[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
[February 11, 1993]
[Page 90]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 90]]


Exchange With Reporters at a Meeting With Arkansas High School Students
February 11, 1993

    The President. This is the Close-Up program, but they're not close 
up. [Laughter]
    Did you hear what I said today, Helen? [Helen Thomas, United Press 
International]
     Q. What?
     The President. When I went in from the run? I said you had a great 
voice. It pierced the atmosphere.
     Q. Yes, but you didn't answer any questions.
     The President. I know, all your questions--have any answer----

Attorney General

     Q. Got a woman for Attorney General?
     Q. Mr. President, are you not committed to an across-the-board 
business tax increase?
     Q. Which one's going to be President someday?
     Q. You've got 14 lawyers in the Cabinet. Which one's going to be 
Attorney General?
     The President. Well, we thought it would be part of my productivity 
in Government. We have so many lawyers in the Cabinet--something I 
didn't know, actually, until someone pointed it out to me--that we could 
just rotate the job once a month among the lawyers. [Laughter]

Town Meetings and Media Relations

     Q. Mr. President, you had some tough words for the businessmen 
today. Will there be similarly tough words for middle class taxpayers 
come next week?
     The President. I talked to them last night. I think they got the 
message. I was really pleased with that last night. I liked it because 
the people who were asking questions, basically, they talked to me just 
like they did when I was a candidate. I was glad there was no difference 
in their----
    Q. Why do you think we're different?
    The President. ----questions to challenge me, I like it.
    Q. Why do you think the press is not with you?
    The President. Why what?
    Q. You said the press is not in your world.
    The President.  Why, what do you mean?
    Q. We think differently or something?
    Q. You said we think differently.
    The President. No, no, I said just on--what was I talking about? 
[Laughter]
    Q. Washington.
    Q. Press corps.
    The President. No, no, no, there was a specific question.
    Q. Press conferences among the White House press corps. And you 
said, I answered that question----
    The President. [Inaudible]--the question was about. You've got to 
get--before you lay that on me, you've got to put it in proper context 
now. What was----
    Q. Okay, you said we see the world differently.
    The President. Well, I think sometimes you do, but that's what 
you're hired to do. That's your job.

Attorney General

    Q. Is it a man for Attorney General, sir?
    The President. It's a lawyer. How's that?

Note: The exchange began at 1:50 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of this 
exchange.