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Dedication of Clinton Library

Aired November 18, 2004 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Miles O'Brien. This is LIVE FROM. Kyra Phillips off today.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Lin. CNN's LIVE FROM starts now.

O'BRIEN: Secure but still not safe. The Same day that -- in -- all right. I'm sorry. We got -- we got our signals crossed here.

The Clinton library is being opened today. It's raining. But that nevertheless has not stopped a big turnout there. You see Columbia's former president speaking to the crowd.

In the crowd somewhere, Candy Crowley -- Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's raining doesn't quite do it, Miles. It's pouring and it's very cold. I don't know if you can tell, but we are beginning to lose part of this crowd.

Some of these people, when we came in at 8 this morning, people were already starting to come. And it was already raining. So they've been out here about five hours in the rain, and the temperature has steadily dropped.

I notice that they did drop a part of the program, video remarks from Nelson Mandela. There were just some moments here that we were watching -- one is looking at Jimmy Carter as he came on to the stage wiping the water off his seat before he sat down.

We also saw at one point a young woman was speaking, and Bill Clinton got up and went over and adjusted her microphone.

So it's a very ceremonial opening with a lot of very casual touches. Now, listening to a little bit of a song called "A Good Friend," and that begins what will be the remarks from all of the former presidents that are here.

The only one that isn't, of course, is Gerald Ford, who was not feeling well enough to come. The first president we'll hear from is Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, followed by the 41st, 43rd and then the 42nd, William Jefferson Clinton.

So very wet, a very soggy day. Certainly, most of the people are still here. But very noticeably, the crowd, all of them invited, has begun to shrunk. Because it's pretty miserable weather. It's -- it's kind of a shame. But the show goes on, as you can see, Miles. O'BRIEN: Candy, I've got to ask you, the mood, in some respects, despite the wonderful music we're hearing there and the very optimistic talk, the mood for this large group of Democrats -- I know it's a bipartisan event but a lot of Democrats there. The mood has got to match the weather.

How much talk is there about the recent defeat and what lies ahead for the Democratic Party?

CROWLEY: Well, a lot of it, because this isn't just looking back at the past. I mean, it isn't just so much that Bill Clinton had a successful presidency. It is that when you look at it, he's still the pulse of this party. And they all know that that can't go on forever.

They need to find somebody who isn't Bill Clinton, obviously, because you'd have to change the Constitution and all that, but somebody that can move this party forward and recapture the White House.

It's only been four years, obviously, since Bill Clinton was in office. But it has felt, literally, like dog years to the Democrats, because you've had those two very agonizing elections.

So there's a lot of talk here about who next, and there's '08 talk, obviously, because we're in Arkansas, because we're celebrating a man named Clinton. There's a lot of talk about Hillary Clinton. But there are others that they're talking about.

There is nostalgia, but there is also a real sense of, you know, what next. And the feeling that it will. I was talking to one of Clinton's advisers saying -- John Podesta, the former chief of staff, saying, you know, who is the next Bill Clinton out there?

And he said, "Now, remember, when Clinton gave that speech to the Democratic National Convention in '91, nobody thought even Bill Clinton was Bill Clinton." So you know, there's somebody out there who can be, you know, as charismatic a president and as charismatic a Democrat and they have high hopes. But at the moment, they are very hard-pressed to give you a name, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, that's just it. The next generation is kind of hard to root out. You can name some names, and -- but in just a moment, of course, we're going to be seeing the previous generation. President Carter will be speaking very shortly.

What -- you know, I wonder -- I always wonder when you see them on the dais there, the Republicans and Democrats, the former presidents, the first ladies, I would just kill to be a fly on the wall. I'm sure it's rather cordial conversation.

But we're talking about just a very short period after an incredibly acrimonious time, and there they are up there in this rain doing chitchat. What has that got to be like?

CROWLEY: Well, you know, what's interesting is that people who have been in and amongst the president when they -- and they're not together very long, obviously. But they say, look. This is the fun part of the job.

They actually really want to see each other's libraries. What did you do? I remember I did this. This is something that they have in common. And the fact of the matter is that the further you get along in history, the more these presidents have in common with each other than they -- you know, then they have had acrimony.

I mean, they've been presidents. Very few people know what that's like. They don't know what the burden's like. So there is a sort of a natural clubiness that goes with it, despite what happened in the campaign.

Campaigns, politicians have been really good at are saying that's a campaign and this is governance. And this is a time when, you know, it is like governance, when they all are kind of sharing things that they had in common, and, you know, the elections are past.

Now, what do they say about each other in private? That's the kind of stuff we'd love to know. But they don't do it here.

O'BRIEN: You know, you talk about the ultimate bragging rights, you know? "Hey, my library is better than your library," you know? This is something that it's very difficult for us to relate to. We might brag about a car we buy. And that's about as far as it gets, you know.

CROWLEY: It's true. Paul Begala was telling me that when he and President Clinton went to the opening of George H.W. Bush's library in Texas that they just loved it. And that one of the things they loved about it was that it was so interactive.

And that, in part, that was, you know, one of the things Clinton wanted in his library, that it wasn't just, you know, a sort of ode to his presidency or some kind of museum piece but that there were ways that you could apply history to the present and things you could learn that you could apply to the present and that there was an interactiveness about it.

So they watch each other's libraries very carefully.

O'BRIEN: All right. Now, by the way, we should just tell you that the group performing, as we look at the first ladies and presidents there chatting, is the Ninos Vallenatos (ph), over the years, a favorite of President Clinton. I don't think he was paying too much attention there, just that moment.

Nevertheless, they are performing. That's the run-up to remarks by President Carter, which we always look forward to. He's certainly a very eloquent man.

And when we think of libraries, Candy, maybe it's because it's a half a mile from our house. But the Carter Center is an interesting derivation on this notion of a library. Because what it has become, in addition to a repository, is something after they engaged in the world at large.

How many presidential libraries take that approach?

CROWLEY: Well, certainly all of the modern ones. And as we mentioned, this particular library also has with it a grad school for public policy. They have a center here where they hope to have world leaders come and talk about AIDS and global AIDS and how to stop it.

And I think you are just about to hear the introduction of Jimmy Carter, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. We will listen to President Carter. We'll get back to you after that, and we will all enjoy his remarks. The former president of the United States, James Earl Carter. You can call him Jimmy Carter, though.

Let's listen.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much. President George W. Bush, former presidents Clinton and Bush, members of the first families and other distinguished guests.

First, I want to congratulate Little Rock and the state of Arkansas on this beautiful presidential center. It's a wonderful gift to all Americans. And I'm also here to express my admiration for the great leader whose name it bears and whose records it holds.

There is a special tie that binds those of us together who have lived and served in the White House and then moved on to other things, retired, either as required by the Constitution or involuntarily, as a result of elections.

My life has been closely intertwined with Bill Clinton's. The first time I met Bill was exactly 30 years ago when I was governor and charged with helping Democratic candidates throughout the nation.

I came to meet an unknown congressional candidate in Little Rock in a Little Rock hotel. It may be a surprise to some of you to learn that he was late for the appointment.

Finally, what I thought was a young messenger arrived, and I said, where the devil is -- and I looked at my notes to see who I was talking about -- William Clinton.

And he said, "I'm William Clinton."

He didn't win the election, but in a couple of years, he was attorney general and then governor of Arkansas. And he and his wife helped me be elected as president.

Later, I made some mistakes. In 1980 during the Mariel boat lift, and the presence of Cuban refugees in Arkansas may have cost him his reelection. For that, I apologize. But I and the people of this nation are grateful that he overcame that temporary setback and went on to become our president.

All of us who serve in the White House are different from one another and face changing issues. Both Bill and I have made a special effort to find peace in the Middle East.

I'll always remember the South Lawn ceremony when President Clinton and the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians all shook hands and pledged their commitment to peace.

I saw a "New Yorker" cartoon last year that describes our situation in life. A young boy is looking up at his father, and he says, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a former president."

Well, this is a truly great time of our lives. One of the many benefits of that time that we enjoy is that neither the news media, nor any member of the house or Senate can tell us how to do our job, unless you happen to be married to one of them, like Bill is.

As a governor, as a candidate, and as president, Bill Clinton brought insight, wisdom, and determination to bear on the issues that he addressed. He was a leader who could aspire other people to go beyond what they thought were their own limits to join him in accomplishing great goals. These Same qualities will serve him well in accomplishing the noble goals already set for the Clinton foundation.

