Bill Clinton turns enemy into a friend (Scaife)

[kskiska]

Source: Times Online

Richard Mellon Scaife, the reclusive right-wing billionaire who financed a “family values” crusade that almost bought down President Bill Clinton, has offered surprising praise for the politician he once despised - and admitted they both share an interest in philandering.

The heir to the Mellon banking fortune was once scorned by Democrats as the shadowy figure behind what Hillary Clinton dubbed “the vast right-wing conspiracy”.

Mr Scaife backed the so-called Arkansas Project that produced a series of stories in the American Spectator magazine into Mr Clinton’s sex life, including the notorious “Troopergate” piece that spurred Paula Jones’ sexual harrassment suit against the president for allegedly exposing himself to her in a hotel room.

Mr Scaife’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper also relentlessly pursued conspiracy theories surrounding the suicide of White House aide Vince Foster, which he once called “Rosetta Stone of the Clinton Administration.” Yet in his first interview since President Clinton left office, Mr Scaife told yesterday’s edition of Vanity Fair magazine that he had recently had lunch with Mr Clinton. He declared: “I’ve never met such a charismatic man in my whole life.” Now in the midst of a messy divorce from his second wife, Mr Scaife noted that both he and the former president had both strayed in their marriages. Philandering, he said, ’is something that Bill Clinton and I have in common.” “I don’t want people throwing rocks at me in the street. But I believe in open marriage,” he explained.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3123946.ece

[kurth]

1. Very touching

[JDPriestly]

21. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, but that Clinton would have lunch

with this two-faced creep is horrifying. What an insult to Hillary and Chelsea to have lunch with a man who caused them so much pain and embarrassment. It is unspeakable. Why would Clinton have lunch with a monster like Scaife? Was he trying to hit Scaife up for money or get him to lay off the family during Hillary's run? Did they make some kind of deal? What's the real story here?

[niceypoo]

34. To err is human

to forgive is divine. I doubt the sky is falling.

[JDPriestly]

51. You can forgive on an inner level. You don't have to have lunch with a creep like Scaife.

Scaife is the lowest form of human trash. Why would Clinton spend so much as ten minutes of his life with this guy. The only thing Scaife has to offer is his money. Surely Clinton was not pandering, surely Clinton is not desperate or greedy enough to spend ten minutes of his life with a creep like Scaife just for money. Why would Clinton even sit at the same table with Scaife?

Many years ago, someone did something to cause trouble for me in my work and with my family. I was required by my work to sit at the same table with this person. One of my co-workers placed the notebook with which I took the minutes of the meeting next to this person. I moved it. I had to sit with at that table, but I did not think it was right to sit next to this person. It would have been a form of insulting myself and my family. If that person apologized to me, I would accept the apology.

If Scaife apologized to Clinton, then I could understand Clinton's willingness to sit at the table with Scaife. Otherwise not. Scaife is not the sort who apologizes, and did not mention any apology in his interview as far as I could tell from the brief article.

[jaksavage]

41. clinton fell into

the pocket of the power elite.
he hasn't helped the dems since he has left office.

[klook]

47. When I read your subject line

my first thought was, "...a burnin' ring of fire." :evilgrin:

The conservatism of Clinton certainly hasn't helped matters. And having Scaife for a friend is nothing to brag about.

[Hotler]

66. Having Poppy Bush as a friend is nothing to...

brag about either.

[AntiFascist]

55. This is very interesting...

I wonder how the Clintons felt about Steve Kangas and the research he was doing.

[Demeter]

25. I'm Blind!

I thought you had to be abusing yourself to suffer from it, but evidently watching other people wank each other in public has the same effect....

[roguevalley]

53. this is an odd statement by him. christian wingnut but wants open

marriage? odd to say the least.

Bill Clinton can charm anyone.

[Truth2Tell]

2. "Enemy" of mankind that is. n/t

[struggle4progress]

3. uhhh ... scuze me ...

:puke:

[Gman]

4. Bill is smart as a fox

he's trying to neutralize Scaiffe. Sounds like he did it.

[alfredo]

15. Sounds that way to me too. Hillary neutralized Murdoch?

[FREEWILL56]

22. Neutralized Scaife and Murdoch? Or is it the other way around?

Bill and hillary have befriended many repukes and I don't think this as a strategy for hillary's running.

[alfredo]

36. I think it is. they are the masters of triangulation and defusing

the opposition by taking away issues. Remember the chummy relationship between Hillary Clinton and Gingrich. They were working together on healthcare. It helped her with moderate Republicans and Democrats. It really helped her with the conservative upstate conservatives of New York. She's also very very good at constituent services.

Never accept on face value any action the Clintons take. There is always more than meets the eye. They are like chess masters. They think many steps ahead.

