Bill Clinton
A former voice of the American people
A little about the politician
William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States who served from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, Bill became the third youngest president in history. Born on August 19th, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas, Clinton spent the first six years of his life in Hope. His father passed away after an auto accident just several months before the future president was born. He was raised in the home of his grandmother for a few years before his mother married Roger Clinton, a car dealer and abusive alcoholic. Quickly the family packed their bags and moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas where Bill spent most of his years. As a teenager he had to intervene in some violent arguments between his parents but did not let his home troubles affect his school work. He was an active member in the community and was widely recognized as a young man of rare talent and ambition. In 1970, Clinton entered Yale law school, earning his degree in 1973 and met his future wife Hillary Rodham, whom he married in 1975. After graduation, Clinton moved back to Arkansas with a job teaching law at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Almost right upon returning home, Clinton threw himself into politics.
Political career before the Presidency
42
Accomplishments:
- Longest economic expansion in American History
-The President's idea of fiscal discipline, open foreign markets and investments in the American people created record numbers of 115 months of economic expansion.
- More than 22 million new jobs
-All of these jobs were created in eight years, more than were created in the previous twelve years. The surplus of jobs created the lowest unemployment in thirty years, just 4.0 percent by 2000.
- Lowest crime rate in 26 years
-tough penalties, more police and gun safety laws dropped the crime rate for eight consecutive years. Clinton's 1994 Crime Bill added 100,000 police officers to the streets.
- Paid off over $360 billion of the national debt
-the largest three-year debt pay down in American History, $363 billion.
Failures:
- Osama Bin Laden was not killed
-Clinton claimed persistent efforts to find the terrorist but failed to do so.
- Genocide in Rawanda
-in 1994, Clinton disregarded the genocide in Rawanda and acknowledges his failure to take action as "one of the greatest regrets of my presidency."
- Health Security Act failure
-message was unclear to the public so they saw no true benefit. Also many Democrats in Congress were not behind Clinton's proposal and saw their own ideas about what needed to be done. Lobbying groups also helped put the bill down in ads and by September 1994 the bill was dead.
After reelection, Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on two charges, one of perjury and one on obstruction of justice on December 19th, 1998.
Greatest Clinton portrait of all time
42
Ridiculous portrayal of Mr. Clinton
Members of Clinton's Cabinet
Secretary of State: Warren M. Christopher, 1993
Madeleine Albright, 1996
Secretary of the Treasury: Lloyd Bentsen, 1993
Robert E. Rubin, 1995–1999
Lawrence H. Summers, 1999
Secretary of Defense: Les Aspin, 1993
William J. Perry, 1994
William S. Cohen, 1997
Attorney General: Janet Reno, 1993
Secretary of the Interior: Bruce Babbitt, 1993
Secretary of Agriculture: Mike Espy, 1993
Dan Glickman, 1995
Secretary of Commerce: Ronald H. Brown, 1993
Mickey Kantor, 1996
William M. Daley, 1997
Norman Y. Mineta, 2000
Secretary of Labor: Robert B. Reich, 1993
Alexis Herman, 1997
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Donna E. Shalala, 1993
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Henry G. Cisneros, 1993
Andrew M. Cuomo, 1997
Secretary of Transportation: Federico F. Pena, 1993
Rodney Slater, 1997
Secretary of Energy: Hazel R. O'Leary, 1993
Frederico F. Pena, 1997
Bill Richardson, 1998
Secretary of Education: Richard W. Riley, 1993
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Jesse Brown, 1993
Togo D. West, Jr., 1998
Some quotes said by Mr. Clinton
"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."
"When our memories outweigh our dreams, it is then that we become old."
Works Cited
- Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
- "Impeachment of Bill Clinton." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
- "Bill Clinton Quotes." Bill Clinton Quotes (Author of My Life). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
- "The Clinton Presidency: Key Accomplishments." The Clinton Presidency: Key Accomplishments. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.
- James, Michael S. "Timeline: President Bill Clinton Through the Years." ABC News. ABC News Network, 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
- "Miller Center." American President: Bill Clinton: Life Before the Presidency. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.