber Wright for civil Contempt Of Court for his "willful failure" to obey her repeated Orders to testify truthfully in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit. For this citation, Clinton was assessed a $90,000 Fine , and the matter was referred to the Arkansas Supreme Court to see if disciplinary action would be appropriate. {Link without Title} Regarding Clinton's January 17, 1998 Deposition where he was placed under oath, the judge wrote: "Simply put, the president's deposition testimony regarding whether he had ever been alone with Ms. (Monica) Lewinsky was intentionally false and his statements regarding whether he had ever engaged in sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky likewise were intentionally false . . ." {Link without Title} Later--in January, 2001 , on the day before leaving office--Clinton agreed to a five year suspension of his Arkansas Law License as part of an agreement with the independent counsel to end the investigation. Based on this suspension, Clinton was also automatically suspended from the United States Supreme Court bar, from which he chose to resign. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Clinton's resignation was mostly symbolic, as he had never practiced before the Supreme Court and was not expected to in the future. The Paula Jones lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for $850,000. In addition to impeachment and the Whitewater Scandal , the Clinton White House was the subject of many other controversies. 1996 campaign fund-raising controversy In late September 1996, questions arose regarding President Clinton and the Democratic Party's fund-raising practices. In February of the following year, the , 1997 in violation of U.S. law forbidding non-American citizens from giving monetary donations to U.S. politicians and political parties. Seventeen people, including DNC and Clinton defense fund-raisers John Huang , Charlie Trie , James Riady , and Johnny Chung , were eventually convicted for fraud or for funneling Asian funds into the U.S. elections. In 2002, the , 2002 Other controversies The White House Travel Office Controversy involved allegations of impropriety in the firing of civil service staffers. The White House Personnel File Controversy involved improper access by security officials to FBI files on White House personnel, without first asking for the individuals' permission. The Bill Clinton Pardons Controversy involved a grant of clemency to FALN bombers in 1999 and pardons to his brother Roger , tax-evading billionaire Marc Rich and others in 2001 (see List Of People Pardoned By Bill Clinton ). Early in his first-term, a largely discredited documentary, the Clinton Chronicles , implicated Bill Clinton in a large number of deaths of his acquaintences. This also became known as the "Clinton Body Count" and was the subject of a request for Congressional hearings in 1994. As many as 60 people were on this list of "suspicious deaths" including Jim McDougal , Vince Foster and Ron Brown . In March, 1998 '', December 5 , 1998 HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros was indicted on 18 counts of conspiracy, giving false statements and obstruction of Justice. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of lying to the FBI about the amount of money he gave his mistress, political fundraiser Linda Medlar . Medlar plead guilty to 28 counts related to the investigation. Both Medlar and Cisneros were pardoned by Clinton. On Clinton's last day in office, he pardoned over 200 convicted felons, including his brother Roger who had completed a prison sentence on drug charges and Dan Rostenkowski , the former Chairman of House Ways And Means Committee who had been convicted on corruption and mail fraud charges. Another one of those pardoned was Marc Rich , a financier who had fled the United States decades before for tax evasion and other illegal activities including buying illegal oil from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Though his company put up a $200 million dollar bond on behalf of Rich and his partner, Rich fled the country before being indicted and never saw a day of trial or incarcaration. Many questioned the pardon because Denise Rich was a generous donor to the Clinton campaigns and to his library. These actions quickly led to public hearings by congress, headed by Congressman Dan Burton into the legality of all of Clinton's presidential pardons. Federal prosecutor Mary Jo White was appointed to investigate as well. The investigation revealed that Denise Rich's last donation to the Clinton library came a full year before Marc Rich's attorney's even discussed asking her to lobby Clinton on his behalf. Burton, as part of his investigation, listened to taped recordings of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak pleading with Clinton to pardon Rich as well - Rich had provided millions of dollars in financing for Palestinian development projects and the Israelis considered Rich a significant part of the peace processSidney Blumenthal The Clinton Wars. (2003). ISBN 0-37-412502-3.. Marc Rich was required to pay a $100 million dollar fine as part of the pardon and to waive all statute of