Someone Explain to Me

@Bi-Polar Bear,

Not much as far as I can see. It's not like he's an axe-murderer; however, as long as he keeps his trouser-snake contained, he poses no major problem.

I think the problems arise when he disagrees politically and starts flapping his gums on his viewpoints, though, as the press magnetically is attracted to him. This may muddy the waters and could interfere with the dynamics - potentially undermining Sec'y of State's effectiveness.

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@Bi-Polar Bear,

I think the basic concern is that Bill will exert undue influence over his wife's decisions. For some reason, this seems to bother people more with her as a Secy of State than as President. But I don't know why.

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Also, as a potential policy maker, Hillary's hubby may be swept with all sorts of speech requests and fees and donations to the Foundation. The appearance of no-conflicts may be not worth it. I really dont know why she has to be ASect of State. or any other cabinet position.

Maybe Im being too cautious but, I think tjhe GOP will not give Obama ANY honeymoon . Look at guys like Limbaugh already, ya dont think he is doing his sniping on his own do you?

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@Bi-Polar Bear,

He may accept great wads of cash from countries that we may not have diplomatic relations with thus inferring a potential conflict of interest and resulting in nuclear annihilation of the planet. In other words, nothing.

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Does this help explain the potential "conflict"?

* AP foreign, Tuesday November 18 2008

By SHARON THEIMER

Associated Press Writer= WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton's globe-trotting business deals and fundraising for his foundation sometimes put his activities abroad at odds with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and could cause complications if President-elect Barack Obama picks her to be secretary of state.

During her own White House campaign, the New York senator criticized China for its crackdown on protesters in Tibet and urged President George W. Bush to skip the Olympics in Beijing. Her campaign was embarrassed by reports that her husband's foundation had raised money from a Chinese Internet company that posted an online government "Most Wanted" notice seeking information on Tibetan human-rights activists that may have been involved in the demonstrations.

Hillary Clinton has campaigned as a champion of workers' rights. This year, Brazilian labor inspectors found what they called "degrading" living conditions for sugar cane workers employed by an ethanol company in which Bill Clinton invested.

In the Senate, Clinton was an outspoken critic of a proposed deal under which a Dubai company planned to buy a British business that helped run six major U.S. ports. The company, DP World, privately sought Bill Clinton's advice about how to respond to the controversy over the port plan, which later was abandoned.

Obama met with Hillary Clinton on Thursday at his headquarters in Chicago, and some Democrats were enthusiastic amid speculation the pair discussed the job of secretary of state. She declined Friday to say anything about the matter, and Obama is understood to be considering other candidates as his top diplomat, including Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.

Bill Clinton's fundraising for his presidential library and charitable activities also could pose additional headaches for his wife if he selects her for the job.

Since leaving the White House in early 2001, Bill Clinton has raised at least $353 million for the William J. Clinton Foundation, which finances his presidential library in Little Rock, Ark., as well as his global anti-AIDS initiative and other charitable efforts.

The former president has raised money overseas beyond the Chinese Internet company's contributions: from the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a foundation linked to the United Arab Emirates and the governments of Kuwait and Qatar, The New York Times reported last year.

His foundation reaped millions of dollars from Canadian mining tycoon Frank Giustra, and Clinton accompanied Giustra on a 2005 trip to Kazakhstan, whose human-rights record Hillary Clinton had criticized, the newspaper reported. The pair met with Kazakhstan's president, and within days Giustra's company landed preliminary agreements giving it rights to buy into uranium projects controlled by a Kazakhstan state-owned enterprise. Clinton said he had nothing to do with the deal.

Louis Freeh, the FBI director under the former president, said Clinton sought a library donation from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah during a discussion of the investigation into the deadly 1996 bombing of Khobar Towers U.S. military dormitory in Saudi Arabia.

Freeh wrote in his book "My FBI" that the FBI was trying to get Abdullah to let the FBI question suspects the Saudi kingdom had in custody and that Clinton failed to pressure Abdullah.

Clinton denied Freeh's account, and has said his business dealings and foundation fundraising pose no political conflicts for his wife. The former president has so far refused to identify donors to his foundation.

Matt McKenna, a spokesman for the former president, declined to comment on any potential difficulties that Clinton's activities could pose for his wife should she become secretary of state or whether the former president would alter any of his fundraising or other activities to avoid potential conflicts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8036652

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@farmerman,

Why do you think O boy or any other president elect deserves a honeymoon?

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@H2O MAN,

I think everyone deserves a honeymoon. I went to Florida on mine and stayed shacked up with my bride for nearly the whole week. In fact, as soon as we got to our room she ripped off my clothes and...what? Oh, not that kind of honeymoon? Sorry, y'all. Please pardon the interruption.

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@Woiyo9,

so these were things BILL Clinton did...when Bill gets his dick sucked...Hillary becomes a scheming bitch who stays with him because it's politically expedient
and she's as bad as he is... now what Bill does as a PRIVATE CITIZEN...right or wrong... makes Hillary unfit for a position?

what the **** is wrong with you people?

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@Bi-Polar Bear,

I think there are conflicting opinions from some of the lib dem base on the Clintons, no link too bad, and I get their concerns. At the same time I entirely get those concerns, I - fractionally - might be momentarily happy if she becomes SofS. But... I prefer her as senator.

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It may all end up being a moot point. Teddy Kennedy has provided a graceful way for Hillary to not accept the SOS job.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/kennedy-taps-clinton-for-big-health-reform-job-2008-11-18.html

Quote:

Fourteen years after failing to deliver health reform for her husband’s White House, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) will play a key role in advancing the issue in 2009 " if she remains in the Senate.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) designated Clinton to head a task force to develop a Senate Democratic proposal to expand health insurance coverage as part of his larger push to move a major overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system next year.

