Following from today's front page Wall Street Journal.

The Clinton Agenda: For Y2K, the Mall Is Where Its At

The First Family is Planning A $10 Million Celebration In Their Own Backyard

By Glenn R. Simpson Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Washington- Hillary Clinton may hope to make New York her adoptive home state, but dont expect to see her and the president in Times Square at the stroke of midnight this New Years Eve.

The Clintons, it turns out, have for months been quietly plotting a $10 million plus New Years celebration in their own backyard to rival the traditional Big Apple bash.

The National Park Service confirms that a group formed by the White House has requested a permit on New Years Eve to reserve the Mall, the expanse of green that stretches from the Capitol past the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. The White House had planned to announce the affair during the annual July 4 celebration in the capital, but officials there confirmed the plans in response to inquiries.

The event remains shrouded in secrecy, but there are indications it will have many of the features people have come to expect from the Clintons. First friend and pop star Quincy Jones, along with George Stevens Jr. of the Kennedy Center, will help with the live musical entertainment. Director Steven Spielberg is shooting a 17-minute film that will be screened for the masses in the final moments before the turn of the century; Bill Clinton will narrate. Terence McAuliffe, best known for his prodigious efforts to raise money for the presidents 19996 re-election, is handling the fund raising.

Ann Lewis, a White House spokeswoman, says the evening and three days of proceeding festivities will make Washington, D.C., the place to be on New Years Eve. "Where would you want to be as we change millenniums?" she asks.

But for Mrs. Clinton, who is expected to be in the thick of a campaign for Senate in New York by then, the answer isnt so easy. "I anticipate that she will be on the Mall," Ms. Lewis says of the first lady. Traditionally, the Clintons have been in Hilton Head, S.C., on New Years Eve for Renaissance Weekend, a gathering of big-thinking wonks.

New York officials arent likely to appreciate the unexpected emergence of a major rival to their own New Years extravaganza. Aside from stealing some thunder from the Times Square globe-dropping, the Washington fete could swipe viewers who will watch the event on television. People familiar with the matter say the Washington organizers are in negotiations for coverage by one of the major networks, which would compete with ABCs annual broadcast from Times Square.

The Washington party is being organized by something called the White House Millennium Council, which is overseen by Mrs. Clinton and was created last year by the president to organize events in the year leading up to the big day. The council even has a vanity phone number at its White House office:456-2000.

In Executive Order 13072, which created the council, Mr. Clinton explained that the governments millennial role goes beyond worrying about the Y2K computer bug. "By leading this country in a grand educational celebration of the past and future," Mr. Clinton declared, "the Federal Government has an unprecedented opportunity to energize and unite the Nation with a renewed sense of optimism in the accomplishments and promise of America."

The Spielberg contributions will be "a 17-minute motion picture expressing the emotional highlights of the 20th century," says Speilberg spokesman Andy Spahn. An original score will be composed by John Williams, who also did the music for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindlers List." Mr. Spahn says the format will be inspired by Aaron Copelands "Lincoln Portrait," a 1942 orchestral work that used quotes from Abraham Lincoln and featured Henry Fonda as the narrator.

Ms. Lewis says the fireworks-laden party will cap "three days of family-centered events on the Mall," organized ub conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution and the city of Washington.

The funds are being raised by an outfit called Americas Millennium Leadership Committee, chaired by Mr. McAuliffe. The total price tag is expected to be in the range of $10 million to $15 million, and sponsors of the event can look forward to being recognized. Mr. McAuliffe says he expects the money to come from major corporate donors. "The goal is not to go after the people that are traditionally involved in politics," he says.

Mr. Clinton isnt expected to have to be directly involved. Potential donors will know the project is important to the president and first lady, Mr. McAuliffe says. "I dont have to say so," he says.

Still, as word of the latest expensive project has begun to filter through the halls on Capitol Hill, some Democtrats wonder whether Mr. Clintons well oiled fund-raising machine may be overextended. The president is already committed to raising money for his wired, his would-be successor Al Gore, his presidential library, his bithplace, his legal-defense fund, his party, and of course, his Democratic friends in the house and Senate.

