[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 18 (Monday, May 10, 1999)]
[Pages 783-785]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

May 1, 1999

    Thank you very much, Stewart, Susan, Brian. You all were pretty 
tough on the Times for boycotting this dinner tonight. I understand they 
wanted to protest the increasingly circus-like atmosphere. Why are they 
doing it? I'm the guy who shows up every year and gets shot out of the 
cannon. [Laughter] You really made me feel like I'm on the downhill 
slide--Brian spent all this time dumping on the Vice President. 
[Laughter]
    You know, you were really rough on him. That riff was pretty funny. 
I mean, you gave him credit for everything. I think since you pointed 
out that he went to the Kentucky Derby today, I should say, he claims no 
credit for siring the winner. [Laughter]
    I know that this dinner has gotten out of hand in recent years, but 
I see a lot of familiar faces out here. And I want you to know that I 
really appreciate all these Hollywood celebrities inviting the work-a-
day Washington press to join them tonight. [Laughter]
    Now, you know I, on occasion, have my differences with the New York 
Times. But they've taken a principled stand. [Laughter] And I support 
them. In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I challenge the 
Washington Times and the Weekly Standard to follow their example next 
year--[laughter]--and the year after that and so on. [Laughter]
    I know there was some talk about my not coming this year, and I 
admit, the thought did cross my mind. [Laughter] But then I heard if I 
didn't attend, Aretha might not attend, and that would break Brian's 
heart, because we couldn't bear the thought of having Scott Pelley sing 
``R-E-S-P-E-C-T.'' [Laughter]
    I hope you'll all enjoy Aretha, but you know--and I love her, and I 
will certainly enjoy it. And I want to see you later--I like to come 
here because there are those other parties later on. Now, last year Sid 
Blumenthal swore he could get me into the Vanity Fair party. [Laughter] 
What a difference a year makes. [Laughter] This year I have to take him. 
[Laughter]
    I love seeing all the White House correspondents in this room 
tonight. For me, it's a rare treat to see you outside the White House 
gates--and notwithstanding what Susan said, get used to it. [Laughter] 
You know that the National Park Service is planning this long-range plan 
to relocate the White House Briefing Room to a larger facility, outside 
the West Wing--which I think is too bad. I mean, Helen was just starting 
to get comfortable. [Laughter] And she's still mad about the last time 
the White House Briefing Room was moved--that's when the Capital moved 
to Washington from Philadelphia. [Laughter]
    But look, this is going to be hard on us, too. It's going to be 
really hard on the White House if they move the Briefing Room because 
then the leakers will have to start dialing 10-10-321. [Laughter]
    Speaking of big moves, I saw yet another journalist commenting today 
that if Hillary runs for the Senate, she'll have to deal with the New 
York press, and that will be hard, because they're even meaner than you 
are. I want you to know something--we are not scared of them; we're 
scared of the co-op boards. [Laughter] Have you ever seen one of those 
applications? I've been filling one out--look, here's my answer to some 
of the questions. You tell me what kind of chance we've got.
    Question 2, anticipated employment? Unknown. [Laughter] Question 3, 
anticipated

[[Page 784]]

