THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Jackson Hole, Wyoming)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 14, 1996
PRESS BRIEFING BY
MARY ELLEN GLYNN
Filing Center
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
1:03 P.M. MDT
MS. GLYNN: Hi, everyone. No rafting today, sorry. The weather didn't look too good so they decided not to go. I am not sure what they're doing tonight yet. We'll try and give you a lid as soon as possible. Tomorrow, though, I think there's some golf in the weather, and I think it will be in the morning. So we'll do an early pool. And that is about it. The President took a walk this morning with the First Lady and Chelsea.
Q Where did he go?
MS. GLYNN: Just around the property.
Q How big is the property, by the way? Forgive me for not knowing.
MS. GLYNN: Well, the Service tells me it's 800 acres.
Q 800?
MS. GLYNN: 800 acres.
Q It's up from 400 earlier in the week.
MS. GLYNN: I know. There was a report of 400, but --
Q Kill it quick before it multiplies.
MS. GLYNN: Yes. But you asked me the other day what he is
reading. He is reading -- now he's got on to the Stephen Ambrose book, Undaunted Courage, on Meriwether Lewis.
Q Mary Ellen, did he watch the convention last night?
MS. GLYNN: He did not watch the convention last night. He stayed home, and I think he watched a movie.
Q What movie?
MS. GLYNN: I'm sorry, I didn't get the name of the movie.
Q Do you know when the rafting would be rescheduled?
MS. GLYNN: Yes, I think we're going to reschedule the rafting. I'm not sure when, though.
Q Is he sore from all the walking?
MS. GLYNN: He might be, like a few of us. I got some blisters.
Q A few reporters are.
MS. GLYNN: Oh, really? There's color for you.
Q -- played 24 holes yesterday.
MS. GLYNN: I know. I gave him your golf scorecard from last year.
Q Didn't believe it, right?
MS. GLYNN: No, he did.
Q Do you know anything about next week and bill signings, for
planning purposes?
MS. GLYNN: I don't know anything about bill signings yet. We did just put a sign-up sheet up, though, for Sunday, Monday. It is going to be an overnight in New York. And then will go on to Tennessee where he will spend his birthday and Mrs. Gore's birthday doing some work rebuilding a church that was burned.
Q Do you know what time we'll be back in Washington Monday?
MS. GLYNN: No, I don't know what time. I don't know yet. We'll make those details available when they are.
Q That is on the 19th?
MS. GLYNN: Yes, the 19th.
Q So he goes to New York for a party?
MS. GLYNN: Right, right. There's the birthday party on the evening of the 18th. He'll leave sometime midday on Sunday.
Q Where is that?
MS. GLYNN: It's at the Radio City Music Hall.
Q Is that a DNC event? It's not a White House event, right?
MS. GLYNN: It is a fundraising event. I'll try and find out whether it's DNC or Clinton-Gore. I don't know.
Q The Washington Post had the bill of entertainment fare a few days ago. Any changes that you know about? Like is Tony Bennett still the big star?
MS. GLYNN: No changes that I know about. I'll try and get a full list for you Hollywood types.
Q Will we be able to get into the event Sunday night?
MS. GLYNN: I believe it's open press, yes.
Q Mary Ellen, we're back on Monday from Tennessee -- back to Washington?
MS. GLYNN: Come back on Monday.
Q He watched a movie last night. He's watching the television set and they're bashing him every two minutes at this convention. He wasn't curious enough to switch it over and look?
Q Has he looked at any of the convention?
MS. GLYNN: Not to my knowledge. It doesn't look like they're doing a lot of TV watching. They're really trying to relax out there. He is going to have a lot to do in the next couple weeks and he has had quite a bit to do this summer.
Q Does he hope that Americans will watch the Democratic convention?
MS. GLYNN: Absolutely. Every second of it. As I'm sure they will and I am sure the networks will take it blow by blow.
Q Mary Ellen, would you like to tell us about the President's stealth campaign book?
MS. GLYNN: Yes. As some of you may know, there is some news coming out of New York this morning. There is a -- Random House is going to do the publicity on this. But the President has written a book. He has found time --
Q Has written?
MS. GLYNN: He has written a book. He has found time in his down time over the last nine months or so to work on a book. It's called Between Hope and History: Meeting America's Challenges for the 21st Century. And it is basically the President's expression of principles and values that have guided his administration.
Q Could you give us the subtitle again?
MS. GLYNN: It's called Between Hope --
Q The other part.
MS. GLYNN: Meeting America's Challenges for the 21st Century.
Q One more time.
MS. GLYNN: Between Hope and History: Meeting America's Challenges for the 21st Century.
Q How long is this tome?
MS. GLYNN: It is about 178 pages long.
Q It's like Putting People First, where it's kind of works in his speeches and campaign positions?
MS. GLYNN: It is different from that because Putting People First was exclusively a campaign document. This is basically one place where the President could talk about his vision for the future and lay out his fundamental values of opportunity, responsibility, and community.
