A front page story in Sunday April 13th, 2008 Los Angeles Times reports on the Clinton’s fund raising sources for post Presidential construction of the Clinton Library and other charities supported by the William J. Clinton Foundation. 

The Clinton foundation has raised over $500 million dollars and contributes money to well deserving causes such as research of disease, assistance to aids victims and poverty relief in third world countries.

According to the LA Times and other sources, at the invitation of Alibaba, China’s largest internet company, Bill Clinton spoke at a conference in Hangzhou and deferred his normal $100 - $400k speaking fee in exchange for an undisclosed contribution to his Foundation.

The problem with this is that the Clinton’s have refused to release a donor list of the Foundation. How are we to know what favors have been promised to foreign companies or governments in exchange for large donations to Bill’s favorite charity - himself.

It is also widely known that the Clinton Library in Little Rock has received millions of dollars from Saudi families, Middle East sheikdoms in Kuwait and Qatar as well as the governments of Taiwan and Brunei. What promises have been made? What favors are owed?

Bill Clinton has a long track record of using his considerable political influence to repay debt. Look at his record for pardons issued, particularly while packing up Whitehouse dishes and linens on their exit from Pennsylvania Ave the last time.

As further evidence of his unabashed shamelessness there is the  New York Times story published in January of this year which describes a sweet heart deal arranged by Bill Clinton in which his foundation received over $31 million dollars in exchange for publicly expressing support for the leader of former Soviet Republic Kazakhstan to head an international organization that monitors elections and supports democracy, despite the fact that his support was in direct conflict with American foreign policy and his Senator wife’s own public comments about human rights violations by leaders of Kazakhstan. The deal also resulted in a Canadian businessman receiving a plutonium mining contract with the country of Kazakhstan worth tens of millions of dollars in exchange for donations to the Clinton Foundation.

 I have previously posted about the Clinton’s. They continue to behave as if what they do and say is irrelevant in their pursuit of the Whitehouse and their personal gain. With them the end always justifies the means. I can’t think of more frightening scenario then having them back in the Whitehouse.

Social Networking:

Gary Player is 72 years young. A fitness fiend and one of golfs 3 senior gentlemen. He is the lesser known of Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer, but of the 3 he is the only one still actively competing in the Masters. When he launched his tee shot Thursday he broke Arnold Palmer’s record of 50 Masters tournaments. Although Arnold had 50 consecutive appearances. Player started his professional career in 1957 at the age of 25 and is a 3 time Masters Champion winning in 1961, 1974 and 1978.

I watched a replay of the first two rounds and was both amused and amazed at the physically fit 72 year old as he methodically approached the most treacherous golf course in the majors. His second round score of 83 is only 11 strokes more then his age, but unfortunately left him outside of the cut to participate in the weekend rounds.

 ”Ive always said the thing about second [is] only your wife and your dog know about it,” he said, adding, “that’s if you’ve got a good wife and a good dog.”

Player also holds the record for most British Open events - 46.

The wins represent a large part of the success for a player who won nine career majors and is one of only five to have earned the career Grand Slam.

Watching him made me realize how special he, Jack and Arnold are to the game and as reminders of our own mortality. I remember growing up watching them, never considering what it will be like to not have them around to watch and enjoy. Today there are one or two guys on tour that help fill the void, but it is unlikely that I will be alive to see them retire into the winter of their careers as I have Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.

Social Networking:

An article in this morning’s Seattle Times discusses more about the problem concerning previously reported disappearance of honey bees and the affect on the human food chain.

 Bee keepers in Washington were relieved last year when they were spared the initial wave of the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). However this year they are reporting more than a 30% attrition rate of their stock of hives due to a new pathegon called nosema ceranae, that causes a more aggressive and more persistent disease. The fungus attacks the bee’s gut, making it impossible to process food. The bees finally starve to death.

 Washington State crops impacted by this phenomonen account for about $1.8 billion dollars annually. In particular the apple crop is highly dependent on the pollination work done by the bees.

 This problem if not solved could have wide sweeping and deeply cutting consequences across the globe. It will cause food prices to sky rocket, major agricultural markets to be damaged or possible collapse and very possibly require that humans change dietary habits simply because certain types of foods aren’t available or simply cost to much.

Social Networking:

Elton John performed last night at Radio City Music Hall in New York City as part of 2.5 million dollar fund raising event for Hillary. Between songs midway through the event Elton took a moment to say “…I never cease to be amazed at the misogynistic attitude of some people in this country. And I say to hell with them… I love you, Hillary. I’ll be there for you.”  

How predictable that sooner or later someone would allege that Hillary is losing because of gender or more precisely, chauvinism. I am disappointed that it was Elton John. I have enjoyed his music since the release of “Yellow Brick Road” in 1972. But I am not surprised that this kind of simple minded comment would come from an entertainer.

Hillary is losing because many American voters see her for the self serving, egotistical, self ritgheous, well heeled politician that she and her husband have embodied. They both believe that they are entitled to the Whitehouse. They believe it is their turn again, as if the Presidency is right of membership for exclusive club members. As if that wasn’t reason enough to exclude her from consideration, examine her record as First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of America and Senator. I have previously reported on the Clintons legacy 3/3/08, 1/27/08  and how they will be viewed by history.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Social Networking:

Juan McCain has an uphill battle trying to convince the conservative base that he will represent them on fundamental issues of long term or permanent tax cuts, enforcement of immigration laws, gun ownership, right to life, appointment of conservative judges and business friendly policies. He can not stand on his record while making those promises. Here is a review of McCain’s record.

