Thorny thicket of Bill and Hillary Clinton conflicts?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/06/24/art.clintonsob.gi.jpg]Editor’s Note: Leslie Sanchez is a former adviser to President Bush and CEO of Impacto Group, which specializes in market research about women and Hispanics for its corporate and nonprofit clients.
Leslie Sanchez | Bio
CNN Political Contributor
Republican Strategist
While Hillary Clinton's nomination to be secretary of state has dominated coverage of the transition, the nation's attention hasn't yet focused on the thorny thicket of potential conflicts of interest involving Bill Clinton's fundraising (both for himself and for his foundation) across the globe.
It should. The man has been a globe-trotting vacuum cleaner, virtually sucking up cash wherever it can be found.
True, Clinton has finally agreed to make public the 208,000 donors to the Clinton foundation, and he's agreed to submit future business enterprises and speeches for further scrutiny.
"If she is going to be secretary of state and I operate globally and I have people who contribute to these efforts globally," the former president told CNN, "I think that it's important to make it totally transparent."
Nevertheless, Clinton's jet-set moneymaking has already presented ethics lawyers with a confounding thicket, and his future endeavors may prove even more troublesome in the years to come.
Sure, a lot of the money Bill Clinton has raised may go to worthy causes, and there's no indication his wife will personally profit from it. Still, his global fundraising will create at least the appearance of serious conflicts when Hillary Clinton meets with leaders of countries in which he's been active.
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Filed under: Bill Clinton • Hillary Clinton • Leslie Sanchez • Raw Politics |
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Thank you Leslie! I am really hoping this is a time in our American politics when we get past partisanship and move toward working together to heal our nation! Economically we are bleeding, our education system is failing our children, our health care is failing our children, the poor, and the aged. It is time to get together and go forward not falling for the divisive
distractions,but falling into a partnership together!
KSuzanne from San Leandro, CA
Please Ms. Sanchez,
"the man is a virtual vacuum cleaner sucking up cash wherever it can be found" Is this political commentary? I am glad that the disclosure statements partially prepared me for the bias expressed in your article. But, even so you are over the top with vitriolic Clinton-bashing. The "man" as you call him, President Clinton was almost impeached and hung out to dry with graphic descriptions of his illicit sexual activity, and is still seen as one of the most effective presidents we have had in this country. You do mention begrudgingly that his funraising does often benefit "worthy causes". Are these sour grapes speaking? How does this compare to bankrupting our country by going to war and having friends' corporations rake in the profits at the expense of our sons and daughters? Discussing ethics like the Republicans are the sole defenders of righteousness is an affront to all of us struggling in the wake of YOUR party's squandering of the previous prosperity. Ask anyone still scrambling for basic food and shelter in New Orleans what they think of the ethics of the past administration. Opinion is one thing, but shame on you and CNN for publishing such blatant, well you know. Where has the journalism gone? While there are issues here to be investigated, facts instead of predjudice would be nice.
Contibutor, your comments are nauseating. You have identified a non existent and POTENTIAL only POSSIBLE issue. Like it or not sir, governments have to deal with the people in POWER, and Bill will not be there. If he publicly or privately steps out of line in future Obama can squash them both by syaing that is not the policy of this government and fir Hilary if necessary. ( Very unlikely events in both cases).
So alex here here you are right produce the evidence ( not UNFOUNDEDsuggestion or innuendo first and then let the punishment fit the crime if any.
Meanwhile Leslie he has been doing this for 8 years already and I have not heard anything about this so called "Influence" on Bush policy. Also Hilary ran for Presidential nomination let alone Sec of state. This is pure total unadulterated media speculation at its worst.
It is certainly not news or a viable discussion at this time. At best it is gossip and scurrilous gossip at that!
Regards,
Hodgson.
How is this any different than the conflict of interest with Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld or anyone else that has done business all over the world? It looks like the powers that be are look to start a problem where there isn't one.
Leslie,
Gives us all a break and knock off the Republican playbook rhetoric of "Clinton bashing" until you have something more substantial in terms of "evidence" rather than suggestion and innuendo. Perhaps you forget the conditions of prosperity that most Americans enjoyed during the Clinton Presidency. As a Republican, I listened to your lines leading up to the election and you flatly came up short. You must subscribe to the "Carl Rove Book of Politics" and is further evidence of why the Republicans lost the election and why the Republican Party needs to be rebuilt adn get back to the values of truth, honesty and integrity. Get the goods on someone before you start crying foul. That way nobody can question your motivation. Right now, your motivations are truly suspect!