Q How much does it cost? How much is it selling for and who gets -- where do the profits go?
MS. GLYNN: Those are actually better questions for Random House. I'm precluded from answering some of those.
Q Who at Random House is the contact?
MS. GLYNN: There's a contact named Mary Beth Roche. And her phone number is 212-572-2244.
Q Did the President physically write this book?
MS. GLYNN: The President did physically write it. He did have a person named William Nothdurft, N-o-t-h-d-u-r-f-t. This Mr. Nothdurft apparently assisted the Vice President --
Q Nothdurft?
MS. GLYNN: Nothdurft. N-o-t-h-d-u-r-f-t.
Q That's his name.
Q He can't help it.
Q Your name is Knudson. (Laughter.)
MS. GLYNN: Anyway, Mr. Nothdurft, whose name we are butchering, actually assisted the Vice President in the writing of Common Sense Government. So he is known to the administration. And White House Communications Director Don Baer and Domestic Policy Advisor Bruce Reed also spent volunteer time reviewing the book and helping with their comments to the President.
As he said this morning to me -- I said, how long have you been working on it. And he said, oh, I've been working on it for months and months.
Q And did he write this on a computer, did he dictate this, did he write it longhand? How did he do it?
MS. GLYNN: When he works on the book it's much like he works on a speech. People give him a draft and he marks it up and works it and reworks it and reworks it.
Q So Nothdurft gave him a draft and he reworked it?
MS. GLYNN: Again and again and again.
Q In longhand or --
MS. GLYNN: Yes, he always works longhand. They triple-space all his drafts and things.
Q So he didn't actually write the original version then? He was just editing it?
MS. GLYNN: He obviously, like all these books, he sat down and had a conversation with him, I think along about November or so, to start talking about this. And somehow he found time in his down time, which is less than mine, to write a book.
Q Will the President profit from this book?
MS. GLYNN: He will not. He has waived all his royalties and advance fees on it.
Q And they go where?
MS. GLYNN: They're not going anywhere. He has just waived them. For a variety of legal reasons it was easier to do that.
Q So Random House gets all the money?
MS. GLYNN: Yes, for the book.
Q If he's waived the royalties for the book --
MS. GLYNN: These are good questions for -- you can actually read the contract. It was negotiated on behalf of the President by Bruce Sandford, who is a partner at the firm of Baker and Hostetler in Washington, D.C. My understanding is he'll make the contract available if you would like to see it.
Q What was the name of the firm?
MS. GLYNN: Baker and Hostetler.
Q When will the book be available?
MS. GLYNN: It will be available August 21st.
Q When did he finish writing it?
MS. GLYNN: Very, very recently.
Q Did he work on it on the vacation?
MS. GLYNN: Like perhaps within the last couple days, yes.
Q Is it going to be hardback or paperback?
MS. GLYNN: Hardback.
Q Why did he write it? What did he --
MS. GLYNN: He's been talking about writing a book for a long time. The book will look, I think, for those of you who have been listening to his speeches over the last year, it will look very much like some of his stump speeches. He wanted to put in one place, as I say, his vision for America, the role of government and citizens and community.
Q Is it sort of a campaign launch?
MS. GLYNN: Well, there are -- yes, I mean, that's a good question. Basically, his view is that after Labor Day there is going to be a pretty intense focus on the future of the country. And there will be discussions about where the country is going and where it's going to be in the 21st century. And certainly this campaign is about his vision for the future.
Q Does the book include any specific proposals for a second term, if reelected?
MS. GLYNN: To my understanding, it does not. It does not. And it is not -- when I talked to the President this morning about what was in it, he did say, it's not a laundry list of policies and programs, but it is much more thematic than that.
Q Does it address the problems he has had -- Whitewater, the scandals?
MS. GLYNN: No.
Q Has this been out in the news already?
MS. GLYNN: Within the last hour it has. As I say, Random House did put out a press release about this.
Q It wasn't in the papers this morning?
MS. GLYNN: No. They just announced it today, as they would normally do when they announce the publication of a book.
Q Is the President going to do a Colin Powell style book tour?
MS. GLYNN: No. He's got other things to do.
Q If I get a copy of it, will he sign it?
MS. GLYNN: Absolutely.
Q Is Mr. Nothdurft going to get credit in the book for having participated in the writing of the book?
MS. GLYNN: I would imagine so.
Q On the cover?
MS. GLYNN: I have no idea. That's a question for --
Q Will it be "By President Clinton with Mr. Nothdurft" on the
cover?
MS. GLYNN: I have no knowledge of what the cover will look like. That's a question for Mary Beth Roche.
Q Where did the President and Nothdurft work on this book together, if they did? Did they work in the famous White House book room upstairs?
MS. GLYNN: My understanding is that Mr. Nothdurft is actually from Seattle, so I think they have had some conversations about it in person, but obviously the President works on his drafts by himself.