I want to express my congratulations publicly to President Bush on his recent victory, but I also want to express my personal admiration for a contemporary of mine, former President Bush, who has had a career of service to this country that is almost unmatched in history as a soldier, legislator, diplomat, administrator, vice president, and president, and he still continues to serve our nation for which I, and I know all of you, are very grateful.

In closing, let me say that at the end of a very difficult political year, more difficult for some of us than others, it is valuable for the world to see two Democrats and two Republicans assembled together, all honoring the great nation that has permitted us to serve. We are truly grateful to you. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the 41st president of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Carter, thank you for those very kind words. President Bush, President Clinton, Vice President Gore, I'm just delighted to be here. Senator Clinton, pleasure to be with you and the wonderful Chelsea.

Barbara and I are thrilled to be with all of you here as we celebrate this dedication of this art structure, this magnificent structure, where starting today future generations will come to study the 42nd president of the United States.

Barbara and I have been here a very short period of time. But the truth is even before we arrived, there were already a few things we knew visitors would find here.

First, we already knew that visitors would find a uniquely American story of how a young man seized hold of perhaps the most improbable dream that any boy or girl could conceive and, through sheer tenacity and gifted intellect, saw it realized.

Bill Clinton was born into trying circumstances, but today it can be said he will forever remain the man from Hope. Through his indefatigable determination, not only did he lift himself and his family up; he also went on to touch the lives of millions around the world as president of the United States, giving them hope.

Of course, it's always has to be said that Bill Clinton was one of the most gifted American political figures in modern times. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Here in Arkansas you might say he grew to become the Sam Walton of national retail politics. And seeing him out on the campaign trail, it was plain to see how he fed off the energy and the hopes and the aspirations of the American people. Simply put, he was a natural. And he made it look too easy. And oh, how I hated him for that.

Another gripe, Bill Clinton enjoyed debates too much for my taste. To be very frank with you now, I hated debates, and when I checked my watch at the Richmond debate, it's true, I was wonder what the heck Ross Perot would be finished and how I could get out of there.

It was also clear that President Clinton, soon to be President Clinton, was -- was in his element that night. And upon further reflection, maybe it's because to Bill Clinton ideas mattered greatly. Ideas matter to all of us who enter public life, particularly at the national level.

But whoever said that the American presidency is merely a weigh station en route to the blessed condition of being an ex-president did not count on William Jefferson Clinton.

Once in office, he was very much an activist president, in the best sense of the word. He devoured ideas with an insatiable curiosity and then pursued them with unbounded energy and infectious enthusiasm. He was and we saw recently, remains a tremendously effective advocate for his beliefs.

He was a little hard on the president during the recent campaign, but in the spirit of being kinder and gentler, I've long since forgiven him for that.

And here in this place you will find an inspired story and a record of accomplishment on behalf of our great people.

But in conclusion, let me simply say that after you leave the White House, a number of things happen to you. First of all, the crowds of protesters get smaller. Disappointing, really. And when you play golf, no one gives you short putts anymore.

But one of the great blessings is the way one-time political adversaries have a tendency to become friends, and I feel such is certainly the case between President Clinton and me.

There's an inescapable bond that binds together all who have lived in the White House, though we hail from different backgrounds and ideologies, we're singularly unique, even eternally bound by our common devotion and service to this wonderful country. And that certainly goes for the 42nd president of the United States, and, if I might inject a somewhat proud personal opinion here, that certainly goes for president No. 43, too.

When President Clinton experienced his heart trouble recently, there was a tremendous outpouring of affection and support. In hindsight, perhaps we need not have been too worried. After all, few presidents in recent memory have shown greater resilience and bigger heart.

Every time he got knocked down, which can happen in politics, he got right back up. In fact, he made the comeback his trademark. And therein lies the greatest lesson ever offered to future generations: never give up, never give in. Keep on fighting.

So Mr. President, congratulations to you and Hillary and Chelsea on this very special day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Clinton, Senator Clinton, President Carter and Mrs. Carter, President Bush and mother, Governor and Mrs. Huckabee, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Laura and I are really pleased to be a part of this happy and historic occasion.

On this day of dedication, we honor the man from Hope, Arkansas, who became the 42nd president of the United States. Mr. President, congratulations.

This presidential library chronicles a vivid era in American history for the benefit of future generations. It will contribute to the vitality of this fine city and to the great state of Arkansas.

Collections here record the dedication and hard work of thousands who brought talent and idealism to public service. And at the center of that era, at the head of that administration, was an able and energetic American.

President Clinton led our country with optimism and a great affection for the American people. And that affection has been returned. He gave all to his job, and the nation gave him two terms.

In the early 1990s, the American people saw a young, well-spoken, relatively unknown governor rise to national prominence, yet for decades here in Arkansas the signs of destiny were clear.

When young William entered a new school in the fourth grade, a classmate recalls, "He didn't mean to, but he just took the place over."

When governor Clinton declared his candidacy for governor in this city, his close friends were not surprised in the least. They'd always known that Bill Clinton's moment in history would become.

Arkansas is a state that knows political skill when you see it. A fellow in Celine County was asked by his son why he liked Governor Clinton so much. He said, "Son, he'll look you in the eye. He'll shake your hand. He'll hold your baby. He'll pet your dog, all at the same time."

Over the years Bill Clinton showed himself to be more than a good politician. His home state elected him to govern in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. Because he was an innovator, a serious student of policy, and a man of great compassion.

In the White House, the whole nation witnessed his brilliance and his mastery of detail, his persuasive power and his persistence. The president is not the kind to give up a fight. His staffers were known to say if Clinton were the Titanic, the iceberg would sink.

During his presidency, Bill Clinton seized important opportunities on issues from welfare to free trade. He was a tireless champion of peace in the Middle East. He used American power in the Balkans to confront aggression and halt ethnic cleansing. And in all his actions and decisions the American people sensed a deep empathy for the poor and the powerless.

Shortly before leaving office, President Clinton said Christ admonished us that our lives will be judged by how they do unto the least of our neighbors. Throughout his career, Bill Clinton has done his best to live up to that standard, and Americans respect him for it.

At every stage of his remarkable life, President Clinton has made and kept countless friends who share in the joy of this day. And three people in particular have the largest part in this remarkable story.

One day more than 30 years ago inside the Yale Law library a fellow student walked over to Bill Clinton and said, "If you're going to keep staring at me, and I'm going to keep staring back, we ought to at least know each other's name. Mine's Hillary Rodham. What is yours?"

That was a good day for both of them, and the beginning of a partnership unique in American history. So today we honor the former first lady of Arkansas, the former first lady of America, the United States senator from New York, Senator Hilly Rodham Clinton.

Perhaps the Clintons' greatest achievement is their daughter who moved into the White House as a young girl and left as an accomplished young lady. It's not easy to be a teenager in the White House, but it's a lot easier when you have a loving mother and a loving father that Chelsea Clinton has.

This magnificent presidential library and the American life it celebrates would not have been possible without the love and sacrifice of a special lady. Among his heroes, President Clinton always includes his mother, Virginia Kelly, a working woman and a widow. Virginia was there when her son took the oath of office, and we know that she would be incredibly proud of this day.

The story that began in a little house on Harvey Street in Hope, Arkansas, is the kind of story that inspires people from every background all over America. In this great nation it is always possible for a child to go as far as their talent and vision can take them.

Visitors to this place will be reminded of the great promise of our country, and the dreams that came true in the life of our 42nd president. The William J. Clinton Presidential Library is a gift to the future by a man who always believed in the future. And, today, we thank him for loving and serving America. God bless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, ladies and gentlemen please welcome Bono and The Edge.

(MUSIC)

BONO, MUSICIAN: There are many reason goes to thank President Clinton, not least of all, that 27 of the poorest countries in this world had their bad old debts canceled by the United States under his administration.

It's an incredible thing. Three times the amount of children going to school in Uganda because of those debts being canceled. The United States should be very proud of that.

The other -- the other good reason is, of course, more close to home, what this man did for the peace that is so nearly there in Ireland. It's an extraordinary thing. We're here, myself and The Edge, to pay tribute to that. And many, many people made a lot of sacrifices for that peace, but Bill Clinton didn't have to. He chose to.

(MUSIC)

BONO: Well, this is a little more rock 'n' roll than you all had imagined.

