Clinton, Romney Are Wealthiest Candidates

Filings Show Hillary Has Almost $50M In Bank; Romney May Have Up To $250M

(AP)  Former President Clinton made more than $10 million in paid speeches last year, according to new filings that show he and his presidential-candidate wife have at least $10 million in the bank, and may have closer to $50 million.

According to financial disclosure forms made public Thursday, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton hold two accounts, each valued at somewhere between $5 and $25 million. One is an old-fashioned bank account; the other is a blind trust.

The reports indicate that when it comes to family wealth, Clinton is the wealthiest of the members of Congress running for president. Of all the presidential candidates, only Mitt Romney, whose assets are between $190 million and $250 million, may lay claim to being more affluent.

Republican Sen. John McCain's family wealth is almost exclusively held by his wife, Cindy. An heiress to a major beer distribution company, Cindy McCain has several trust funds, money markets and other accounts, some more than $1 million.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and his wife, Michelle, reported assets ranging from $460,000 to $1.1 million. Those assets don't include options in Tree House Foods, a food distribution firm on whose board Michelle Obama served. Michelle Obama stepped down from the board recently.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., listed as one of his major assets a cottage in County Galway, Ireland, worth between $100,001 and $250,000. He reported earning rent from the cottage of between $5,001 and $15,000. His wife, Jackie, has money market funds, IRAs and stock in companies, including Blockbuster Inc.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., listed bank accounts and life insurance policies worth between $19,000 and $110,000. He receives a teaching stipend from Widener University where he has been an adjunct law professor since 1991. His wife teaches at the Delaware Technical and Community College.

Most of the presidential candidates serving in the Senate reported income from books. Obama was the most successful, reporting $572,490 in royalties for one book and an advance for a second. Hillary Clinton's own book profits are declining, years after her "Living History" became a best-seller in 2003. She reported royalties of $350,000 for the book last year. Dodd received a $30,000 advance for "Letter from Nuremberg." His father was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals.

Most of the presidential candidates filed financial disclosures last month to the Federal Election Commission and the Office of Government Ethics. Among the leading candidates, however, Clinton, McCain and Romney received extensions because the Office of Government Ethics wants them to open up their blind trusts.

The reports filed with the Senate by Clinton and McCain list the blind trusts, but don't disclose what is in them.

Former President Clinton upped his speechmaking money from the previous year, garnering some $10.2 million in payments, compared with about $7.5 million the year before.

The Clintons had a much more pedestrian income when he ran for president in 1992. If Sen. Clinton's 2008 presidential bid is successful, they will enter the White House a very rich couple.

Six years out of power, Bill Clinton can still raise huge sums with a personal appearance. He made a staggering $450,000 for a single September speech in London, at a Fortune Forum event, as well as $200,000 for an April appearance in the Bahamas to speak to IBM, and another $200,000 for a New York speech to General Motors.

The former president's earnings must be reported as the spouse of a senator. Disclosure rules do not require him to reveal everything. He received an advance from Random House for an unpublished manuscript, but is only required to say that it was greater than $1,000.

He also did not have to say how much he earns as a partner with Yucaipa Global Opportunities Fund, a Los Angeles-based investment firm.

[gunownerdan]

Oligarchy-
a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.

Aristocracy-
a government or state ruled by an elite, or privileged upper class.

Plutocracy-
a government or state in which the wealthy class rules.

Voting has become meaningless when you only have 2 choices and both can basically purchase their party's nomination.

[fredgrad2000]

"As for selling out the country to the Saudis, have you examined the Bush-Bin Laden connections???" - ainttaken

Aren't you at least going to quote your "source" for this BS? Michael Moore - always a valid informational source; or MoveOn.org - the wonderful organization controlled by an egocentric foreign billionaire who's idea of democracy is threatening our Dem "leaders" each morning on a conference call where weak, weak liberal "leaders" such as Harry Reid (what a wimp that guy is) feel it necessary to denigrate our military men (General Pace and Petraeus) in order to curry their favor. Anyone who doesn't tow the MoveOn/Soros line? Ask Joe Lieberman - a lifelong democrat with a 90% liberal rating over the years!!! 90% - not good enough for MoveOn.org!!!

[prinzowhales]

Looks like the bribes to the Clin'toons are no longer coming in the form of cattle futures profits but through speech-making fees. Does anyone actually believe that Clinton had anything to say that was worth anywhere near the sum of $200,000 to the stockholders of GM and IBM? By-the-by, did they ever find whose blond hair was inside the undershorts of the murdered Vince Foster? Did they solve any of those 'Arkansas suicides' of Clinton enemies...a couple of dozen or so? That this woman has any support at all is testimony to the lack of even a short term memory among most Americans.

[germanmom]

Don't you sometimes wonder where they get these pictures? It reveals how the writer feels about the person. So much for objective reporting.

[jwhitmann]

Bill Clinton is a loser? He WON two presidential elections by SIGNIFICANT numbers
Posted by CNERNON at 07:27 PM : Jun 14, 2007

NO HE DIDN'T, YOU IDIOT...REMEMBER ROSS PEROT

1992 election

Clinton - 43 percent
Bush I - 38 percent
Perot - 19 percent

2000 election

Clinton got 49 percent, that's it;
the rest was split with Dole/Nader/Perot.

