Greg Palast: HILLARY'S MOTHER-F'ING TOUR BUSINESS

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/22148

HILLARY'S MOTHER-F'ING TOUR BUSINESS
Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2007-05-04 15:55. Evidence

By Greg Palast

Palast is the author of Armed Madhouse, released last week in a new, expanded edition, in paperback - the newest addition to the New York Times list of non-fiction bestsellers.



Before his untimely death in a plane crash, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown said,

"I'm not Hillary's mother-f****** tour guide!"

That wasn't a nice thing for a member of the President's cabinet to say about the First Lady, now my Senator, Hillary Clinton.

And it's probably not polite for me to bring it up now. But if I don't, surely the Karl Rovarians will - if Senator Mrs. Clinton nails the Presidential nomination.

Bill Clinton used to say that, once he became president, he finally earned more money than his wife. That was a carefully crafted bit of modesty to show Bill as an aw-shucks regular guy versus Richie Rich-kid George Bush.

But Bill's cute remark raised a question in my mind: How did Hillary get that big ol' salary? And another question arises: how has she stayed out of prison?

more...

[mod mom]

1. Guess they didn't need to fire Bud Cummins, afterall.

[WCGreen]

2. Bill made less than 50k as gov so pretty much any half way

competent lawyer with just minor political connections could earn that much part time...

What's the point...

[aquart]

6. Yeah, the number of distortions per square inch in this piece...

The juxtaposition of things that may have nothing to do with anything...it's smear by associating terms and I'm extremely uncomfortable with it. The Entergy connection is worth looking at, but the overall nastiness makes me horribly suspicious. I have to ask myself if I would accept it if it were written about a Republican and I don't like the idea that I might.

[WCGreen]

8. AS a writer for a small local political rag in the 90's....

I came to be suspicious of anything written with a partisan bent..

[aquart]

16. That's what's nagging me. Too much hate with the facts.

[gaspee]

3. This is the reason

I can't support Senator Clinton or any other non-populist candidate. Of course, I'm voting Dem in the general because it's a lesser of two evils things. Senator Clinton thinks what's good for business is good for America. I, and most populists, believe that what's good for the citizens is good for America. The two are not reconcilable positions.

As for the article, I trust Palast not to lie in his reporting. He has a long history of being truthful in his facts even if he does spin some. I'm smart enough to see through the spin and I assume most of DU is as well.

[DURHAM D]

4. Spin, spin, spin - my head is whirling...

Why do we need enemies on the right when we can eat our own.

[Missy M]

5. If the author hadn't been named....

I would have thought it was written by the right. It's a nasty bunch of nonsense.

[mod mom]

7. Palast investigates everyone and seeks to bring out the truth.

I support Gore, and Palast has written about him as well (something about casting the deciding vote in the Senate that effected children).

He wouldn't be a good journalist if he only went after one party, now would he?

[gaspee]

12. Exactly my point

Palast is not a liar, even if you don't like his conclusions.

I have a feeling I'm going to be voting for Senator Clinton in the general even though I wish Gore was running.

[Mabus]

19. And the wonderful thing about the internet is the exchange of information

We each trust some sources more than others. We each use our own judgment in the plausibility of the story and the veracity of the source. The question we need to ask ourselves is "how will this story benefit Palast?" More specifically, "how will this story help Palast's career and reputation?" If his reporting is found to be faulty he will be excoriated far and wide. If he is found to be correct he still might make a lot of enemies but keep his integrity.

I haven't always wanted to hear what Palast was saying but I do consider Palast to be one of the more trustworthy journalists we have today. He's a rare breed, an investigative journalist. Now it is either our turn to investigate the conclusions of the investigative journalist and prove him wrong or it is something that we should keep in mind and make our own judgments about as more information becomes available.

[Missy M]

13. The problem is it's not always the truth.

[mod mom]

23. examples?

[gaspee]

11. Investigative journalism

Is not eating our own. I will vote for the democrat no matter who he/she is, but in the primary, I'd at least like an illusion of choice.