limitations in regards to any future civil charges. James Comey later replaced Mary Jo White, and he closed the investigation without filing any indictments. Clinton was criticized by those on the left for his practice of "co-opting" Republican policies, and "triangulating" himself. The triangulation practice would make the public see Clinton on "top" of a triangle, putting himself "above" the Republicans and Democrats . The theory was that Clinton was, in his eyes, "doing the business of the American people", and not getting involved in partisan politics. He always stressed he was being bipartisan, but in the end many progressives concluded that he was simply a Republican-lite. Conservative policies that he supported and passed while he was president were NAFTA , GATT , Welfare Reform , more crimes eligible for the death penalty, the Defense Of Marriage Act , and deregulating the telecommunications industry. He dropped a nominee, Lani Guinier , from a key civil rights post because of her Black Power ideological views. Progressives like Ralph Nader and union leaders complained that Clinton's enthusiastic support of free trade cost the Democrats the Congress in 1994. They argued he alienated working class voters and the party's traditional liberal base, and these voters figured that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats cared very much for them. Bill Clinton timeline 1992
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''See also: Clinton/China Timeline .'' Public approval While Clinton's job approval rating varied over the course of his first term, ranging from a low of 36 percent in 1993 to a high of 64 percent in 1993 and 1994 Job Performance Ratings for President Clinton , accessed , January 10 , 2001 conducted as he was leaving office, revealed deeply contradictory attitudes regarding Clinton. Although his approval rating at 68 percent was higher than that of any other departing president since polling began more than seven decades earlier, only 45 percent said they would miss him. While 55 percent thought he "would have something worthwhile to contribute and should remain active in public life", and 47 percent rated him as either outstanding or above average as a president, 68 percent thought he would be remembered for his "involvement in personal scandal" rather than his accomplishments as president, and 58 percent answered "No" to the question "Do you generally think Bill Clinton is honest and trustworthy?" 47 percent of the respondents identified themselves as being Clinton supporters. Public image As the first , July 16 , 2004 The couple was a political partnership unknown since Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Many jokes implied that Hillary was the real President Of The United States . Social conservatives were put off by the impression of Clinton having been a " Hippie " during the late 1960s, his coming-of-age era . In the 1960s, however, Clinton might not have been viewed as such by many of those in the hippie subculture . Clinton avoided the draft with a student deferment while studying abroad during the Vietnam War . Clinton's marijuana experimentation, excused by Clinton's statement that he "didn't inhale", further tarnished his image with some voters. In terms of policy Clinton was to the right of most recent Democratic candidates for the presidency on many issues - he supported the Death Penalty , Curfew s, uniforms in public schools, and other measures opposed by Youth Rights supporters, and he expanded the War On Drugs greatly while in office . , Ronald Reagan , Jimmy Carter , Gerald Ford , and their wives at the funeral of President Richard Nixon on April 27 1994.]] Extramarital affairs Starting from 1992 Presidential Election Campaign , rumors about Clinton's Adultery were floating about, and these surfaced and increased with Paula Jones ' accusations of Sexual Harassment . After allegations had linked him to Jones, Gennifer Flowers , and Kathleen Willey , Clinton's sex life would become the focus of his public image when, in January 1998, recorded conversations by Linda Tripp contained statements by White House intern Monica Lewinsky about having Oral Sex . Nicknames Clinton is often referred to by nickname among both detractors and fans. One of the earliest was "Bubba", which alludes to his Southern "good Ol' Boy" background. Other common nicknames include "Slick Willy" and "Clintoon" (by detractors), and the "Big Dog" (by fans). Although the phrase typically refers to Ronald Reagan 's presidency, Clinton's presidency is sometimes referred to as the " Teflon Presidency" for how scandals and setbacks never seem to stick to him, at least in terms of dropped public support. During his first presidential campaign in 1992 he claimed the moniker of the "Comeback Kid" after placing second in the New Hampshire Primary to Paul Tsongas ("Tonight New Hampshire's made me the Comeback Kid"). Post-presidential career observe.]] '', promoting '' My Life '']] Like other former American presidents, Clinton has engaged in a career as a public speaker on a variety of issues (earning $875,000 in 2004 alone, according to Mr. Clinton's own financial disclosure statements). The speaking