The Clinton administration got off to a shaky start

On January 20, 1993, Clinton took office as the 42nd president of the United States. At the time, Clinton had a staff that lacked experience and was physically fatigued. The Clinton administration had a rocky beginning, as a result of what some detractors referred to be incompetence and poor judgment. Conservatives and other military commanders, notably Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, criticized his attempt to carry out a campaign promise to abolish discrimination against homosexual men and lesbians in the armed forces. Clinton's reaction was a compromise policy that didn't appease either side of the argument and was encapsulated by the phrase "Don't ask, don't tell." After concerns about the domestic servants they had employed were aroused, Clinton's initial two selections for attorney general withdrew.

His $16 billion stimulus plan, which was mostly intended to support liberally favored inner-city initiatives, was thwarted in the Senate by a Republican filibuster. His popularity was at an all-time low at the 100-day milestone of his administration.