Boris Yeltsin was about to be elected president of the Russian Republic with an even more explicit repudiation of Soviet economics and politics than Gorbachev had espousedIt was a brief but interesting trip When I got back to Arkansas, I was convinced that a lot of Americas challenges in foreign relations would involve economic and political issues that I understood and could handle if I were to run and actually become the PresidentStill, as July dawned, I was genuinely torn about what to doI had told Arkansans in the 1990 election that I would finish my termThe success of the 1991 legislative session had given me a new burst of enthusiasm for my jobOur family life was greatChelsea was happy in a new school, with good teachers, good friends, and her passion for balletHillary was doing well in her law practice and enjoyed great popularity and respect in her own rightAfter years of high-tension political struggles, we were settled and happyMoreover, President Bush still ladies vintage cartier watches looked unbeatableAn early June poll in Arkansas showed that only 39 percent of the people wanted me to run, and that I would lose my own state to the President 57 to 32 percent, with the rest undecidedMoreover, I wouldnt be stepping into an empty primary fieldSeveral other good Democrats seemed likely to run, so the nomination fight was sure to be hardAnd history was against meOnly one governor of a small state had ever been elected President, Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire in 1852 Beyond the political considerations, I genuinely liked President Bush and appreciated the way he and his White House had worked with me on educationThough I strongly disagreed with his economic and social policies, I thought he was a good man and nowhere near as ruthless or right-wing as most of the ReaganitesI didnt know what to doIn June, on a trip to California, I was picked up at the airport and driven to my speech by a young man named Sean LandresHe encouraged me to run for President chanel silver clutch bag and said he had found the perfect theme for the campaignHe then put on a tape of Fleetwood Macs hit Dont Stop Thinkin About TomorrowIt struck him, and me, as exactly what I was trying to say When I was in Los Angeles, I discussed the pros and cons of running with Hillarys friend Mickey Kantor, who by then had become a close friend and trusted advisor of mine as wellWhen we started, Mickey said I should hire him for a dollar, so our conversations would be privilegedA few days later, I sent him a check for a dollar, with a note that said I had always wanted a high-priced lawyer and was sending the check in firm belief that you get what you pay forI got a lot of good advice for that dollar, but I still didnt know what to doThen came the phone call that changed things One July day, Lynda Dixon told me that Roger Porter was on the phone from the White HouseAs Ive said, I had worked with Roger on the education goals project and had a high regard for his ability to be imitation gucci wallets loyal to the President and still work with the governorsRoger asked me if I was going to run for President in 1992I told him that I hadnt decided, that I was happier being governor than Id been in years, that my family life was good and I was reluctant to disrupt it, but that I thought the White House was being too passive in dealing with the countrys economic and social problemsI said I thought the President should use the enormous political capital he had as a result of the Gulf War to tackle the countrys big issuesAfter five or ten minutes of what I thought was a serious conversation, Roger cut it off and got to the pointIll never forget the first words of the message he had been designated to deliver: Cut the crap, GovernorHe said they had reviewed all the potential candidates against the PresidentGovernor Cuomo was the most powerful speaker, but they could paint him as too liberalAll the senators could be defeated by attacks on their voting recordsWith a strong record omega watches in economic development, education, and crime, and a strong DLC message, I actually had a chance to winSo if I ran, they would have to destroy me personallyHeres how Washington works, he saidThe press has to have somebody in every election, and were going to give them youHe went on to say the press were elitists who would believe any tales they were told about backwater ArkansasWell spend whatever we have to spend to get whoever we have to get to say whatever they have to say to take you out I tried to stay calm, but I was madI told Roger that what he had just said showed what was wrong with the administrationThey had been in power so long they thought they were entitled to itI said, You think those parking spaces off the West Wing are yours, but they belong to the American people, and you have to earn the right to use themI told Roger that what he had said made me more likely to runRoger said that was a nice sentiment, but he was calling as my friend to 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