Bill Clinton Essay, Research Paper

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton was born as William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope, Arkansas on August 19, 1946. He is still alive and currently serves as the president of the United States. Clinton s father was killed in a car accident three months before he was born. His mother, Virginia, was forced to leave young William to be brought up by his grandparents while she pursued a career in nursing. In 1950 Clinton s mother got married to a car salesman named Roger Clinton. Bill was so influenced by his step father that he changed his name to Clinton. As a kid Bill Clinton was determined to be successful. He maintained good grades in school and played a prominent role in the school band. He won first chair in the state band saxophone section, and was selected to be a delegate in the American Legion Boy s Nation program in Washington DC. While in the nation s capital at the age of sixteen, he went to the White House and was able to shake the president s hand. This encounter with President Kennedy inspired Clinton to enter a life of Politics. As a boy William memorized Dr. King s “I have a dream speech under his own accord because he found the moving speech to symbolize one of the nation s strongest goals; equality. Clinton then graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in international affairs. He became a Rhodes scholar and studied at Yale and Oxford. He graduated law school in 1972 and went to teach law at the University of Arkansas. William married Hilary Rodham Clinton on October 11, 1975, and in 1976 he was elected attorney general of Arkansas. Two years later William became the youngest U.S. governor at age 32. On February 27, 1980 Clinton s daughter, Chelsea Victoria, was born. William was elected the forty second president of the United states on November 3, 1992. Clinton was the youngest president since Kennedy and was also the first president born after World War II. In his campaign, he promised tax cuts for the middle class, tax increases for the wealthy, health care reforms, and reductions in defense spending. His campaign also offered beneficial change in America and focused on the economy and unemployment as well. During his inaugural speech, Clinton spoke of the ideals of America; “Each generation of Americans must define what it means to be an American.” After becoming the first Democratic president in thirteen years, Clinton failed to enact the health-care reforms promised, which caused him to lose many supporters. His involvement in the Whitewater affair didn t help his status either. However in 1996, Clinton proposed a number of favorable plans that helped the American people. Among these were his deficit reduction plan which reduced the national debt by half, but at the same time significantly reduced the number of government employees. Other beneficial plans proposed by Clinton that aided him in becoming reelected include the college loan payback plan, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. While speaking on July 4 Clinton reveals that “America is a work in process.” Although Clinton majored in foreign affairs, he had many difficulties with other countries during his presidency, however; he did prove to be contributive in several foreign incidents. He aided in the persuasion of Haiti s military junta to relinquish power to the elected president. He granted loans to Mexico, north Korea, and many other countries in need of assistance. Clinton also deployed troops in Kuwait in response to Iraq s threats to invasion. They were to keep the peace and enforce the no-fly zone. Later, in combined efforts with other countries affiliated with the United Nations, Clinton ordered an air-strike against Iraq due to Heussien s refusal to admit UN inspections teams into his nuclear facilities. After being reelected to a second term in the oval office, Clinton still made valuable contributions. With congress, he passed a major tax cut and won an increase in minimum wage. Clinton also sponsored a welfare reform bill, and helped produce a thirty percent reduction in unemployment. Throughout his presidency, Clinton promoted European unity, and acted as a peace mediator between many countries, especially Palestine and Israel. Due to suspected sexual involvement with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, Clinton was forced to testify; he firmly stated “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” After supportive evidence was produced, Clinton did admit to having an “inappropriate relationship” with Lewinsky. Four charges including; perjury, abuse of power, and obstruction of justice were brought to the House of Representatives against Clinton. The charges of perjury and obstruction of justice were approved, which led Clinton to be the only president besides Andrew Jackson to become impeached, however he was not removed from office or censured. Throughout the trial, public approval of Clinton remained high. Clinton continues to be successful as the president and plans to retire with his family to upstate New York so his wife Hilary can run for governor.