Could I chicken out?

(LAUGHTER)

BONO: All right. This is a song we wrote Martin Scorsese's film the "Gangs of New York" but it could well have been written for one of our Irish sons, William Jefferson Clinton.

(MUSIC)

O'BRIEN: We're going to take Bono down a little bit and bring in Candy Crowley, who is among the 30,000 people there in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library.

Candy, song selection here for just a minute. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," it was written about an event in 1972 where British troops fired on some Irish protesters in Ireland. Irish peace is a big part of the Clinton legacy, is it not?

CROWLEY: Absolutely. As he was talking, I was remembering a trip that I took with Clinton that went to Ireland, and it was right before the impeachment trial. It seemed to be in the late summer, early fall. We went to Ireland. I saw great crowds with Bill Clinton when he was campaigning in '92. But in Ireland, they just loved him. And we would go to these tiny villages and there would be thousands and thousands and thousands of people there, and he was very well loved there, just for what he did, as they saw it, for the world, but mostly, because he did push so hard for peace in Ireland. And they have always believed in the Clinton administration, that that is one of the lasting legacies that the historians will be looking at over the next many years in the archives. And it is one of the things that he has been proudest of.

O'BRIEN: And that trip must have been remarkable. Anyone who has the occasion, who has Irish lineage and returns to the old sod, as they say, is pleasantly surprised by the welcome. I can only imagine the outpouring there. I'm sure it hearkens back to Kennedy visiting.

CROWLEY: Right. Yes. It was -- I remember going to one town that recently had had a terrorist bomb, and he went there particularly to talk to the people (INAUDIBLE), and the streets were packed. And you're about to hear Senator Clinton introduce former President Clinton -- Miles.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Thank you so much.

And thank you for your forbearance and your extraordinary patience today as we celebrate the dedication of this extraordinary institution.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you.

H. CLINTON: Thank you.

Well, I'm going to cut my remarks short, and you can read them all on the clintonfoundation.org Web site.

But what I want to make is just three points.

First, I'm thrilled to have everyone here on this stage who represents the past, the present and the future of our country. And this is a special moment where people come together and make it clear that we are unified as Americans.

And I'm grateful for this moment, and I thank the former presidents and President Bush and the first ladies for being here.

Secondly, I want to thank all of you and millions more who have been so kind in supporting us during the recent weeks following Bill's surgery.

I thank you for your prayers and your good wishes. And I think you can see that he's back and strong and going forward.

But all of that support meant the world to Chelsea and me and I'm grateful to you.

Finally, I cannot wait for you to see this and to tour this museum.

The building is like my husband. It's open, it's expansive, it's welcoming. It's filled with light.

And the exhibits tell a story of someone who loves his fellow man, who cares deeply about the future of all of our children, who recognizes our common humanity.

And for all those reasons and many, many more, I'm so proud to introduce the 42nd president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton.

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ladies and gentlemen, if my beloved mother were here, she would remind me that rain is liquid sunshine...

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: ... and that I shouldn't complain about this because the ground probably needs it and somebody is benefiting from it.

Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, President and Mrs. Carter, President and Mrs. Bush, members of the Eisenhower, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy and Carter families, to the vast number of members of Congress and former members of Congress here -- I don't know they are because you're all in ponchos, but...

(APPLAUSE)

W. CLINTON: ... there they are. There's a huge group from Congress.

The president sent four planes down. And I thank him for that.

To all the guests from other countries and my fellow Americans, welcome to my rainy library dedication.

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: Thank you, Skip Rutherford, and all those on my staff and the volunteers of Arkansas and across America who worked so hard to make this event just perfect and except for one thing it is.

I thank the previous speakers and those who have sung and entertained.

Mr. President, I can't thank you enough for your generous words and for coming to the opening at all.

I mean, after all, you just delayed your own library opening by four years.

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: I congratulate you on your election, and I wish you Godspeed, especially in a new and more hopeful time for peace in the Middle East.

I remember the first time I ever heard George W. Bush give a speech in Iowa. And I called a friend of mine, I said, "My God, that guy can beat us. He is a good politician."

He has been very kind and generous to my family, and I thank him for that.

Today, we're all red, white and blue.

I thank former President Bush and Mrs. Bush for coming and for their service to our nation.

President Bush, I loved all that stuff you said, but I want to thank you for something seriously.

In 1989, after I had been governor for a long time, you were the president who finally called us together and asked us to develop national education goals for America so that all our children could get a good education. It was the beginning of a serious reform effort which I tried to carry through and which I know President Bush has tried to push.

So thank you for doing that and for giving me the opportunity to work with you.

Thank you, President and Mrs. Carter, for all you did in the White House and all you've done in the years since to make the world more just and peaceful.

John Quincy Adams once said, "There is nothing in life so pathetic as a former president." Well, he turned out to be wrong because of his own service, and President Carter has proved that nothing could be further from the truth.

He just told you we met 30 years ago when he was trying to help me. He didn't tell you that less than a year later and less than a mile from here Jimmy Carter asked Hillary and me to join in his campaign for the presidency. We did and, as you can see from this day, it was the beginning of quite a ride.

I recently spoke with President Ford who, at 91, is unable to come, and with his extraordinary wife Betty. But they still are strong.

Yesterday I received a wonderful letter from Nancy Reagan, who remains in our thoughts and prayers.

I thank the Fords and Nancy and the late President Reagan for their service to our country. I want to thank all the vast numbers of Congress and former members who are here who served with me. I couldn't have done most of the good things we did without them, and they're not responsible for any of the mistakes I made.

I can't see through all the umbrellas and all the ponchos, or whatever you call those classy things that make you all look so beautiful...

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: ... but I'm pretty sure Senator Kerry is out there. If he is, I want to thank him. I'm glad he's back on the job.

(APPLAUSE)

W. CLINTON: I want to thank the people of my beloved home state for your support, for your love, your friendship, the trust, the sacrifices you so willingly made when we worked together here and when you carried me to the White House.

I thank the friends of a lifetime who also made indispensable contributions. I've said a lot of times I may be the only guy who got elected president because of his personal friends.

I thank my pastor, Rex Horn, and all the other ministers here who have taught me, prayed with me and counseled me over the years.

I thank God for my family and Hillary's family. A lot of them are here today, and I thank you for making this whole long trip.

Like I said, I do wish my mother were here. She would have enjoyed seeing all of you, even in the rain. And I promise you, you would have enjoyed seeing her.

Most of all, I want to thank Hillary and Chelsea.

Now, Hillary is a senator, and she has all the power in our family. But she's proving what I always said: She has the best combination of mind and heart, conviction and compassion I've ever encountered. Though I must say Chelsea is giving her mother a good run.

Chelsea, your life and our love for you gave meaning to our public service. They made the presidency the second most important job I ever have had.

I love you both so much. Thank you.

And let me, lastly, thank the people who have contributed to and built this library, the school of public service and the foundation: my staff, my former staff, the board, the architects, the exhibit designers, the landscapers, the contractors, the 1,500 people who put this building up, the city and state officials who supported it. I thank especially the architects, Jim Polshek and Richard Olcott, Ralph Appelbaum for the wonderful exhibits, and my long-time friend Bill Clark, whose company built this building.

I also want to say that I thank those of you who are continuing to help in the work of the library and the foundation.

This library tells the story of America at the end of the 20th century, of a dramatically different time in the way we worked and lived.

We moved out of the Cold War into an age of interdependence, with new possibilities and new dangers.

We moved out of an information -- I mean, an industrial economy into an information age economy.

We moved out of a period when we were obsessed with overcoming the legacy of slavery and discrimination against African-Americans to a point we were challenged to deal with an explosion of diversity of people from all races and ethnic groups and religions from around the world. And we had to change the role of government to deal with that.

That whole story is here in 80 million documents, 21 million e- mails -- two of them mine...

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: ... 2 million photographs and 80,000 artifacts.

In the interest of openness and public access, we are asking more than 100,000 of these documents to be opened early before the law requires.

I thank those who are working on the Clinton School of Public Service, because I want more young people to go into public service.

I thank those who are working in Harlem and here on my foundation, or who visit us on the Internet, as Hillary said, at clintonfoundation.org, who help us to promote religious and racial reconciliation, to advance citizen service, to promote economic empowerment for poor people in poor communities, and to continue the fight against AIDS.

