XPost: ba.politics, dc.media, soc.penpals   
   XPost: alt.burningman   
   From: hypocrisy@hillaryclinton.com   
      
   She's an f'ing moron who's even dumber than Obama.   
      
   Washington (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton had to know she was going to   
   have to talk about her wealth.   
      
   The tightly orchestrated book tour for her new memoir has   
   closely resembled a campaign -- with war rooms and surrogate   
   coordination. So one would expect that Clinton was prepared to   
   answer questions on any topic.   
      
   But when the wealth question came, Clinton, the political heavy   
   hitter, whiffed.   
      
   Twice.   
      
   The muffed answers have made trouble on their own for the   
   potential presidential candidate by raising new questions about   
   her ability to connect with average voters on economic issues.   
      
   But they've also had another consequence.   
      
   Prior to her book tour, she'd begun a pivot to the left. Many   
   liberals had questioned her economic themes and coziness with   
   Wall Street. In response, she stepped up her populist rhetoric.   
      
   However, because of the blaring headlines on wealth, her   
   outreach to party progressives has gone mostly unnoticed so far,   
   possibly clouding her appeal to another important constituent.   
      
   A day to forget   
      
   Clinton's first misstep came when she told ABC at the start of   
   her book tour this month that she and her family "came out of   
   the White House not only dead broke but in debt," adding later   
   that her family had "no money" at that time.   
      
   She wasn't wrong when she said the first family left the White   
   House way behind financially. She said they were burdened by   
   legal bills and still had to keep a roof -- actually two -- over   
   their heads and send their daughter to college.   
      
   But here's a mighty big difference between Clinton and the   
   average person.   
      
   For starters, she and her husband were obviously well positioned   
   to quickly capitalize on the post-presidential custom of cashing   
   in.   
      
   She left that part out.   
      
   Hillary Clinton had a massive book advance in the works and,   
   along with the former president, the prospect of making   
   millions. This is what fueled cries of hypocrisy.   
      
   After quickly trying to clean up the comments a few days later,   
   though, Clinton swung and missed again on Sunday when she   
   compared herself to other wealthy people an interview with The   
   Guardian newspaper.   
      
   There are the "truly well off" and then there are the Clinton's   
   who just "pay ordinary income tax," Clinton said.   
      
   One reason Clinton's two missteps on wealth are surprising is   
   that questions about the issue are not new and shouldn't have   
   come as a surprise.   
      
   Liberal websites like Mother Jones began asking questions about   
   her speaking fees -- upwards of $200,000 -- in early May.   
      
   Republican groups like the Republican National Committee and   
   America Rising, an outside anti-Clinton super PAC, had been   
   probing the topic longer.   
      
   The progressive connection.   
      
   Sally Kohn, a progressive activist and Clinton critic, said she   
   handled the wealth question poorly and "certainly has enough   
   money to hire a better speaking coach."   
      
   But she downplayed the mistake.   
      
   "Why people do have a problem with her is not because of her   
   personal wealth, it is because of her coziness with Wall Street.   
   That is the problem," Kohn said.   
      
   The monied elite is an anathema to liberals, who decry wealth   
   inequality, the corrosive impact of too-big-to-fail businesses   
   and, of course, the overwhelming power in America of the   
   professional investor class vs. average people struggling to   
   save.   
      
   For much of Clinton's time on the paid speaking circuit, the   
   former secretary of state has focused on bipartisan issues and   
   kept some distance with hot political issues.   
      
   But less than a month before questions about her wealth and   
   understanding of the middle class started to define her book   
   tour, Clinton departed from more bipartisan topics and stepped   
   up her populist rhetoric in a May speech at the New America   
   Foundation.   
      
   She bashed George W. Bush, embraced material from the liberal   
   playbook, and highlighted populist themes in her speeches.   
      
   Clinton charged up her rhetoric, too. She blasted tight-fisted   
   millionaires, decried the current economy as a "throwback to the   
   Gilded Age," and dusted off old standbys about Republican   
   trickle-down economics.   
      
   The change in tone hasn't happened in a vacuum, and may have   
   projected that Clinton and her aides expected criticism about   
   her wealth, stature and ability to relate to everyday Americans.   
      
   But because of the mistakes, her populist pivot has largely gone   
   unnoticed.   
      
   An exclusive club   
      
   Instead, it's Clinton's two tone-deaf statements about her   
   family's wealth that have defined her book tour, so far.   
      
   They have also begun to shine a light on Clinton's work as a   
   constant fundraiser.   
      
   Between her campaign for president in 2008 and her time as the   
   head of a global foundation, she spent a considerable amount of   
   time courting the money of millionaires and billionaires.   
      
   Her foundation -- The Clinton Foundation -- has also become a   
   bastion for corporate donors. Stephen L. Bing, the founder of   
   Shangri-La business group; Tom Golisano, the founder of Paychex   
   and Cheryl and Haim Saban, Democratic megadonors and the owners   
   of Univision, have donated between $10 million and $25 million.   
      
   Republicans have seized on it and are looking to portray Clinton   
   as out-of-touch and someone who has spent too much time in the   
   "bubble" and in other rarefied surroundings.   
      
   They point to her gaffes as well as a comment from earlier in   
   the year when she told a group of auto dealers that she hadn't   
   driven a car since 1996.   
      
   And while pro-Clinton Democrats have defended her, others in the   
   party have begun to knock her -- some more subtly than others.   
   They also say she's out of touch.   
      
   Vice President Joe Biden, who may be running for president,   
   appears to be getting in on the action.   
      
   Biden said on Monday that he "makes a lot of money" as vice   
   president. But he made sure to mention he was "listed as the   
   poorest man in Congress" and said he has "no savings account."   
      
   Key point: Biden stressed that he's been "really, really   
   fortunate" compared to the way others have struggled.   
      
   Comments:   
      
   atkoa • an hour ago   
   Another rich, rich Democrat, who had the nerve to go after   
   Romney, because of his wealth. Hillary should stand up an say   
   I'm rich but I want more money. Don't cry for me America.   
   21  • Reply•Share ›   
   Avatar   
   jimmie • an hour ago   
   This old gas-bag is a pathological liar.   
   That won't stop the left from adoring her though.   
   27  • Reply•Share › Show 1 new reply   
   Avatar   
   notfishing  jimmie • an hour ago   
   She's an attorney and a politician.   
      
   So what was your first clue?   
   18  • Reply•Share ›   
   Avatar   
   Kman1966  jimmie • 39 minutes ago   
   Obama cracked the country in half, here comes Hillary to   
   complete the divide.   
   4  • Reply•Share ›   
   Avatar   
   dd121 • an hour ago   
   She only has 50 million so she's not "really well off".   
      
      
   http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/politics/clinton-populism-wealth/   
      
       
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)