I searched the Clinton presidential archives for the keywords "Osama bin Laden" and found (between 8/1998 and 1/2001):
27 references in press conferences between August 1998-December 2000.
2 presidential statements
1 report
2 interviews
3 speeches
1 other remark
and 2 VP remarks
I conducted a second search at www.whitehouse.gov
From 31 Jan 2001 through 10 September 2001
http://www.whitehouse.gov/....
There were 8 results, 6 of which said nothing about bin Laden, or simply were a portion of a press corps question that was unanswered:
Clinton administration officials were hard hitting and informative, and there were many different fora where they discussed terrorism.
http://www.clintonfoundation.org/...
Statement by the VP on Afghan Sudan Terrorist Strike
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release Contact:
Thursday, August 20, 1998
STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE ON
THE AFGHANISTAN, SUDAN TERRORIST STRIKE
I strongly support the President's decision today to make clear to the world that the United States will respond to the threat of terrorism. A network of terrorist groups led by Osama bin Laden have made clear in word and deed that they are waging an all out war against America, targeting all, sparing none. Today we delivered our response. We will be relentless in defending our interests and our people against the murderous threat of terrorism.
From Clinton's 1999 SOTU address:
As we work for peace, we must also meet threats to our nation's security -- including increased dangers from outlaw nations and terrorism. We will defend our security wherever we are threatened, as we did this summer when we struck at Osama bin Laden's network of terror. The bombing of our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania reminds us again of the risks faced every day by those who represent America to the world. So let's give them the support they need, the safest possible workplaces, and the resources they must have so America can continue to lead. (Applause.)
We must work to keep terrorists from disrupting computer networks. We must work to prepare local communities for biological and chemical emergencies, to support research into vaccines and treatments.
We must increase our efforts to restrain the spread of nuclear weapons and missiles, from Korea to India and Pakistan. We must expand our work with Russia, Ukraine, and the other former Soviet nations to safeguard nuclear materials and technology so they never fall into the wrong hands. Our balanced budget will increase funding for these critical efforts by almost two-thirds over the next five years.
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
July 4, 1999
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b) and section 301 of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1631, I hereby report that I have exercised my statutory authority to declare a National emergency with respect to the threat to the United States posed by the actions and policies of the Afghan Taliban and have issued an executive order to deal with this threat.
The actions and policies of the Afghan Taliban pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. The Taliban continues to provide safe haven to Usama bin Ladin allowing him and the Al-Quida organization to operate from Taliban-controlled territory a network of terrorist training camps and to use Afghanistan as a base from which to sponsor terrorist operations against the United States.
...And President Clinton fully expected his work to be continued...
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 15, 2001
INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT
BY MARK KNOLLER OF CBS
Dover High School
Dover, New Hampshire
January 11, 2001
Q Along the same lines, do we now know for certain that Osama bin Laden was behind the attack on the USS Cole?
THE PRESIDENT: I can't say that. I can -- we do believe he was behind some other attacks on our people and that people affiliated with him have been involved in other attacks. But we're investigating this, we're still running down some of the leads, we're still doing some of the work. I think that we will know and I think that the United States will take appropriate action. And I believe this will be a completely nonpolitical issue. That is, I have absolutely no doubt that President-elect Bush will continue to pursue the investigation and when the evidence is in will take appropriate action. And when that happens, I will support him in doing so.
....In contrast, the first year of the Bush administration did not discuss bin Laden much. There was one statement released that sanctions on the Taliban would be continued, then lots of examples of Ari Fleicher referring terrorism questions to other Departments within the administration:
For example, here he refers a question about bin Laden to the Department of Justice....Hey!!! I thought they said that it was the liberals who considered terrorism a criminal justice issue!!!
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 31, 2001
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
Q The trial in New York, the bombing trial of the U.S. embassies, now Osama bin Laden has been warning to the U.S., he is condemning the bombing trials. And also, what we are doing really, this administration or President Bush, to bring now the main, Osama bin Laden, maybe this opens the way for him -- for the U.S. to bring him to justice in America?
MR. FLEISCHER: That's a question I think you want to talk to the Department of Justice about. In regard to the verdict in New York, the State Department has already addressed that question.
And this little zinger I found....
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 27, 2001
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
Q Ari, according to India Globe, the Taliban in Afghanistan, they have offered that they are ready to hand over Osama bin Laden to Saudi Arabia if the United States would drop its sanctions, and they have a kind of deal that they want to make with the United States. Do you have any comments?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me take that and get back to you on that.
I don't think he ever followed-up on that question, do you?
UPDATE: If you'd really like to compare Clinton and Bush, let's look at Clinton's response to the 1993 WTC bombings....which occurred within a year of his recieving office:
Yousef was arrested by Pakistani intelligence and turned over to U.S. Diplomatic Security Service agents on February 7, 1995. Pakistani Intelligence raided the Su-Casa Guest House in Islamabad, Pakistan before he could rebase himself in Peshawar. He had been betrayed by a man he tried to recruit. A $2 million reward was paid to an unidentified Muslim informant. [3] When he was discovered, Yousef had chemical burns on his fingers.
Yousef was flown back to the United States and helicoptered into Manhattan. He was sent to a prison in New York, New York, United States, and held there until his trial. On September 5, 1996, Yousef, Murad, and Shah were convicted for planning Bojinka. They were sentenced to life in prison without parole. In court, Yousef said, "I am a terrorist, and I am proud of it." U.S. District Court Judge Kevin Duffy referred to Yousef as "an apostle of evil" before recommending that the entire sentence be served in solitary confinement.[4]
In 1997, Osama bin Laden said during an interview that he did not know Yousef. Yousef's uncle Khalid Shaikh Mohammed allegedly took part in launching the September 11 Terrorist Attacks.
On November 12, 1997 Yousef was found guilty of masterminding the 1993 bombing and in 1998 he was convicted of "seditious conspiracy" to bomb the towers.
He is currently held in the high-security Supermax prison ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...