Q Do you know if Nothdurft is doing any book tour?
MS. GLYNN: No, I doubt it.
Q Did he submit drafts from Seattle? And do you know what he does for a living?
MS. GLYNN: He is an independent policy consultant.
Q Did Random House approach the President about publishing this, or did the attorney, Mr. Sandford, approach Random House? How did that work?
MS. GLYNN: The President has wanted to write a book for quite a long time and he did discuss this project with the Vice President who, as I said, was assisted by Mr. Nothdurft on his book, and he recommended Mr. Nothdurft to the President. Separately, Times Books, which is the division of Random House which is publishing the book, approached the President with a proposal on the President's philosophy and the President accepted.
Q Isn't it usual for a President to wait until after he is out of office to write a book of this kind?
MS. GLYNN: No, in fact, it's so unusual that the FEC even has some very strict rules about presidents writing books and what they can do, how they can profit from it, things like that.
Q And is that why the royalties and fees have been waived rather than --
MS. GLYNN: That's a better question for the lawyers, I'll be honest with you. But I'm told that this was the easiest way to do. And basically, the President didn't think he should be making any profit off of this book.
Q Did you read the Random House press release? Have you read it?
MS. GLYNN: I have read the Random House press release, and in fact, as soon as I have a final, I'm hoping I will -- if you guys request it I will make a copy for you.
Q Yes, consider it requested.
Q Does it address any highlights from the book? Or do you know --
MS. GLYNN: No, we do not have any highlights of the book. My understanding is it's not bound. There are no galleys yet. But these are questions for Random House.
Q So it has to go to press in the next week if it's going to make a 21st publishing date, if he only just really finished writing it, as you say?
MS. GLYNN: Yes.
Q The idea is for it to appear at the Democratic Convention?
MS. GLYNN: I believe it will be at the Democratic Convention.
Q Is the first installment of his memoirs?
MS. GLYNN: I don't know. I haven't heard it talked about in those terms.
Q Mary Ellen, why was the project kept a secret until now?
MS. GLYNN: I think that the President wanted to work on it without getting lots of questions about what it's going to be like. It's not a secret. As I said to you before, I don't think that most of you who have been following him and have heard every word he has said in the last year will find anything shocking in it. So it's really -- it's one more -- it's a different medium. It's a different way for the President to talk about his vision for the future.
Q Not much of a quote for an ad: "Will find nothing shocking in it -- Mary Ellen Glynn." (Laughter.)
MS. GLYNN: All right. So maybe I do not have a future at a book reviewer, is that what you're saying to me?
Q Just say "shocking." (Laughter.)
Q Gore's book, Common Sense Government, you mentioned, that's a sequel to the environmental book he wrote. When did that book -- this government book come out? It's sort of slipped below the surface of the great marketing.
MS. GLYNN: Commonsense Government? I think that came out earlier this year, didn't it? I'm not entirely certain.
Q Are you trying to say nicely that this is a collection of speeches?
MS. GLYNN: No, not at all, not at all.
Q And if it is, if there are a lot of speeches in there, do any of the speechwriters --
MS. GLYNN: No, no, no. I think you're missing my point. My point is that this is the President's vision for the future. In many of his speeches that you have heard every single day, he lays out his vision for the future. This is it distilled and refined and in the form of 178 pages.
Q Mary Ellen, just on another topic, is the President still getting his national security briefing every day?
MS. GLYNN: Yes.
Q And can you tell us if there's anything at all on the alleged arrests in Dharan or anything on that?
MS. GLYNN: No, I can neither confirm nor deny the reports of the arrests there. I would just caution you that there are lots of rumors flying about right now. The investigation is ongoing and the FBI is working very closely with the Saudis on this right now.
Q Movie rights? (Laughter.)
MS. GLYNN: Movie rights? I'll check into that.
Q Do you know anything about travel next week?
MS. GLYNN: I don't know any other travel next week for you right now, but we'll try and do it as soon as possible. I'm going to try and have a week ahead for you tomorrow or the next day.
Q How about signings of the big three bills?
MS. GLYNN: I'll try and have a week ahead for you. There's not a schedule yet.
All right. Anything else? That's a semi-lid. We have got a few pieces of paper to put out.
Q The media party is what day?
MS. GLYNN: Oh, excuse me. Yes, sorry -- the most important thing. We have got two media parties going on. Thursday night we have got a media party at Fred McCabe's place. We will put up an address for that. Friday night there will be another media party at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club.
Q Say that again. This is Friday night.
MS. GLYNN: Yes, Friday night.
Q What time will these be?
Q Any talk about Saturday's travel plans?
MS. GLYNN: No. I think midday we're going to depart.
Q What time are the two events, Thursday and Friday?
MS. GLYNN: I'll put up a sign for you to tell you.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END 1:20 P.M. MDT