11/02/2026 20:06

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While I was garnering support for rebuilding the economy and reforming health care, the Republicans were working hard to tear me down. Nunn, while opposed to my position, had agreed to the six-month delay. When we announced Freeh’s appointment in a morning ceremony in the Rose Garden, I noticed Vince Foster standing at the back, near one of the grand old magnolia trees planted by Andrew Jackson. Though a nuclear exchange seemed unthinkable with the Cold War over, assuming the control of our arsenal was a sober reminder of the responsibilities just a few hours away.

My strategy for success had now boiled down to endurance; I was determined to be the last man standing. One determined young man without a ticket had hitchhiked overnight to the White House with his sleeping bag. “Oh, it’s not close,” he said. In preparation, I had ordered a comprehensive review of our affirmative action programs, which concluded t