At least Bush,Jr got OVER 50 percent of the vote,
something Clinton NEVER did.

[jwhitmann]

Bill Clinton is a loser? He WON two presidential elections by SIGNIFICANT numbers
Posted by CNERNON at 07:27 PM : Jun 14, 2007

NO HE DIDN'T, YOU IDIOT...REMEMBER ROSS PEROT

1992 election

Clinton - 43 percent
Bush I - 38 percent
Perot - 19 percent

2000 election

Clinton got 49 percent, that's it;
the rest was split with Dole/Nader/Perot.

At least Bush,Jr got OVER 50 percent of the vote,
something Clinton NEVER did.

[jwhitmann]

Bill Clinton is a loser? He WON two presidential elections by SIGNIFICANT numbers
Posted by CNERNON at 07:27 PM : Jun 14, 2007

NO HE DIDN'T, YOU IDIOT...REMEMBER ROSS PEROT

1992 election

Clinton - 43 percent
Bush I - 38 percent
Perot - 19 percent

2000 election

Clinton got 49 percent, that's it;
the rest was split with Dole/Nader/Perot.

At least Bush,Jr got OVER 50 percent of the vote,
something Clinton NEVER did.

[jwhitmann]

Bill Clinton is a loser? He WON two presidential elections by SIGNIFICANT numbers
Posted by CNERNON at 07:27 PM : Jun 14, 2007

NO HE DIDN'T, YOU IDIOT...REMEMBER ROSS PEROT

1992 election

Clinton - 43 percent
Bush I - 38 percent
Perot - 19 percent

2000 election

Clinton got 49 percent, that's it; the rest was split with Dole/Nader/Perot.

At least Bush,Jr got OVER 50 percent of the vote,
something Clinton NEVER did.

[jwhitmann]

Bill Clinton is a loser? He WON two presidential elections by SIGNIFICANT numbers
Posted by CNERNON at 07:27 PM : Jun 14, 2007

NO HE DIDN'T, YOU IDIOT...REMEMBER ROSS PEROT

1992 election

Clinton - 43 percent
Bush I - 38 percent
Perot - 19 percent

2000 election

Clinton got 49 percent, that's it; the rest was split with Dole/Nader/Perot.

At least Bush,Jr got OVER 50 percent of the vote,
something Clinton NEVER did.

[gkc99]

So all the Righties are so concerned about Hilly, but nobody wonders where Romney came up with $200 mill?

Did he sell those "plates of gold" or what?

[acauble1]

Oligarchy-
a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.

Aristocracy-
a government or state ruled by an elite, or privileged upper class.

Plutocracy-
a government or state in which the wealthy class rules.

These are your choices!!!!

Posted by GunOwnerDan at 05:13 PM : Jun 14, 2007
............


I'll chose '21st Century Revolution' for $500 Alex!

[katg21]

Hillary's rich? According to all you dems only repubs are rich?

[fredgrad2000]

Clinton, Romney Are Wealthiest Candidates....and also the most likely to change their views for whatever audience they are put in front of; close 3rd - Edwards; never seen anyone run so hard to the left!! And he still is going down in flames!!

[frb01]

Considering the fact when they exited the White House the house in NY was their biggest asset, the Clintons have done well for themselves. Now I wonder if the media will have a field day with this like they have with John Edwards assets. We will see if it is equal opportunity reporting, or if it goes away.

[gunownerdan]

Oligarchy-
a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.

Aristocracy-
a government or state ruled by an elite, or privileged upper class.

Plutocracy-
a government or state in which the wealthy class rules.

These are your choices!!!!

[hypnotoad72]

So when they speak to their audience, should they prove they are talking to Americans who make less than $100k/yr, which is about 95% of us, and not those who make more?

Both sides say a lot of truths. Both sides say a lot of lies. It's politics; especially the latter. However, if either candidate can show just how much of the last 6 months' worth of tax cuts has positively affected our paychecks, that person would get my vote. And unlike most Americans, I don't mind a complex answer.

[donnie900]

How did Mitten get rich?

[infidel_us]

Puh-leeeze--i'm no fan of " Hil" ..but she's done far more to have "earned" her money

Right. Like setting up a faux foundation for tax evasion......take in 5 mil, give out 1.25 mil.

Or maybe her loser husband, hound doggie Bill, running around giving speeches over in Saudi Arabia - sailing his country down the river.....sort of like he did when he occupied the white house.

Or maybe taking $500 thou a year from a company that bilks the elderly and the infirmed.

They "earned" it alright.

[mbcsmith]

By the way, I gave a little money to the Clinton defense fund and feel in no way ripped-off. He was much better for my family and the country than the Chimp. Also, Clinton has earned his money based on his own performance/actions - unlike GW who was born 'successful', bailed out of two bankruptcies, and landed a job at the T-Rangers because his daddy called an old friend...
Posted by bflong at 03:42 PM : Jun 14, 2007

LOL... LOL again. You gave the Clinton's money and are happy about it? LOL! A fool and his money...

[Syndicate]

I don't like either one of them.