Within hours of his lawyers presenting his defence in the Senate impeachment trial, President Clinton was set to deliver a State of the Union address with ambitious plans for the rest of his term in office. He was expected to refer to Northern Ireland as an inspiration for peace efforts in world trouble-spots.
Mr Clinton was not expected to make any direct reference to his impeachment and trial in the very Capitol building where he would make his speech. The White House was confident it was the President who would make the headlines rather than a trial which is unpopular with most Americans.
The address, which was due to be delivered at two o'clock this morning Irish time, lists proposals which will show the American people that the impeachment trial has not distracted their President from focusing on the needs of the country facing the new millennium.
Plans for increased spending on defence, job-creation, child care, education, minimum wage, anticrime measures and health are expected to boost the President's already high poll ratings.
He will also suggest ways of using the huge budget surplus to fund the social security system threatened with bankruptcy inside two decades.
The latest Gallup poll of CNN/USA Today shows his job approval rate at 69 per cent, while 70 per cent say they are "satisfied with the way things are going in the USA". In response to another question, 81 per cent say Mr Clinton's Presidency has been a success and only 16 per cent rate it a failure.
These encouraging ratings stiffened Mr Clinton's resolve to brush aside reservations about delivering a State of the Union speech to a Congress which is embarked on his impeachment trial on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
Some Republicans have called for a boycott or indicated that they would not be present for the annual speech, which is usually interrupted frequently by applause from the assembled senators and members of the House of Representatives.
The new Republican Speaker, Mr Dennis Hastert, has written to his colleagues requesting them to be courteous in spite of their "discomfort". In the foreign policy area, Mr Clinton is proposing to spend an additional $4.2 billion over five years to help Russian nuclear disarmament. The funds would be used for dismantling warheads and other weapons, the transfer of technicians into civilian areas and for relocating Russian troops stationed outside the country.
Mr Clinton will ask for a $110 billion increase in defence spending over six years. This will include pay increases as well as new military equipment. He will again urge the Senate to ratify the nuclear Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Most of the proposals in the President's address will depend on the Republican majority in Congress for their implementation. But this co-operation is by no means assured. It is estimated that of the 27 proposals in last year's address, only 10 were passed into law.
Important proposals like campaign finance reform, payment of UN back-dues, school construction subsidy, a patient bill of rights and tobacco regulation failed to pass Congress.
Reuters adds: President Clinton planned to call in his State of the Union address for a comprehensive round of global trade negotiations as a way to move forward on opening world markets, US officials said late yesterday.
They said the proposed talks, expected to start later this year when the US hosts a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation, would target areas such as industrial tariffs, agriculture, services, intellectual property, labour rights and environmental protection.