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Gore spoke for all of us, let's put rancor behind: Clinton

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December 15, 2000 

AYLESBURY, England (UNB/AP) - President Bill Clinton urged America on Thursday to abandon the bitter divisions of the postelection fight for the White House and unify behind President-elect George W. Bush "without rancor and personal attack."

Speaking from British Prime Minister Tony Blair's country retreat, Clinton thanked the American people "for their patience, passion and patriotism" during the protracted legal battle between Bush and Vice President Al Gore. He promised to do everything he could "in the days of service left to me" to help Bush get off to a good start.

He invited Bush to the White House "and will see him some time next week," Clinton spokesman Jake Siewert said.

"I pledged to President-elect Bush my efforts and the best efforts of every member of our administration for a smooth and successful transition," Clinton told reporters.

The president's White House invitation came during a four-minute phone call to Bush after the president-elect's acceptance address. Clinton talked to Gore for six minutes after his concession speech, Siewert said.

"I think we ought to use this opportunity to let the country come together." Clinton said Thursday. "... I don't think that now is the time to do anything other than follow Vice President Gore's lead. He spoke for all of us last night, and he did it eloquently and well."

Clinton said he was pleased to see that the president-elect "responded with generosity in kind."

"The American people, however divided they were in this election, overwhelmingly want us to build on that vital center without rancor and personal attack," he added.

In his first comment since the Supreme Court ruled the Florida recount unconstitutional, Clinton made clear he differed with the justices. He said he was grateful to Gore for "putting into words last night the feelings of all of us who disagreed with the Supreme Court decision but accept it."

"And as he said, all of us have a responsibility to support President-elect Bush to unite our country in a search for common ground," Clinton said.

The president cheered the members of Congress of both parties who pledged to work on reforming the nation's elections system to ensure that all votes "can be easily cast and easily counted" in the future - an issue at the heart of the disputed election outcome in Florida.

"Two years from now, what I hope will happen is that the honest differences that remain between the two parties will be the subject of a wholesome and vigorous and constructive debate, but that we will be moving further and further away from the rancor," Clinton said.

Siewert said the president watched the two speeches in a sitting room in Blair's country home.

For Gore's speech, Hillary Rodham Clinton, their daughter, Chelsea, Blair and Blair's wife, Cherie, watched with him, Siewert said.

"By the time they got to the governor's presentation, only Chelsea stuck it out all the way through, so he and Chelsea watched it together," the spokesman said. It was 3 a.m. in England when Bush began his remarks.