Clinton rejected that cynical characterization and granted Rushdie an audience with Secretary of State Warren Christopher, National Security Adviser Anthony Lake and himself.

These meetings were, as Rushdie asserted, "a massive act of support by the American government" for an author who has endured far too much suffering for the crime of writing a book deemed blasphemous by people who probably never read it.

By using the presidency as a source of symbolic support for Rushdie, Clinton incurred the wrath of some Muslims in Iran and Egypt. Notwithstanding his timid and apologetic assurances that he "meant no disrespect" to the Muslim world, however, Clinton did the right thing.

"Part of my job is to lift the hopes and aspirations of the American people," the president said on World AIDS Day, "knowing that as long as you're trying to lift hopes and lift aspirations you can never fully close the gap between what you're reaching for and what you're actually doing..."

That statement expresses perfectly the role that Clinton has only recently chosen for himself as president. It is a role that includes shaping the national discourse, inspiring the American people and defending American values like free speech.

This is a role that Clinton's predecessor rejected, at the expense of the nation and himself. And it is a role that will enable President Clinton to emerge as a promising leader. For a man whose presidency is consistently subjected to week-by-week assessments, these have not been a bad couple of weeks.