[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 50 (Monday, December 18, 2000)]
[Pages 3048-3049]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Following the Unveiling of the Design for the 
William J. Clinton Presidential Library

December 9, 2000

Florida Supreme Court Decision

    Q. Mr. President, can you comment on the Florida Supreme Court 
decision?
    The President. Well, it appears to me that they basically said we 
ought to get an accurate count, and we have time to get one. I think 
that's what all the American people want, and I think that the more 
people feel there was an accurate count, the more legitimacy will be 
conferred on whoever the eventual winner is. So I think this is a 
positive development.
    Q. Do you think it gives Gore the advantage for the first time?
    The President. Well, I think--I honestly don't know. I don't know 
the answer to that. I think it shows that what the Supreme Court, in 
their first decision, is what they meant. People voted and their vote--
and it can be determined for whom they voted; their votes ought to be 
counted so that the count will be accurate. And I think that's a 
positive thing.
    But it's not clear to me--I've got to go back; I've got to look at 
the decision. I don't know--are they going to go back through Palm Beach 
again, because there are still a lot of undervotes there? I don't know a 
lot of the questions. I just know that the thrust was to get the most 
accurate possible count, and I think that is something the American 
people feel good about. And when it's done, I think it will help the 
eventual winner, whether it's Governor Bush or Vice President Gore, to 
settle things down and get on with the business of America.
    So I think it will be positive.
    Q. Do you think all of this is going to deliver the people a 
weakened Presidency?
    The President. Not necessarily. I said before, I think that we have 
had--we had two Presidencies that went into the House of 
Representatives: One produced John Quincy Adams, who only served one 
term; one produced Thomas Jefferson, who started a dynasty that lasted 
24 years. We had two Presidencies that were decided where a majority of 
the votes went to one candidate and the majority of the electoral votes 
went to another. One was quite controversial, in 1876; the other just 
happened in the course of things. So I don't think you can draw any 
conclusions. I think that the American people will be inclined to give a 
spirit of good will in supporting it and a grace period to the incoming 
President. The country could hardly be in better shape, if we have to go 
through this level of uncertainty. And if the Members of the Congress 
will work in good spirit, I think we can have 4 very good years.
    So I wouldn't be very worried about it. I think that, truthfully, if 
this whole process leads people to believe that every reasonable effort 
was made to get an accurate count, then I think that will help the 
incoming President. Then I think the country will rally behind the new 
President, and we'll go on with our business, the way we always do.

Edmond Pope Pardon

    Q. [Inaudible]--Mr. Putin----
    The President. Well, I talked to him yesterday, and he told me he 
was going to do it, and we've had several conversations about this. I'm 
very appreciative of his action. Mr. Pope is not in good health, and we 
need to get him----
    Q. Does the U.S. have to give back anything?
    The President. There was no deal. We just had a discussion about it.
    Press Secretary Jake Siewert. Thank you.

William J. Clinton Presidential Library

    Q. [Inaudible]--favorite building is?
    The President. [Inaudible]--coming here by the tens of thousands all 
the time, and look at all these exhibits and everything and kind of 
being caught up in it--unless there was a lot of light in the building. 
But I didn't want it to be a total energy guzzler and one that would be 
an environmental nightmare. So we really worked hard on this, and I 
think we've got a good balance here. I think it's going to be a very 
good building.

Florida Supreme Court Decision

    Q. Do you think the Vice President was thrown a lifeline yesterday?

[[Page 3049]]

    The President. I think the Supreme Court decision, as I understand 
it, just said we ought to have an accurate count. And I think that's how 
the American people feel. And I know that's how the people in Florida 
must feel. I mean, if you went to vote, you would want your vote 
counted.
    So I think that's all. I don't know how it's going to come out; I 
don't think anybody does. But I think when it's over, if we believe 
we've done everything we could do to get an accurate count, that will 
confer greater legitimacy on the result, whichever one of them wins. And 
when there is a final winner, then the rest of us ought to say, ``Okay, 
let's give this new President a chance to do the job.'' That's what I'll 
do, and I'll do whatever I can to facilitate it.
    Thank you.

Note: The exchange began at 12:50 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, the President referred to President 
Vladimir Putin of Russia and American businessman Edmond Pope, who had 
been found guilty of espionage in Russia. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of this exchange.