...

Were Clinton to remain in Congress, there are no clear avenues for her to assume a formal leadership position or chair a committee.

Kennedy’s designation of Clinton as one of three senators to lead a healthcare task force provides her with an opportunity to make a significant contribution to an issue that has defined her political career.

...

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@H2O MAN,

Its been policy .

We gave Reagan a long one, Bush I got one and Clinton got a really short one as the GOP fanatics began on him from almost day 1 (remember ken Starr?) Bush got one until his low IQ began to manifest in the summer of 2001.

I see the GOP "braintrust" is attempting to gather up its forces for Kamikaze attacks.

I dont think that Hillary would make a good Secy of State just for the itemized reasons that Woiyo posted, and Im an Obama supporter. I dont think its good strategy.

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@Bi-Polar Bear,

The problem comes about when Sec. Clinton is scheduled to go to China for wide ranging talks. The Chinese donate $10million to a Bill Clinton initiative right before the conference. If Sec. Clinton comes through with a diplomatic breakthrough, she is accused of receiving a kickback via her spouse. Is Bill willing to drop significant foreign contributions while Hillary is Sec of State?

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@engineer,

Bingo

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@engineer,

it's a problem to the gossips and those who will never consider Clinton anything but the anti christ who walks among us....**** 'em

1 Reply

@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

Also, as a potential policy maker, Hillary's hubby may be swept with all sorts of speech requests and fees and donations to the Foundation. The appearance of no-conflicts may be not worth it. I really dont know why she has to be ASect of State. or any other cabinet position.

Maybe Im being too cautious but, I think tjhe GOP will not give Obama ANY honeymoon . Look at guys like Limbaugh already, ya dont think he is doing his sniping on his own do you?

Honeymoon for criminals, sheesh? Why? Wait until they plunder the country some more, on top of what they already have done? Have you lost your mind?

1 Reply

@Bi-Polar Bear,

I dunno.. seems like a hornet's nest to me.. I mean, when I read this:

Quote:

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Hillary used to tout her husband's globetrotting credentials as an asset to her presidential campaign. But now that she's being vetted for Secretary of State, Bill's financial and philanthropic entanglements abroad could prove to be more of a liability. Here's a breakdown of where Bill's money has been coming from:

--The Speaking Tours: Bill's lucrative round-the-world speaking tours have taken him to Kuwait City (where he was paid $500,000 by the National Bank of Kuwait); Saudi Arabia (where the Dabbagh investment firm handed over $600,000 for two speeches); and China ($200,000 from the JingJi Real Estate Development Group)--all regimes with spotty human rights records, some of which Hillary has already criticized.

--The Presidential Library: The Saudi royal family, the deputy prime minister of Lebanon, and the governments of Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar are among the 57 donors who have reportedly given at least $1 million to the library. Bill has yet to disclose the names of the donors himself and will be under increasing pressure to do so if Hillary is headed to State.

--The Investment Firm: Bill has collected at least $12.6 million since 2002 from Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies, which has invested for the Dubai government and has a stake in a Chinese media company. Bill has served as an adviser to the firm and a partner in its overseas investment fund. He began trying to distance himself from the firm last year to avoid compromising Hillary's presidential run, vowing to take steps to ensure "there will be an appropriate transition from those relationships" if his wife were the nominee.

--The Foundation: Bill is not required by law to disclose the donors to the Clinton Global Initiative. But independent investigations have revealed that it has received money from the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a foundation linked to the United Arab Emirates, and the governments of Kuwait and Qatar. Having raised over $30 billion to fund projects in more than 150 countries, the Clinton Foundation could spawn innumerable conflicts of interest if Bill continues to fundraise in countries where Hillary is on a diplomatic mission. (The foundation has arranged matching funds with several foreign governments.)

Past episodes have already brought some of the Clintons' conflicts of interest to light:

--Kazakhstan: In 2005, Bill expressed public support for Kazakhstan's authoritarian president, undercutting Hillary's vocal criticism of the regime's human rights record. Two days later, Canadian mining executive Frank Giustra won the right to buy into three uranium projects controlled by the Kazakh government. Shortly afterward, Giustra's foundation gave $31.3 million to the Clinton Foundation.

--Dubai World Ports: In 2006, Bill tried to advise Dubai World Ports in its bid to win the rights to run ports in the U.S. He pushed for the company to allow for an intensive investigation--a position supported by the White House--at the same time that Hillary was trying to derail the deal.

--Suzy Khimm

Wouldnt exactly fit into the theme of transparency and accountability Obama's trying to mark the beginning of his Presidency with, would it? It's no-drama Obama, and this sounds like a lotta potential drama.

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@okie,

Hey, Okie . . . you're rather dense . . . upon what basis do you allege that Mr. Obama is a criminal?

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

Hey, Okie . . . you're rather dense . . . upon what basis do you allege that Mr. Obama is a criminal?

I will retract that, as it appeared to mean what I did not intend it. Actually, I do not consider Obama a criminal at this point, I actually think he might be okay that way, at least so far, aside from the house deal in Chicago which was not blatantly criminal but it was unethical at least. What I was responding to was some of the cabinet picks, Hillary, which I have believed to be corrupt for a long time, and I don't have much confidence in many of the others either. Take the Attorney General, who of all people should not be corrupt, but Holder has the history of pardoning Clinton's partners in crime. Why should we turn a blind eye to all of this and give them a honeymoon? I don't think so. Corruption never deserves a honeymoon.

My opposition so far to Obama has always been on the grounds of political agenda, inexperience, and poor judgement, not on corruption.

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