For starters, there was McCain-Feingold. This bill was well intended. The purpose was to regulate the way in which corporations, and phony non profits funded by special interest groups, advertise within 30 days of an election. The intended affect was to prevent lobbyist groups with deep pockets from literally buying an election simply because they had more financial backing to advertise. However, some argue that the bill injected more government intervention into what should be a free process. What is inarguable is that America now has what amounts to a federal speech code, enforced with jail terms of up to five years. Not to mention McCain’s association with another liberal senator.

McCain-Kennedy was perhaps one of the biggest political blunders of his career. This was a failed attempt to undermine an already poorly administrated immigration enforcement policy. As they say, you can tell a lot about someone, based on who they associate with. Enough said.

McCain-Lieberman requires reduced emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, beginning in 2010. Some view this as an attack on American industry that will result in a huge economic impact.

According to a study by Charles River Associates, if implemented:

• would cost the average U.S. household at least $1,300 per year by 2010, rising to at least $2,300 per year by 2020;
  • would cost the U.S. economy at least 250,000 jobs in 2010, and at least 610,000 jobs by 2020;
  • would force at least a 31 percent rise in electricity prices by 2010, and at least a 43 percent rise in electricity prices by 2020; and
  • would force at least a 23 percent rise in gasoline prices by 2010, and at least a 37 percent rise in gasoline prices by 2020.

  Under the plan, the federal government would lose at least $18.8 billion per year in tax revenue by 2010, with the states suffering similar, proportional losses.

  The new Charles River study is especially informative for state legislators because it breaks down costs on a state-by-state basis reflecting local economic factors.

  For example, the study reports Illinoisans would suffer even more under McCain-Lieberman 2004 than the national average. McCain-Lieberman 2004 would cost the average Illinois household at least $700 per year by 2010 and at least $1,100 per year by 2020. Similarly, the New England governors’ plan would disproportionately affect Illinoisans by forcing at least a $1,400 decline in average household income by 2010, and at least a $2,400 decline in average household income by 2020.

McCain was the leader of the Gang of 14. The Gang of 14 successfully stopped the Republican Senatorial leadership from changing Senate rules that would have ended filibusters to prevent majority approval of judicial nominees.

So, what is a conservative to do? The way I see it McCain is by far the lesser of evils given the choices we have. In fact, you could make the argument that out of all the Republican candidates McCain may be the only one to have a legitimate chance of winning the election. He can argue to the independents and those abandoning Hillary that his record speaks to them. He will have to do that quietly so as not to ignite another firestorm within conservative supporters.

Social Networking:

I have listened to Tom Brokaw’s audio book ‘Boom’ a couple of times. It is an interesting recap of major events of the 1960’s in the context of his personal perspective as a journalist, father, husband, friend and American citizen.

The book includes interviews with such famous faces as Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Michelle Phillips, James Taylor and Rafer Johnson, the 1960 Olympic decathlon champion. Johnson tells how he gave up a promising career as a sportscaster to work on the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy. On June 5, 1968, Johnson helped to wrestle Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan to the ground. In the struggle, Rafer grabbed the gun and put it in his suit pocket. When he woke up the next morning, Johnson discovered that the gun was still in his suit pocket.

Guthrie, now 60 years old, performs a rendition of his signature song ‘Alice’s Restaurant’. He then tells Brokaw that during the 60’s the counter culture was about alternative life styles and how drugs were an alternative to alcohol. He says that he has changed his mind about some of those beliefs. Brokaw asks him what he has changed his mind about. Guthrie responds “I have developed a taste for good whiskey”.

In 1969 a music festival was held in Bethel, New York on a 600 acre field at the home of Max Yasgur. Which is why you may hear the reference to ‘Yasgur’s Farm’ as a coded way of talking about Woodstock. This is often thought of as the hallmark moment in the counter culture movement of the 60’s. The ‘hippies’ had officially stamped their place in history and put on display their social, political and personal view of the times.

You can’t talk about the the 60’s without discussing the Vietnam war. Walter Cronkite was reporting from the streets of Saigon immediately after the Tet Offensive. He assessed the war at that point as ‘unwinnable’. Lyndon Johnson is reported to have said ‘if I have lost Cronkite, then I have lost middle America”. Cronkite’s critical assessment had some bearing on LBJ’s consideration to end the war.  

On April 28, 1967, Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted in the U.S. Army. For Ali, his opposition stemmed from more than just his belief that the war was immoral. He believed that since blacks did not experience equality at home, for them to serve in the war was a perversion of justice.

Initially, Ali was granted conscientious objector status, but later charged with draft evasion. He was fined ten thousand dollars, sentenced to five years in prison, and his heavyweight title and license to box was taken away. Four years later, his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme court because of procedural grounds.

The civil rights movement defined the 60’s. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Emmit Til are people I recall from 40 years ago that frame those years in the context of civil rights. Brokaw discusses them and many others and how they shaped social views of race in this country.

On December 21st, 1968 Apollo 8 launched into orbit with crew members Frank Boreman, James Lovell and William Anders. This was the first space mission that actually orbited the moon. On Christmas eve 1968 the images of the earth from Apollo 8 were broadcast back to earth in what is now a famous image. Brokaw discusses the importance of this event because of how it momentarily mended the country in a time of complete turmoil.

These were formative years in my life. I was a freshman in high school in 1972. The Vietnam war was still raging, the civil rights movement had shifted from violent protests to political discourse, drugs were part of the culture, man had walked on the moon and Muhammad Ali was ‘the greatest’. There isn’t another generation in American history that lived through so many significant events in such a short amount of time. For anyone interested in a review of that time period I would highly recommend the audio book by Brokaw.

Social Networking: