PRESIDENT Clinton will begin his second term today with his approval rating higher than at any time since he was elected four years ago.
As thousands of people poured into the capital for the 53rd presidential inauguration, an opinion poll finds that 60 per cent of those interviewed approve of the job Mr Clinton has been doing 56 per cent say they expect him to do a better job during the next four years than in his first term.
The Washington Post ABC News poll findings will be welcome news to a President whose first term has been marked by the Whitewater affair, charges of sexual misconduct and abuse in Democratic fund raising for the election campaign.
In a pre inauguration interview with the Post, Mr Clinton said the battles of his first term had largely settled the debate over the role of government in his favour, clearing the way for a new season of cooperation. He intends to usher in this new era with an inaugural speech today designed "to help flush the poison from the atmosphere".
The freezing weather in Washington is expected to let up somewhat for the swearing in ceremony today on the steps of the Capitol and the parade which will follow along Pennsylvania Avenue. During the weekend huge crowds thronged the Mall in biting cold to join in the events celebrating the inauguration theme of "An American Journey - Building a Bridge to the 21st Century".
A series of tents between the Washington Monument and the Capitol featured music from all American traditions, a technology playground, a millennium schoolhouse or children's theatre, an American Journey tent where celebrities told of their personal journeys, and two American Kitchens with regional cooking at reasonable prices.
The traditional Irish music group, Celtic Thunder, was in such demand that people had to be turned away from its performance in the Museum of Natural History.
In the Holocaust Memorial Museum leading intellectuals and scholars, including Nobel Prizewinner Elie Wiesel and feminist writer Betty Friedan, explained their "Visions of the 21st Century". On the Mall nearby, thousands of people wrote out their hopes and reflections for the second presidential term.
The President and Mrs Clinton attended the presidential gala in the US Air Arena on the outskirts of the city last night. The performers included singers Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood actors Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Douglas.
The gala included a special musical tribute to Martin Luther King. Today is also a public holiday in honour of the slain civil rights leader.
Mr Clinton spent much of the weekend working on the draft of his inaugural address in the White House.
Tonight, however, the First Couple, are expected to attend all 5 inaugural balls. At first tickets at $150 were limited to Democratic Party members but later on offer to anybody willing to pay the price.
The President will be sworn in at noon by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mr William Rehnquist. Vice President Al Gore will be sworn in earlier by Associate Justice, Ms Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The invocation will be read by the Rev Billy Graham. Aged 78, Mr Graham has been involved in inaugurations since that of Dwight Eisenhower in 1953.
After President Clinton's address, the Arkansas poet, Miller Williams, will read his commissioned poem. The presidential party will then be entertained to lunch in the Capitol by the Congressional leadership before driving back to the White House.
The inaugural parade begins at 2 p.m. local time and will last about four hours. The floats will depict important milestones in US history with symbolic bridges' linking the five eras.