Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 14, 1994 TAG: 9404140339
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
``All I can tell you, sir,'' Clinton told a questioner at a newspaper editors' conference, ``is I have done my best to answer the questions asked of me.
``Maybe you have total and complete recollection of every question that might be asked of you at any moment of things that happened to you 12, 13, 14 years ago,'' Clinton said icily. ``Maybe you could give your tax records up for 17 years and at the moment answer any question.''
He pledged anew to cooperate with a special counsel investigating the Whitewater affair and to ``do my best to give more information to the press.''
The issue came up in a question and answer session after his speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
USA Today international editor John Simpson said his daughter commented that Clinton ``sounds just like me when I'm trying to explain why I don't have my homework.''
Launching his defense, Clinton suggested that press coverage of Whitewater was confused and that the media were hostile. He quoted humorist Garrison Keillor as saying, ``All I know about Whitewater is what I read in the papers, so I don't understand it.''
More pointedly, Clinton told Simpson, ``Maybe ... you think I should have shut the whole federal government down and done nothing but study these things for the last two months.''
``Well, I'm sorry, I'm doing the best I can while I do the job I was hired by the American people to do.'' Clinton's response drew strong applause.
by CNB