Description

Learn about how the image and popularity of Bill Clinton got damaged by a personal issue.

Transcript

Learn About Bill Clinton's Life Part 6/6 Narrator: In foreign affairs, Clinton scored high marks for his role in initiating peace negotiations in Northern Ireland between warring Catholics and Protestants, for negotiating peace talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization and for his actions to end a murderess military dictatorship in Haiti. In February of 1997, Clinton submitted a plan to balance the federal budget for the first time in 27 years. Bill Clinton: In a few moments I will sign into law the first balanced budget in our generation. Narrator: On August 5th of that year, he signed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 which finished the job of eliminating the budget deficit. During the historic signing, Clinton praised the efforts of choosing cooperation over conflicts. A major problem that interfered and overshadowed much of Bill Clinton’s presidency was a succession of investigations into his personal life. After failing to produce any political charges concerning a failed land deal years earlier, a committee pursued personal relations of the president. The subsequent inquiries and trials resulted in the second ever impeachment of the United States President. An impeachment is an active removal of the president from the office by the House of Representatives who in this case charged Clinton with perjury and obstruction of justice. He was tried by the senate who found him not guilty of the charges brought against him. Although he was never removed from office, the trial and surrounding media circus took its toll on the president and his family. He apologized to the nation for his actions and continued to have high approval ratings. On March 25th 1999, Clinton launched the biggest military operation of his presidency joining other North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in a massive bombing campaign against Yugoslavia and sending 20,000 peacekeeping troops to Bosnia. The aim was to force the Serbian government to stop their policy of ethnic cleansing and to end attacks on the people of Bosnia and Kosovo. After 10 weeks of bombing, the Yugoslavian president agreed to withdraw his forces from Kosovo without losing a single soldier in combat, Clinton had a victory. President Clinton’s partner in his political career and marriage, Hillary Rodham Clinton emerged as a key player in his administration. In 2000, she traded her White House experience for a seat in the senate. Bill Clinton: We are fortunate to be alive at this moment in history. Never before has our nation enjoyed at once so much prosperity and social progress with so little internal crises and so few external threats. Never before have we had such a blessed opportunity and therefore, such a profound obligation to build a more perfect union of our founder’s greens. We began the new century with over 20 million new jobs, the fastest economic growth in more than 30 years, the lowest unemployment rates in 30 years, the lowest poverty rates in 20 years, the lowest African-American and Hispanic unemployment rates on record, the first back-to-back surpluses in 42 years and next month America will achieve the longest period of economic growth in our entire history. Narrator: Clinton’s close relationship with the African-American community has been highlighted in his post-presidential career with the opening of his personal office in the Harlem section of New York City. He is ready to take a turns supporting his wife’s political ambitions perhaps even to the White House again some day. Bill created a foundation to promote progress and global economic and social issues and his appearances as a public speaker are in high demand. A presidential library and museum in Arkansas are also in development. Bill Clinton still has bills to pay and a book to write but he looks forward to spending the rest of his life in public service much as he has so far.