http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article193... Residents on Central Park West may have noticed a bit of a kerfuffle on Thursday night with rather more black limousines than usual negotiating the turn-off to the swanky Tavern on the Green restaurant at 67th Street. A glance at their newspapers yesterday provided the explanation: Senator Hillary Clinton, husband Bill in tow, had taken over the joint to celebrate her 59th birthday. New Yorkers are used to this kind of disruption, of course, and it's no a surprise that Hillary should use her big day to invite friends and supporters to an "intimate" dinner, nor that they were obliged to pay $1,000 a plate for the privilege. She has a campaign to pay for, after all, even if we all know that she could stay in bed watching telly for the next 10 days and still win re-election to the Senate on 7 November.
If you think this means merely another thousand-bucks-a-plate dinner in Central Park this evening, you have no grasp of Mr Clinton's appetite for partying, glad-handing and, above all, raising torrents of cash for his charities. If I admit that I've not been invited to join the fun, your condolences will turn to relief on my behalf when I tell you what kind of pecuniary investment would have been involved.
The invitations - 2,100 of them - were sent out by both Chelsea, who is making a rare outing into the high-wattage celebrity world of her parents, and also by the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Terry McAuliffe. "My mother and I are planning a weekend of events to commemorate his 60th birthday," Chelsea wrote in her version. "I know that he would want you to share this milestone - so I hope you can join us in New York City this 27th October through the 29th."
Before we go further into the details of this mega-shindig (did someone say Rolling Stones?) let's get the money question out of the way. All putative attendees were informed at the outset that their minimum monetary contribution should be $60,000 - a figure that has everything to do with the number of years on Clinton's clock. But there will be elite privileges for anyone coughing up a bit more. Those with $100,000 to burn could expect a table for brunch this morning and the thrill of sharing mimosas and poached eggs with Bill and Hillary. A cheque for $500,000 (credit cards accepted) ensured platinum treatment all weekend.
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I'll bet they're gonna use all that money to feed the hungry & house the homeless
