    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [March 3, 2000]
    [Pages 371-372]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters in San Jose
    March 3, 2000

    2000 Presidential Election

        Q. Mr. President, what do you think of the idea of a Gore-Feinstein
    ticket?
        The President. I think very highly of it. And I think she is immensely talented and would be good at anything.
    But this is a decision that the Vice President should make after he wins the nomination. And it's not
    done yet. So I would recommend that all these questions be deferred
    until after we know for sure that he's the nominee, and then you should
    ask him.
        Q. How would you assess the Republican strategy using you to tarnish
    their Presidential candidates? How do you assess it?
        The President. I don't know. You know, they've got to do what
    they've got to do. I wish--when I saw the Vice President and Senator Bradley in their
    last debate, I know that the conventional wisdom was, it wasn't very
    interesting because they agreed on too much. But what I thought is, how
    fortunate we are to have people that know that much and care that much
    about things that will actually affect people's lives, instead of grab
    the day's headlines.
        And I thought there was quite a remarkable contrast between the
    substantive level of knowledge and discussion in that debate and the one
    I heard last night. That's the only observation I want to make. I
    shouldn't--they can run their own campaigns. They don't need to have me
    commenting. I shouldn't get in the way of the Republicans or the
    Democrats right now. I'm not running. I'm enjoying watching it.
        Q. But is this a campaign--[inaudible].
        The President. Well, time will tell, won't it? The voters are in
    charge in this deal, not me.

    Maine Initiative on the Digital Divide

        Q. Can I clarify? The seventh graders who are going to get the
    laptops, can you tell me more about----
        The President. Oh, yes. That's Maine. It's a great story. Angus
    King in Maine, it's great,

    [[Page 372]]

    he's got a system to give every seventh grader in the State--
    [inaudible].

    Note: The exchange began at 12:30 p.m. at the Novell Headquarters. In
    his remarks, the President referred to Senator Dianne Feinstein; former
    Senator Bill Bradley; and Gov. Angus S. King, Jr., of Maine. A tape was
    not available for verification of the content of this exchange.