Results tagged “hillaryclinton”

During her unsuccessful presidential campaign last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton racked up more than $12 million in debt which she slowly has been paying off. Now the Daily News reports that she has been selling access to her vast donor database: "Clinton's campaign handlers have rented out the names and addresses of her supporters at least 60 times to a range of buyers, including the Democratic Party, pols and advocacy groups," including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and her husband's foundation, raising $3.5 million over the last year. The story notes that though the practice of selling donor lists is "not unusual" in Washington, her current boss keeps his own impressive list "under lock and key."

Finally, we get to hear what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thinks of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win! Of course, Clinton treaded carefully in her Today Show interview, pointing out she can't predict the Nobel Committee's mind, but says that the President's "attitude toward America’s role in the world" was the reason, "His willingness to really kind of challenge everyone ... restores a kind of image and appreciation of our country."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is being remembered for her diplomatic skills by brokering peace between Conan O'Brien and Newark mayor Cory Booker, who have had some sort of feud about Newark—O'Brien had joked, "The Mayor of Newark, New Jersey wants to set up a citywide program to improve residents' health. The health-care program would consist of a bus ticket out of Newark" and then it started a volley of threats (Booker put O'Brien on Newark Airport's no-fly list) and more jokes.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is said to be "numb but heartbroken" after learning yesterday that her husband Clifton Maloney died on his way down from a mountain hiking expedition in Tibet. Reports are that 71-year-old Clifton Maloney's final words were "I’m the happiest man in the world. I’ve just summited a beautiful mountain." The couple have been married for 33 years and have two daughters, ages 28 and 21. Friends describe he and the congresswoman, who represents parts of Manhattan and Queens, as "unbelievably intertwined" and "one of the happiest couples" they know.

New York investor Hassan Nemazee, whose prolific political fundraising for Democrats like Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Charles Schumer, was released on $25 million bond yesterday. Nemazee is " accused of lying about his assets to obtain a $74 million loan from Citibank." The NY Times further explains, he "orchestrated the fraud by using forged documents showing that he held accounts with collateral worth hundreds of millions of dollars," but the accounts never existed or were closed. Nemazee did end up paying the money back to Citibank on Monday, but was arrested on Tuesday. He is under house arrest—monitoring device plus no computer or Internet access—at his Upper East Side duplex, which the Daily News says is worth $20 million (that plus his $8 million Katonah estate are what's securing his bond). Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Sens. Barbara Boxer, Chris Dodd and Schumer told Politico they plan to return his donations. Time has a 2-minute look at Nemazee.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's marathon tour of Africa was supposed to spotlight pressing issues like AIDS, rape, and other atrocities, but those boring old talking points have been eclipsed by her furious response to a Congolese student's maladroit question about what "Mr. Clinton thinks through the mouth of Mrs. Clinton." Yesterday, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley futilely tried to shift the media's lowbrow focus, explaining that Clinton perceived the question as sexist because it asked for "the views of two men, but not [hers]." But when pressed further Crowley sighed, "I wasn't there, okay? She reacted to what she heard." A source tells the Daily News, "She's tired. She's in the rape capital of the world. It's a long trip." Okay, but neither Clinton nor the student has commented on the contretemps yet, so this can probably get us through a couple more news cycles! In the meantime, there are other important issues to discuss—like why isn't Madam Secretary dressing to impress on her Africa tour?! As Newsday wonders, "Can some great stylist step in and help?" And the Daily Show dubbed the incident "Crankypants Suit"; watch the funny segment below:

You wouldn't know it from the Daily News home page, which emphasizes such breaking news as "Scantily-clad Stars Hit the Sand" and "Kate Hudson's Set A-Rod on Fire," but today's top story, splashed across the cover of the print edition, is "Hillary Clinton Rages at Student: I'm the Boss, Not Bill." The incident happened in Congo yesterday when a university student asked what her husband thought about a multibillion-dollar Chinese loan offer to Congo. Watch the Secretary of State lash out as the audience groans like they're at a taping of Maury:

Former president Bill Clinton is in North Korea right now, in hopes of gaining the release of the two U.S. journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. Two months ago, Lee and Ling were sentenced to 12 years in labors camps for illegally entering North Korea, but earlier tonight, Politico reported, "North Korean officials told the family that they would release the women to Clinton, the source said. The family then approached the former president. The source said the White House approved the mission, which began Tuesday, North Korea time."