Thinking candidates are pure only because they have a D next to their name is foolhardy.

I only vote for dems because we have a two-party, less of two evils system. They know they are not accountable because we only have one other choice and that sucks. The primaries are when the REAL choice is made.

I don't want another corporatist, even is he she is a moderate one compared to the last one, in the white house. Of course, I'm living in dreamworld if I think the result of this election is going to be anything other than that.

[Demeter]

9. I Always Wondered About Those Disappearing / Reappearing Time Sheets

There maybe be only slivers of fact in that screed, but even slivers is not good in a candidate who wants my vote.

[aquart]

18. Ah. You want perfect. I don't.

Since the timesheets were found well within the time in which the Clintons were being hunted, it seems pretty obvious they didn't say a damn thing. So, if Hubbell wanted to spill on Hillary, it would have been no more than he said, she said. Seems wildly amazing the loyalty she must have inspired in the man, to go to jail for her, don't you think?

[saracat]

20. Isn't it? I wonder about some who would post something like this.

It is outright garbage and doesn't do a thing to make anyone else look better. Such postings denigrate all Democrats.This is very sad.

[babylonsister]

21. Your 'concern' is duly noted. Please prove it's outright garbage

before you disparage a respected journalist.
It's too bad he doesn't always write what you like to read.

[saracat]

22. I don't have to. No one is paying me to research junk as for respected "journalist "

this is a quote from Georgwe Galloway about the "sainte" Mr.Palast:

The Slime Artist
Et Tu, Greg Palast?
By GEORGE GALLOWAY

Until a couple of days ago I hadn't heard of Greg Palast in years, the man who claims to have been pursuing me with questions for two months. He has never phoned, written, emailed or made any other contact with me, which is curiously reminiscent of the behavior of the US Senate committee. Having now forced myself to look at his pernicious writing, it seems like the deranged ramblings you might expect to find pushed out from under the door of a locked ward. He claims to be a journalist. He clearly doesn't get much work.

He ends this aticle with requesting Mr.Palast to "crawl back under his rock"

[mod mom]

24. blind loyalty is bad regardless of sides. Journalism is about getting the facts

out there so that we can make educated decisions. As Greg says it could come out now or (with rove's placed USA griffin) later.

[saracat]

27. This is not "blind loyalty" And I am not a Hillary fan but as I posted

some do not think Palast is all that darn credible. We do NOT need to hand ammunition, particularly specious ammo, to the GOP about ANY of our candidates.Unless of course some would prefer electing a Repug!

[Bitwit1234]

10. Well I guess people just can't wait to put their two cents worth in to slur Hillary

[eleny]

14. I received this today and look forward to the Clinton camp's response

[saracat]

15. How nice.Smear our own. This is contemptable. IMHO.

[Enrique]

17. pure crap

it stinks from a mile away.

[PATRICK]

25. This is something new and something old

The Clintons have always been creative in raising cash in the shadow of the GOP who would never allow rules reforms to get the big money out of the elections. Hillary was criticized more strongly for a timely stock deal, and such things are always small items compared to GOP scams. The double standard is strangely never examined because, I suppose, people expect the GOP to have all the big money they need legally so why would they cheat?

Most big time politicians with the exception-makes-the-rule Ralph Nader tweak things a bit in the game.

No, the problem is a little broader than finger alongside your nose creative fund-raising. Take the energy theme in this article. Compare that to Enron where we can see Bill's empathy for corporations and their interests. But he has a WTF moment when they ask too much and stops them. never does he question the beast straining at his positive pro-corporate bit. The same way in dealing with Gingrich and Congress. Play the game, deal, compromise and make them toe the line. Everybody prospers, especially the Prez. image and there you have a working globalization, free trade, growth system. Do the Clintons even now care to recognize the exact nature and names of the cannibals who bare their teeth only under Bush? Even as they fight the rule-breaking double dealing, relentless crap do they think it is a transitory phase of the game? Bush gone, do they think they can just slip back into managing it better, letting the GOP and grossly criminal corporations just sink down to a workable gridlock a natural balance of globalist yin and yang- and all these inconvenient crimes and disasters swept generously under the rug?

