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CNN Live Sunday

Clinton Moves to Harlem Office Tomorrow

Aired July 29, 2001 - 16:16   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: It's not the Oval Office, but former President Clinton is ready to settle in to more humble surroundings. He moves into his new Harlem office tomorrow.

And CNN's Brian Palmer has more on the Harlem connection.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "There are no second backs in American lives," author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said. Of course, he didn't live long enough to meet Bill Clinton, who begins a new act of long-running political drama that began in Arkansas and now brings him to Harlem.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I called Hillary and I asked my senator first, how she would feel about me coming to Harlem? And she loved it.

PALMER: Harlem wasn't the former president's first choice for post-presidential digs. Midtown Manhattan was. But critics attacked Clinton for what would have been that office's $800,000 a year price tag.

Many in Harlem don't hold that against him, and they're preparing his welcome wagon. Donna and Windsor Clayton are baking a cake for Clinton, decorated with his photograph.

DONNA CLAYTON, WIMP'S BAKERY: We really are hoping he will reach out. One of things we are doing with this cake is reaching out to him, and we hope he'll reach out to us and to the other businesses in the neighborhood and not just be stationed upstairs from us.

Navid Magami design Clinton's new office.

NAVID MAGAMI, ARCHITECT: It's a simple, comfortable, modern space. And he's interested in the area's pictures, to color scheme, he likes lighter colors. A little accent of cherry wood. He likes cherry wood as well.

PALMER: Many hope that Clinton's presence will draw more people and more dollars to Harlem, an historic community striving to rebuild its image.

REP. CHARLIE RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: We hope as everybody knows Bill Clinton, everybody will be reminded that Harlem is the place to go to live, to work and place to go to have a good time. So, when we say welcome to Bill, we say welcome to the world.

PALMER: Not everybody is excited about their new neighbor.

It helps somewhat, brings some attention to it, there will be some more German tourists here, but that's about it. I don't see anything else. He will pump iron at the Y with some negros and call it a day.

PALMER: But supporters and skeptics stand side-by-side as the curtain rises on this, the latest act in the Clinton saga.

Brian Palmer, CNN Harlem, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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