PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
August 14, 2000

In his final address to a Democratic convention as president, Bill Clinton looks back at the accomplishments of his administration and the candidacy of Albert Gore. The following is the prepared text of his remarks.

Speech Parts: A review of Clinton/Gore administration accomplishments Foreign Policy accomplishments and the importance of a Democratic Congress The candidacy of Albert Gore Online NewsHour Special Report: 2000 Democratic Convention Election 2000 Aug. 11, 2000: Sen. Joe Lieberman talks about his candidacy, religion and the campaign. Aug. 11, 2000: Shields and Gigot discuss Gore/Lieberman. Aug. 11, 2000: Gore's economic plan Aug. 10, 2000: Los Angeles prepares for the Democratic Convention. Aug. 8, 2000: An historic choice. Aug. 7, 2000: Al Gore asks Lieberman to be his runningmate. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Politics and Campaigns and Election 2000     Democratic Convention Official Web Site

We are more secure and free because of our leadership for peace, freedom, and prosperity in the world - helping to end a generation of conflict in Northern Ireland; stopping brutal ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; and bringing the Middle East closer than ever to a comprehensive peace. We have built stronger ties to Africa, Asia, and our Latin American and Caribbean neighbors. We brought Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic into NATO. We are working with Russia to destroy nuclear weapons and materials. We are fighting head-on the new threats and injustices of the global age: terrorism, narco-trafficking, biological and chemical warfare, and the spread of AIDS. And in the great tradition of Jimmy Carter, who is here tonight, we are the leading force for human rights around the world. The American military is the best trained, best equipped, most effective fighting force in the world. Our men and women in uniform have shown it time and again: in Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti, and Iraq. I can tell you that their strength, their spirit, their courage, and their commitment to freedom have never been greater. Any adversary who believes those who say otherwise is making a grave mistake. That's the record. As that LA detective Joe Friday used to say, "just the facts ma'am." Let's remember the standard the Republicans used to have for whether a party should continue in office - my fellow Americans, are we better off today than we were eight years ago? You bet we are. But we're not just better off, we're also a better country - more decent, more humane, more united. Now, that's the purpose of prosperity. Since 1992, America has grown not just economically, but as a community. Jobs are up, but so are adoptions. The debt is down, but so is teen pregnancy. We are becoming more diverse and more united. My fellow Americans, tonight we can say with confidence: we built our bridge to the 21st Century. We crossed it together. And we're not going back. To those who say the progress of these eight years was an accident, that we just coasted along, let's be clear: America's success was not a matter of chance; it was a matter of choice. Today America faces another choice, every bit as momentous as the one eight years ago. For what a nation does with good fortune is just as stern a test of its character, values and vision as how it deals with adversity. This is a big election - with great consequences for every American - because the differences between our candidates and their visions are so profound. Consider this: America would already have a real patients' bill of rights, a minimum wage increase, stronger equal pay laws for women, and middle class tax cuts for college tuition and long-term care for elderly and disabled family members, if the Democratic Party were in the majority today, led by Speaker Gephardt and Majority Leader Daschle. Come November, we will be. Every House and Senate race is important. But if you'll give me one moment of personal privilege, I'd like to say a word about Hillary. When I first met her 30 years ago, she already had an abiding passion to help children. She's pursued it ever since. Her first job was with the Children's Defense Fund. Every year I was governor she took lots of time away from her law practice to work for better schools, children's health and jobs for parents who lived in poor areas. When I became President she became a full-time advocate for her lifetime cause. What a job she's done. She championed the Family Leave law, children's health insurance, and increased support for foster children and adoptions. She wrote a best-selling book about caring for our children, and then she took care of them by giving all the profits to children's charities. For thirty years, she's been there for all our kids. She's been a great First Lady. She's always been there for our family. And she'll always be there for the families of New York and America. Continued