WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2007

Bill Clinton Rakes In Big Bucks

Former President Is Doing Gangbusters On The Lecture Circuit, The Washington Post Reveals

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    Former President Bill Clinton speaks at the National Council of La Raza annual conference Saturday, July 8, 2006, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo)

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The Washington Post's front page has some fun with Sen. Hillary Clinton's recently filed financial disclosure statements, required under Senate ethics rules.

According to those statements and interviews with speech organizers, it appears that Bill Clinton has been doing gangbusters with speeches in the past six years, raking in nearly $40 million during that time period, according to the Post, which notes that Clinton "came to the White House with modest means and left deeply in debt."

Last year was particularly lucrative, earning the former president $9 to $10 million for lectures, averaging almost a speech a day, "but only about 20 percent were for personal income."

Two speeches on the same day in Canada earned Clinton $475,000 – "more than double his annual salary as president."

While we're on the subject of Clintons, Hillary's dramatic, scandalous, remarkable feud with Barack Obama for some reason takes up space once again on the New York Times front page. In an interview with the Times, Obama "seemed to acknowledge that he may have been outmaneuvered."

U.S. Warns Iran. Again.

The International Atomic Energy Agency released a report yesterday that confirmed Iran continues to operate a uranium-enrichment program and is expanding efforts to build a facility large enough to potentially produce a nuclear bomb.

Iran's moves are "in open defiance" of the United Nations, writes the New York Times. That Iran was now "operating or about to switch on roughly 1,000 centrifuges, the high-speed devices that enrich uranium," at one facility came as "a mild surprise" to experts, the Times adds.

Iran, for its part, "says it has no intention of producing bomb-grade uranium and will use the facility to produce nuclear fuel for energy," says the Washington Post's front page.

Nonetheless, Iran's move "triggered a fresh U.S. push for further sanctions,", says the Wall Street Journal. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns is being dispatched to London to meet with the rest of the Security Council and Germany to toss around some ideas about that.

The inevitable question, of course, is whether we're invading Iran anytime soon. The Times writes that "senior administration officials" have "dismissed the idea that Mr. Bush is considering an attack."

"Enough Of 'Nonbinding'"

Meanwhile, in real news, Senate Democrats (after a weeklong recess) will present a plan to repeal the 2002 Iraq war authorization "in favor of narrower authority that restricts the military's role and begins withdrawals of combat troops," writes the Post. Past suggestions of a plan to link war funding to "strict troop readiness standards" are coming under "withering fire" from Democratic moderates and Republicans.

Sen. John Kerry is supporting the proposal because he has "had enough of 'nonbinding,'" as he put it to the paper.

Another Political Reincarnation

Remember Ahmed Chalabi? He's baaaack. In what the Journal describes as a "remarkable political reincarnation," Chalabi has taken on a newly created post as an "intermediary between Baghdad residents and the Iraqi and U.S. security forces mounting an aggressive counterinsurgency campaign across the city."

He is answering directly to Prime Minister Maliki and the position is intended to generate support for the new troop surge among Iraqis. While the job is supposed to be restricted to security matters, Chalabi is "already speaking ambitiously" about taking on other economic, health and reconstruction roles in the government.

Hunting Al-Qaeda In Africa

The New York Times gets word from anonymous "American officials" that the U.S. military "quietly waged a campaign from Ethiopia last month to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa."

While it's been known that American Special Forces have operated inside Somalia, "the extent of American cooperation with the recent Ethiopian invasion into Somalia and the fact that the Pentagon secretly used an airstrip in Ethiopia to carry out attacks have not been previously reported," writes the Times.

The officials said the mission was a "qualified success" that disrupted some terrorist networks in Somalia and resulted in the death or capture of "several Islamic militants."

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Add a Comment See all 40 Comments
by dallison7 February 23, 2007 1:05 PM EST
Good for Bill!! I'm glad he is making good money, it's a shame he has to spend so much of it to pay lawyers who worked with him through the bogus attacks from the right while he was in office. I would certainly pay to listen to him speak on various topics. The man is brilliant.
Reply to this comment
by mbcsmith February 23, 2007 1:06 PM EST
Don't all those who contributed to the Clinton defense fund feal really foolish now? Just another scam perpetrated by the Clintons.
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 1:17 PM EST
I have always been open in my critcism of Bill Clinton. As a liberal, his "triangulation" with Republicans on issues like NAFTA and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, "don't ask, don't tell," (...just to name a few off the top of my head...there are many more...) was a constant source of frustration for me while he was president.

Having said all that; I voted for him twice and - if we didn't have term limits - I would have voted for him again.

