The only question left for Hillary — what else are you hiding?
For Hillary Clinton, the hits just keep on coming.
Each day brings more evidence that she used her position as Secretary of State to recruit donors for the Clinton Foundation and rewarded them with government favors. The most recent batch of e-mails released under court order show that, in some cases, a hefty foundation “gift” was required just to get an audience with Madame Secretary.
Then there’s the Associated Press report that half of her meetings involved foundation donors, and the separate 15,000 additional e-mails from her tenure that were discovered by the FBI. The developments mean there will be a drip, drip, drip of damning evidence all the way to November.
Yet the more we know about Hillary’s dirty deeds, the less sense it all makes. Even as the slimy details pile up, the central mystery remains unresolved: Why?
Why did she set up a private e-mail server she had to know would be revealed? Why did she continue to do favors for foundation donors when she had promised the ObamaWhite House she would not mix foundation work with official duties?
Most important, why would she risk a likely sure thing — her election as president — by committing clear ethical transgressions and setting herself up for allegations of criminal behavior?
Remember, all the things dogging her now, and giving Donald Trump ammunition, were things she did after losing to Barack Obama in 2008. She knew then she would run in 2016, so why was she so reckless?
Indeed, I wrote soon after she agreed to join the Cabinet in late 2008 that a source in her camp told me she would serve through Obama’s first term only, resign to write a book and begin to run for president again.
That’s exactly what she did, except she also created all the problems that could lead to her being thwarted again.
The easy answers about why she did what she did are too obvious: She wanted to get rich and she didn’t want anyone to know her business.
Throw in her chronic paranoia and sense of entitlement, and she and Hubby Dearest had a rationale for thinking they were above the law. They’d escaped his impeachment trial, so they believed they had lifetime immunity.
All true, but too simple, and it’s impossible to believe that’s all there is. There has to be more, probably something so big and awful it would destroy her if it’s discovered.
Remember, the Clintons were absolutely determined to get back to the White House, which would be the ultimate vindication of their public lives. Victory would make them unique in American history, so it doesn’t make sense that they would risk throwing it all away for the obvious — and ordinary — benefits already revealed.
The added riches they collected through what I believe are corrupt actions weren’t necessary. They were getting legitimately rich on his and her book contracts alone.
And what difference would another donation make to the foundation, which was already swimming in more money than it could spend?
Because none of this adds up to a coherent explanation, I believe we are still in the dark about a hidden bombshell. There must be a secret Unholy Grail that explains her self-destructive behavior of stonewalling and lying.
I won’t speculate what the Clintons are hiding because my gifts of imagination are no match for theirs. They always had a knack for pioneering new ways of selling access. No president had ever thought of renting out the Lincoln Bedroom until they did it.
The sleazy act that so outraged the nation then seems positively quaint now, thanks to the creative ways they’ve monetized power since leaving the White House. Now they could afford to buy the furniture they tried to steal on their way out the door then!
Of course, I could be wrong. I could be giving them far too much credit.
Maybe the Clintons really are just ordinary grifters, con artists who enjoy the thrill of pulling off the scam. Maybe it’s not even about the money.
Then again, it’s always about the money, one way or another.
And so, as with Watergate, with Bernie Madoff and now with the Clintons, the advice to all gumshoes is the same: follow the money. Whatever deep, dark secret they are hiding, the money will lead us to it.
Media is Hill-bent on demise
The enormous response to my column on the collapse of standards in American journalism was overwhelmingly positive — and also dispiriting.
Among those writing in agreement was a large contingent who said they were not surprised because they had long ago lost all trust in the networks, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
I was also struck by the current and former journalists who expressed distress over the partisan attacks on Donald Trump in their news organizations. A writer who identified himself as a CNN producer called the network “Clinton Campaign Headquarters” and said “it makes me sick.”
Lisa Myers, a respected investigative reporter, writes this: “I spent 33 mostly great years at NBC News and left mid contract partly because of what we are now seeing.
Sadly, I agree with almost every word of this column . . . about the death of journalism. And they are having so much fun trying to destroy Trump they don’t see the self-destruction. Sickening.”
And Brooke Monroe writes, “As a previous Houston Chronicle reporter, it breaks my heart to see how far journalism has fallen from its watchdog role. You may not change many minds, but you will bring comfort to those shaking their heads at the lunacy. Thank you.”
Bum idea? Try ‘guilt’ wrapping
No doubt many New Yorkers are furious that City Hall is spending up to $300 per room each night to house homeless families in a luxury hotel on the Upper West Side.
The Excelsior, on West 81st Street, is now home to at least 40 people, The Post reports.
But local Democratic Assemblywoman Helen Rosenthal doesn’t share the outrage. “It’s part of every neighborhood’s responsibility to help these families get back on their feet,” an aide told the paper.
Right, when common sense doesn’t apply and there’s no other argument available, play the guilt card. It fools some of the people all the time.
Enjoying de Blasio’s summer vacay
Mayor de Blasio has taken much of the summer off and is headed for his second long vacation.
One possibility is he knows trouble is coming in the person of US Attorney Preet Bharara, who is investigating the mayor’s pay-to-play culture. The mayor might as well milk the perks while he can.
Whatever, there is an upside to the Putz being out of town. The longer he is away, the harder it is for him to do more damage to New York.
