The 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton served two consecutive terms (1993-2000) during which American economic might reached its apotheosis. He was impeached by Congress in his second term, mainly for contortions he performed upon the truth concerning what may or may not have been sexual relations with the most famous intern in history. Despite impeachment, he was acquitted by the Senate and left office at the appointed time, the national debt eliminated and his most vociferous critics momentarily vanquished. He was unable, however, to blaze a path his acolytes could follow: Clinton’s Vice-President Albert Gore lost his bid for the presidency in 2000 and the Clinton legacy, such as it was, lost luster.
Clinton was born poor in Arkansas and later served a dozen years as governor there. He is lionized by his admirers as a virtuoso political manipulator. His detractors say the same.