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And HEEEERE we go…
By Brian | December 20, 2008 | Share on Facebook
From FOX News:
Former President Bill Clinton’s foundation has raised at least $46 million from Saudi Arabia and other foreign governments that his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton may end up negotiating with as the next secretary of state.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave $10 million to $25 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation, a nonprofit created by the former president to finance his library in Little Rock, Ark., and charitable efforts to reduce poverty and treat AIDS. Other foreign government givers include Norway, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Italy and Jamaica. The Dutch national lottery gave $5 million to $10 million.
Those bastards! Clearly, they anticipated that Mr. Clinton’s wife would someday hold a position of power, and in order to curry favor with her, they calculatingly donated millions of dollars to reduce poverty and treat AIDS. Damn – we should have seen that coming…
Sometimes, I wonder how far this can go before someone calls out the media on it. Isn’t it beneficial for the Secretary of State to have previous dealings with foreign governments (even if they are through her husband)? Wouldn’t it be logical for the people who design our national energy policy to have some practical expertise in the energy industry? Shouldn’t a guy like Henry Kissinger, one of the most experienced foreign policy experts in our country, be allowed to chair the 9/11 commission charged with understanding what happened on that horrible day?
When did past experience become a detriment to taking a job? When did prior dealings with those you’ll be working with in your new position become a potential conflict of interest, as opposed to an advantage that could lead to smoother transition and increased productivity?
With the Clintons, of course, it’s magnified even further. Not only can news organizations call her credibility into question before she even gets confirmed, but she and her husband have negotiated a deal that will lessen the flow of money to deserving charities as long as she’s in office:
[Bill] Clinton agreed to release the information after concerns emerged that his extensive international fundraising and business deals could conflict with America’s interests if his wife became Obama’s top diplomat. The foundation has insisted for years that it was under no legal obligation to identify its contributors, contending that many expected confidentiality when they donated.
According to the memorandum negotiated by the foundation and top Obama advisers, Bill Clinton agreed to publish the names of all past and future contributors to his foundation during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state.
The former president also agreed to step away from direct involvement in the Clinton Global Initiative, an annual charitable conference where businesses and many foreign governments pledge donations to help ameliorate AIDS, poverty and other social ills. He will continue serving as CGI’s founding chairman but will not solicit money or sponsorships. The CGI will cease accepting foreign contributions and will not host events outside the United States.
So in order for Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State, we are willing to:
- Betray the trust of wealthy people who have donated millions to help good causes by revealing their names when we said we wouldn’t
- Refuse additional contributions from these people and others like them, simply because they are outside of the United States
- Rob Bill Clinton of what is perhaps his most productive role as an ex-President, that of champion fundraiser for causes that help people around the world
I assume, by the way, that Bill Clinton will be perfectly free to raise funds for Democratic politicians (including his wife) in future elections, right? No conflict of interest there…
None of this is necessary. It’s all done to avoid the appearance of impropriety, in order to stave off the media hounds. Notice how no one is drafting disclosure agreements or communication plans that would allow Bill Clinton to continue his good work while simultaneously proving that Hillary Clinton is acting independently as the Secretary of State. Because then there would
Topics: News and/or Media, Political Rantings | 1 Comment »
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