"I dont see this thing competing at all with other Democratic causes," says Mr. McAuliffe, who is also a top

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), June 10, 1999

Answers

...who is a top fund-raiser for Mr. Gore. "Clearly this is not about politics.

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), June 10, 1999.

Sound like the Nazis' Nuremburg rallies or Triumph of the Will or something.

-- Ct Vronsky (vronsky@anna.com), June 10, 1999.

Guess they'll have porta potties then. I wonder about generators. . .

ROTFL!

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), June 10, 1999.

"Ann Lewis, a White House spokeswoman, says the evening and three days of proceeding festivities will make Washington, D.C., the place to be on New Years Eve. "Where would you want to be as we change millenniums?" she asks. "

(forehead slap) OF COURSE! Smack in the middle of the poster child for municipal ineptitude!

Well, glad that's settled.

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), June 10, 1999.

I wonder how many people in Washington, celebrating the New Millenium will realize that they are a year early. I know, boo! hiss!, how dare I bring up such a filthy thing as the truth at a momentous occasion as this.

-- (0-2000 does not @ 2 millenium . make), June 10, 1999.

People are stupid.

-- nothere nothere (nothere@nothere.com), June 10, 1999.

Oh yeah! After watching "60 Minutes," where Mary Ellen Hanley talked about what a mess the nation's capital is, and Sen. Bennett discussed civil unrest if welfare payments are late, the only place I'd want to be at midnight on 12-31-99 is smack dab in the middle of Dee Cee ... but only if I was surrounded by the entire 101st Airborn.

I wonder if Spielberg will get some interesting shots of the Clintons and their fellow "big-thinking wonks" dancing the night away in splendor while the tenaments burn in the distance.

It will be the ultimate "Let them eat cake." Ultra surreal.

-- rick blaine (y2kazoo@hotmail.com), June 10, 1999.

This merely demonstrates the tremendous disconnect and arrogance of the Clinton Admin. No wonder Koskinen has become so adept at doing the teaburry shuffle. How obvious could it be that your boss doesn't get it while you're trying to put out fires and he's planning the party of the century. This nails it folks. Katy bar the d

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), June 10, 1999.

I'm still willing to bet that the Clintons suddenly discover that being at Camp David with Chelsea is a better idea.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), June 10, 1999.

Aim your missles at DeeCee, New years eve. Take 'em all out with one shot.

-- duke (Isaynuke'em@whitehouse.shit), June 10, 1999.

Talk about clueless. The electricity will probably go off at 7 PM EST (midnight Greenwich Meridian Time) which is what the clocks running the power grid are set at. This will be hilarious and appropriate. Perhaps our leader really does not understand the problem. Will Hillary stay away from New York City in the midst of her Senate Campaign? Maybe people will finally understand her positions on various issues and she will be out of the race by then. This is getting funny. The clueless in the administration believe the propaganda and spin. We live in interesting times.

General Shelton was on TV today. Even the military is learning how to spin. About every sentence had a superlative to describe the accomplishment, the difficulty of the objective, or the incredibile capability of the military to defeat this huge military force in Belgrade. Duh.

-- Moe (Moe@dumb.gom), June 10, 1999.

I see nothinggggggggggggggggggggggggg

-- SgtSchultz (SgtHansSchultz@Stalag13.com), June 10, 1999.

0-2000 does not @ 2 millenium . make,

Perhaps they are celebrating the new millenium a year early in order not to have the festivities interrupted by the Millenium Bug when it hits at the beginning of the millenium. :-)

-- No Spam Please (nos_pam_please@hotmail.com), June 10, 1999.

I'll be there.

Got tickets?

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), June 10, 1999.

By the way, it's 202-456-2000.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), June 10, 1999.

What a surprise. I really thought they'd be at the satanic mass in the great pyramid in Egypt.....oh well.

-- ben (benalurker@usa.net), June 10, 1999.

Oh, it's Executive Order 13072. That means you have to obey.

LOL!

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), June 10, 1999.

If they were spending the night in their hardened bomb shelter with armed guards, you guys would be screaming that the world is ending, there is a governmental coverup, and that the people are being mislead.

