Does that treadmill have an incline?

The AP reports today that Bill Clinton is appearing in another campaign video for Hillary – and this time, he’s on a treadmill:

WASHINGTON (AP) â€“ Get that man an Actors’ Equity card. Bill Clinton is developing a side line as top performer on his wife’s comic Web videos.

First was the Sopranos send up with the former president lamenting the lack of onion rings at the hometown diner. Now comes a video for young Iowa voters reassuring them that participating in the state’s caucuses on behalf of Hillary Rodham Clinton on Jan. 3 is simple.

It opens with Clinton huffing on a treadmill envisioning a double cheeseburger. Can you say typecasting?

The point? “Exercising is hard,” an announcer intones.

And also difficult, apparently, is taking an unwavering position on an issue.

You can view the video here.

In related news, the problems with questionable contributions/fundraising just keep rolling in for the Clinton campaign (h/t: Memeorandum):

Three recipients of controversial 11th-hour pardons issued by former President Bill Clinton in January 2001 have donated thousands of dollars to the presidential campaign of his wife, Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., according to campaign finance records examined by ABC News, in what some good government groups said created an appearance of impropriety.

“It’s not illegal,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told ABC News. “But, of course, it’s inappropriate and she should return the money. It does raise the appearance that this is payback.

“One can only hope that she wasn’t yet aware of who made the donations,” said Sloan.

“We have raised over $65 million from over 200,000 people,” said Clinton campaign manager Howard Wolfson, adding sarcastically, “I appreciate your bringing the instance of this $5,300 and these three people to our attention.”

LOL. Sure he does.

Different day, same Clintons.

Prior:

3 Responses to "Does that treadmill have an incline?"

PCD says:

November 15, 2007 at 2:36 pm

Brian at Liberty Pundit put up a thread where you can post the questions you’d like to see asked La Clinton and the rest of the Democrats “Debating” tonight.

Post your questions

Maybe some smart person will pass these to Blitzer and challenge him to prove his testicles aren’t in Hillary’s lockbox by asking them.
NC Cop says:

November 15, 2007 at 4:39 pm

“One can only hope that she wasn’t yet aware of who made the donations” said Sloan.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

I guess you can’t be too hard on Hillary though. I mean if she had a dime for every donor who WASN’T a criminal, she’d have………20 cents.

Oh, wait, I forgot about her husband, make that 10 cents.
gary fouse says:

November 20, 2007 at 7:52 pm

The Clinton Library- Built on Bribes?

I recall a time either in the last days of the Clinton Administration or shortly afterward when Bill Clinton was being interviewed. (I don’t remember who the interviewer was.) Mr Clinton was asked how he envisioned the Clinton Library (not yet built). His answer was (I am paraphrasing) that he envisioned the library as a “beacon of hope” for the poor and dispossessed of the world. My immediate, sarcastic reaction was to imagine a poor homeless beggar on the streets of Calcutta looking into the sky, seeing the shining beacon of the Clinton Library and thinking that a better day was coming. Yeah, right. Now that the (165 million dollar) library has been built, and certain information has leaked out, the question begs to be asked: How was this library built and on whose money? Consider the following.

The Marc Rich Pardon

In the last days of the Clinton presidency, one of the beneficiaries of a Clinton pardon was the fugitive finncier, Marc Rich, subject of an international arrest warrant, but living in Switzerland. The pardon was arranged by Rich’s ex-wife, Denise Rich, a comely lady who dropped some $450,000 dollars for the Clinton Library into Bill’s lap (and who knows what else).

The pardon was especially controversial since the Justice Department (which was actively trying to capture Rich) had not signed on to the pardon, as is normal procedure. In fact, the pardon caught them completely by surprise. According to an article by the BBC dated 2-10-01, Mrs Rich made 3 donations from July 1998 to May 2000. Mr Rich was pardoned on Clinton’s last day in office. Mrs Rich subsequently took the 5th Amendment before Congress. Also taking the 5th was the finance chair of the Democratic Party, Beth Dozoretz, who was involved in brokering the pardon.

Pardon of Rick Hendrick

An article in the Charlotte Observer dated 2-27-2001 by Peter Wallsten reported on Rick Hendrick, a Charlotte car dealer, who had pleaded guilty in a bribery case and was later pardoned by Clinton and the possible connection to a donation made to the Clinton Library by Hendrick. In his pardon application, Hendrick reportedly included a reference from his longtime friend and Bank of America CEO, Hugh McCall Jr., also a political ally of Clinton. Hendrick’s pardon was issued on December 22, less than 3 weeks after the Bank of America Foundation made a $500,000 donation to the Clinton Library. According to the story, Hendrick’s lawyer denied any connection between the donation and the pardon.

Global Crossing

This venture group was founded by Gary Winnick and three other associates in 1997. In spite of its rapid rise worldwide, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankrupcy in January, 2002, one of the biggest bankruptcies in American history (see Wikipedia). In the aftermath, Winnick’s profligate spending habits came under scrutiny. It has been reported that Winnick was instrumental in helping former DNC chairman and Clinton crony, Terry McAuliffe of turning a $100,000 investment into a $18,000,000 profit. McAuliffe sold his shares of Globing Crossing shortly before the company went bankrupt. Along the way, Winnick reportedly contributed $1,000,000 to the Clinton Library.

Bill Lerach

Lerach was involved with an unscrupulous securities firm called Milberg Weiss, which has been indicted as a “racketeering enterprise”, and which engaged in perjury, bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice while representing phony clients who claimed to have been cheated as investors (see syndicated column by George Will dated 11-19 07). Lerach has recently pleaded guilty and is facing jail time, according to Will’s column. (He was, until his plea, a fundraiser for John Edwards.) More importantly to this article, Lerach was another one of those famous Lincoln Bedroom guests during the Clinton Administration and contributed $100,000 to the Clinton Library fund. According to Will’s article, shortly after Lerach’s visit to a White House dinner, Clinton vetoed a bill that would have restricted class action lawsuits.

In spite of all the questions (or perhaps because of the questions), the Clinton Library has, to this point, not opened its records as to the contributors who helped build the library. (Presidential libraries are built by private donations, not public funds, and there is no legal requirement to identify donors.) According to the above-mentioned BBC article, Congress, in its investigation of the pardons, wanted to obtain a donor list for the library, which Clinton attorney lawyer, David Kendall resisted. A compromise was eventually reached, by which a partial donor list was provided.

In an article in the Chicago Tribune by Mike Dorning dated 11-12-07, almost 3 years after its opening, only a few records have been opened for the public’s inspection at the Clinton Library. This, of course, also includes any records pertaining to Mrs Clinton’s involvement in the Administration that she continually quotes as qualifying experience in her quest for the presidency. According to the article, only 23 requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act have been granted (out of a total of 397 requests). These requests would also help clear up questions of monies paid to Hillary’s brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham by recipients of Clinton pardons.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t much care for the idea of presidential libraries to begin with. The idea is good, to be a source of valuable historical research, but it seems that many of these places exist for the primary reason of immortalizing and glorifying the particular president in question. That they would also be a method of accepting money for political favors and pardons is really troubling. I don’t doubt that many of the contributions came from people of good intentions. The Clinton Library, however, reminds me of so many of those luxury hotels built in Mexico on drug money.

gary fouse
fousesquawk

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