What A Party, by Terry McAuliffe: on Foreign Policy

Bill Clinton: 1995: reached out to Irish Republican Army Sinn Fein leader

Many in Washington snickered. The idea of Bill Clinton reaching out to the leader of Sinn Fein, the political army of the IRA, was almost treasonous to some. Clinton truly believed Sinn Fein might be serious about negotiating to get rid of IRA stockpiles of weapons. The President had his eye on history and didn't care what anyone said. He always believed that when you negotiate, you have to negotiate with all sides. If you're going to get a lasting agreement, you have to have everyone sitting at the table with you. That's how you get true dialogue and compromise and ultimately a meaningful agreement. George W. Bush didn't see it that way, which was the No. 1 complaint you heard about him around the world. Clinton's vision had paid off in spades.

Terry McAuliffe: 1995: Visited Belfast early in IRA cease-fire

Clinton's vision had paid off in spades. The cease-fire was 15 months old at that point, and all over town everyone was talking about how it was the 1st Christmas in memory that people in Belfast felt comfortable going downtown to shop.

I tell everybody that trip was one of the greatest moments I've ever had in politics. Everywhere we went huge crowds turned out and broke into ecstatic cheers of "We want Bill! We want Bill!" You had millions of people on the streets cheering President Clinton and cheering America, and it was spectacular.

Terry McAuliffe: 2000: Vetted to be Ambassador to England

[My wife and I] thought it would be a great experience for the kids. And only one other Irish-American, Joe Kennedy, had ever served as ambassador to the Court of St. James, so it would have been a big deal in Ireland, too. I was excited by the chance to bring the two countries closer together. The next day half a dozen FBI agents showed up at my door to start the vetting process and within 3 weeks the whole thing had been done and I was cleared in record time.

Unfortunately for me, [Al Gore then asked], "Will you go out to LA and chair the convention?" As much as I wanted to go to England, I didn't hesitate. I was going to do what the VP wanted, no questions asked.