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed North Korea on Good Morning America, saying, "What we've seen is this constant demand for attention... And maybe it's the mother in me or the experience that I've had with small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention -- don't give it to them, they don't deserve it, they are acting out." Well, North Korea didn't like that too much—and made a new bid for attention by slamming the Secretary of State calling her vulgar and unintelligent and saying she looks either like a schoolgirl or retiree. Wow, it's almost like primary season 2008 again!

Mayor Bloomberg sounded off on some issues that came up yesterday. He was upset that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the State Department have reversed a policy where NYC collected taxes from foreign governments' diplomatic buildings. About $260 million in unpaid back taxes plus future revenue will be lost, leading the mayor to say, "Since 1873 they've been saying this is taxable... It's just patently unfair to New Yorkers and Americans and it contravenes established policy for 130-odd years and it just doesn't make sense." He also worried that foreign governments would buy properties, since they'd be tax-free, and rent them out. Even Senator Schumer thinks the policy sucks! As for news that the NYPD signed a $1 million contract for typewriters—used for police reports (and which are so cumbersome they may prohibit some cops from filing reports)—Bloomberg said, "Why are they using any is the question you should ask, and where do you find them? That was the thing that I thought about. I didn't think anybody made them anymore."

The 2009 campaign season may have left us with the distinct impression that Congressman Anthony Weiner is a bit of a tease, but apparently Weiner was just playing Gotham's Democratic voters while he was actually doing groundwork on the sole endorsement he was aiming for—from girlfriend Huma Abedin. Weiner and Abedin, the Hillary Clinton aide whom the News calls "glamorous" and "a linchpin of Clinton's entourage," just went public, but it turns out the proposal happened right around the time Weiner backed out of the mayoral race with an allusion to wanting to "start a family." The pair got outed in a NYT piece on former Clinton strategist and current Bloomberg campaign mastermind Howard Wolfson who dropped the "f" bomb (the other one) when referring to the two. The possible future Huma Weiner has apparently been courted by John Cusack and George Clooney in the past, which we believe beats his links to foreign models. She also happens to be Muslim, to which Gawker says "maybe he will be less of an asshole now." How sweet!

Foreign governments will no longer have to pay property taxes on some of their diplomatic buildings in New York after a change in policy by the U.S. State Department. The NY Post reports the policy reversal will cost the city "untold millions in future lost revenue" as well as $260 million in unpaid back taxes—including a check from the Hungarian consulate worth $32.5 million that was canceled only days after the State Department's policy change. Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy explains to the Post the decision was made because other countries don't ask the U.S. to pay taxes on its overseas property: "Those countries have come to us and said, 'Wait a minute. Why is New York taxing us when we don't tax you?'" But, besides the loss of potential income, what has some surprised about the new policy is the political U-turn it represents for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who previously championed the city's right to collect those taxes when she was a senator. Though the decision may not win her much popularity at City Hall, she'll no doubt have a few new friends at the Indian and Mongolian embassies, both of which are now off the hook after losing a federal court battle over $46 million in back property taxes last year.

Being criticized and questioned (by even her fellow Republican party members!) over her sudden resignation, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin fought back on Facebook and Twitter, saying, "How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make." Her lawyer is also threatening legal action over "defamatory" rumors that a criminal investigation might be afoot. Apparently the spotlight on her personal life was too much; Washington Post spoke to John Coale, the D.C. lawyer who "helped [Palin] establish a political action committee and has become her political consigliere of sorts." Coale said, "She asked me, 'Well, what do you think all this is? Why are all these people attacking me?' I said to her: 'Look, that's what happens. They did it to Hillary [Rodham Clinton], and Hillary just pushed through it. It's not going to really stop... You just have to ignore it and move on,' but he added, "she couldn't ignore the hits on the kids. She said, 'It brought out the mama grizzly in me.' She acted like a mother grizzly bear when her cubs were being attacked."