It is not the little things or the big scoops themselves but the patterns that persist despite the realities of human evil in the New World order version 2001. After all the Clintons have not really been beaten yet and their two terms are more than vindicated in comparison to Bushageddon. the disturbing thin is that their flaws too have been swallowed up into the changed world of Bush II. All the presumptions and shaded compromises and restraints of the past cannot be reapplied. Another round of fantasies of any type are extremely, extremely perilous to the return of the cancer, the death of countless millions in managing global crises, and the disintegration of a still unprotected and un-rewon Constitution.

Palast gets too carried away as do any enthusiasts with the demonization and the outrage as richly as they may be merited considering the awful human suffering lost in the utter madness of the distorted political games(now an unnamed battle against our first American despot). Emotionally he has cause and such emotions sometimes don't seem to touch the former First Family in a whole manner. Somehow one gets the impression there is nothing sacred or living that can't be surrendered in order to make a nice world, a pacified interplay of greed and service. The uncomfortable thing is that most dictators really want, even expect cooperation to make that nice world which would empower them nobly and reward them with gratitude. Whether Napoleon, Armin, Hussein, Bush or far better people like the Clinton's. I said people because there a lot more like Hillary fighting things with one eye closed, the other fixed on gaining power creating caution, indirection and silence on key issues which their own experience should have taught them much better cannot be avoided without extreme, even personal tragedy.

In defense of Palast though, why not report the facts this strongly? It's not as if anyone is paying attention enough to look at the story from all angles or if anyone will pay attention outside the script unless you do so. The big picture need not get too conspiratorial or personal. Whether Palast goes the extra step or not versus Hillary, what he is against and what is true about our institutions still matters and cries for real change.

[Tekla West]

29. Wow

Well put. If what you want is a democrat who is a bit progressive, its not her.

[1776Forever]

26. Concerns for middle-class America - Clinton and TATA India ties

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/538674.cms

The above link will take you to the India Times article on Hillary and Bill's ties to India trade. This connection is the reason that I don't know if I can back Hillary at this time. In her defense she also said in the following link that she is against India trade deficit and wants to see them use more U.S. trade and move some of their jobs to the U.S. but is that feasible?

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC01Df03.html

"In 2003, US merchandise exports to India was $5 billion, while India exports to the US was $13.8 billion. Though the US understood that the economic vibrancy of India was in its own interest, there are people who feel left behind and might stir up negative feelings against India because they do not understand the economic benefits of outsourcing," Clinton remarked.

"If the feeling was to be arrested, Indian companies should invest more in the US to create a balance in trade relations," she said. Hillary added that she had personally wooed Indian companies to establish partnerships with American counterparts. "In June 2002, TCS partnered with the University of Buffalo to bring patented research to the market place. I would like to see more of such partnerships," she said.

With millions on millions of people in their country can we really believe they will want to invest in the U.S.? And what about all those millionaires there who do nothing or very little for their own people? I question this and for all those who say I am prejudice - I am only prejudice to the millionaires who don't help their own people gain a quality of life that I see is deteriorating right here in River City U.S.A.! I am person who is loyal to our U.S. Constitution and sovereignty of our great country that I see being sold down the river for the bid of the top dollar!

My question is this - Who is going to buy the goods India and China are pouring into our country when the middle-class is drowned by over-trading with these countries? Who is going to bale us out then????????? Please think about it!
:kick:

[bobthedrummer]

28. Kick

"Suit Cites Plane Trips for Clintons"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-6663030,00.html

[bobthedrummer]

30. pardon my kick, but I find Greg Palast to be worth reading along with Hersh, Parry and many others

so, again, pardon my kick (btw I voted for President Clinton in 1992 and 1996).