Clinton honors old friend, collegue from Arkansas

By The Associated Press

Former President Bill Clinton was back in his home state Tuesday, honoring the former state treasurer who was in office during his tenure as governor, and speaking at a fundraiser.

The political elite of the Democratic Party in Arkansas gathered to honor Jimmie Lou Fisher, who served as Arkansas treasurer for 18 years and was first elected during the early years of the Clinton Governorship. Fisher was awarded the Lindy Boggs Award, which is given annually to recognize a Southern woman's dedication to public service.

Clinton entered the Great Hall in his Presidential Center to a standing ovation and opened the luncheon by recalling his time serving alongside Fisher.

"This is an award not just for longevity and being a good politician," Clinton said. "She did a really, really good job."

Due to the work of Fisher, Arkansas was one of only two states by the late 1980s that had an overfunded pension plan, Clinton said.

"We were one of a handful of states that actually gained manufacturing jobs in the late 1980s, and were, in every month of 1992, first or second in job growth, in no small measure because all of our finances were invested in a responsible way," Clinton said.

The Lindy Boggs Award - named after the former Louisiana congresswoman and ambassador to the Vatican - was established by the Stennis Center for Public Service in 1995 to commemorate the public service of Southern women.

Clinton said he was proud of Fisher's 2002 campaign to become the first woman governor of Arkansas, a race she lost to Mike Huckabee. He called her a tribute to strong women in politics.

Clinton was also scheduled to appear Tuesday night as the keynote speaker at an annual banquet for the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, where he was expected to speak about the Clinton Climate Initiative's partnership with Gov. Mike Beebe, a spokesman said. In December of 2008, the Clinton Foundation announced the partnership, which it said would push state and business leaders to help create green jobs and stop the advance of global warming.

The banquet, which helps raise money for local schools, was scheduled to take place in Alltel Arena with around 1,200 expected to attend, said Terry Hartwick, president of the North Little Rock chamber.

To finish off the day, Clinton will return to the Clinton Center for an interview on Larry King Live. According to the show's Web site, Clinton and King were expected to talk about the challenges facing the new administration and the economy.

For more information see Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.