[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
[June 7, 1999]
[Pages 897-899]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Democratic National Committee Dinner for Terence 
McAuliffe
June 7, 1999

    Thank you very much. I want to thank Ron and Beth for having us here; and 
Chairman Andrew, Mayor Archer, the other officials of the Democratic Party who are 
here. I want to thank all those who have spoken before; but I have to 
say a word about the two women.

[[Page 898]]

    Ann Richards is my former colleague and my 
longtime friend who tells me jokes that make me laugh, but which she 
knows good and well I can never repeat. [Laughter] So tonight she 
referred to me as ``her lovely husband, Bill.'' And then 
Hillary said my being a member of the 
Senate spouses club was a good reason to run. [Laughter] No offense, 
Senator Daschle, but until you change the 
numbers up there, if I were given the choice, I'd rather be in the 
spouses club. [Laughter] I'm looking forward to it.
    However, I've also made it clear that I'm available for any and all 
other services. I would be happy to run the New York City casework 
operation--there will never be a difficult reelection if they let me do 
that; it'll be over. [Laughter]
    Let me say, I want you to all ask yourselves something. What is it 
that you like about Terry McAuliffe? I like the fact that he lies to me 
about his golf handicap, and I can't get mad at him. I like the fact 
that for a rich guy, his politics go a little left and his golf ball 
goes a little right. I like the fact that he did wrestle an alligator, 
and if you offered to give the Democratic Party enough money, he'd lay 
down on the bottom of that swimming pool for 3 to 4 minutes, until you 
finally came across. [Laughter]
    I like the fact that he is always seeing the bright side of things. 
After we were totally wiped out in '94--I mean, it was awful; there was 
nothing good about the '94 election--I called McAuliffe. He said, ``Hey, 
look at it this way. It's a great opportunity for next time; we could 
have lost 60 seats!'' [Laughter] And he went back to work. It never 
occurred to him to do anything else.
    I like the fact that the more successful he's become, financially 
and otherwise, the more intense his devotion to our party and to people 
who are less fortunate than he is has become. I like the fact that he 
loves his family; he wants it to get bigger; he is unabashedly proud of 
them all, from his parents to his wife and children to his brother and 
others. I like the fact that he is proud of what he has done as a 
citizen to help make our party successful.
    Terry and I have never been of the school that believed that we 
ought to act embarrassed because we ask people in the system we have to 
contribute so that we could get our message across. Because of what he 
has done and because of what we have done, all of you together, there 
are 18 million more jobs in this country; 12.5 million people have taken 
advantage of the family leave law; millions and millions of more people 
are in their own homes. We have a 25 year low in the crime rate, half as 
many people on welfare. I think it's worth an investment in America; so 
does he. We're proud of you. And I like that about Terry McAuliffe.
    I like the fact that Terry gets up every day, like we all should--
anybody who can be in this room tonight--and know that whatever the 
problems are out there, whatever difficulties he's had--and he and 
Dorothy, even though they live totally 
charmed, their life has not been totally free of bumps in the road--he 
gets up every day and thinks, ``I am a lucky man; I am alive; I've got a 
wonderful family; I'm making more money than I ever dreamed, and I get 
to go out and help people I believe in make this a better country and a 
better world.''
    And if we all had more of his energy, his positive attitude, his 
belief in himself and in the fundamental goodness of people, that you 
bring it out and unleash that energy, this would even be a greater 
country, and we would have even fewer problems than we have, and we'd be 
making even more progress than we are.
    I love this guy. I want you to understand, I had all these funny 
jokes, and I threw them away before I got in here because I want to tell 
you this. I want you to remember this. We've been through a lot of 
things together. We've walked over coals; we've had coals dumped on our 
heads; we've dodged a lot of bullets; we've taken a few. And every day, 
he just gets up and thanks God he's alive, looks on the bright side of 
things, doesn't quit believing in what he believes in, and always 
believes there's somebody else to help, somebody else to bring in, 
someone else to involve.
    And again, I say to you, I think that's why we're all here. We like 
him. There are even some people here who don't share his politics, or 
mine, who are here because they like him. And so when you go home 
tonight and you get up tomorrow, just think--you can have a little of 
his energy, a little more of his positive outlook, a little more of his 
basic faith that we can bring out the goodness in people, we can even do 
more for the party and the country we love.
    Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. McAuliffe. Thank you very much.

[[Page 899]]

Note: The President spoke at 10:05 p.m. at a private residence. In his 
remarks, he referred to Beth Dozoretz, national finance chair, Joseph J. 
Andrew, national chair, and Mayor Dennis W.Archer of Detroit, general 
cochair, Democratic National Committee; former Gov. Ann Richards of 
Texas; and Mr. McAuliffe's wife, Dorothy. The President also referred to 
Mrs. Dozoretz's husband, Ronald, who cohosted the dinner with his wife.