Bowles had left the White House before the reelection to return to North Carolina. Since then he had pitched in part-time, helping Clinton prepare for his debates and plan for a second term. But he was not eager to come back. “I flat said no a couple of times,” says Bowles. “And I went back for three reasons. One, I really cared deeply about the president. Two, I knew his number one agenda in his second term was to balance the federal budget. I felt he needed somebody to drive it through. And three, he leaned on me really hard.”
