Clinton Defends His Hundred Days

BOSTON--Calling on journalists to measure his deeds against his words, President Bill Clinton yesterday cataloged the achievements of his young administration and issued a glowing self-appraisal of his first 96 days in office.

Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,500 members of the Newspaper Association of America on the first day of the group's four-day national convention, the President strongly defended his $12 billion economic stimulus bill, which was defeated in Congress last week after a lengthy Republican filibuster.

Clinton sought to build support among the journalists for several other domestic economic initiatives, including his upcoming health care reform package.

He also announced that he was considering the need for military intervention in the war-torn Balkans with extreme caution, calling the situation there "the most difficult foreign policy problem this country faces."

But Clinton used most of his 40-minute address to underscore the difficult reality of reforming government amidst Washington's partisan politics.

"I regret the partisan tone of the rhetoric of the last several days," Clinton said. "If every last issue that comes up, just because the President recommends it, becomes the source of a filibuster in the Senate, or, frankly, attracts only members of my own party, I don't want that."

Saying he still believed his short-term stimulus plan was "a good idea," the president chastised members of Congress who failed to pass the bill. He said many senators had repeatedly voted for similar plans during the previous two administrations.

"I don't know what happened that made that program such a bad idea all of a sudden," Clinton said. "[Its defeat] is symbolic of the idea battle that we have to fight."

The president said he had made greater accomplishments during his first three months in office than most of his predecessors.

He cited the Family Leave Act and the introduction of an unemployment benefits and job counseling package.

Clinton said he would introduce his National Service Plan on Friday, his 100th day as President. And he said his health care package would seek to reduce bureaucracy while safeguarding other aspects of the American medical system, including delivery of care.

"I am doing my best to offer ever American an opportunity to succeed and challenge every American to give something back to our country," he said. "In the first 96 days of this administration I think we have begun to fundamentally change the direction taken by the government over the past decade."

But Clinton bristled when a Northeastern University student suggested the President had "fallen out of grace with a lot of college students" by abandoning many of his campaign promises.

"You can't expect instant results. It took 12 years to get into the situation I found," Clinton said. "You need to have a realistic expectation of what can be done."

Clinton said he had only broken one campaign promise thus far, by failing to offer a middle class tax cut.

The NAA convention comes to Harvard on Tuesday

The president said he had made greater accomplishments during his first three months in office than most of his predecessors.

He cited the Family Leave Act and the introduction of an unemployment benefits and job counseling package.

Clinton said he would introduce his National Service Plan on Friday, his 100th day as President. And he said his health care package would seek to reduce bureaucracy while safeguarding other aspects of the American medical system, including delivery of care.

"I am doing my best to offer ever American an opportunity to succeed and challenge every American to give something back to our country," he said. "In the first 96 days of this administration I think we have begun to fundamentally change the direction taken by the government over the past decade."

But Clinton bristled when a Northeastern University student suggested the President had "fallen out of grace with a lot of college students" by abandoning many of his campaign promises.

"You can't expect instant results. It took 12 years to get into the situation I found," Clinton said. "You need to have a realistic expectation of what can be done."

Clinton said he had only broken one campaign promise thus far, by failing to offer a middle class tax cut.

The NAA convention comes to Harvard on Tuesday