In three years, in Africa, the Caribbean, India and China, we have succeeded in cutting the price of the testing equipment and generic drugs by 70 percent. And we hope by 2006, and expect, to serve over 2 million people with medicine who were not getting it on the day I left office.

Now, this library, of course, is primarily about my presidency.

I want to say a special word of thanks to Al Gore and to Tipper for the indispensable contribution that they made.

And I told Al today that this library won an international environmental award even though it's got a lot of glass because the solar panels and a lot of other improvements. We cut the energy usage here by 34 percent. So, Al, thanks for the inspiration. And I'm still trying to measure up to the challenge you set for me so long ago.

I believe the job of a president is to understand and explain the time in which he serves, to set forth a vision of where we need to go and a strategy of how to get there, and then to pursue it with all its mind and heart, bending only in the face of error or new circumstances and the crisis which are unforeseen; a problem that affects all of us.

When I became president, the world was a new and very different place, as I said. And I thought about how we ought to confront it.

America has two great dominant strands of political thought -- we're represented up here on this stage -- conservatism, which, at its very best, draws lines that should not be crossed; and progressivism, which, at its very best, breaks down barrier that are no longer needed or should never have been erected in the first place.

It seemed to me that in 1992 we needed to do both to prepare America for the 21st century: to be more conservative in things like erasing the deficit and paying down the debt and preventing crime and punishing criminals and protecting and supporting families, and enforcing things like child support laws and reforming the military to meet the new challenges of the 21st century.

And we needed to be more progressive in creating good jobs, reducing poverty, increasing the quality of public education, opening the doors of college to all, increasing access to health care, investing more in science and technology, and building new alliances with our former adversaries, and working for peace across the world and peace in America across all the lines that divide us.

Now, when I proposed to do both, we said that all of them were consistent with the great American values of opportunity, responsibility and community. We labeled the approach "New Democrat." It then became known as the third way, as it was embraced by progressive parties across the world.

But I liked the slogan we had way back in 1992, "Putting People First." Because, in the end, I always kept score by a simple measure: Were ordinary people better off when I stopped than when I started?

I grew up in the pre-television age in a family of uneducated but smart, hardworking caring storytellers. They taught me that everyone has a story. And that made politics intensely personal to me. It was about giving people better stories. That's why I asked those six people to talk here today.

When I think of the family leave law, I think of that good man who brought his dying daughter to see me in the White House on a Sunday morning and who grabbed me as I walked away and said, "The time I got to take off from work was the most important time in my life."

I think of people like that fine woman who worked herself out of welfare and now runs her own business. I remember the first woman I ever talked to who went from welfare to work. I said, "What's the best thing about it?" She said, "When my boy goes to school and they say, 'What does your momma do for a living?' he can give an answer."

Those are the things that make politics real to me, at home and around the world. The record is all in there, what we did at home, what we did abroad.

I thank Bono for singing about Northern Ireland and to President Bush for mentioning the Balkans. There were many other places we tried to help.

But the record is there. Even where we fell short, we pushed forward.

And what I want to say is, if you think of the biggest disappointment around to me, I tried so hard for peace in the Middle East.

I thank Shimon Peres and the children of Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak for being here today, and the current foreign minister of Israel for being here today. I did all I could.

But when we had seven years of progress toward peace, there was one whole year when for the first time in the history of the state of Israel not one person died of a terrorist attack, when the Palestinians began to believe they could have a shared future.

And so, Mr. President, again I say, I hope you get to cross over into the promised land of Middle East peace. We have a good opportunity and we are all praying for you.

(APPLAUSE)

W. CLINTON: Finally, let me say this. Quite apart from all the details, the thing I want most is for people to come to this library, whether they're Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives, to see that public service is noble and important; that the choices and decisions leaders make affect the lives of millions of Americans and people all across the world.

I want young people to want to see not only what I did with my life, but to see what they could do with their lives. Because this is mostly the story of what we the people can do when we work together.

Yes, this library is the symbol of a bridge, a bridge to the 21st century. It's been called one of the great achievements of the new age, and a British magazine said it looked like a glorified house trailer.

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: And I thought, "Well, that's about me, you know. I'm a little red and a little blue."

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: What it is to me is the symbol of not only what I tried to do, but what I want to do with the rest of my life: building bridges from yesterday to tomorrow, building bridges across racial and religious and ethnic and income and political divides, building bridges.

I believe our mission in this new century is clear. For good or ill, we live in an interdependent world. We can't escape each other.

And while we have to fight our enemies, we can't possibly kill, jail or occupy all of them.

Therefore, we have to spend our lives trying to build a global community and an American community, of shared responsibilities, shared values, shared benefits.

What are those values? And I want to say this; this is important. I don't want to be too political here, but it bothers me when America gets as divided as it was.

I once said to a friend of mine about three days before the election -- and I heard all these terrible things. I said, "You know, am I the only person in the entire United States of America who likes both George Bush and John Kerry, who believes they're both good people, who believe they both love our country and they just see the world differently?"

What should our shared values be? Everybody counts. Everybody deserves a chance. Everybody has got a responsibility to fulfill.

We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter but our common humanity matters more.

So I tell you we can continue building our bridge to tomorrow. It will require some red American line drawing and some blue American barrier breaking, but we can do it together.

Thank you and God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now officially presenting the key to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library to the archivist of the United States, please welcome Chelsea Clinton.

(APPLAUSE)

CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON: I'd like to invite the honorable, John Carlin, archivist of the United States to join me.

Mr. Carlin, I hereby present to you and the American people the keys to the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation Center and Library.

Thank you. (APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mickey Mengen (ph) is an accomplished Pentecostal vocalist who has performed at both of President Clinton's inaugurations. Please welcome Ms. Mickey Mengen.

LIN: The Clinton Library, now officially the Clinton Library is open, as we take a look at the current president, George W. Bush, his father, President Bush, former President Jimmy Carter standing on the same podium as President Bill Clinton.

President Clinton clearly trying to lay out his legacy that his mission in this world is not over. Candy Crowley is present at that site, one of the more than 30,000 people present there. Candy, I think just having heard from Chelsea Clinton, that's about as much as I've heard her speak publicly.

CROWLEY: I was just thinking, I thought, boy, I've really never heard her voice in a microphone. We did -- she was on a trip once with Hillary Clinton. We got to know her a little bit then. But this is the first time that I've heard her publicly speak in at least to this large of a crowd.

Quite a day, as you can tell. It is still pouring. And the crowds now really rapidly pouring out, though they are -- obviously, they're playing "Battle Hymn of the Republic." They'll be a flyover.

What can you say about a day when you hear four presidents of the United States, three formers and one current talk, saying nice things about each other, all of them emphasizing that the things they share, the experiences they share, and their love of America is far greater than their disagreements. Clinton making that as the final speaker here.

So it is officially open. People can come and take a look at it after today, I think. And it was quite a production. And as Bill Clinton said, about the only thing that went wrong today was the rain. So it just kind of concludes the ceremony. President Clinton is going to have a reception and luncheon in a tented area, they'll be happy to know, after this, for some of his friends.

And after that, the former president and the current president go their separate ways and get back to the business of studying past presidencies or carrying on with the current one -- Carol.

LIN: And President Clinton having some -- frankly some pretty pointed words, a message clearly to President Bush that he wants President Bush to work immediately and directly and very personally on establishing peace in the Middle East.

CROWLEY: yes, and mentioning that opportunity there now with Yasser Arafat's passing. There were pointed words there. There were pointed words about we cannot, you know, fight all our enemies. We have to find ways of getting together.

They were couched and not sharp words, but certainly, they were words that were applicable and certainly directed at President Bush.

In an interesting moment at the end when he said, you know, I wondered about three days before the end of the election, "Am I the only person in the United States that likes both George Bush and John Kerry?" And then going back to the theme of, hey, we're all Americans here.

So I imagine he probably had more to say and might have gone on, had it not been for this weather.

LIN: A rainy day in Arkansas. Little Rock, Arkansas, President Bill Clinton's library officially opens as we see the Clinton family there: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton standing for the photographers.

We've got much more ahead now that we've seen the ceremony, heard from the former presidents. In fact we are going to be hearing from a man who ran for president here in 2004 but that also led NATO's campaign in the battle in Kosovo, in the war against Slobodan Milosevic. Get General Wesley Clark's analysis of the day's events.

Much more ahead, right here on LIVE FROM.

