Barry Goldwater to President Clinton re: Bipartisanship

1601 Barry Goldwater P.O. BOX 1601 SCOTTSDALE. ARIZONA 85252 85252 November 11, 1996 The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500-2000 Via Fax: (202) 456-1121 Dear Mr. President: I would like to thank you again for your visit and that of your lovely wife last month during my recovery. You know that I have been a lifelong conservative and Republican who has advanced the belief in smaller government and greater personal freedom. I am as committed to those ideals as ever. What I am not committed to is the constant, unrelenting attacks on the presidency at the expense of the difficult work that must be done. I believe it is imperative that my fellow Republicans put their tactics of personal attacks against you and the first lady aside so that they can concentrate on finding solutions to the significant challenges of our time like Medicare reform and balancing the budget. Cooperating with the White House not sniping at it is the only way to produce results for the American people as we approach the beginning of a new century. I would expect that you could persuade the Democrats to be equally cooperative in seeking bi-partisan solutions. Our country needs our leaders' best thinking not their worst thoughts. To achieve progress toward a better America, we must remove the pettiness from our political rhetoric. In the end, if our leaders do their jobs right, the voters will reward them at the next election. That's the American way. That's the right way. That's the only way we can secure the blessings of this wonderful country for our children. I know you share my concerns. If you think my thoughts can help advance the cause of cooperation and civility in this country, please feel free to use them as you see fit. Respectfully, Barry Barry Goldwater Galdwater OFFICE PHONE 602 998-1754 FAX 602 483-8355