engagements are remarkable in that since 2001, when he addressed a large gathering of Morgan Stanley investment 'fat cats' and incited a major backlash aimed at company management, he is conspicuously absent from any major US company invitations. In his speaking outside the country and in public forums, he continues to comment on aspects of contemporary politics. One notable theme is his advocacy of multilateral solutions to problems facing the world. Clinton's close relationship with the African American community has been highlighted in his post-Presidential career with his opening of his personal office in the Harlem section of New York City. He assisted his wife, Hillary Clinton , in her campaign for office as Senator from New York. In February 2004, Clinton (along with Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren ) won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album For Children for narrating the Russian National Orchestra 's album '' Peter And The Wolf /Wolf Tracks''. Clinton won a second Grammy in February 2005, Best Spoken Word Album for '' My Life ''. Clinton's autobiography, '' My Life '', was released in June 2004. On July 26 2004 , Clinton spoke for the fifth time in a row to the Democratic National Convention , using the opportunity to praise candidate John Kerry . Many Democrats believed that Clinton's speech was one of the best in Convention history. In it, he criticized President George W. Bush's depiction of Kerry, saying that "strength and wisdom are not opposing values." On September 2 2004 , Clinton had an episode of Angina and was evaluated at Northern Westchester Hospital . It was determined that he had not suffered a Coronary Infarction , and he was sent home, returning the following day for Angiography , which disclosed multiple vessel Coronary Artery Disease . He was transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, where he successfully underwent quadruple Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery on September 6 2004 . The medical team responsible for Clinton claimed that, had he not had surgery, he would likely have suffered a massive Heart Attack within a few months. On March 10 2005 , he underwent a follow-up surgery to remove scar tissue and fluid from his left chest cavity, a result of his open-heart surgery. He dedicated his Presidential Library , which is the largest in the nation, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center , in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 18 2004 . Under rainy skies, Clinton received words of praise from former presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush , as well as from the current president, George W. Bush . He was also treated to a musical rendition from Bono and The Edge from U2 , who expressed their gratitude at Clinton's efforts to resolve the Northern Ireland conflict during his presidency. On November 22 2004 , New York Republican Governor George Pataki named Clinton and the other living former presidents ( Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , and George H. W. Bush ) as honorary members of the board rebuilding the World Trade Center . On December 8 2004 , Clinton announced that he was the new spokesperson for Accoona , an Internet Search Engine company. Friendship with George H.W. Bush There had been reported signs of a friendship growing between Clinton and George H.W. Bush. After the official unveiling of his White House portrait in June 2004, the Asian Tsunami disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 Election , Clinton and Bush met on occasion, although the nature of the friendship did not appear to be a reconciliation of political opinions. On January 3 2005 , President George W. Bush named Clinton and George H. W. Bush to lead a nationwide campaign to help the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake . On February 1 2005 , he was picked by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to head the United Nations Earthquake And Tsunami Relief And Reconstruction Effort . Five days later, he and Bush both appeared on the Super Bowl XXXIX pre-game show on Fox in support of their bipartisan effort to raise money for relief of the disaster through the USA Freedom Corps , an action which Bush described as "transcending politics." Thirteen days later, they both traveled to the affected areas to see how the relief efforts were going. On , September 5 , 2005 Following the Death Of Pope John Paul II on April 2 2005 Clinton stirred up a mini-controversy saying the late pontiff, "may have had a mixed legacy…there will be debates about him. But on balance, he was a man of God, he was a consistent person, he did what he thought was right." Clinton sat with both President George W. Bush and former President George H.W. Bush as the first current or former American heads of state to attend a papal funeral. On September 16 2005, Clinton appeared on '' Larry King Live '' to talk about Senator Clinton's political career. On December 9 2005, speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal , Clinton publicly criticized the Bush Administration about its handling of emissions control. On February 7 , 2006 , Clinton appeared at |