Another Boneheaded Hillary Move
Posted on March 19th, 2015 in Uncategorized | 15 Comments »
She’s doing yet another paid speech, for the nonprofit American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey, which is reportedly paying her up to $200, 000 for the privilege of hearing her say, I’m quite sure, not much.
It’s a convergence of facts that raises several questions.
The American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey…exists? (Can you imagine going camping in New Jersey? Yikes.)
And has the money to pay HRC a six-figure speaking fee?
And, most important, why does Hillary continue to give these speeches, which really are unseemly for a woman who’s about to run for president? She can’t need the money. And if it’s for the Clinton Global Initiative, why not just say so?
There comes a point where it’s awfully hard not to think of these speeches as influence-buying; Hillary should stop giving them. I can’t imagine any other presumptive party nominee who wouldn’t. That Hillary won’t just adds to the sense that she holds herself above the rules normal politicians adhere to.
15 Responses
3/19/2015 7:07 am
You should read The Pine Barrens.
3/19/2015 8:11 am
You realize the American Camp Association is about summer camp and has nothing to do with “going camping”, right?
3/19/2015 8:35 am
As someone from elsewhere who lived in New Jersey for several years, I’d say its reputation is directly opposite to the truth… there is a lot of (still unspoiled) natural beauty in New Jersey.
If you care to look back, the Clinton Foundation used to give out grants to local libraries and such everywhere Mrs. Clinton gave speeches while she was running the last time. If that isn’t influence-buying, I don’t know what is, and it’s hardly surprising that she (and her family) are at it again.
3/19/2015 10:35 am
Her potential presidential bid raises her speaking value. She has 0 chance at the presidency after the email situation exposed just how much potential baggage she has. The incentive to make more money is to keep mum on that until the latest possible moment.
3/19/2015 2:05 pm
Having hiked the AT through NJ, I can assure you that there are still beautiful and unspoiled places there. Even a mountain lion or two. Yeah, surprised me too.
3/19/2015 2:50 pm
I appreciate Richard’s ignorant attitude about the Garden State (and the purpose of the ACA as well). The fewer assholes in the state, the more enjoyable it is for the rest of us.
3/19/2015 5:32 pm
Richard links to a piece of absurdly argumentative “reporting” from the Boston Globe.
The reporter in question doesn’t know how much Clinton is being paid. She doesn’t know if the fee is going to Clinton herself or to the Clinton Foundation.
She does know a dozen ways to signal her editorial belief that this event is wrong, oh so wrong, without ever explaining what makes it wrong. Richard doesn’t exactly say what makes it wrong either.
Our journalism has been drowning in this type of BS for several decades now. Much of it has been aimed at Republicans, but no one has fielded more of this tiresome, predictable piddle than Clinton, Clinton and Gore.
3/19/2015 9:56 pm
It’s becoming more clear that you have a fairly strong anti-Hillary bias and it is affecting your judgment. I like your work, but this just feels a bit petty.
3/19/2015 10:10 pm
Joisey, Joisey
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Joisey on my mind
I said Joisey
Joisey
A song of you
Comes as sweet and clear
As moonlight through the pines
3/19/2015 11:59 pm
In re the American Camp Association talk, Hillary the Dour thinks American adults need to go to “fun camps.”
Presumably these will be different than George Orwell’s “JoyCamps”.
One hopes.
#TinEar #BigSisterIsWatchingYou
3/20/2015 7:42 am
Oh my God, Bob Somerby is here! This is fantastic. Richard, look him up — he’s dynamite, and tenacious as hell.
3/20/2015 9:33 am
From Wikipedia: “Kraft durch Freude (German for ‘Strength through Joy’, abbreviated KdF) was a large state-operated leisure organization in Nazi Germany”. If you look into the details, it matches up pretty closely with Hillary’s plan.
3/20/2015 10:15 pm
I am not a fan of Mrs Clinton but this story strikes me as unsubstantiated. No one confirmed that she was paid anything yet the Globe is happy to speculate that this organization spent 10 percent of its annual budget. Perhaps that should be your lede.
3/21/2015 9:50 am
She keeps making these speeches because she has calculated, quite correctly I think, that they don’t matter. A very, very small fraction of the voters will evaluate her behavior, ethics, positions on the issues, etc. vs. other candidates. The vast majority will vote because of a) Democrat and b) woman in that order. None of the rest matters. She lost in 2008 because young and black beat old and woman and Obama had the press. Simple.
11/22/2015 9:00 am
I heard an interesting story on NPR pnnitiog out that her campaign has actually branded her as Hillary, and consistently refers to her that way in the press, on the website, etc.