Hillary Clinton gave her first Sunday talk show interview as Secretary of State to George Stephanopoulos, who asked the inevitable: Did President Obama pass the 3 a.m. test, referring to her infamous campaign ad that asked, "It's 3 a.m., and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?"

A New Jersey man who has been attempting to get his son returned from Brazil for the past five years was hours away from regaining custody—only to have a judge intervene and put the kibosh on it once again. David Goldman's son Sean has been living in Rio de Janeiro since his mother Bruna took him down there for a vacation in 2004, divorced Goldman, remarried and never returned. Last year, she died while giving birth to a child with her new husband, whom Sean, 9, now lives with. The case for Sean's return to his Tinton Falls home has become an international political battle led by NJ Congressman Chris Smith and echoed by Secretary of State Clinton. A Brazilian federal judge had issued an order Monday granting Goldman custody, but yesterday a Supreme Court justice intervened, suspending the order. David Goldman called the move "heartbreaking and disgraceful” and his lawyer said, “Brazil needs to define itself as either a nation of laws or a nation that harbors and protects child abductors.” The Brazilian Supreme Court must take up the case now.

             

Yesterday was the biggest day of thousands of NYU students' lives as they graduated from their respective colleges and schools, but guess what—even that isn't enough to let them sit in the seats near the field at Yankee Stadium! With Washington Square Park's renovation forcing the school to relocate its school-wide graduation ceremonies to the Bronx for a spell, the Yankees prohibited NYU from filling the premium seats with students.

In the annual affair that provides 6,000 young New Yorkers with their "only time I've ever been to the Bronx" story, NYU held its commencement ceremonies at Yankee Stadium this afternoon. After some hype that there would be a repeat streaking performance (of both last year's graduation and last night's Met game), Will Lopez will get to brag to his bros tonight that no one had the guts to do it this year.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made her feelings about former vice president Dick Cheney's known at a hearing today. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-California) had asked her about Cheney suggestion that the CIA's torture-related memos be declassified (because some, Cheney claims, show harsh torture=success), to which Clinton said, "It won't surprise you that I don't consider him a particularly reliable source." Rohrbacher than demanded Clinton answer the question, suggesting she would want to preserve her credibility with them (the House Foreign Affairs Committee), and Clinton said she would support whatever decision the Obama administration makes, adding, "I am not going to share that with you because I do not know any facts that support what you're describing." You can watch the exchange here.

Hillary Clinton may be Secretary of State but she does have to deal with the debt remaining from her 2008 presidential campaign. Which is why strategist James Carville sent an e-mail to Clinton supporters, telling them that if they contribute, they could be entered in contest to win one of three prizes: "Spend a day with President Clinton" in NYC, "attend the American Idol season finale," and a weekend in D.C. talking politics with Carville and Paul Begala. OMG!! You can read the whole e-mail here; donations can be as small as $5 (Clinton's debt is about $6 million). A veteran Republican campaign finance lawyer told the Wall Street Journal, “It’s difficult to pay off $6 million when a losing candidate has already exhausted his or her base contributors. I think the only thing more difficult than raising money to pay a pollster is raising money to pay lawyers.”

NYU announced today that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will give the commencement speech at their graduation ceremonies on May 13th at Yankee Stadium. Hillary will be presented with an honorary doctorate of law alongside other guests of honor, including playwright John Patrick Shanley, White House journalist Helen Thomas, health advocate Jessie Gruman and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Fert. Schools Chancellor Joel Klien will receive the “Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City.” Hillary is also slated to give the commencement address at Barnard this year, while Columbia University grads will hear a speech from new Attorney General Eric Holder. Meanwhile out in Los Angeles, current Columbia student and Pineapple Express star James Franco will give the commencement address at UCLA.

With the prospects of bringing Serbian basketball player Miladin Kovacevic to justice in the US looking slimmer and slimmer, Secretary of State Clinton appears to be the force behind a deal where the Serbian government will pay out $900,000 to the family of Bryan Steinhauer, the man Kovacevic is accused of beating within an inch of his life. Serbia is also said to be paying another $100,000 to cover Kovacevic's bail, left over since he fled the US after being charged in the Binghamton brawl that left Steinhauer in a coma last spring. The Post says that Clinton kept the pressure on US ambassador to Serbia, Cameron Munter to hammer out a deal in one of her first acts at her new cabinet post. As New York's Senator, Clinton had previously led efforts to go after Kovacevic. Serbian papers were outraged with news of the payout with one saying, "Kovacevic appears to be more important to Serbia than the country's own impoverished citizens." A spokesman for the US State Department insists that the settlement doesn't the end of the case saying, "Serbian officials have assured us that they will continue to pursue this case vigorously...to return Kovacevic to face justice in New York."

