Not funny, and you're a nerd. On Dec 21, 8:54 pm, Zebnick <[email protected]> wrote: > For the best in vacuous commentary look no further than Running. > > On Dec 21, 10:15 am, Running <[email protected]> wrote: > > > For the best in "pussyfooting around with Arabs," look no further than > > the Bush clan. > > > On Dec 20, 10:13 pm, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: Travis > > > Subject: BUBBA SHEIK-ING THE MONEY TREE - NY Post > > > Date: Friday, December 19, 2008, > > > > [image:http://www.nypost.com/] <http://www.nypost.com/> > > > > *BUBBA SHEIK-ING THE MONEY TREE* By GEOFF EARLE in Washington and CHUCK > > > BENNETT in New York > > > *December 19, 2008* -- > > > It's time to get Bubba fitted for a burnoose. > > > > Arkansas good ol' boy Bill Clinton turned the ancient lands of Arabia into > > > his personal ATM over the past decade, raking in tens of millions of > > > dollars > > > worth of donations to his private foundation, records disclosed by the > > > former president yesterday show. > > > Desert-dwelling donors, including Gulf states, billionaire Saudis and > > > Arab-focused charities, gave big to his William J. Clinton Foundation in > > > what could be called the world's biggest sheik shakedown. > > > **<http://www.nypost.com/seven/12192008/postopinion/editorials/bills_pal...> > > > The oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia alone gave between $15 million and > > > $35 > > > million to the nonprofit. > > > In all, more than 200,000 individuals and entities gave to Clinton - for a > > > total of nearly $500 million. And that means 200,000 possible > > > conflict-of-interest headaches for wife Hillary, President-elect Barack > > > Obama's pick for secretary of state. > > > For years, Clinton steadfastly kept his donors' identities more hidden > > > than > > > Ali Baba's cave, even as Hillary campaigned for president and watchdogs > > > called for transparency. > > > But, to help ease her upcoming Senate confirmation hearing, Clinton > > > finally > > > said "open sesame" to his foundation's books and provided the names of > > > every > > > donor plus broad range amounts of the gifts. > > > The largest gifts, either to fund his presidential library or global > > > poverty-fighting charity initiatives, came from the Saudis. > > > Friends of Saudi Arabia, a government-sponsored agency that fosters ties > > > between the kingdom and the United States, gave an additional $1 million > > > to > > > $5 million on top of the direct $10 million to $25 million from the > > > kingdom > > > itself. > > > And Saudi billionaires Sheik Mohammed H. al-Amoudi and Nasser al-Rashid > > > donated in the $5 million-to-$10 million range. Hamza B. al Kholi, a Saudi > > > construction titan, gave between $100,000 and $250,000. > > > The Persian Gulf governments of Kuwait, Qatar and Oman and the Far Eastern > > > sultanate of Brunei each gave between $1 million and $5 million, and > > > another > > > $250,000 to $500,000 came from the US Islamic World Conference. > > > The United Arab Emirates-based Dubai Foundation, which aims to promote > > > education in the Middle East, gave between $1 million to $5 million, as > > > did > > > the Zayed family, that country's ruling family. > > > "It's not conducted the way they do it in Chicago, a situation where you > > > give me millions and I give you that. It's for a cultivation of good > > > will," > > > said Harvey Sicherman, president of the Foreign Policy Research Institute > > > and a State Department adviser during the Reagan administration. > > > "Often, people who do this have some business with a government and they > > > are > > > cultivating friends, that's the extent of it," he said. > > > But it can lead to at least the appearance of friends with benefits. For > > > instance, mining financier Frank Giustra gave Clinton between $10 million > > > and $25 million along with a donation of $1 million to $5 million from his > > > private foundation. > > > In 2005, Giustra flew Clinton to Kazakhstan on his private jet, where the > > > ex-prez sang the praises of the Central Asian nation's autocratic leader. > > > Giustra then won a lucrative uranium mining contract. > > > A similar appearance of a conflict could weigh on Hillary when Bill's > > > donors > > > have an agenda before the State Department. > > > "People may say, well, even if they are not sharing the same bed at night, > > > they still may talk to each other and it doesn't look right," Sicherman > > > said. > > > Homegrown billionaires weren't shy to open their wallets either. Stephen > > > Bing, an old "Friend of Bill" and real-estate heir, handed over between > > > $10 > > > million and $25 million, as did New York's independent political power > > > broker Thomas Golisano and Chicago media mogul Fred Eychaner. > > > Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Cameron Diaz donated as well. > > > Songwriter Denise Rich gave between $250,000 and $500,000 and saw her > > > tax-cheating husband, Marc, pardoned in 2001. > > > More modestly, US sugar baron Alfonso Fanjul Jr., the man who famously > > > called Clinton in the Oval Office when Monica Lewinsky was hanging out, > > > gave > > > between $50,000 and $100,000. > > > Notably absent, however, is Clinton's BFF and former business partner, Ron > > > Burkle, a billionaire playboy and California supermarket king. > > > Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) promised that Bill Clinton's prolific > > > fund-raising > > > would be thoroughly discussed at Hillary's confirmation hearing. > > > "I don't know how, given all of our ethics standards now, anyone quite > > > measures up to this - who has such cosmic ties," he said. > > > In a statement, Bill Clinton thanked the donors for their support. > > > Adding to the list of conflicts were substantial donations from > > > individuals > > > connected to India and Israel. > > > Indian politician Amar Singh, who discussed an Indian-US agreement to > > > share > > > civilian nuclear technology this past September, donated between $1 > > > million > > > and $5 million. > > > Any appearance that a Secretary of State Clinton has a close relationship > > > with India could add drama to tense negotiations with the Asian > > > subcontinent's nuclear-armed rival Pakistan. > > > Among other big donors are TV producer Haim Saban, who splits his time > > > between California and Israel and gave between $5 million and $10 million. > > > And American Israel Public Affairs Committee board member and Slim-Fast > > > founder S. Daniel Abraham gave in the $1 million-to-$5 million range. > > > *[email protected]* > > > > Home <http://www.nypost.com/> > > > ------------------------------ > > > NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. > > > NYPOST.COM<http://nypost.com/>, > > > NYPOSTONLINE.COM <http://nypostonline.com/>, and > > > NEWYORKPOST.COM<http://newyorkpost.com/> > > > are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc. > > > Copyright 2008 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. > > > > -- > > > *~@):~{>- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