For Hillary Clinton, the hits just keep on coming.
Each day brings more evidence that she used her position as Secretary of State to recruit donors for the Clinton Foundation and rewarded them with government favors. The most recent batch of e-mails released under court order show that, in some cases, a hefty foundation “gift” was required just to get an audience with Madame Secretary.
Then there’s the Associated Press report that half of her meetings involved foundation donors, and the separate 15,000 additional e-mails from her tenure that were discovered by the FBI. The developments mean there will be a drip, drip, drip of damning evidence all the way to November.
Yet the more we know about Hillary’s dirty deeds, the less sense it all makes. Even as the slimy details pile up, the central mystery remains unresolved: Why?
Why did she set up a private e-mail server she had to know would be revealed? Why did she continue to do favors for foundation donors when she had promised the ObamaWhite House she would not mix foundation work with official duties?
Most important, why would she risk a likely sure thing — her election as president — by committing clear ethical transgressions and setting herself up for allegations of criminal behavior?
Remember, all the things dogging her now, and giving Donald Trump ammunition, were things she did after losing to Barack Obama in 2008. She knew then she would run in 2016, so why was she so reckless?
Indeed, I wrote soon after she agreed to join the Cabinet in late 2008 that a source in her camp told me she would serve through Obama’s first term only, resign to write a book and begin to run for president again.
That’s exactly what she did, except she also created all the problems that could lead to her being thwarted again.
The easy answers about why she did what she did are too obvious: She wanted to get rich and she didn’t want anyone to know her business.
Throw in her chronic paranoia and sense of entitlement, and she and Hubby Dearest had a rationale for thinking they were above the law. They’d escaped his impeachment trial, so they believed they had lifetime immunity.
All true, but too simple, and it’s impossible to believe that’s all there is. There has to be more, probably something so big and awful it would destroy her if it’s discovered.
Remember, the Clintons were absolutely determined to get back to the White House, which would be the ultimate vindication of their public lives. Victory would make them unique in American history, so it doesn’t make sense that they would risk throwing it all away for the obvious — and ordinary — benefits already revealed.
The added riches they collected through what I believe are corrupt actions weren’t necessary. They were getting legitimately rich on his and her book contracts alone.
And what difference would another donation make to the foundation, which was already swimming in more money than it could spend?
Because none of this adds up to a coherent explanation, I believe we are still in the dark about a hidden bombshell. There must be a secret Unholy Grail that explains her self-destructive behavior of stonewalling and lying.
I won’t speculate what the Clintons are hiding because my gifts of imagination are no match for theirs. They always had a knack for pioneering new ways of selling access. No president had ever thought of renting out the Lincoln Bedroom until they did it.
The sleazy act that so outraged the nation then seems positively quaint now, thanks to the creative ways they’ve monetized power since leaving the White House. Now they could afford to buy the furniture they tried to steal on their way out the door then!
Of course, I could be wrong. I could be giving them far too much credit.
Maybe the Clintons really are just ordinary grifters, con artists who enjoy the thrill of pulling off the scam. Maybe it’s not even about the money.
Then again, it’s always about the money, one way or another.
And so, as with Watergate, with Bernie Madoff and now with the Clintons, the advice to all gumshoes is the same: follow the money. Whatever deep, dark secret they are hiding, the money will lead us to it.
Media is Hill-bent on demise
The enormous response to my column on the collapse of standards in American journalism was overwhelmingly positive — and also dispiriting.
Among those writing in agreement was a large contingent who said they were not surprised because they had long ago lost all trust in the networks, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
I was also struck by the current and former journalists who expressed distress over the partisan attacks on Donald Trump in their news organizations. A writer who identified himself as a CNN producer called the network “Clinton Campaign Headquarters” and said “it makes me sick.”
Lisa Myers, a respected investigative reporter, writes this: “I spent 33 mostly great years at NBC News and left mid contract partly because of what we are now seeing.
Sadly, I agree with almost every word of this column . . . about the death of journalism. And they are having so much fun trying to destroy Trump they don’t see the self-destruction. Sickening.”
And Brooke Monroe writes, “As a previous Houston Chronicle reporter, it breaks my heart to see how far journalism has fallen from its watchdog role. You may not change many minds, but you will bring comfort to those shaking their heads at the lunacy. Thank you.”
Bum idea? Try ‘guilt’ wrapping
No doubt many New Yorkers are furious that City Hall is spending up to $300 per room each night to house homeless families in a luxury hotel on the Upper West Side.
The Excelsior, on West 81st Street, is now home to at least 40 people, The Post reports.
But local Democratic Assemblywoman Helen Rosenthal doesn’t share the outrage. “It’s part of every neighborhood’s responsibility to help these families get back on their feet,” an aide told the paper.
Right, when common sense doesn’t apply and there’s no other argument available, play the guilt card. It fools some of the people all the time.
Enjoying de Blasio’s summer vacay
Mayor de Blasio has taken much of the summer off and is headed for his second long vacation.
One possibility is he knows trouble is coming in the person of US Attorney Preet Bharara, who is investigating the mayor’s pay-to-play culture. The mayor might as well milk the perks while he can.
Whatever, there is an upside to the Putz being out of town. The longer he is away, the harder it is for him to do more damage to New York.