Throw a party and they are ignoring the problem.

So what do you GI's want them to do?

How revolting.

-- JAW (clueless@pollyanna.com), June 10, 1999.

That "revolting" bit was left over from something else. Wasn't supposed to be there.

-- JAW (clueless@pollyanna.com), June 10, 1999.

At least if they are at "ground zero" for the Y2K breakdowns, they will be closer to the underground bunkers.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), June 10, 1999.

A party why not. that will not be a bad idea. Only my family and I will party someplace a little safer like home. Not a night you want to be out folks.I think the president is stupid,stupid,stupid, for thinking that we will buy that load of crap. They wont be there anyway. that is just a propoganda piece for the masses. If military remediation has failed, martial law will occur the day after the christmas holiday is over and you can take that to the bank. I would expect that all leave will be denied after dec 1 that will be your a big clue, another big clue will be a gradule call up of all the reserves before the end of july for training. But this is my best scientific guess based on a year and ahalf of hard work researching the facts.

-- y2k aware mike (y2k aware mike @ conservation .com), June 10, 1999.

Your tax dollars at work, wonder which part of the Y2K budget this comes out of?

-- Mother Hen (gathering@herchicks.com), June 10, 1999.

I can only imagine this is when the countries who clinton has pissed off will loft some "swell ones" over the crowd, drawing a lovely conclusion to this country's history. He's an arrogant twit. I voted for an arrogant twit and I'm regretting it every day that goes by.

-- Feller (feller@wanna.help), June 10, 1999.

ben:

Don't you have any confidence in Klinton's abilities? Sure, he and Hitlary will do the black mass in the pyramid bit. Remember, Egypt's time zone is ahead of ours. Then the Klintons will hop on Air Force One to chant at Stonehenge, then hop on again to do an airborne ritual over the Bermuda Triangle.

They should arrive in D.C. with plenty of time to get freshened up for the big Millennium Mall party. Remember, he's slick.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), June 11, 1999.

"Only my family and I will party someplace a little safer like home."

For years before Y2K was even a glimmer in my eye, I had already decided to stay home that night. Y2K or not it is going to be an insane asylum out there.

-- b (b@b.b), June 11, 1999.

I have been contributing this astounding fact, revealed by Tom Brokaw on the very evening news when Clinton announced we had "won" in Kosovo, to several forums. As a US Citizen I am angered at his actions in many areas, but this one is the coup de grace...the straw that broke the camel's back. First, hasn't anyone TOLD this man the implications of 12/31/99-1/1/2000? Doesn't he realize the seriousness of the timing? And why not devote his time and energies and all that money to helping to prepare the citizens for Y2K problems?! Also, as a resident of No. VA, just outside DC, I am horrified to think what a huge gathering in DC would do to the surrounding counties in VA and MD if the party breaks up in pandemonium!!! Enough that the head of the DC Y2K remediation and the head of Montgomery County, MD, and a senator said, when interviewed on "60 Minutes" that DC could be without power for up to two weeks, and out of water, and that welfare checks for (I think the number is correct) 80,000 welfare recipients could have to be hand-written in the contingency planning she is doing, so that we have to worry (they said on TV!) about "possible" civil unrest in this area....but now the gruesome twosome have made their big ego bash for that very time frame!!!

I didn't think they would be either in DC or in Hilton Head this year, nor she in NY. I figured they'd be nicely protected at Camp David by squads of men with guns, while trying to take these from decent citizens who need them for protection. And enjoying the dehydrated and freeze-dried foods I heard from a friend in Utah the White House spent 2 hours on the phone with a firm there ordering recently...while not alerting the American people to prepare themselves. When Ed Yourdon last addressed the Senate Y2K Committee in May, he said that he'd been telling the government for two years to alert the people to prepare. Guess the Clintons take care of themselves better than they do the nation! Won't you all write, call, fax or e-mail your protests to this planned celebration? We just might get it off the track if enough legislators and White House staffers "get through" to Bill and Hill. Boy, I am really distressed by this!

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), June 25, 1999.