President Clinton keeps to regular schedule as election imbroglio continues
Conversation with Mexico's outgoing president, upcoming trip to
Nebraska all in a day's work
From CNN White House Correspondents Kelly Wallace and Major Garrett
WASHINGTON (CNN) --While the legal wrangling continues over the
unresolved presidential election, it is business as usual for the current
occupant of the White House.
President Clinton received a call from Mexico's outgoing President
Ernesto Zedillo on Wednesday morning, posed with about 700 U.S. Olympians and
Paralympians and planned a trip to Nebraska, the only state he has not
yet visited as president.
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President Clinton is helped with a jacket after he paid honor to U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the White House, Wednesday
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Clinton thanked President Zedillo for his "leadership and support," and
"saluted" his work as Mexico's president, a White House spokesman said.
"He (Zedillo) leaves office with the admiration of the people of Mexico,"
said Jake Siewert, White House press secretary. "The president told him that
he should be proud of what he has accomplished there."
A U.S. delegation -- led by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and
including National Drug Policy Control Director Barry McCaffrey and White House
Deputy Chief of Staff Maria Echaveste -- will travel to Mexico City to attend
Friday's inauguration of President-elect Vicente Fox.
The White House also announced that Clinton would travel to Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 8 to deliver a speech on the campus of the University of
Nebraska.
To mark what will be the 50th state visited by the president during his
two terms, the White House put together a few facts about Nebraska.
Nebraskans, said Siewert, boast that the following items were developed
in the state -- the TV dinner, KoolAid, the Reuben sandwich, Cliff Notes, the
ATM machine and 911.
Finally, in keeping with his ceremonial duties, Clinton, along with the
first lady and daughter Chelsea, congratulated the hundreds of athletes who
participated in this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Olympic gold medal swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg and gold medalist Stacy
Dragila in the pole vault presented the first couple with an official 2000
Olympic team jacket.
Then, Clinton was presented with an official 2000 Paralympic Team jacket
by two paralympian gold medalists in track and field and cycling.
During brief remarks, the president announced the release of a new report
by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services to encourage
young people to get involved in physical activity.
"More and more young people doing less and less exercise mean more and
more overweight," he said. "It's going to take a team effort for us to turn
this around."
The percentage of younger people who are overweight has doubled since
1980, the White House said, and the percentage of high school students enrolled
in daily physical education classes has dropped 30 percent between 1991 and
1999.
"Not every young person can win an Olympic medal or even make the
Olympics teams, but every young person has a body that is a gift from God that
ought to be maximized in terms of health and capacity. So I ask for your help
in that," Clinton said.
The White House billed the report as the first "comprehensive agenda" to
promote physical activity and sports among young people, by strengthening
school programs, and beefing up community and recreational programs. Clinton
called for the report during a visit in June to the U.S. Olympic Training
Center in Chula Vista, California.
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