An Obama/Hillary or Hillary/Obama ticket would be incredible. Her over the top political skills and Obama's communication and motivational skills would be a formidable combination.

Edwards backers, I'm not addressing him, even though I have been a fan of his even before the 2004 election.

[bitchkitty]

43. Thank you.

Although I'm not so sure anybody neutralized anybody. Two rich fucks love each other, big surprise. Bill already declared his love for George Bush at a press conference. Now Dickie loves Bill. Aren't we all so warm and fuzzy now? Love is in the air! I feel so much better now that Bill is kissing on these monsters that put us through years of hell and brought Democracy to her knees.

Wish I still drank. As it is, I'm going to go roll a HUGE joint (I'm legal) and sit in front of the fire and hug my dog.

[Jim Sagle]

5. And what will that strange new friendship cost us all if Bill becomes First Laddie?

:puke:

[11cents]

13. Nothing.

Scaife has no particular or interests beyond his little smearbooks, and he doesn't even control The American Spectator anymore.

[tsuki]

6. I hope his wife gets a large part of that 3.9 million a month trust.

Scaife is the poster child for the reinstatement of the Death Tax.

Go on line at the Pittsburg Gazette and read his divorce papers. Mr. "Family Values" Scaife was caught at a Motel Six with a hooker by wife number 2.

[saracat]

7. Why on earth would Bill meet with such a man? I guess they'll take money from anyone but sheesh.

Bill ought to xcercise some judgement.Scaife is even implying Bill supports his views as they both have a lot in common regarding philandering! Not what needs to be seen in print especially during an election year.he could have at least thought of Hillary!

[demigoddess]

20. keep your friends close, your enemies closer.

hope it works.

[TrogL]

8. That's a remarkably strange thing to say - damning with faint praise

Scaife is trying to keep Clinton in the news perhaps in some perverse way hoping for sympathy for Hillary, who the Repugs want for the candidate.

[aquart]

9. Aww.

Rove destroys people with their strengths. Bill redeems them with their weaknesses. Patience and kindness, same thing we use to bring sanity back to a crazy cat.

He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win.
We drew a circle that took him in.

--Edwin Markham

[ThatPoetGuy]

18. Great post!

Thanks.

[chascarrillo]

10. Stockholm

It's not just a city, it's a state.

[Demeter]

26. That's Precious!

Sure hope the syndrome isn't contagious!

[Union Thug]

11. With friends like Scaife, who needs enemies?

Puke.

[spinbaby]

42. Well, you know what they say

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

[skyounkin]

12. I still

think Rupert and Scarface have something dirty on Hillary, something that will bring her down if she wins the nomination. That's why they are pushing to have her win......so they can destroy her.

/tinfoilhat

[tom_paine]

14. Bill Clinton was a fine President, but I am really starting to wonder about him

Also, I cannot help but notice that the negative trends of the nation, such as wealth inequality, the War on (some) Drugs and the rest didn;t turn around, but merely slowed down, to pick back up again as if they never left off, which they didn't.

I begin to view him as the Lesser Imperial family to the Bush's Greater Imperial Family, and I wonder exactly how deep his commitment ever was to the American People.

Sorry, Bill, but lie down with dogs and people start to wonder if you didn't have fleas the whole fucking time.

Kabuki Theater.

I hope I am wrong, but the sniveling appeal to HW Bush recently makes me think of Crassus and Caesar in 'Spartacus', "Ahhhh. But who's Rome is it? Ours or the Mob's?"

[alfredo]

17. Remember, with Bubba, nothing is quite like it seems. There is

always a method to to his madness.

Remember, it isn't personal, it is politics.

[Demeter]

27. Maybe. Or It Could Just Be Madness

[alfredo]

37. As they say, "don't suffer from insanity, enjoy it."

[SHRED]

28. Like his "madnesses"...

...of escalating the war on marijuana and imprisoning the most people in our history at that time, or going after Doctors who try and prescribe it, or signing NAFTA, or signing the TelCom Act, or doing absolutely nothing with healthcare.

Still waiting for his "methods" to come to light.

[alfredo]

39. Just because I appreciate his skills as a politician, doesn't mean I was

a supporter of individual initiatives.

Clinton looked to JFK for inspiration. If you remember, JFK was not liberal.

[AntiFascist]

56. Sorry but Clinton was no JFK...

JFK wanted to eliminate the CIA, Clinton drew his power from the CIA.

[alfredo]

60. I wasn't saying he was. JFK's problems with the CIA stemmed from

the failed Bay of Pigs.



Read James Bamford's fine book, "Body of Secrets." It goes into depth about Operation Northwoods. Also read about the USS Liberty murders.

[AntiFascist]

61. Are you familiar with the mafia connections? n/t

[alfredo]

64. They are everywhere. They are very conservative, very much against

government regulation. I could see them not liking Democrats. I used to know some Mafia, they were Republican to the bone.