In layman's terms, it comes down to this: the economy was good (and by that, I mean for everyone - not just the rich) and my money went a lot further. So even though I had some disagreements with Clinton, that is the bottom line for me.
Reply to this comment
by rbfain February 23, 2007 1:40 PM EST
I see alot of you really want to be Bill. To bad you can't be. Why don't you say you like Bill and his wife, and stop hiding with all that talk.
Reply to this comment
by oleander8 February 23, 2007 1:42 PM EST
"...Hillary's dramatic, scandalous, remarkable feud with Barack Obama..."

It appears the media is beginning to believe it's own hype - amazing how this story has evolved into "Hillary's" dramatic, scandalous, remarkable feud...".

We're being "swift-boated" folks!!!
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 1:47 PM EST
All Bill has to do now is get himselff caught in another cigar/intern scandal. Hillery's approval ratings will skyrocket and all will be as it was.
Reply to this comment
by frankly6 February 23, 2007 1:53 PM EST


I'm glad he's doing well now. He was probably one of the best Presidents we've ever had.

Reply to this comment
by oleander8 February 23, 2007 1:55 PM EST
He's a brilliant man and a wonderful speaker. Worth, and deserving of every penny he earns.
Reply to this comment
by musty2u February 23, 2007 1:56 PM EST
What a bad joke this guy was. How dreadful that his mug will be minted on one of the new dollar coins.
Reply to this comment
by notblue February 23, 2007 1:59 PM EST
What was it Bill did as president? (besides the oval office thing), oh ya nothing. Eight years of nothing, except being good at politics, anyone else would have never made it the eight years.
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 2:02 PM EST
OK, here it comes...the floodgates have opened and the nutjobs are here...
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 2:05 PM EST
OK, here it comes...the floodgates have opened and the nutjobs are here...
Posted by Scott4261 at 11:02 AM : Feb 23, 2007

That's ok, all are welcome.....even brain dead nouvolibs.
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 2:08 PM EST
He's a brilliant man and a wonderful speaker. Worth, and deserving of every penny he earns.
Posted by oleander8 at 10:55 AM : Feb 23, 2007

And you bought oceanfront property in Arkansas, didn't you? :) He does need to earn money....he's still paying off the legal bills from defending himself against all the rape accusations. What a brilliant guy!
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 2:11 PM EST
What a bad joke this guy was. How dreadful that his mug will be minted on one of the new dollar coins.
Posted by Musty2U at 10:56 AM : Feb 23, 2007

I'm sure if one were to check, the bulk of coins used in "peep show" machines will no doubt be the Clintaxian dollar.....just as a kind of salute to the man! LOL
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 2:13 PM EST
You people may not like Bill Clinton, but I never felt true hatred for anyone until after George W. Bush became president. Do you want to know why I posted the Bill of Rights earlier this week? It is because the Bush administration is compromising our rights (the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th amendment rights affected by the USAPATRIOT Act comes to mind...). You conservatives twisted the meaning of the First Amendment with your push to break down the wall between church and State. And on the Second Amendment; Look, no one was ever gonna take your guns!

Dontcha see? The Republicans have been using your passions surrounding certain issues to garner votes.
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 2:27 PM EST
And one more thing: I am a proud American, and I will do anything it takes to prevent us from going over the cliff. I'm taking my country back!
Reply to this comment
by musty2u February 23, 2007 2:37 PM EST
As long as taking your country back does not include having another go with the likes of King Billary
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 2:43 PM EST
I support John Edwards. Hillary should continue on as the U.S. Senator from New York.
Reply to this comment
by processor2 February 23, 2007 2:53 PM EST
Harry S Truman: "The buck stops here"


Bill Clinton: "Show me the bucks"

....

Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 3:13 PM EST
Isn't amazing that any discourse between the right and the left on these blogs degenerates to Bill Clinton's pants?!
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 3:21 PM EST
True. I live in Arkansas, and believe me, before her "First Lady makeover," she was a dog! In fact, she was much of the time Bill was governor. So yeah, ALL of us in Arkansas knew he was a player, but most really empathized (some sympathized) with him!
Reply to this comment
by theusa1st February 23, 2007 3:35 PM EST
Maybe if President Clinton had aggressively gone after the terrorist when we and other countries people where being killed we wouldn't be where we are now. We were attacked many times...what did he do...send a missle or two? I agree...he did do many good things but...I really don't care that he had *** with that woman...what I do care about is that he lied under oath!!! Ya can't deny that.
As for Hillary, she needs a lot more than a touch-up and some paint...very cold indeed!!
Reply to this comment
by gunownerdan February 23, 2007 3:46 PM EST
I'm no bible thumper but sometimes it is good to see what the bible says about rich people like the Bushes and the Clintons.......