earnings? Unknown. [Laughter] Question 5, current residence? Public 
housing. [Laughter] It gets better. References? Nelson Mandela, the 
Dalai Lama, Steven Spielberg. [Laughter] Outstanding debts? Williams & 
Connolly--[laughter]--and the House Democrats. [Laughter]
    I know these are really busy times for all of you in the press 
corps. I appreciate your hard work. But what I really appreciate is all 
the commentary. I hope the NATO commanders videotaped this morning's 
briefing by retired General Howard Fineman. [Laughter] I wonder how in 
the world the Allies ever managed to pull off D-Day without ``Talk Back 
Live.'' [Laughter]
    Press coverage has really changed a lot over the years. You know, 
during the Hundred Years War, the European press corps didn't even start 
second-guessing until 1370. [Laughter]
    Now, just imagine if today's press corps covered yesterday's wars. 
Here are a few headlines. Paul Revere's warning: ``Too Little Too 
Late.'' [Laughter] Lincoln speaks at Gettysburg: ``Fails To Articulate 
Exit Strategy.'' Teddy Roosevelt leads charge up San Juan Hill: ``GOP 
Divided.'' [Laughter] McArthur to Philippines: ``I Shall Return--Refuses 
To Set Specific Timetable.'' [Laughter]
    This is the last White House Correspondents' Dinner of the 
millennium. Frankly, I'm surprised you see any news value in all this 
millennium stuff. I mean, after all, we've known about it for 1,000 
years now. [Laughter] I think history will record that the world spent 
the last days of this millennium compiling lists. You may have seen a 
list compiled by the Newseum of the top 100 news stories of the 
century--everything from putting a man on the Moon to the polio vaccine, 
ranked in order of importance.
    I don't mind telling you, I made the Newseum list--something about 
the events of last year, number 53--53! I mean, what does a guy have to 
do to make the top 50 around here? [Laughter] I came in six places after 
the invention of plastic, for crying out loud. [Laughter] And I don't 
recall a year of 24-hour-a-day saturation coverage on the miracle of 
plastic. [Laughter] And I guess the strongest economy in a century was 
number 101.
    Ladies and gentlemen, I think it's really good for us to step away 
from the work we do for an evening and laugh a little. I thought Brian 
was really funny, and I like laughing at somebody else for a change. 
[Laughter] But I hope you'll forgive me if I sort of stop it now and say 
a few serious words, for these are not usual times. While we've got a 
lot to be grateful for, in rising prosperity, and falling unemployment, 
poverty, welfare, and crime, you all know we have real challenges.
    All Americans are still hurting for the families of Littleton and 
seeking ways that each of us can help to give our children less violent, 
more wholesome childhoods. And our thoughts are in Kosovo, where America 
and our Allies are engaged in a difficult struggle for freedom and human 
rights and against the destruction of other human beings because of 
their ethnic and racial heritage.
    The roots of violence at home and ethnic cleansing and racial hatred 
abroad are of great complexity and difficulty. But we know that our 
country is strong enough and good enough to meet these challenges.
    There was a reference to this before, but I want to say a special 
word about the three servicemen and their families. Our prayers have 
been with them for the past month, and there are indications that they 
may soon be released to Reverend Jackson and his interfaith group. We 
certainly hope that this will occur.
    But let us remember tonight also what is at stake for more than a 
million other people who have been involved in Kosovo--a very great 
deal. What is at stake there, what was at stake in Bosnia, and what will 
doubtless be at stake elsewhere in the world in the years ahead is 
whether Mr. Milosevic's vision of ethnic cleansing, with its uprooting, 
its raping, its killing, its destroying every record and remnant of 
culture and history--or our democratic vision of ethnic tolerance and 
political pluralism, of affirming our common humanity--whether his 
vision or ours will define the beginning of the 21st century. On this 
there can be no compromise and, therefore, our determination must be 
unwavering.
    I thank you, the White House correspondents, for making the donation 
to help the refugees of Kosovo. That is a welcome and valued 
contribution. So are the reports you and

[[Page 785]]

your colleagues file every day, often at great personal risk for those 
in the region.
    As our prayers are with our military personnel and our allies 
tonight, they're with the Kosovars--indeed, with all innocent people who 
are caught up in this grievous affair. I again ask Mr. Milosevic to let 
the Kosovars come home, with the Serb forces out, and an international 
force in to protect all the people, including the Serb minority who live 
in Kosovo.
    And I ask the American people to remember what it is we are fighting 
for: a world in which the dignity of humanity counts for more than the 
differences of humanity. For human differences, when celebrated but 
contained, can make life a lot more interesting, but when unleashed as 
weapons of war, soon make it unbearable.
    The 20th century has seen altogether too much of this. If we and our 
allies, indeed, if you and I as citizens, and each in our official 
capacities, all do our job, the world of our children will be better. It 
will be not only more prosperous but more peaceful; not only more 
diverse but more unified; not only more human but more humane. Let that 
be our prayer tonight and our determination.
    Thank you very much, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 10:20 p.m. in the 
International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton. In his remarks, he 
referred to Stewart Powell of Hearst Newspapers, outgoing president, 
Susan Page, USA Today, incoming president, White House Correspondents' 
Association; Brian Williams, NBC News, dinner emcee; Scott Pelley, CBS 
News; entertainer Aretha Franklin; Helen Thomas, United Press 
International; President Nelson Mandela of South Africa; movie director 
and producer Steven Spielberg; Staff Sgt. Andrew A. Ramirez, USA, Staff 
Sgt. Christopher J. Stone, USA, and Specialist Steven M. Gonzales, USA, 
American infantrymen in custody in Serbia; civil rights leader Jesse 
Jackson; and President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of 
Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).