Remarks at the American Cancer Society's cattlebarons children's party in Houston, Texas

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Feb 14, 1994

February 6, 1994

The President. Well, hello, everybody.

Audience members. Hello.

The President. Have you had a good time at the party?

Audience members. Yes.

The President. Did you play some games? Audience members. Yes.

The President. Some of you win?

Audience members. Yes.

The President. Well, that's good. I'm so glad to see all of you. I just came in from Washington on an airplane, and it was raining at the airport. And I'm glad to be here where it's dry. And I came in with your Mayor, Mayor Lanier, and Congressman Green. Who else is here? Is Congressman Washington here? Is anybody else here? Well, we're glad to see you, and I'm glad to be in Houston for a little while.

Audience members. That's all right.

The President. Yes, that's all right, isn't it?

You know, I--what's this? Is it for me? What's on that ring? What do you think? Do you all want to ask me any questions? You do? What's your question?

The Presidency

Q. What's it like being President?

The President. What's it like being President? Well, depending on what humor they're in, it can be a lot of fun. |Laughter~ Listen, you want to know what's fun about it, what's good about it? What's good about it is I get to go all over America and meet all different kinds of people and know that I have to work for all of them, people of all ages and all races.

It's good because I get to do things that help people and help solve problems. One of the things that we are doing more of this year is putting more money into medical research, something that you support, right? |Applause~ And another thing that I'm trying to do is to figure out how to put more money into medical research and, at the same time, make sure that health care is available to every child in this country, every child, including a lot of people who don't have it today.

So I get to see all different kinds of people and work on different problems and try to make life better. It's a wonderful job. Sometimes it's hard, but it's always a good job.

Q. |Inaudible~

The President. Well, you really get right to it, don't you? |Laughter~ His question was where are they? Here's the head of my detail. Do I like having Secret Service agents around me all the time? The answer to that is, the true answer is, yes and no. Yes, I like it because their job is to protect me and my family, and they do a wonderful job of it. And no I don't, sometimes I just like to be an ordinary citizen. I just wish that I could take my wife and daughter and walk down the street and go to the movie or go to a restaurant or go in a shop and go shopping and just be alone. But it's not going to happen for a few years.

Who else had their hand up over here? Yes, ma'am, what's your question? Your name is Danielle? You've got a great nose, Danielle. |Laughter~ What's your question?

Q. How does it feel to live in--

The President. In the White House?

Q. Yes.

The President. How does it feel to live in the White House? Well, it's a great honor. Do you know, every President since 1800 has lived in the White House. Every President except for George Washington has lived there. So it's wonderful to live there, because I carry all this history around. I go in rooms all the time, and I know every other President's been there.

Q. |Inaudible~

The President. How old am I? |Laughter~ I am very old. How old do you think I am?

Q. How old are you?

The President. How old do you think I am?

Q. Forty.

The President. Forty--oh, bless you. |Laughter~ Bless you. Hey, hold on. Forty-six? Close.

Q. Forty-eight.

The President. I'm 47, 47.

Q. A hundred.

The President. One hundred--no. |Laughter~ Listen, one at a time. What's your question? Stand up--what's your question? I've got you--yes, hold on. What's your question?

Q. |Inaudible~

The President. What do I do? I've been asking myself that lately. |Laughter~ Well, first of all, I try to pass laws in the Congress that take care of the needs of the American people. I speak for the United States in the rest of the world. And I command the Armed Forces of the United States. Those are some of the things I do.

What?

Q. How do you like being President?

The President. I like it a lot. You'd like it, too, I think.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

The President. You mean for your future or for mine? For my future? You mean, what am I going to do when I grow up? |Laughter~

Q. When you're older.

The President. When I'm older.

Q. Yes.

The President. I'm just going to keep--I'm going to be the very best President I can be, and I'm not going to think about the future until I'm not President anymore.

Do you want to get down? Here, hold on, I've got your hand. Do you want to get down, or do you want to stick with me? Nice boots. Hey, look at these boots. Let's give him a hand on these boots. I love them. |Applause~ Better than mine. Do you like them better than mine?

Do you want to get down? You want to go down? Okay, I've got you.

Do you want to get up? Okay, you get up. You're next.

Okay, who's got another--go ahead, in the back.

Sh-h-h, I can't hear. Please be quiet so I can hear a question. Go ahead.