We have been discussing the rather fascinating role of wealth in American politics rather Hillary Clinton’s repeated flubs in claiming to be “dead broke” after leaving the White House and struggling like other Americans to cover tuition and mortgage costs (here and here and here). Despite the fact that most of our leading candidates are fantastically rich, they still feel the need to show voters that they feel their pain. With the Clintons, the new pitch feel flat with even usually favorable media outlets mocking Hillary over her statements. Now Bill Clinton has tried his hand at reviving the new narrative of a working couple done good. Bill Clinton has insisted that the claim of being broke is “factually true” since they had legal debts. However, everyone in Washington knows that these debts to Democratic law firms is funny money and that these firms would have closed shop rather than pursue the Clintons for payment. The debts, as is always the case, was quickly paid off by Clinton supporters, lobbyists, and others interested in helping the powerful couple. It was debt on paper alone and both Clintons were looking at massive windfalls after leaving the White House. It comes down to the meaning of “debt” to paraphrase a certain president. In the meantime, Joe Biden has tried his hand at the “poorer than thou” pitch.
Bill Clinton insisted that Hillary is “not out of touch” when she claimed that they were “dead broke” and later told the Guardian that voters “don’t see me as part of the problem” with income inequality in the United States “because we pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names; and we’ve done it through the dint of hard work.”
Bill Clinton returned to the claim that it is “factually true” that his family was several million dollars in debt. However, he did not claim that any of these law firms had taken any action to force payment of the debt or address the obvious intention for supporters to pay off the debt. CNN documented that Clinton earned $106 million by making speeches from the end of his presidency through January 2013. Hillary Clinton has pulled in $200,000 a speech and was criticized for receiving $500,000 in one week from Goldman Sachs .
Bill Clinton dug the hole deeper with this rather dubious comment: “Everybody now assumes that what happened in the intervening years was automatic. I’m shocked that it’s happened. I’m shocked that people still want me to come give talks. And so I’m grateful.” The “shocked, shocked” claim was even less convincing than when uttered by Claude Rains. Everybody predicted Clinton would pull in massive bucks on the speaking trail and it was widely discussed before he left the White House. Moreover, he had already started to arrange for such work given the almost immediate speaking engagements.
It is becoming a snowballing disaster for the Clintons as they struggle to portray the image of “country done good.” I am not sure why wealth is so polarizing in American politics to the extent that these super rich candidates have to engage in such desperate re-invention. I do not believe that most people hold great animosity for the super rich while they harbor anger over any special deals or tax shelters. The Clintons have been famous for their army of speechwriters and political advisers shaping every word and gesture — as did candidates like Mitt Romney. However, the rollout of this new narrative has been a disaster. When Hillary later insisted that taking a quarter of a million dollars a speech was commendable thing as opposed to “getting connected with any one group or company,” it triggered analysis on recipts of half a million dollars from companies like Goldman Sachs and revived the scandal of over how a Tysons Food executive arranged for Hillary to invest $1000 to make $100,000 in roughly ten months. While most of us are cringing at the spin, the Clintons appear to see no alternative but to plow ahead on the narrative.
The new claim that Clinton was surprised that people would pay him so much for speeches entirely undermined the credibility of his defense. It played into the view of many voters that our leaders can no longer distinction spin from the truth or at least have little respect for voters to see the difference.
What I thought was equally fascinating was how, as Hillary was struggling with the “dead broke” narrative, Joe Biden (who also wants to be the next nominee), just coincidentally revealed that he does not even have a savings account and will have to live off his government pension. That claim was reviewed by the Pulitzer prize winning organization Politifact. Earlier, the nonpartisan Politifact found Hillary’s comments to be largely false and implausible. Biden fairly only slightly better with a finding that it is “half true” which may be a high for American politicians. The group noted that “Biden also holds four checking accounts, two of which he shares with his wife. In addition, he holds six life insurance policies with Mass Mutual. The Bidens reported an adjusted gross income of $407,099 last year, including his vice presidential salary of $230,700.” He will also receive a $5 million “transition budget” for moving expenses, security, and other incidentals upon leaving office.
Biden is still more credible on this subject as one of the least wealthiest members of the Senate when he represented Delaware. However, it is a narrative that will sit poorly with many citizens regardless of the party. Ironically, conservative figures like Clarence Thomas has a real and compelling story of growing up in poverty. In the end however there is a difference between powerful Americans claiming to be sympathetic with the poor and going even further to having been one of the working stiffs. Ironically, both Clintons have an admirable commitment to the poor and a demonstrated history of working on their behalf. They have street cred on the issue. That is what is so bizarre because this continued effort to claiming to have been dead broke has only alienated voters in an area where the Clintons should rightfully be given great credit.
And the campaign season has not even officially begun . . .
Source: USA Today
Nick – all they need to do is get access to those servers, which by contract must save all data for 3 years after the termination of their contract.
I’ll wager she’ll sing like a canary then.
You know what I really want? Accountability. And that includes letting us fire poor performing or abusive government employees. As per usual, union employees are unfireable. And Democrats voted along party lines against a bill that would have allowed us to fire anyone responsible for the VA scandal where dozens of vets died. People DIED and the union and Democrats still will not allow us to fire people.
And this is what comes of having no accountability.
I actually hope that Hillary does not snap out of it, and continues to make these blunders. After the debacle of her tenure in the State Department, and her well-documented history of lying, I do not want her running this country.
I do not want any non-fiscal-conservative Democrat in office because I want Obamacare repealed. No middle class, non-subsidized family can possibly afford it. Here in CA, 75% of doctors cannot afford to accept Obamacare plans. I pay over $900/month for the 3 of us, with a $6,000/person deductible, and yet I still have to pay out of pocket to see a doctor or fill a prescription. My old insurance was so affordable, and I could see any doctor I wanted.
