Bill Clinton Discusses His Presidential Library

Former President Bill Clinton gave ABC News' Peter Jennings a tour of his new presidential library in Little Rock, Ark., which opens this week. Following is an excerpt from their conversation.

PETER JENNINGS: Why did you want this [library] here, in this particular place on this bank of the river?

BILL CLINTON: Well, first of all, I wanted it to come home to Arkansas because these people made me president. I wanted it here. I wanted it to be in the heartland, in the middle of the country, where people don't have access to things like this, so they can learn more about their government, how it works, what the decisions were.

And I wanted it on the river because I love this river. It's a big part of my childhood. I first swam in this river 40 years ago or more.

JENNINGS: You're saying your soul is still in Arkansas, even though you live in New York?

CLINTON: A lot of me is still here and always will be. I'll come home a lot. I'll be here a lot. I wanted it here because I wanted the building to reflect my political philosophy and my administration. I wanted it to be reaching out to the future -- a bridge, tying the two sides of the river together.