Thursday, March 02, 2006
Clintonian Politics As Ususal?
Bill Clinton advises Dubai as Hillary attacks its US ports deal - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - Former president Bill Clinton has privately advised Dubai officials how to address US political concerns over a controversial ports deal, as his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, publicly attacks the deal.
Dubai Ports World bid to takeover Britain's P and O, which runs terminal operations at six major US ports, has triggered a political firestorm in the United States.
Senator Clinton has voiced vigorous opposition to the 5.7-billion-euro (6.8-billion-dollar) takeover, saying it threatens US national security.
She is attempting to push legislation through Congress that seeks to block the deal, partly on the grounds that DP World is foreign-government owned.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported Thursday her husband -- who it said was paid 300,000 dollars in 2002 to address a summit in Dubai -- has advised Dubai officials how to soothe US concerns over the deal.
'Mr. Clinton, who this week called the United Arab Emirates a 'good ally to America,' advised Dubai's leaders to propose a 45-day delay to allow for an intensive investigation of the acquisition,' the FT said, citing a spokesman for the ex president."
Just as I was starting to like the former President and not hold his hormones against him, this comes out. First of all, it seems wiser just to be upfront with the public on this one. "My husband is consulting them, but I am blocking the deal and using it against the President." Okay, fair. I guess she could not have said that. He could have said "these are old friends". Okay, he couldn't say that either. It's not the money the public is going to care about. It is the fact that this suggests an under-handed strategy by the Clinton's. The husband is helping them while the wife blames the deal on the President. It just looks ugly, and, quite frankly, is something that many of the Clinton's detractors have gotten used to. And once again, it seems, they have gotten caught.
Dubai Ports World bid to takeover Britain's P and O, which runs terminal operations at six major US ports, has triggered a political firestorm in the United States.
Senator Clinton has voiced vigorous opposition to the 5.7-billion-euro (6.8-billion-dollar) takeover, saying it threatens US national security.
She is attempting to push legislation through Congress that seeks to block the deal, partly on the grounds that DP World is foreign-government owned.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported Thursday her husband -- who it said was paid 300,000 dollars in 2002 to address a summit in Dubai -- has advised Dubai officials how to soothe US concerns over the deal.
'Mr. Clinton, who this week called the United Arab Emirates a 'good ally to America,' advised Dubai's leaders to propose a 45-day delay to allow for an intensive investigation of the acquisition,' the FT said, citing a spokesman for the ex president."
Just as I was starting to like the former President and not hold his hormones against him, this comes out. First of all, it seems wiser just to be upfront with the public on this one. "My husband is consulting them, but I am blocking the deal and using it against the President." Okay, fair. I guess she could not have said that. He could have said "these are old friends". Okay, he couldn't say that either. It's not the money the public is going to care about. It is the fact that this suggests an under-handed strategy by the Clinton's. The husband is helping them while the wife blames the deal on the President. It just looks ugly, and, quite frankly, is something that many of the Clinton's detractors have gotten used to. And once again, it seems, they have gotten caught.