Clearly, Democrats recognize that there would be riots in the streets if the employer mandate hit, which is why they delayed it until after the election. The question is if people will be so naive and willfully blind as to allow themselves to be so easily manipulated.
If Obamacare was so wonderful, they why was it delayed for most people? As someone suffering under it, I cannot imagine any Democrat could hold on to office, even in Detroit, once it hits the rest of the unsuspecting public.
So I hope that Democrats don’t wise up, and keep making these gaffs, like claiming how wonderful Obamacare is (even though the majority of the public wants it revoked or changed), or that they are poor with a net worth of $100 million. Keep making those mistakes so we can get them all out and let other parties pick up the pieces.
Karen – we know that Hillary can lie with a straight face, we know she can cover up and we know she is capable of destroying anyone who gets in her way. We also know she did not write her own books. She says it took a month to recover from the head injury, Bill said it took three months, which of the two liars do we believe?
Bob – excellent analogy with Jody Arias.
I particularly enjoy the proposed bill that would allow taxpayers to use the same excuses with the IRS that the IRS itself has used.
Saucy – yes, things made in America (or Germany) are usually of much better quality.
But anyone who bought an expensive iPhone bought something made in China.
There is an argument to be made about a society that wants lots of “stuff.” But my question for you is, can you go through your house and find anything made in China? Like your dishes, for example? Your flatware? Pans? Your drywall? Your technology? Just take a walk and see. I’ll wager that the majority of what’s in your house is not made in America. And since you are posting on a blog, one can assume you have your own computer, which is not made in America.
Buying made-in-America is a laudable goal. And of course we all dislike the shipping of jobs overseas. I am just trying to put things in perspective.
jim, The most likely scenario will be this. Lerner was just an errand girl for WH operatives. Congress needs to keep up the pressure on Lerner, retrieving her emails by any means necessary. At some point she decides to save her own lying ass. There is NO OMERTA in DC. She comes to Congress w/ a proffer. She’ll say, I’ll give up this person and that person but I want immunity. Then, the shit hits the fan.
on 1, June 26, 2014 at 12:04 pmswarthmoremom
It would be a walk in the park to defend Hillary against the Rush Limbaugh and Phyllis Schaffly types that post here. Much, much harder to defend her against charges from the left.
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Exactly right. When compared to any Republican candidate on the horizon, Clinton will win big, despite any baggage she carries.
SWM, The war to protect the Queen will have 3 phalanx. The left, right, and middle. There’s blood in the water. Only Republicans believe in the “it’s his/her turn.” What about this Irishman from Maryland?
Bob, I’m trying to figure out how this thing is going to play out. Is there a smoking gun? Will they throw Lerner’s ass in jail? Or is it better to keep her around and keep applying the heat until she breaks? Is there a bombshell they are waiting to drop closer to November? When will the press treat this as big as the lesser story “Bridgegate”?
@Jim22
I’d love to stay and chat, but my hillbilly dosimeter is maxed out.
Use of urinal pucks in general is quite sanitary.
Should read: It reminded me of the right wing suckups in congress that allowed G.W. Bush to use the THE CONSTITUTION AS A urinal puck during his two terms.
Jim22: “Bob, And yet the Dems sat there and apologized to the smug turtle like Koskinen.”
Yes, that was disgusting.
It reminded me of the right wing suckups in congress that allowed G.W. Bush to use the urinal puck during his two terms.
bettykath, Regulations only help the large established business’ that have bought the politicians and help right the regs in their favor. I seriously doubt you will find the majority of small business’ asking, “Please regulate me more and save me from my own greed”. Regulations also set up a system primed for crony capitalism.
Greed is why you bother to get up in the morning. I wish more people would act on their greed so they would stop doing things like having babies they can’t afford or asking the govt. to steal more of my property to give to them.
Joe does give nice sound bites though.
Biden is entitled to both his Congressional and Vice Presidential pensions. Even if he gets one or the other, it is good pension money. And if the law is changed he will get a kicker for Secret Service protection. Joe Biden is not ‘poor poor’ if he does not have a savings account it is because he doesn’t need one. They only pay 1% right now anyway.
Saucy – “Ah, yes, the statement ignorant righties always use. Hint: companies like Apple, Intel, and Microsoft do not have unions.”
Gee, I wonder why they don’t? You are proving my point. Also, do you really believe Apple makes everything here?
Your reply to Karen shows your ignorance for innovation. Spoken like a true socialist. We should all be forced to use a 40 year old Western Electric phone. People demanded color TV or moving picture shows or indoor plumbing or … Go find a cave and live happily ever after. But you’re the smart one.
Saucy, Here’s a link:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/opinion/sunday/24friedman.html?_r=0
Bob, And yet the Dems sat there and apologized to the smug turtle like Koskinen.
Nick S,SWM, ” It’s going to be a LOOOONG 2 years defending Queen Hillary. I hope you’re down to your fighting weight!” It would be a walk in the park to defend Hillary against the Rush Limbaugh and Phyllis Schaffly types that post here. Much, much harder to defend her against charges from the left.
swarthmoremom wrote “Thomas Friedman wanted to start a centrist third party in 2012”
I did not know that. That is farcical, given his constant “I just had lunch with so-and-so” and “I just returned from country X” commentary. Also, he is a raving apologist for outsourcing. Given that he married a billionaire and then chides people for not being able to find their way in this globalized world, he is the last person who should start a party.
“I think the third and fourth parties will be on the far right and possibly the far left”
You could be right, but that might trigger something because it would place front-and-center the fact that the political elites are 100% out-of-touch with the middle class who congregate in the center. If soccer moms were predisposed to anarchy, we’d already be in a revolution.