Democrat Bill Clinton told an MTV audience Tuesday he thought New York Gov. Mario Cuomo would make a good pick for the Supreme Court and that if he could repeat his youthful experiment with marijuana, he'd inhale.
Going after the rock 'n' roll vote in an MTV "town hall" meeting taped for broadcast Tuesday night, Clinton fielded pointed questions putting him on the spot over his abortion record and wondering if he's focusing enough on the deficit."You don't decorate your apartment if you can't afford the rent," said one viewer, who added that he's leaning toward Ross Perot because the Texas billionaire seems more focused on the deficit.
Clinton vowed to cut health-care costs and federal spending to reduce the deficit, but he added that it can't be done overnight. If the nation tried to do it too quickly, Clinton said, "we'd have to raise taxes so much, we'd make the economy even worse."
Clinton didn't hesitate when asked to quickly name who he might appoint to the Supreme Court if he were to win the White House.
"I think Gov. Cuomo would be a good Supreme Court justice," the Arkansas governor said. "He is a legal scholar who also understands the impact of the law on real people's lives."
Later, Clinton told reporters he dropped Cuomo's name "not to make a commitment, obviously, but as an example . . . of the kind of person I would want on the court."
Asked if he would still show concern about young people if he wins the White House, Clinton promised, "I'll come back on MTV as president."