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Aired November 18, 2004 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Miles O'Brien. This is LIVE FROM. Kyra Phillips off today.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Lin. CNN's LIVE FROM starts now.

O'BRIEN: Secure but still not safe. The Same day that -- in -- all right. I'm sorry. We got -- we got our signals crossed here.

The Clinton library is being opened today. It's raining. But that nevertheless has not stopped a big turnout there. You see Columbia's former president speaking to the crowd.

In the crowd somewhere, Candy Crowley -- Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's raining doesn't quite do it, Miles. It's pouring and it's very cold. I don't know if you can tell, but we are beginning to lose part of this crowd.

Some of these people, when we came in at 8 this morning, people were already starting to come. And it was already raining. So they've been out here about five hours in the rain, and the temperature has steadily dropped.

I notice that they did drop a part of the program, video remarks from Nelson Mandela. There were just some moments here that we were watching -- one is looking at Jimmy Carter as he came on to the stage wiping the water off his seat before he sat down.

We also saw at one point a young woman was speaking, and Bill Clinton got up and went over and adjusted her microphone.

So it's a very ceremonial opening with a lot of very casual touches. Now, listening to a little bit of a song called "A Good Friend," and that begins what will be the remarks from all of the former presidents that are here.

The only one that isn't, of course, is Gerald Ford, who was not feeling well enough to come. The first president we'll hear from is Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, followed by the 41st, 43rd and then the 42nd, William Jefferson Clinton.

So very wet, a very soggy day. Certainly, most of the people are still here. But very noticeably, the crowd, all of them invited, has begun to shrunk. Because it's pretty miserable weather. It's -- it's kind of a shame. But the show goes on, as you can see, Miles. O'BRIEN: Candy, I've got to ask you, the mood, in some respects, despite the wonderful music we're hearing there and the very optimistic talk, the mood for this large group of Democrats -- I know it's a bipartisan event but a lot of Democrats there. The mood has got to match the weather.

How much talk is there about the recent defeat and what lies ahead for the Democratic Party?

CROWLEY: Well, a lot of it, because this isn't just looking back at the past. I mean, it isn't just so much that Bill Clinton had a successful presidency. It is that when you look at it, he's still the pulse of this party. And they all know that that can't go on forever.

They need to find somebody who isn't Bill Clinton, obviously, because you'd have to change the Constitution and all that, but somebody that can move this party forward and recapture the White House.

It's only been four years, obviously, since Bill Clinton was in office. But it has felt, literally, like dog years to the Democrats, because you've had those two very agonizing elections.

So there's a lot of talk here about who next, and there's '08 talk, obviously, because we're in Arkansas, because we're celebrating a man named Clinton. There's a lot of talk about Hillary Clinton. But there are others that they're talking about.

There is nostalgia, but there is also a real sense of, you know, what next. And the feeling that it will. I was talking to one of Clinton's advisers saying -- John Podesta, the former chief of staff, saying, you know, who is the next Bill Clinton out there?

And he said, "Now, remember, when Clinton gave that speech to the Democratic National Convention in '91, nobody thought even Bill Clinton was Bill Clinton." So you know, there's somebody out there who can be, you know, as charismatic a president and as charismatic a Democrat and they have high hopes. But at the moment, they are very hard-pressed to give you a name, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, that's just it. The next generation is kind of hard to root out. You can name some names, and -- but in just a moment, of course, we're going to be seeing the previous generation. President Carter will be speaking very shortly.

What -- you know, I wonder -- I always wonder when you see them on the dais there, the Republicans and Democrats, the former presidents, the first ladies, I would just kill to be a fly on the wall. I'm sure it's rather cordial conversation.

But we're talking about just a very short period after an incredibly acrimonious time, and there they are up there in this rain doing chitchat. What has that got to be like?

CROWLEY: Well, you know, what's interesting is that people who have been in and amongst the president when they -- and they're not together very long, obviously. But they say, look. This is the fun part of the job.

They actually really want to see each other's libraries. What did you do? I remember I did this. This is something that they have in common. And the fact of the matter is that the further you get along in history, the more these presidents have in common with each other than they -- you know, then they have had acrimony.

I mean, they've been presidents. Very few people know what that's like. They don't know what the burden's like. So there is a sort of a natural clubiness that goes with it, despite what happened in the campaign.

Campaigns, politicians have been really good at are saying that's a campaign and this is governance. And this is a time when, you know, it is like governance, when they all are kind of sharing things that they had in common, and, you know, the elections are past.

Now, what do they say about each other in private? That's the kind of stuff we'd love to know. But they don't do it here.

O'BRIEN: You know, you talk about the ultimate bragging rights, you know? "Hey, my library is better than your library," you know? This is something that it's very difficult for us to relate to. We might brag about a car we buy. And that's about as far as it gets, you know.

CROWLEY: It's true. Paul Begala was telling me that when he and President Clinton went to the opening of George H.W. Bush's library in Texas that they just loved it. And that one of the things they loved about it was that it was so interactive.

And that, in part, that was, you know, one of the things Clinton wanted in his library, that it wasn't just, you know, a sort of ode to his presidency or some kind of museum piece but that there were ways that you could apply history to the present and things you could learn that you could apply to the present and that there was an interactiveness about it.

So they watch each other's libraries very carefully.

O'BRIEN: All right. Now, by the way, we should just tell you that the group performing, as we look at the first ladies and presidents there chatting, is the Ninos Vallenatos (ph), over the years, a favorite of President Clinton. I don't think he was paying too much attention there, just that moment.

Nevertheless, they are performing. That's the run-up to remarks by President Carter, which we always look forward to. He's certainly a very eloquent man.

And when we think of libraries, Candy, maybe it's because it's a half a mile from our house. But the Carter Center is an interesting derivation on this notion of a library. Because what it has become, in addition to a repository, is something after they engaged in the world at large.

How many presidential libraries take that approach?

CROWLEY: Well, certainly all of the modern ones. And as we mentioned, this particular library also has with it a grad school for public policy. They have a center here where they hope to have world leaders come and talk about AIDS and global AIDS and how to stop it.

And I think you are just about to hear the introduction of Jimmy Carter, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. We will listen to President Carter. We'll get back to you after that, and we will all enjoy his remarks. The former president of the United States, James Earl Carter. You can call him Jimmy Carter, though.

Let's listen.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much. President George W. Bush, former presidents Clinton and Bush, members of the first families and other distinguished guests.

First, I want to congratulate Little Rock and the state of Arkansas on this beautiful presidential center. It's a wonderful gift to all Americans. And I'm also here to express my admiration for the great leader whose name it bears and whose records it holds.

There is a special tie that binds those of us together who have lived and served in the White House and then moved on to other things, retired, either as required by the Constitution or involuntarily, as a result of elections.

My life has been closely intertwined with Bill Clinton's. The first time I met Bill was exactly 30 years ago when I was governor and charged with helping Democratic candidates throughout the nation.

I came to meet an unknown congressional candidate in Little Rock in a Little Rock hotel. It may be a surprise to some of you to learn that he was late for the appointment.

Finally, what I thought was a young messenger arrived, and I said, where the devil is -- and I looked at my notes to see who I was talking about -- William Clinton.

And he said, "I'm William Clinton."

He didn't win the election, but in a couple of years, he was attorney general and then governor of Arkansas. And he and his wife helped me be elected as president.

Later, I made some mistakes. In 1980 during the Mariel boat lift, and the presence of Cuban refugees in Arkansas may have cost him his reelection. For that, I apologize. But I and the people of this nation are grateful that he overcame that temporary setback and went on to become our president.

All of us who serve in the White House are different from one another and face changing issues. Both Bill and I have made a special effort to find peace in the Middle East.

I'll always remember the South Lawn ceremony when President Clinton and the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians all shook hands and pledged their commitment to peace.

I saw a "New Yorker" cartoon last year that describes our situation in life. A young boy is looking up at his father, and he says, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a former president."

Well, this is a truly great time of our lives. One of the many benefits of that time that we enjoy is that neither the news media, nor any member of the house or Senate can tell us how to do our job, unless you happen to be married to one of them, like Bill is.

As a governor, as a candidate, and as president, Bill Clinton brought insight, wisdom, and determination to bear on the issues that he addressed. He was a leader who could aspire other people to go beyond what they thought were their own limits to join him in accomplishing great goals. These Same qualities will serve him well in accomplishing the noble goals already set for the Clinton foundation.

