>Transcript: Senator Clinton's Delivered Remarks

November 18, 2004
Little Rock, Arkansas

I’m so proud to be here -- to be with so many old and dear friends from Arkansas, friends from across the country and indeed from around the world. You are making this a very special day for our family.

We are honored to have President and First Lady Laura Bush here with us, along with the first President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. President and Mrs. Carter, we thank you for coming. And thank you to the family members who are with us from the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon presidencies.

To the current and former heads of state, members of the diplomatic corps, members of Congress, governors, cabinet members from the Clinton Administration, and Clinton White House staffers: We are so grateful for your presence.

Finally, I’d also like to pay special thanks to the foundation trustees, board members, families, friends, and staffers, including those who administer the National Archives. It is their hard work and generosity that made this center possible.

When I arrived in Little Rock yesterday, I was reminded of the very first time I visited Arkansas more than 30 years ago. Bill picked me up at the airport and we hadn’t driven more than a few miles when he announced that he was taking me the scenic way home to Hot Springs. And that’s exactly what he did. We drove in his old Opel station wagon up the Arkansas River to Russellville, then down Highway 7 through the Ouichita Mountains and finally on to Hot Springs. He seemed to know every other person in every hamlet, every town, every gas station, every coffee shop along the way.

He just loved everything about Arkansas. He was so proud to come from here. And it didn’t take long for anyone around him, including me, to feel the same kinship and affection he felt for the people of this great state.

Today I want to thank all of you who touched our lives – and Chelsea’s – and taught us so much during our 18 years in Fayetteville and Little Rock.

When Bill became governor of Arkansas he made a commitment to invest in people. He believed in the limitless potential of America and Americans, and it was here in Arkansas that he first put that vision to work. The people of Arkansas chose him as their governor five times.

Bill may have left Arkansas in 1992 to run for President. But Arkansas never left him.

He took with him all of the experiences and wisdom and common sense gained from living most of his life here. And he took with him a simple guiding principle -- to put people first.

His vision for America was a page taken from his own life: If you work hard and take responsibility, it doesn’t matter where you come from, what your family income is, or whether you grow up on grits, tacos, burgers or blintzes . . . . you still deserve the opportunity to fulfill your God-given potential and achieve your dreams.

During his eight years as President, he gave us record prosperity. He gave us peace. He gave Americans reason to celebrate our common humanity, our shared destiny.

Bill Clinton never forgot who he worked for. He never forgot what it meant to put people first. He truly was . . . the people’s president.

I hope that, in the next few days, all of you will have a chance to walk through the center to see the exhibits and learn more about what Americans accomplished together during those eight years.

Yesterday, when I saw the completed exhibits for the first time, I was overwhelmed by memories. Memories of the many accomplishments of the Clinton Administration. Memories of people and places, events and policies. Memories that made me burst out laughing and memories that moved me to tears. And I hope that visitors will come from across our country and around the world to be part of this collective history.

The center is an architectural wonder, with its soaring spaces, dazzling light, and elegant lines. It is also a testament to Bill Clinton’s vision and values as our nation’s 42nd president.

As you can tell just from looking at this extraordinary structure, Bill Clinton wasn’t kidding when he talked about building a bridge to the 21st century. One thing I’ve learned about him over the last 30-plus years is that he is genetically predisposed to bridge-building.

Bridges connecting people of different backgrounds and races and faiths and nationalities; bridges uniting warring factions in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, and the Balkans; bridges leading to engagement, cooperation, respect and understanding among leaders and nations around the world.

The building itself, stretching so gracefully toward the river, represents America’s unique capacity to bridge divides and bring people together. As I’ve been saying the past few days, this building is really just like Bill Clinton: open, expansive, welcoming.

And it is no accident that the Clinton Center is more than a library and an archive. It’s also a School of Public Service that will encourage and train young people to pursue the noble cause of serving others. It houses the Clinton Foundation, a base of operations for Bill’s continued work in the United States and around the world.

Even from the outside, you can see that the building is constructed with beautiful, panoramic glass windows.

Now, we all know the risk of living in glass houses . . . .But there is a flip side. A flip side that represents my husband’s profound belief in democracy’s need for openness and accessibility and putting things in full view.

His belief that people need to know the good news – and the not-so-good news about their government and their leaders – if they are to be informed, responsible citizens.

His belief that our leaders must trust Americans enough to empower them with information. . . so that they can make the right decisions for their family, community, and country.

And so this library, and archive, and school of public service, and foundation, will be a repository of unprecedented amounts of information, documents, and data that represent the full history of the Clinton presidency. As Americans committed to democracy and freedom, we should all be very proud of that.

Finally, let me just say that it was very important to Bill that this center be a vibrant source of learning, new ideas, and progress. That it reflect not only the past, but also the present and the future.

As President, Bill raised our awareness about new global threats, from economic and cultural globalization to infectious diseases to the scourge of terrorism. He kept working to broker a peace in the Middle East literally up until his final minutes in office.

And in the four years since, his bridge-building hasn’t let up one bit. He continues day in, and day out, to build bridges -- through the Clinton peace center in Northern Ireland, new economic opportunities in places like Harlem, efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and the nurturing of a new generation of public servants here at home.

You know, Bill and I met in a library – almost 34 years ago – when we were law students. And here we are again, in another library, to celebrate his work on behalf of our country.

Thinking back on all that time, I realize that I never once saw him slow down or stop working, until a medical crisis forced him to a few months ago.

To me, Bill has always seemed like a force of nature. A man who was indestructible.

So watching Bill go through heart surgery and its aftermath was very sobering. And worrisome.

And I know many of you were worried about him too. Bill and Chelsea and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your thoughts and prayers, which gave us so much comfort during a difficult time.

We had been through our share of valleys before. And once again, we would be carried by our faith, our family, our friends -- and blessed by God’s grace.

Today we honor Bill Clinton, and his spirit . . . we honor a man who has given his life to serving others . . . .who never gives up working for the causes he believes in . . . . who never stops thinking about tomorrow. . . who never loses faith in the promise of America.

It is my pleasure to introduce the 42nd President of the United States . . . the people’s president, Bill Clinton.

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