This priceless excerpt from a low-budget infomercial for a leather store in New Hartford, NY stars an angry spokesman in an ill-fitting tuxedo going way off-topic in a seemingly improvised rant about how the economic tailspin was caused by Hillary Clinton and Eliot Spitzer's respective obsessions with the White House and hookers. None of it has anything to do with leather... or does it? A sample:

Everybody's crying about the economy... "Oh, my God things are so bad." Well, you know if—not for nothing; this is just a pet peeve—if Hillary Clinton didn't spend a whole year running for President instead of doing something for the state of New York, maybe we would be a little better. If Spitzer wasn't out there popping chicks like Bon Bons, maybe we'd be a little better... I'm not gonna badmouth, but I'm gonna badmouth.

Not surprisingly after two months of buildup and a tumultuous road to get to its finish line, the conclusion of selecting a replacement for Senator Hillary Clinton did not go out with a whimper. Instead, many of the storylines that had manifested themselves culminated this week with Governor Paterson's ultimate selection of Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand.

The congresswoman whose last name begins with a soft "g" may have to become the senator who reconsiders her hard-lined history against gun control control advocates. That seems to be the one thing we've learned in the less than 48 hours since it was revealed that Representative Kirsten Gillibrand would be named to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate following the Caroline Kennedy fiasco.

As the drama over her Senate seat continues, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was enthusiastically greeted by State Department staffers this morning. The Caucus reports, "Mrs. Clinton was greeted by a crowd of more than a thousand State Department employees, cheering and whooping like a campaign gathering." Aw. She told them:

I am absolutely honored and thrilled beyond words to be here with you as our nation's 67th Secretary of State. And I believe, with all of my heart, that this is a new era for America. President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address. And the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world.

Continue reading "Clinton's First Day at State Dept: "Honored and Thrilled""

It's official: Hillary Clinton is the new Secretary of State. Senator John Cornyn (aka "Big Bad John") had blocked an Inauguration Day confirmation and, today, Senator John McCain helped pave the way for a voice vote in the Senate.

Move over, Rudy! It's a blast from the past, as Rick Lazio, who ran against Hillary Clinton in 2000 for the Senate seat, is rumored to be considering a go for governor. Assemblyman Philip Boyle tells Newsday, "He is in the exploratory stage. I think he would make a tremendous candidate." Lazio, an executive vice president at JP Morgan Chase, has reportedly had conversations with various GOP types, who believe Governor Paterson could be vulnerable in 2010 if the economy continues to go south, but the former Representative would only tell the NY Times, "It’s an honor to be thought of as an attractive candidate." Naturally, Lazio will have to wait and see what GOP fave Giuliani does—remember, it was only when Giuliani decided not to run against Clinton in 2000 (Giuliani had both prostate cancer and an affair with now wife Judi Nathan at the time) that Lazio entered that race.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton, who got a 16-1 vote of confidence to be the next Secretary of State from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, addressed the Senate for possibly the last time as a colleague. She told them, "I thank you. You have been wonderful teachers and mentors and very good friends."

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee just voted overwhelmingly to approve Senator Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State under President-elect Barack Obama. Politico reports the vote was 16 to 1: "Louisiana Republican David Vitter was the sole 'no' vote, citing concerns over potential conflicts of interest posed by Bill Clinton's international fundraising. Another conservative on the committee, South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint, also expressed reservations about Clinton's failure to increase oversight of her husband's charities." But DeMint said he wouldn't stand in the way of her nomination, praising her skills, and voted to approve the nomination.

Secretary of State-desginate Hillary Clinton is sitting in front of the Senate Foreign Committee, chaired by Senator John Kerry, for her confirmation hearings. Below, we have a live video stream, via MSNBC, of the hearings.