I want to express my congratulations publicly to President Bush on his recent victory, but I also want to express my personal admiration for a contemporary of mine, former President Bush, who has had a career of service to this country that is almost unmatched in history as a soldier, legislator, diplomat, administrator, vice president, and president, and he still continues to serve our nation for which I, and I know all of you, are very grateful.

In closing, let me say that at the end of a very difficult political year, more difficult for some of us than others, it is valuable for the world to see two Democrats and two Republicans assembled together, all honoring the great nation that has permitted us to serve. We are truly grateful to you. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the 41st president of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Carter, thank you for those very kind words. President Bush, President Clinton, Vice President Gore, I'm just delighted to be here. Senator Clinton, pleasure to be with you and the wonderful Chelsea.

Barbara and I are thrilled to be with all of you here as we celebrate this dedication of this art structure, this magnificent structure, where starting today future generations will come to study the 42nd president of the United States.

Barbara and I have been here a very short period of time. But the truth is even before we arrived, there were already a few things we knew visitors would find here.

First, we already knew that visitors would find a uniquely American story of how a young man seized hold of perhaps the most improbable dream that any boy or girl could conceive and, through sheer tenacity and gifted intellect, saw it realized.

Bill Clinton was born into trying circumstances, but today it can be said he will forever remain the man from Hope. Through his indefatigable determination, not only did he lift himself and his family up; he also went on to touch the lives of millions around the world as president of the United States, giving them hope.

Of course, it's always has to be said that Bill Clinton was one of the most gifted American political figures in modern times. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Here in Arkansas you might say he grew to become the Sam Walton of national retail politics. And seeing him out on the campaign trail, it was plain to see how he fed off the energy and the hopes and the aspirations of the American people. Simply put, he was a natural. And he made it look too easy. And oh, how I hated him for that.

Another gripe, Bill Clinton enjoyed debates too much for my taste. To be very frank with you now, I hated debates, and when I checked my watch at the Richmond debate, it's true, I was wonder what the heck Ross Perot would be finished and how I could get out of there.

It was also clear that President Clinton, soon to be President Clinton, was -- was in his element that night. And upon further reflection, maybe it's because to Bill Clinton ideas mattered greatly. Ideas matter to all of us who enter public life, particularly at the national level.

But whoever said that the American presidency is merely a weigh station en route to the blessed condition of being an ex-president did not count on William Jefferson Clinton.

Once in office, he was very much an activist president, in the best sense of the word. He devoured ideas with an insatiable curiosity and then pursued them with unbounded energy and infectious enthusiasm. He was and we saw recently, remains a tremendously effective advocate for his beliefs.

He was a little hard on the president during the recent campaign, but in the spirit of being kinder and gentler, I've long since forgiven him for that.

And here in this place you will find an inspired story and a record of accomplishment on behalf of our great people.

But in conclusion, let me simply say that after you leave the White House, a number of things happen to you. First of all, the crowds of protesters get smaller. Disappointing, really. And when you play golf, no one gives you short putts anymore.

But one of the great blessings is the way one-time political adversaries have a tendency to become friends, and I feel such is certainly the case between President Clinton and me.

There's an inescapable bond that binds together all who have lived in the White House, though we hail from different backgrounds and ideologies, we're singularly unique, even eternally bound by our common devotion and service to this wonderful country. And that certainly goes for the 42nd president of the United States, and, if I might inject a somewhat proud personal opinion here, that certainly goes for president No. 43, too.

When President Clinton experienced his heart trouble recently, there was a tremendous outpouring of affection and support. In hindsight, perhaps we need not have been too worried. After all, few presidents in recent memory have shown greater resilience and bigger heart.

Every time he got knocked down, which can happen in politics, he got right back up. In fact, he made the comeback his trademark. And therein lies the greatest lesson ever offered to future generations: never give up, never give in. Keep on fighting.

So Mr. President, congratulations to you and Hillary and Chelsea on this very special day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Clinton, Senator Clinton, President Carter and Mrs. Carter, President Bush and mother, Governor and Mrs. Huckabee, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Laura and I are really pleased to be a part of this happy and historic occasion.

On this day of dedication, we honor the man from Hope, Arkansas, who became the 42nd president of the United States. Mr. President, congratulations.

This presidential library chronicles a vivid era in American history for the benefit of future generations. It will contribute to the vitality of this fine city and to the great state of Arkansas.

Collections here record the dedication and hard work of thousands who brought talent and idealism to public service. And at the center of that era, at the head of that administration, was an able and energetic American.

President Clinton led our country with optimism and a great affection for the American people. And that affection has been returned. He gave all to his job, and the nation gave him two terms.

In the early 1990s, the American people saw a young, well-spoken, relatively unknown governor rise to national prominence, yet for decades here in Arkansas the signs of destiny were clear.

When young William entered a new school in the fourth grade, a classmate recalls, "He didn't mean to, but he just took the place over."

When governor Clinton declared his candidacy for governor in this city, his close friends were not surprised in the least. They'd always known that Bill Clinton's moment in history would become.

Arkansas is a state that knows political skill when you see it. A fellow in Celine County was asked by his son why he liked Governor Clinton so much. He said, "Son, he'll look you in the eye. He'll shake your hand. He'll hold your baby. He'll pet your dog, all at the same time."

Over the years Bill Clinton showed himself to be more than a good politician. His home state elected him to govern in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. Because he was an innovator, a serious student of policy, and a man of great compassion.

In the White House, the whole nation witnessed his brilliance and his mastery of detail, his persuasive power and his persistence. The president is not the kind to give up a fight. His staffers were known to say if Clinton were the Titanic, the iceberg would sink.

During his presidency, Bill Clinton seized important opportunities on issues from welfare to free trade. He was a tireless champion of peace in the Middle East. He used American power in the Balkans to confront aggression and halt ethnic cleansing. And in all his actions and decisions the American people sensed a deep empathy for the poor and the powerless.

Shortly before leaving office, President Clinton said Christ admonished us that our lives will be judged by how they do unto the least of our neighbors. Throughout his career, Bill Clinton has done his best to live up to that standard, and Americans respect him for it.

At every stage of his remarkable life, President Clinton has made and kept countless friends who share in the joy of this day. And three people in particular have the largest part in this remarkable story.

One day more than 30 years ago inside the Yale Law library a fellow student walked over to Bill Clinton and said, "If you're going to keep staring at me, and I'm going to keep staring back, we ought to at least know each other's name. Mine's Hillary Rodham. What is yours?"

That was a good day for both of them, and the beginning of a partnership unique in American history. So today we honor the former first lady of Arkansas, the former first lady of America, the United States senator from New York, Senator Hilly Rodham Clinton.

Perhaps the Clintons' greatest achievement is their daughter who moved into the White House as a young girl and left as an accomplished young lady. It's not easy to be a teenager in the White House, but it's a lot easier when you have a loving mother and a loving father that Chelsea Clinton has.

This magnificent presidential library and the American life it celebrates would not have been possible without the love and sacrifice of a special lady. Among his heroes, President Clinton always includes his mother, Virginia Kelly, a working woman and a widow. Virginia was there when her son took the oath of office, and we know that she would be incredibly proud of this day.

The story that began in a little house on Harvey Street in Hope, Arkansas, is the kind of story that inspires people from every background all over America. In this great nation it is always possible for a child to go as far as their talent and vision can take them.

Visitors to this place will be reminded of the great promise of our country, and the dreams that came true in the life of our 42nd president. The William J. Clinton Presidential Library is a gift to the future by a man who always believed in the future. And, today, we thank him for loving and serving America. God bless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, ladies and gentlemen please welcome Bono and The Edge.

(MUSIC)

BONO, MUSICIAN: There are many reason goes to thank President Clinton, not least of all, that 27 of the poorest countries in this world had their bad old debts canceled by the United States under his administration.

It's an incredible thing. Three times the amount of children going to school in Uganda because of those debts being canceled. The United States should be very proud of that.

The other -- the other good reason is, of course, more close to home, what this man did for the peace that is so nearly there in Ireland. It's an extraordinary thing. We're here, myself and The Edge, to pay tribute to that. And many, many people made a lot of sacrifices for that peace, but Bill Clinton didn't have to. He chose to.

(MUSIC)

BONO: Well, this is a little more rock 'n' roll than you all had imagined.

Could I chicken out?