"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
-- Matthew 19:24
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 3:54 PM EST
I'm no bible thumper but sometimes it is good to see what the bible says about rich people like the Bushes and the Clintons.......

Posted by GunOwnerDan at 12:46 PM : Feb 23, 2007

I used to LOVE those news shots showing Clinton walking out of church with his bible prominently displayed in his left hand facing the camera. All the while, he's doing a little "thumping" of his own......maybe some of that "old time religion" eh, Monica - and all the rest! :)

Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 3:55 PM EST
theUSA1st, the WTC bombers from 1993 are in jail for the rest of their lives. And he did warn George W. Bush before leaving the presidency that the biggest threat to America is al Qaeda. And we could banter about what Clinton did or did not do as President, but the fact remains that Bush did receive a memo entitled "BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO ATTACK U.S." in August 2001 and he chose to ignore it.
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 4:04 PM EST
"BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO ATTACK U.S." in August 2001 and he chose to ignore it.
Posted by Scott4261 at 12:55 PM : Feb 23, 2007

If that were true, why didn't Clinton take him when the Syrians offered to turn him over to us? More nouvo-lib lies. And spare me the Clinton didn't know what a bad guy he was then routine....that's a bunch of BS.
Reply to this comment
by scott4261 February 23, 2007 4:08 PM EST
It is true, bigwhtpony. But if you can't see by now that President Bush is an incompetent boob beholden to the oil industry and that his administration is corrupt from the top down, then I can't help you.
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 4:17 PM EST
It is true, bigwhtpony. But if you can't see by now that President Bush is an incompetent boob beholden to the oil industry and that his administration is corrupt from the top down, then I can't help you.
Posted by Scott4261 at 01:08 PM : Feb 23, 2007

I'll concede the point that Bush is the wrong man for this point in history, but I disagree with your corruption thesis. Besides, this is the slam Clinton forum! :) His pic is at the top. LOL

Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 4:22 PM EST
One more thing - More Media Bias

Think back to when Bush 1 got out of office and went to Japan. He came back with a couple of million for some speaking engagements.

The press SKEWERED him!!!!! Go look it up (if you can find it.) Man, "selling out the office of the president", and all that BS.

Now look.....Clinton.......what a man. 40 million dollars.....what a guy.....what a stud. The double standard is pathetic - really, it is.
Reply to this comment
by processor2 February 23, 2007 4:29 PM EST
Harry S Truman: "The buck stops here"


Bill Clinton: "Show me the bucks"

....
Reply to this comment
by bigwhtpony February 23, 2007 5:24 PM EST
BBB = Big Bucks Bill LOL
Reply to this comment
by mbcsmith February 23, 2007 5:56 PM EST
Don't all those who contributed to the Clinton defense fund feal really foolish now? Just another scam perpetrated by the Clintons.

Reply to this comment
by gunnerv1 February 23, 2007 6:34 PM EST
Hey bigwhtpony: we are "neocons" they are "paleiolibs"
Reply to this comment
by gunownerdan February 23, 2007 7:01 PM EST
In politics, it pays to be a prostitute.
Reply to this comment
by taddles-2009 February 23, 2007 8:49 PM EST
"And they say it doesn't pay to be a crook..$4o millions worth..HHHHHMMMMMMMM
Posted by FARTKNOCKER2 at 03:40 PM : Feb 23, 2007"

Your right, Cheney only made 39 million off his Haliburton stock since starting his little war...what's that been about 4 years...so he's about on par or a little over for Bill. Nothing like starting your own war to line your pockets huh.
Reply to this comment
by taddles-2009 February 23, 2007 8:52 PM EST
"Harry S Truman: "The buck stops here"

Bill Clinton: "Show me the bucks"

....
Posted by processor2 at 01:29 PM : Feb 23, 2007"

George W Bush: "Just back that treasury truck up to the back door, me and ***'ll take it from there"
Reply to this comment
by kwlambi February 23, 2007 9:57 PM EST
hey USA last 20 years, Bush, Clinton Bush Clinton? wake up America! Stupid is as stupid does...
Reply to this comment
by bildooreilly February 23, 2007 11:32 PM EST
The Bush-Clinton crime family sure is getting rich selling off america. They all belong in jail.
Reply to this comment
by nvme3 February 24, 2007 7:10 AM EST
Lying about a blowejob was the best the repubs could do. lets see hmm domestically he created a budget surplus, he created programs to reduce welfare rolls through workfare, prosecuted the 93'wtc bombers(you can visit them at supermax). Internationally stopped the genocide in bosnia, helped stabilize haiti.
Reply to this comment
by liteguy February 24, 2007 4:51 PM EST
For Mr. Clinton to make that kind of money just for him to talk....he must have something worthwhile to say.
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