JANUARY 24, 2008
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A couple of times now Bill Clinton has complained about being the subject of a "a hit job" by the Obama campaign. But he's never been specific about what he means, and even an AP story today with "hit job" in the headline doesn't explain.
So I asked Clinton spokesman Phil Singer if he could specify what Bill was talking about. He sent me two examples. One was an email to reporters from an Obama campaign spokeswoman from last June which alleged that Bill had given a $100,000 speech in Hong Kong on September 11, 2006. (That charge turned out to be false)
Singer also sent this Obama oppo-research document, circulated around the same time, spotlighting Bill's financial ties to Ron Burkle and his Yucaipa investment fund.
Flipping through the Yucaipa oppo document now, I'm surprised the press hasn't pushed harder on Bill's dealings with the colorful billionaire mogul. (Not that it looks like Bill did anything wrong--but there are some interesting and complex business dealings there, including one involving Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa. The Times did examine the pairing, but almost two years ago.) Perhaps anticipating this, however, Bill has severed his ties to Burkle.
P.S. Midway through writing this item I discovered that Josh Gerstein was asking the same question this afternoon.
--Michael CrowleyÂ
4 comments
Didn't Burkle ask Bill for advice on the disposition of his Wild Oats?
- teplukhin2you
January 24, 2008 at 7:29pm
Does all of that sound like a calculated whine or am I just biased? Billy boy is just simply good at this kind of thing. That boy could trade you his nickel for your dime and expect a heartfelt thank you for the privilege. Often as not he gets it.
- boxofrox
January 24, 2008 at 7:42pm
It's funny that in a post examining "hit jobs" on Bill Clinton by the Obama campaign, you question why the press hasn't made hay out of these colorful tips for reporters. Instead, you should have confirmed that Clinton was right, and noted the irony of the holier-than-thou Obamaites peddling such trash. Amid all the stories about the Clintons' supposed political machinations, untold is the gleeful, behind-the-scenes dirt-mongering of the Obama campaign. Above politics, indeed.
- hayleykelse
January 24, 2008 at 11:01pm
Ok, hayle, have it that way. But then, such journalistic 'confirmation' would require that we find out precisely what services Bill performed to earn his $20 million paycheck from Burkle, and that information does not appear to be available to anyone. Clinton himself certainly hasn't explained his role.
Though, I may be able to step in an shed some light on the subject. I have it on good authority that Bill was working as a bag boy in a Wild Oats Natural Marketplace Grocery Store in Madison, Wisconsin. Base pay for bag boys is usually minimum plus $1/hour, but Burkle thought, 'Hey, how often do you get to chew out the former leader of the free world for piling a six-pack of Anchor Steam on top of somebody's eggs?' so in the interest of making this dream reality, he sweetened the deal. Actually it was supposed to be $40 million, but Bill got canned after he squeezed a container of self-serve tahini too hard and squirted it all over a customers Patagonia fleece jacket.
- aeromonas
January 25, 2008 at 6:40am