Documents released by Bill Clinton's presidential library show that the former president and his staff were obsessed with crafting a long-lasting historical legacy immediately after Clinton's re-election in 1996.
The papers were among the 46,500 released Friday by the Clinton library at the request of President Barack Obama, who has nominated Elena Kagan for a position on the Supreme Court. Kagan worked as deputy director of Clinton's Domestic Policy Council from 1997 to 1999.
According to Paul Bedard of U.S. News & World Report, two series of memos highlight Clinton's determination to be remembered as a powerful force on the issues of education, welfare reform and child care.
A Jan. 7, 1997, memo regarding a Cabinet retreat from White House chief of staff John Podesta instructs administration officials to come up with post-election policy proposals for Clinton. The memo specifically says any such outline should be sure to include "key legacy objectives."
Another series of memos centers around what became known as "The Pillar Project," which names the 14 key legacy initiatives Clinton hoped would last well after his last administration ended.
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