The bashing of the Clintons over the wedding price tag is ridiculous

[scheming daemons]

As many of you know who have read DU the past several years, I'm no big fan of the Clintons.


But if I had the money, I would spend $2 million on my daughter's wedding.


Spending the money gets it into the hands of real working people. Keeping it in the bank doesn't do any good for anyone except the bankers.


If you have it, spend it. It's a stimulus package for the wedding-related industry.


The Clintons have millions of dollars. How is it helping anybody for them NOT to spend it?




What a stupid and silly criticism. They're not burning $100 bills... they're spending the money. That means it is exchanging hands and going to someone else.


That's a good thing.

[monmouth]

1. Absolutely. I wonder what else the complainers have to criticize..LOL

[roguevalley]

46. actually, i use a rule of thumb with what dems do. if i would be mad

at bush for doing it, i will be mad at any dem. this is full of shit if it is anywhere close.

[DURHAM D]

2. Ok - but I see you are repeating the totally made up number.

A number pulled out of thin air by someone who didn't get the wedding planning job.

nice...

[scheming daemons]

4. Whatever the number is... doesn't matter. They have lots of money.... SPEND IT

That helps other people more than keeping it in the bank.

[gateley]

5. Well the people are judging this story on that totally made up number... I don't think

the dollar amount really is an issue.

[gateley]

3. Agree. And as I posted elsewhere, she's their only child and is obviously well loved. She

went through some rough times, too, and she's turned out so well. I'd spend it on my beloved kid if I had it, too (and if I had a kid!).

What's the harm? And as SD says, it's putting people to work and money into their hands.

[eleny]

11. That's what I was feeling about it, too. She's their one and only...

So what the heck. Go all out, enjoy the day making memories for a lifetime, spread the family wealth and for heaven's sakes release a lot of photos.

I don't believe in kissing any politicians butt. And I wouldn't kick it, either, when they help the economy in a situation like this.

[xchrom]

6. Not that the clintons won't spend on their daughters wedding

But 2mil isn't factual.

[gateley]

12. I think the criticism would be forthcoming regardless of the actual dollar amount -

and I feel we can safely assume it won't be low-budget.

[xchrom]

45. Lol -- no it'll be a Fabulous budget -- and I will love it. Nt

[meowomon]

7. I totally disagree

Two million dollars for a freakin marriage is a slap in the face to all hard working Americans who are being hard pressed to find even rent money or food money these days. How about a nice private affair with a very public donation of 2million to food banks or other charities that help ease the burdens of the poor in this country. Two freakin million dollars>? That is shameful, in my opinion.

[scheming daemons]

17. If they spent $2 million on a house, nobody here would be saying anything

Spending money, when you have it like the Clintons do, is a GOOD thing.

It generates jobs.

[SunnySong]

36. yeah but you can actually live in a house for many it is an investment.,..

A wedding is somewhere between strip club outing and buying a house.

[scheming daemons]

37. It circulates the same amount of money into the economy.....

...

[meowomon]

47. A piece of real estate is not the same thing

A wedding is a commitment before your God (or not God if you so chose)your family and friends. You don't need to spend that kind of money for something like this. It is a slap to all those who are struggling during these hard economic times. Maybe if the economy were better and there wasn't so much unemployment I could see spending a huge amount. But there are so damned many people suffering that this type of spending on a party is obscene to me.

[blueamy66]

48. I agree.

$2M for a wedding....terrilby unnecessary...

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hekate]

51. Is there a source for that figure? Just curious.

[Overseas]

8. Furthermore, the wedding plans are secret, so it may all be an exaggeration.

Everyone's ready to jump on them without really knowing the truth.

And I agree and appreciate your statement that whatever the true figure may be, they're spending the money that's supporting lots of people's work on the event.

[zabet]

9. Yes it is ridiculous.

Their money....they can do with it what they want. I damn sure don't want anyone telling me what I can or cannot spend MY money on.

[NC_Nurse]

10. I have no more problem with them doing it than anyone else. However, I do

Think it's ridiculous the amount that many people spend on weddings these days. I would never do that, and my children are well loved.

It just seems stupid and shallow to me. But what do I know?

[scheming daemons]

15. what if they spent it on a house? or yacht? would that be better?