(LAUGHTER)

BONO: All right. This is a song we wrote Martin Scorsese's film the "Gangs of New York" but it could well have been written for one of our Irish sons, William Jefferson Clinton.

(MUSIC)

O'BRIEN: We're going to take Bono down a little bit and bring in Candy Crowley, who is among the 30,000 people there in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library.

Candy, song selection here for just a minute. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," it was written about an event in 1972 where British troops fired on some Irish protesters in Ireland. Irish peace is a big part of the Clinton legacy, is it not?

CROWLEY: Absolutely. As he was talking, I was remembering a trip that I took with Clinton that went to Ireland, and it was right before the impeachment trial. It seemed to be in the late summer, early fall. We went to Ireland. I saw great crowds with Bill Clinton when he was campaigning in '92. But in Ireland, they just loved him. And we would go to these tiny villages and there would be thousands and thousands and thousands of people there, and he was very well loved there, just for what he did, as they saw it, for the world, but mostly, because he did push so hard for peace in Ireland. And they have always believed in the Clinton administration, that that is one of the lasting legacies that the historians will be looking at over the next many years in the archives. And it is one of the things that he has been proudest of.

O'BRIEN: And that trip must have been remarkable. Anyone who has the occasion, who has Irish lineage and returns to the old sod, as they say, is pleasantly surprised by the welcome. I can only imagine the outpouring there. I'm sure it hearkens back to Kennedy visiting.

CROWLEY: Right. Yes. It was -- I remember going to one town that recently had had a terrorist bomb, and he went there particularly to talk to the people (INAUDIBLE), and the streets were packed. And you're about to hear Senator Clinton introduce former President Clinton -- Miles.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Thank you so much.

And thank you for your forbearance and your extraordinary patience today as we celebrate the dedication of this extraordinary institution.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you.

H. CLINTON: Thank you.

Well, I'm going to cut my remarks short, and you can read them all on the clintonfoundation.org Web site.

But what I want to make is just three points.

First, I'm thrilled to have everyone here on this stage who represents the past, the present and the future of our country. And this is a special moment where people come together and make it clear that we are unified as Americans.

And I'm grateful for this moment, and I thank the former presidents and President Bush and the first ladies for being here.

Secondly, I want to thank all of you and millions more who have been so kind in supporting us during the recent weeks following Bill's surgery.

I thank you for your prayers and your good wishes. And I think you can see that he's back and strong and going forward.

But all of that support meant the world to Chelsea and me and I'm grateful to you.

Finally, I cannot wait for you to see this and to tour this museum.

The building is like my husband. It's open, it's expansive, it's welcoming. It's filled with light.

And the exhibits tell a story of someone who loves his fellow man, who cares deeply about the future of all of our children, who recognizes our common humanity.

And for all those reasons and many, many more, I'm so proud to introduce the 42nd president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton.

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ladies and gentlemen, if my beloved mother were here, she would remind me that rain is liquid sunshine...

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: ... and that I shouldn't complain about this because the ground probably needs it and somebody is benefiting from it.

Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, President and Mrs. Carter, President and Mrs. Bush, members of the Eisenhower, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy and Carter families, to the vast number of members of Congress and former members of Congress here -- I don't know they are because you're all in ponchos, but...

(APPLAUSE)

W. CLINTON: ... there they are. There's a huge group from Congress.

The president sent four planes down. And I thank him for that.

To all the guests from other countries and my fellow Americans, welcome to my rainy library dedication.

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: Thank you, Skip Rutherford, and all those on my staff and the volunteers of Arkansas and across America who worked so hard to make this event just perfect and except for one thing it is.

I thank the previous speakers and those who have sung and entertained.

Mr. President, I can't thank you enough for your generous words and for coming to the opening at all.

I mean, after all, you just delayed your own library opening by four years.

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: I congratulate you on your election, and I wish you Godspeed, especially in a new and more hopeful time for peace in the Middle East.

I remember the first time I ever heard George W. Bush give a speech in Iowa. And I called a friend of mine, I said, "My God, that guy can beat us. He is a good politician."

He has been very kind and generous to my family, and I thank him for that.

Today, we're all red, white and blue.

I thank former President Bush and Mrs. Bush for coming and for their service to our nation.

President Bush, I loved all that stuff you said, but I want to thank you for something seriously.

In 1989, after I had been governor for a long time, you were the president who finally called us together and asked us to develop national education goals for America so that all our children could get a good education. It was the beginning of a serious reform effort which I tried to carry through and which I know President Bush has tried to push.

So thank you for doing that and for giving me the opportunity to work with you.

Thank you, President and Mrs. Carter, for all you did in the White House and all you've done in the years since to make the world more just and peaceful.

John Quincy Adams once said, "There is nothing in life so pathetic as a former president." Well, he turned out to be wrong because of his own service, and President Carter has proved that nothing could be further from the truth.

He just told you we met 30 years ago when he was trying to help me. He didn't tell you that less than a year later and less than a mile from here Jimmy Carter asked Hillary and me to join in his campaign for the presidency. We did and, as you can see from this day, it was the beginning of quite a ride.

I recently spoke with President Ford who, at 91, is unable to come, and with his extraordinary wife Betty. But they still are strong.

Yesterday I received a wonderful letter from Nancy Reagan, who remains in our thoughts and prayers.

I thank the Fords and Nancy and the late President Reagan for their service to our country. I want to thank all the vast numbers of Congress and former members who are here who served with me. I couldn't have done most of the good things we did without them, and they're not responsible for any of the mistakes I made.

I can't see through all the umbrellas and all the ponchos, or whatever you call those classy things that make you all look so beautiful...

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: ... but I'm pretty sure Senator Kerry is out there. If he is, I want to thank him. I'm glad he's back on the job.

(APPLAUSE)

W. CLINTON: I want to thank the people of my beloved home state for your support, for your love, your friendship, the trust, the sacrifices you so willingly made when we worked together here and when you carried me to the White House.

I thank the friends of a lifetime who also made indispensable contributions. I've said a lot of times I may be the only guy who got elected president because of his personal friends.

I thank my pastor, Rex Horn, and all the other ministers here who have taught me, prayed with me and counseled me over the years.

I thank God for my family and Hillary's family. A lot of them are here today, and I thank you for making this whole long trip.

Like I said, I do wish my mother were here. She would have enjoyed seeing all of you, even in the rain. And I promise you, you would have enjoyed seeing her.

Most of all, I want to thank Hillary and Chelsea.

Now, Hillary is a senator, and she has all the power in our family. But she's proving what I always said: She has the best combination of mind and heart, conviction and compassion I've ever encountered. Though I must say Chelsea is giving her mother a good run.

Chelsea, your life and our love for you gave meaning to our public service. They made the presidency the second most important job I ever have had.

I love you both so much. Thank you.

And let me, lastly, thank the people who have contributed to and built this library, the school of public service and the foundation: my staff, my former staff, the board, the architects, the exhibit designers, the landscapers, the contractors, the 1,500 people who put this building up, the city and state officials who supported it. I thank especially the architects, Jim Polshek and Richard Olcott, Ralph Appelbaum for the wonderful exhibits, and my long-time friend Bill Clark, whose company built this building.

I also want to say that I thank those of you who are continuing to help in the work of the library and the foundation.

This library tells the story of America at the end of the 20th century, of a dramatically different time in the way we worked and lived.

We moved out of the Cold War into an age of interdependence, with new possibilities and new dangers.

We moved out of an information -- I mean, an industrial economy into an information age economy.

We moved out of a period when we were obsessed with overcoming the legacy of slavery and discrimination against African-Americans to a point we were challenged to deal with an explosion of diversity of people from all races and ethnic groups and religions from around the world. And we had to change the role of government to deal with that.

That whole story is here in 80 million documents, 21 million e- mails -- two of them mine...

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: ... 2 million photographs and 80,000 artifacts.

In the interest of openness and public access, we are asking more than 100,000 of these documents to be opened early before the law requires.

I thank those who are working on the Clinton School of Public Service, because I want more young people to go into public service.

I thank those who are working in Harlem and here on my foundation, or who visit us on the Internet, as Hillary said, at clintonfoundation.org, who help us to promote religious and racial reconciliation, to advance citizen service, to promote economic empowerment for poor people in poor communities, and to continue the fight against AIDS.

