Yeltsin had never fully recovered his strength and stamina after his heart surgery, and he believed Putin was ready to succeed him and able to put in the long hours the job required. Caring about an issue in which there are no votes today but which will have a big impact on the future is a very good quality in a politician. There were compelling arguments for it, but the most important domestic decision of my presidency was still one big gamble. The House adopted it by a voice vote.
There was not much thaw on the family front. He resigned as chairman of his company and continued to rise in the polls. As Bill Perry told a group of editors and reporters on March 30, I was determined to stop North Korea from developing a nuclear arsenal, even at the risk of war. I had fought in 1993 to keep the C-17 from being eliminated in the defense downsizing.
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