[NC_Nurse]

35. I wouldn't do that, but I know they're in a different position than most.

A house can cost that much in many parts of the country. I suppose if you're going to live full time on a boat that might be a reasonable sum, or if you are fishing for a living. Otherwise, why not rent one when you're going to go boating?

I guess I'm pretty thrifty. My wedding cost less than $500. We had a fab time.

[dsc]

25. would you spend 20k

if so, I bet as a percentage of both income and net worth you are spending more than they are.

[NC_Nurse]

34. Nope. No way.

[dsc]

39. 20k is a very reasonably priced wedding

now I wouldn't spend it either, well my own if I had to travel maybe, but many a middle class family spends 20k on a wedding.

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. The only thing more ridiculous than that

..is posting multiple threads on the subject.

[scheming daemons]

16. I only have one thread on the subject

[Sebastian Doyle]

18. But you posted in the other one

Which means you obviously knew this one was a dupe. ;)

[Born_A_Truman]

14. Nobody's business!

I'm waiting for the thread that she should have her wedding at Olive Garden and serve cheese sandwiches.

No matter what is spent, and it's only media speculation, it isn't anyone's business but the family.

Seriously. I'd love to have a hide mult-thread tool.

[old mark]

For one thing, the costs in the stories on the wedding are NOT FACTUAL - They

are speculation based on what people THINK will be the prices of what people THINK will be in the wedding. MSNBC early this afternoon stated all the figures, then said,"...of course NO ONE REALLY KNOWS IF ANY OF THESE FIGURES ARE CORRECT - THERE WAS NO INSIDE INFORMATION, ONLY SPECULATION."

This is yet another story of outrage based totally on bullshit and spread on the internet and media as if it were fact.


mark

[LiberalFighter]

33. More likely it is members of the wedding industry throwing high numbers out

with the intent to encourage others to pay more for their wedding.

The wedding industry is just a scam.

[old mark]

55. That is exactly what someone said on the program on MSNBC yesterday

There is NO reality in this at all, yet people are outraged by it....

Cut back on the caffeine, people...


mark

[SunnySong]

19. I can't believe I keep seeing this defense of trickle down economics...

And I hope the Clintons don't spend more than low six-figures out of both a repect for decorum and class.

[scheming daemons]

21. So.. you'd rather they kept their money in offshore bank accounts instead?

How's that helping anyone?

[SunnySong]

30. They could donate some to charity in the Brides name.... nt

[alfredo]

24. Chelsea is their only child, I don't blame them wanting to

throw one hell of a party for her. I don't give a shit how much they spend. It's none of my business.

[Whisp]

32. and who would this money trickle down to exactly?

the minimum wager that will be run off their feet serving and cleaning?

doubt that!

it will go to the Bosses of companies that specialize in catering etc., and will make them a nice bit of cash.

and the musicians who will most likely be rich in their own right.

and maybe to some factory workers in Asia that will be sewing the bows for the chairs.

the trickle down some are saying here is really the fat of the land dripping off the chins of the wealthy, if we are lucky a few drops will be caught by the great unwashed.

[Hekate]

52. Some of it will very likely come all the way across the country to my area, for flowers

The flower-growers of Carpinteria, CA supply a very large proportion of the cut flowers used by florists all over the US.

They are real people who employ real people, who pump their paychecks into the local economy.

As for the waitrons, go ahead and tell them their jobs are too demeaning to do and their wages too small to accept. I'm sure they can find replacement gigs as computer programmers.

And whoever told you musicians are rich? :wtf:

[BzaDem]

56. You have NO IDEA what trickle-down economics actually is. You are attacking economics in general.

Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy are "tricke-down" economics. On top of the moral issue, this is because the wealthy are much less likely to change their spending decisions because of a tax rate change.

But the Clintons already have they money sitting in a bank account. They are spending it. That by definition puts money into the economy. Moreover, it puts money into the hands of people who are much less wealthy. If you are attacking that, then you are attacking economics as a science (not simply the "tricke-down" theory, which has nothing to do with this).

[Whisp]

20. were all of Hillary's bills paid up from her campaign?

Last I heard there were a lot of small businesses stiffed. I hope that was all paid up.

[scheming daemons]

22. I dont think they're allowed to pay campaign bills out of their private funds anyway...

...violates some campaign finance law.