In three years, in Africa, the Caribbean, India and China, we have succeeded in cutting the price of the testing equipment and generic drugs by 70 percent. And we hope by 2006, and expect, to serve over 2 million people with medicine who were not getting it on the day I left office.

Now, this library, of course, is primarily about my presidency.

I want to say a special word of thanks to Al Gore and to Tipper for the indispensable contribution that they made.

And I told Al today that this library won an international environmental award even though it's got a lot of glass because the solar panels and a lot of other improvements. We cut the energy usage here by 34 percent. So, Al, thanks for the inspiration. And I'm still trying to measure up to the challenge you set for me so long ago.

I believe the job of a president is to understand and explain the time in which he serves, to set forth a vision of where we need to go and a strategy of how to get there, and then to pursue it with all its mind and heart, bending only in the face of error or new circumstances and the crisis which are unforeseen; a problem that affects all of us.

When I became president, the world was a new and very different place, as I said. And I thought about how we ought to confront it.

America has two great dominant strands of political thought -- we're represented up here on this stage -- conservatism, which, at its very best, draws lines that should not be crossed; and progressivism, which, at its very best, breaks down barrier that are no longer needed or should never have been erected in the first place.

It seemed to me that in 1992 we needed to do both to prepare America for the 21st century: to be more conservative in things like erasing the deficit and paying down the debt and preventing crime and punishing criminals and protecting and supporting families, and enforcing things like child support laws and reforming the military to meet the new challenges of the 21st century.

And we needed to be more progressive in creating good jobs, reducing poverty, increasing the quality of public education, opening the doors of college to all, increasing access to health care, investing more in science and technology, and building new alliances with our former adversaries, and working for peace across the world and peace in America across all the lines that divide us.

Now, when I proposed to do both, we said that all of them were consistent with the great American values of opportunity, responsibility and community. We labeled the approach "New Democrat." It then became known as the third way, as it was embraced by progressive parties across the world.

But I liked the slogan we had way back in 1992, "Putting People First." Because, in the end, I always kept score by a simple measure: Were ordinary people better off when I stopped than when I started?

I grew up in the pre-television age in a family of uneducated but smart, hardworking caring storytellers. They taught me that everyone has a story. And that made politics intensely personal to me. It was about giving people better stories. That's why I asked those six people to talk here today.

When I think of the family leave law, I think of that good man who brought his dying daughter to see me in the White House on a Sunday morning and who grabbed me as I walked away and said, "The time I got to take off from work was the most important time in my life."

I think of people like that fine woman who worked herself out of welfare and now runs her own business. I remember the first woman I ever talked to who went from welfare to work. I said, "What's the best thing about it?" She said, "When my boy goes to school and they say, 'What does your momma do for a living?' he can give an answer."

Those are the things that make politics real to me, at home and around the world. The record is all in there, what we did at home, what we did abroad.

I thank Bono for singing about Northern Ireland and to President Bush for mentioning the Balkans. There were many other places we tried to help.

But the record is there. Even where we fell short, we pushed forward.

And what I want to say is, if you think of the biggest disappointment around to me, I tried so hard for peace in the Middle East.

I thank Shimon Peres and the children of Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak for being here today, and the current foreign minister of Israel for being here today. I did all I could.

But when we had seven years of progress toward peace, there was one whole year when for the first time in the history of the state of Israel not one person died of a terrorist attack, when the Palestinians began to believe they could have a shared future.

And so, Mr. President, again I say, I hope you get to cross over into the promised land of Middle East peace. We have a good opportunity and we are all praying for you.

(APPLAUSE)

W. CLINTON: Finally, let me say this. Quite apart from all the details, the thing I want most is for people to come to this library, whether they're Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives, to see that public service is noble and important; that the choices and decisions leaders make affect the lives of millions of Americans and people all across the world.

I want young people to want to see not only what I did with my life, but to see what they could do with their lives. Because this is mostly the story of what we the people can do when we work together.

Yes, this library is the symbol of a bridge, a bridge to the 21st century. It's been called one of the great achievements of the new age, and a British magazine said it looked like a glorified house trailer.

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: And I thought, "Well, that's about me, you know. I'm a little red and a little blue."

(LAUGHTER)

W. CLINTON: What it is to me is the symbol of not only what I tried to do, but what I want to do with the rest of my life: building bridges from yesterday to tomorrow, building bridges across racial and religious and ethnic and income and political divides, building bridges.

I believe our mission in this new century is clear. For good or ill, we live in an interdependent world. We can't escape each other.

And while we have to fight our enemies, we can't possibly kill, jail or occupy all of them.

Therefore, we have to spend our lives trying to build a global community and an American community, of shared responsibilities, shared values, shared benefits.

What are those values? And I want to say this; this is important. I don't want to be too political here, but it bothers me when America gets as divided as it was.

I once said to a friend of mine about three days before the election -- and I heard all these terrible things. I said, "You know, am I the only person in the entire United States of America who likes both George Bush and John Kerry, who believes they're both good people, who believe they both love our country and they just see the world differently?"

What should our shared values be? Everybody counts. Everybody deserves a chance. Everybody has got a responsibility to fulfill.

We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter but our common humanity matters more.

So I tell you we can continue building our bridge to tomorrow. It will require some red American line drawing and some blue American barrier breaking, but we can do it together.

Thank you and God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now officially presenting the key to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library to the archivist of the United States, please welcome Chelsea Clinton.

(APPLAUSE)

CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON: I'd like to invite the honorable, John Carlin, archivist of the United States to join me.

Mr. Carlin, I hereby present to you and the American people the keys to the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation Center and Library.

Thank you. (APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mickey Mengen (ph) is an accomplished Pentecostal vocalist who has performed at both of President Clinton's inaugurations. Please welcome Ms. Mickey Mengen.

LIN: The Clinton Library, now officially the Clinton Library is open, as we take a look at the current president, George W. Bush, his father, President Bush, former President Jimmy Carter standing on the same podium as President Bill Clinton.

President Clinton clearly trying to lay out his legacy that his mission in this world is not over. Candy Crowley is present at that site, one of the more than 30,000 people present there. Candy, I think just having heard from Chelsea Clinton, that's about as much as I've heard her speak publicly.

CROWLEY: I was just thinking, I thought, boy, I've really never heard her voice in a microphone. We did -- she was on a trip once with Hillary Clinton. We got to know her a little bit then. But this is the first time that I've heard her publicly speak in at least to this large of a crowd.

Quite a day, as you can tell. It is still pouring. And the crowds now really rapidly pouring out, though they are -- obviously, they're playing "Battle Hymn of the Republic." They'll be a flyover.

What can you say about a day when you hear four presidents of the United States, three formers and one current talk, saying nice things about each other, all of them emphasizing that the things they share, the experiences they share, and their love of America is far greater than their disagreements. Clinton making that as the final speaker here.

So it is officially open. People can come and take a look at it after today, I think. And it was quite a production. And as Bill Clinton said, about the only thing that went wrong today was the rain. So it just kind of concludes the ceremony. President Clinton is going to have a reception and luncheon in a tented area, they'll be happy to know, after this, for some of his friends.

And after that, the former president and the current president go their separate ways and get back to the business of studying past presidencies or carrying on with the current one -- Carol.

LIN: And President Clinton having some -- frankly some pretty pointed words, a message clearly to President Bush that he wants President Bush to work immediately and directly and very personally on establishing peace in the Middle East.

CROWLEY: yes, and mentioning that opportunity there now with Yasser Arafat's passing. There were pointed words there. There were pointed words about we cannot, you know, fight all our enemies. We have to find ways of getting together.

They were couched and not sharp words, but certainly, they were words that were applicable and certainly directed at President Bush.

In an interesting moment at the end when he said, you know, I wondered about three days before the end of the election, "Am I the only person in the United States that likes both George Bush and John Kerry?" And then going back to the theme of, hey, we're all Americans here.

So I imagine he probably had more to say and might have gone on, had it not been for this weather.

LIN: A rainy day in Arkansas. Little Rock, Arkansas, President Bill Clinton's library officially opens as we see the Clinton family there: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton standing for the photographers.

We've got much more ahead now that we've seen the ceremony, heard from the former presidents. In fact we are going to be hearing from a man who ran for president here in 2004 but that also led NATO's campaign in the battle in Kosovo, in the war against Slobodan Milosevic. Get General Wesley Clark's analysis of the day's events.

Much more ahead, right here on LIVE FROM.

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