[AntiFascist]

67. Certain people have "confessed" recently that....

LBJ may have had something to do with the Kennedy assassination. If this is the case, then he is one Democrat who may have had such connections. Felix Rodriguez comes to mind.

[alfredo]

69. LBJ was a turd, but a brilliant politician. His Vietnam policy really sucked.

I did like his domestic policies.

[AntiFascist]

57. Maybe he went after marijuana because...

cocaine was getting a "free ride".

[SHRED]

29. no he wasn't

[alfredo]

40. expand on that.

[LynnTheDem]

16. Whereas George W. bUsh turns all friends into enemies.

Which the incredibly dumb rightwingnuts believe is "keeping us safe".

Ya gotta be a rightwingnut to be that damn dumb.

[davidinalameda]

19. the sky is falling!

Clinton is meeting with one of the bad guys

OMG

[OKNancy]

24. LOL - and he got $100,000 for his charity

The article said Scaife gave money to Bill's foundation, not Hillary's campaign.
Ol' Bill is masterful.

[hedgehog]

59. Maybe because there is a limit to the amount you can donate to a campaign.....nt

[davidinalameda]

65. don't confuse people with the facts

it makes their heads hurt

[bitchkitty]

23. Something else you and Bill have in common, Richard -

you're both rich pricks.

[SHRED]

30. This is surprising?

Bill Clinton escalated the war on marijuana, imprisoned a record amount of people, went after Doctors for prescribing it, signed NAFTA with no labor or environmental standards, signed the TelCom Act placing the mainstream media into the hands of monopolies like Clear Channel et al., forgave the Iran-Contra murderous traitors, hangs out with GB Sr,....etc...

No surprise that Bill (Republican lite) would chum up with the likes of Scaife.

---

[Individualist]

52. Not to anyone who knows about DLC's agenda

Certainly not surprising to me.

[Algorem]

31. trying to sew up the adultery vote?

[bemildred]

38. That was my guess, they have a lot in common there. nt

[mitchum]

32. What's with the "was once scorned by Democrats"?

I still hate the motherfucker.
And I'm sill not that crazy about DLClinton

[FiveGoodMen]

44. I'm with you.

And I've lost all respect for anything Clinton.

[Evergreen Emerald]

33. Is that the same Mellon fortune that is going to Edwards' campaign?

[struggle4progress]

35. Nice try. But I rather doubt you have any evidence of Richard Mellon Scaife bankrolling Edwards

[Lerkfish]

45. flailing wildly, they grab at straws.

just a mental image.

[formercia]

46. Boinking Shikse

Perhaps they can make it a team sport.

[bvar22]

48. Bill always was a Corporatist.

As such, he has common ground and common cause with the RICH, White, Aristocrats.
He now has a seat at the table with the Bush, Murdoch, and Scaife.
He isn't going to do anything to disrupt the meal.
They are "Serving Humanity".





The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[formercia]

50. "Serving Humanity."

roasted on a spit with an apple in its mouth.

[bvar22]

63. Exactly!

:toast:

[formercia]

73. The kiss of death for Hillary

Billy schmoozing with Scaife.

[BrklynLiberal]

49. huh???????????

:crazy:

Guess Big Business really does love the Clintons...

After what Sciafe and his minions did to the Kerry/Edwards campaign, how could any decent Dem actually eat while sitting across from him...

[Didereaux]

54. Bush Sr. has given Bill Dubyas stash of drugs! GET BIDEN in NOW!!!!

[fascisthunter]

58. I'm Sure a Couple Hillary Supporters Won't Be Supporting Her Anymore

not after this.

[Orsino]

62. Meaning that Bill let Scaife fool him into resurrecting the Clenis meme. n/t

[tabasco]

68. Mind-boggling.

Bill Clinton sucking up to Poppy and now Scaife.

It really looks like he has gone over to the haves and have-mores.

Sickening.

[JeanGrey]

70. What a sweet guy.

Barf.

[Baby Snooks]

71. The new Republican Hypocrisy l

"Philandering, he said, ’is something that Bill Clinton and I have in common.” “I don’t want people throwing rocks at me in the street. But I believe in open marriage,” he explained."

Same thing with the Harris County District Attorney in Houston who found himself in a sex scandal. Waving the flag, waving the Bible, wearing his "WWJD?" he has portrayed himself as the defender of Christian values in the community. While philandering his way through two marriages. Thought only Democrats were immoral?

I guess the Republicans have decided a little immorality is okay? After years of destroying reputations and careers and lives over other people's immorality?

Bill Clinton certainly is a sight to behold. But then he always was. Not doubt his hypocrisy contributed to Barack Obama's victory in Iowa.

[OKthatsIT]

72. LOL...wait till after Hillary concedes...

...it's gonna get vewy intwesting.