[dsc]

26. don't let the facts get in the way of a good hillary bash

the law in question is closing over 30 years old. John Glenn wasn't permitted to pay his campaign debts with personal wealth either and they dated from 1984.

[scheming daemons]

29. dsc... you know I'm not a Hillary fan.... but I'm with you on this issue.

Bashing them over this is ridiculous.

[lpbk2713]

23. That's the sort of thing we should leave to Limbaugh.

And I'm sure he won't disappoint.

[CTyankee]

27. While I agree with you, I can't agree that this is that great for the economy long term.

Yes, the wedding planner gets a bundle and that's great and some things trickle down to the common folk, but our economic situation should not rely on this kind of industry and those like it to bring back our economy. Otherwise, we'll have a kind of slavery of folks who work for the rich putting on their expensive wedding shows and not work that gets them steady work, health care and retirement benefits.

[GreenTea]

28. It's Republican hate and jealousy-But spending 100 million $ on a second yacht republicans have no

problem with that

It's just trash any Democrat anytime, anyhow for anything. The truth or facts are not important to slimy sickening republicans.

These are truly ugly lying hypocritical piles of pig shit people these elitist republicans are!!

[TexasObserver]

31. It's an obscene use of money, no matter who is spending it.

[HipChick]

38. Why do people feel they have a need to tell others how to spend their money?

[seabeyond]

40. not me. tis absurd. there are many things i could spend money on kids for that i say

no way. no how. aint gonna happen

[lapislzi]

41. An event planner weighs in

I have no overhead. Lucky me: it's a second job. But: I have to pay my waitstaff/assistants/valets. They need to be tipped. I need to be paid for my time. Most of the time, I don't get a tip, or if I do, I pass it on to my staffers. Anything above my materials costs usually goes towards gas and other extras. Who pays for my tools? I do. Who pays for my expertise when I align the planets so that the families don't need to think about a thing? They pay for their own comfort. What is their comfort worth? That is between me and them.

I would love a crack at the Clinton wedding. Alas, they're outta my league. I envy their staff. I hope the Clintons will do them proud. I suspect they will.

[Hekate]

53. Thank you. I think some people think these things "just happen."

[lapislzi]

57. That's the illusion I am paid to maintain.

In the course of an event, I have been called on (while wearing evening dress so as to fit in with the crowd) to quietly eject drunken guests, mediate minor car accidents in the parking lot, ensure that the food allergies/vegans are appropriately attended to, change diapers, soothe frayed tempers, enact emergency flood control (true!), and coach confused bridal party attendants. All in a day's work. And I love it.

[Fuzz]

42. The whole thing is a big 'Yawn' and I don't give a fuck.

[Bonobo]

43. Bashing extravagant and gaudy disolays of wealth is ridiculous?

Well, as long as YOU think so.

Nevertheless, I will continue to "bash" it.

Why? Because I have an idea that it is disgusting to show your wealth so ostentatiously.

It is an element in the class warfare in our society and I will shout out against it as long as I live.

[Peregrine Took]

44. A measley 2 mil for the "Partners in Power?" Sheesh - a mere bag o'shells.

[jimmyflint]

50. I agree, it is like a mini stimulus. n/t

[girl_interrupted]

54. As of 2007, the Clinton's have given over 10 million to charity

and paid $33,783,507 in taxes. Not to mention the 25 million President Clinton's foundation has raised for AIDS & Malaria research, medicines, and other causes.

They have earned quite a lot of money & have given more than their share.


If they can afford a two million dollar wedding...why not? Hell, this NY...everything costs more here. Besides, it's their only daughter, and after the Bush twins and Palin's trailer trash daughter, she is a daughter anyone would be proud of. She has grown into an intelligent, well educated, gracious young woman. She has always conducted herself with class. So much for the "Republican Family Values" bs. Hillary & Nancy Pelosi, also a millionaire, have done a wonderful job raising their kids. Yet Palin is treated like she is Mother Earth. What a joke.

So if you've got the cash, why not use it to celebrate a happy occassion?

I also think it helps to stimulate the economy here in NY, people got work because of it and I'm all for that. More jobs are needed everywhere right now.

Why others should have to tell anyone how to spend their money is kind of funny. Who cares? If it's not coming out of your pocket..why is it your business?


Smacks of jealousy. So turn green with envy & whine.