    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [June 16, 1998]
    [Pages 975-976]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Democratic National Committee Dinner
    June 16, 1998

        Thank you. I want you to look up on that screen. This is as close as
    I'll ever get to the BET jazz channel. [Laughter] You know, Bob was doing such a good job up here, I was kind of
    hoping he'd never call me up. [Laughter] Ramsey did such a good job on ``Body and Soul,'' I
    was kind of hoping he'd never quit. [Laughter]
        Let me thank Bob and Sheila for having us here, Debra, all
    the other people associated with BET and with this wonderful restaurant.
    It's a beautiful place; the food was terrific; the atmosphere is great.
    I thank all of you for coming. I especially want to thank Congressmen
    Charles Rangel and Don Payne and Bill Jefferson
    and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton for being here. I think Mayor Webb from Denver is here along with Governor Romer, the chairman of our party. The hour is late; we've had
    good food, good music, and good companionship. And I won't give a long
    speech.
        Let me say that I was very moved by what Bob had to say about our
    trip to Africa. It was for me, and for Hillary also, a truly
    transforming experience, although she had already been. I don't think
    I'll ever quite be the same again. I came back determined to continue to
    build our relationship with Africa, determined to work with Congressman
    Rangel and others to pass the Africa trade
    bill, determined to build a better future for all of us together.
        Let me make just a couple of brief statements. When I ran--started
    running for President in late 1991, I was concerned about the direction
    of our country, not just the problems we had at the moment but the
    direction. And I had some ideas that I thought were both modern and
    consistent with what my party had always stood for. I wanted to get the
    country

    [[Page 976]]

    moving again, get the society coming together again, and reassert our
    leadership for peace and freedom and prosperity and humanity around the
    world.
        And the American people, in no small measure because of overwhelming
    support from the African-American community, gave me a precious chance
    to serve as President and gave our party a chance to try our ideas for
    the 21st century out on the country.
        Five and a half years later, we have the lowest crime rate in 25
    years, the lowest unemployment rate in 28 years, the lowest welfare
    rolls in 29 years, the first balanced budget and surplus in 29 years,
    the lowest inflation rate in 32 years, the smallest Federal Government
    in 35 years, the highest homeownership, the lowest African-American
    unemployment, and the highest rate of business formation among
    minorities in the history of the country. I think that's a pretty good
    record for 5\1/2\ years of our working together.
        And I want to thank all of you who made that possible. There are a
    lot of people in this room tonight that started with me in '91 and '92.
    I will never forget that. A lot of you have come on, thanks to
    Bob and other friends, and I'm very
    grateful to you.
        But I want to say, ideas, if they're translated into action, have
    consequences. And a great number of the things I have done never would
    have been possible if it hadn't been for the congressional support I
    have received. I think the people in this room and those that are
    running on the ticket with them in November deserve to be rewarded for
    being right. You know, when they voted for the economic plan in 1993,
    the other guys said it would bring a recession. Well, we've got 5\1/2\
    years and 16 million jobs of experience. We know who was right and who
    wasn't.
        When we passed a crime bill to put 100,000 people on the street and
    ban assault weapons and passed the Brady bill, the other side said we
    were going to take guns away from law abiding people, and the crime rate
    would skyrocket. Well, 5\1/2\ years later we've got 300,000 people with
    criminal records who couldn't get handguns and a crime rate at a 25-year
    low and 75,000 more police paid to go on the street. We know who was
    right and who was wrong.
        And these Members of Congress here and those who are running with
    them deserve the chance to take the next steps, to take advantage of
    this economic opportunity to really make a dent in inner-city poverty
    where the recovery hasn't reached yet; to take advantage of this
    economic prosperity; to take a serious look at what we have to do to
    improve our school systems and make them the best in the world, like our
    colleges and universities are; to take advantage of this moment of real
    security and prove we can grow the economy and preserve the environment;
    to take advantage of this moment of security and reach out to Africa, to
    the Caribbean, to Latin America, to help our friends in Asia in their
    moment of trouble, so that we can build a unified world that is coming
    together instead of being torn apart; to take advantage of this moment
    to say to America, if you want to lead a world that is more and more
    bedeviled by racial and ethnic and religious conflicts--that is, if you,
    America, want to do good around the world, you must first be good at
    home. We have to do this right. And we have a unique opportunity to do
    that. That's what this is about.
        These people need your help. They deserve your help. I'm not running
    anymore. I'm going out there working for them because I believe in what
    we have done together; I believe in what we can do in the next 2\1/2\
    years, I believe what we can do in the next 10 years, if we get a chance
    to shape 21st century America. And you have done a very good thing
    tonight. I hope you will continue to be involved.
        And again, let me say to Bob and
    Sheila, I'll never forget you for all the
    wonderful things you've done, but this was special tonight. Thank you,
    Ramsey Lewis. I always loved hearing you play,
    but I'll have dreams about ``Body and Soul'' tonight.
        God bless you all. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:30 p.m. at the BET On Jazz Restaurant.
    In his remarks, he referred to Robert L. Johnson, chairman and chief
    executive officer, and Debra Lee, president and chief operating officer,
    BET Holdings, Inc.; Mr. Johnson's wife, Sheila; and jazz musician Ramsey
    Lewis. The President also referred to BET On Jazz: the Cable Jazz
    Channel.