President Clinton Has Answers

In A Special Edition of The Smoke-Filled Room

(CBS)  President Bill Clinton took time out from his hectic and historic last days in the White House to answer some of the questions you sent in to CBS News.com's Smoke-Filled Room, hosted by White House Correspondent Bill Plante.

Over 3,000 people sent in questions (and more than a few comments). The president was given a selection of them on Air Force One on Wednesday night, as he returned from his last official trip as president of the United States - a visit back home to Arkansas. He answered them back at the White House, as he prepared to give his farewell address to the nation Thursday night.

As President Clinton answered your questions, White House computers were being reformatted and staffers email accounts were being shut down. But appropriately for the man sometimes called "the greatest natural politician of his generation," Mr. Clinton uses his answers to let you know how to stay in touch with him after he leaves the White House.

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Plante: "Looking back on your 2,922 days in office, which one will you remember the most, and why?" Russell Fries of Kingwood, Texas is curious.

President Clinton: "I've fielded a lot of tough questions over the years, but this is one of the toughest. It has been a profound honor to serve the American people as president and I have cherished each and every day. Some I will always remember because they were so tragic - the day 18 of our young soldiers were killed in Somalia, and the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Others will stay with me forever because they represented moments of historic progress - for instance, the day in 1993 I signed the deficit reduction act that put us on a course of fiscal discipline that has been so critical to our unprecedented economic expansion. But most of all, I will relish the opportunity I have had every day to make a difference in people's lives and to help build a stronger nation, and a peaceful, more prosperous world."

Plante: Emma Col, like so many of our visitors, says, "I would like to know what Chelsea's plans are."

President Clinton: "After taking the fall off to spend time with her mother and me, Chelsea plans to return to Stanford this winter and will graduate on time in the spring."

Plante: Speaking for the world, Mindy Cassell of Phoenix, Arizona asks, "Will you have an official e-mail address after you leave office? What about a Web site?"

President Clinton: "Mindy, I'm glad you asked this question as the Internet provides a powerful tool for the public to engage directly with their elected officials in ways that were unimaginable when I took office. I plan to have two official Web sites. The first, which will be run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will soon be available at the following URL: www.clinton.nara.gov.

The second, which will be part of my library, will soon be avilable at the following URL: www.clintonpresidentialcenter.com.

I also plan to set up an official e-mail address, much like the one I have now at whitehouse.gov. As you may remember, during last year's State of the Union Address, I set up a special Web site to receive e-mails about the policies and issues I discussed during my speech. I thoroughly enjoyed the e-mails I received from citizens across the country and was deeply touched by many of the stories that were shared with me.

I hope people across the country will stay engaged with me through the Internet and continue to share their many stories with me after I leave office."

Plante: Ramon Baez and Marcia Lachman are among the hundreds who wrote in to ask, "If you could have run for another term, would you have?"

President Clinton: "Thanks to the Constitution, I didn't have to face that choice. I have loved each and every day and it's been a profound honor to serve as this nation's 42nd president. I don't know if there's ever been a better president, but I'm pretty sure no president has ever worked harder, or enjoyed the job more."

Plante: Tom Faulk wants to know, "Will you personally continue to involve yourself in the peace process in the Middle East after you leave office?"

President Clinton: "The Israelis and Palestinians are close to an agreement, but the issues they face - borders, security, refugees and Jerusalem - are the most complex and emotional issues in the peace process. I have worked hard on this and am very proud of the progress we've made to help Israelis and Palestinians contemplate a future much different than the difficult history they've shared over the past 50 years. I will obviously continue to support the peace process in any way I can as a private citizen, but the next administration will make its own judgment how to help these parties reach an agreement."

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About Bill Plante
Bill Plante is a three-time Emmy Award winner who joined the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1976. He has been covering national elections since 1968. In 1984, he was part of a CBS News teamthat captured an Emmy for coverage of Ronald Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign. Plante is one of the most knowledgeable and respected political correspondents in Washington. (He'll do just about anything, including bungee jumping, o get a good story.)