Did you know Bill Clinton has "Personal Ties" to Murdoch's NewsCorp ?

[LibDemAlways]

Last weekend I was on vacation in Monterey, CA, and an item in the local paper caught my eye. Seems this week Rupert Murdoch is hosting a big soiree for 250 of his execs. at exclusive Pebble Beach where Murdoch has a home. Among the invited speakers are the Clintons, Al Gore, Bono, Tony Blair, Newt Gingrich, and John McCain. This gathering is receiving virtually no national press coverage and the Monterey Herald's article makes it clear that the whole meeting is rather hush-hush.

What caught my eye was the information that Clinton waived his normal speaking fee because he has "personal ties" to the Murdoch NewsCorp empire. Anyone heard this before?

I find the alliance of Murdoch and the Clintons troubling.

Article is here:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/15152205.htm

[SammyBlue]

1. Murdoch has said he is publically supporting Hillary if she runs for

President.

My G-d, that makes me scared. . .but interested in a way. How will Fox News cross the boss and shill for the GOP when the Boss supports a Democrat?

The GOP will lose its main propaganda wing.

[LibDemAlways]

4. I'm wondering if those "ties" go beyond Murdoch's

fundraising for Hillary - which is baffling to begin with. Something about his "support" rings very false. The entire rw is pushing for Hillary to be the nominee. They must think she'd lose in a landslide.

[SammyBlue]

5. That's it. They wants a second crack at Clinton.

Nothing more! If Hillary runs, the Republican rat fucking will be like nothing we've ever seen before.

[SaveElmer]

25. That is false...in fact he said the opposite...

Murdoch held a fundraiser for her Senate bid...and when asked said it was very unlikely he would support her for President.

[babylonsister]

2. I read about this a day or two ago on DU. I think

my posted thought was that I'd like to be a fly on the wall.

Clinton is not our most immediate problem.

But I sure would have loved to be a fly on the wall with that line-up.

[Mabus]

3. Murdoch held a fundraiser for Hillary not long ago n/t

[madfloridian]

6. I know Hillary has been meeting with Murdoch.

That bothers me.

[LibDemAlways]

7. Since the article states that Clinton's ties are to "NewsCorp"

I'm just wondering if Murdoch is (supposedly) backing Hillary as a private citizen or is she being backed by his corporate empire? Either way sucks, but the last thing Dems need is a Presidential candidate bought and paid for by FAUX News.

[Donnachaidh]

8. it could be as simple as Murdoch

covering all his bases.

If a Thug wins - he wins.

If Hillary wins, after being backed by him -- he wins.

I wouldn't put anything past him. Especially with all the rumblings about the monopolies in MSM...

[earth mom]

9. The Clintons are Democrats IN NAME ONLY aka DINOs.

Don't you all get it? Murdoch is backing "his" people, they just have a different label!

The Clintons will pull the same shit that the reich wing is pulling, make NO mistake about that. Matter of fact, they've already started. :puke:

[LibDemAlways]

10. Bill and Hill have pulled way to the right for sure....

Not convinced Murdoch is entirely genuine in his support, however, given that his constituency hates the Clintons with a passion. Suspect he is one of many rightwingers pushing for Hillary's nomination so as one poster above so eloquently put it, they can "rat fuck" her to kingdom come and gleefully watch her go down in flames.

[earth mom]

11. I hate to burst your bubble, but

you need to look at the Clintons objectively. Forget the 90s. Look at them NOW. They are speaking and acting and behaving like Reich Wingers.

As in the old saying: If it walks like a duck...it IS a duck!

In my book, their actions are deceitful and just down right sleazy because they are deliberately fooling a LOT of people who have serious faith in them and love for them. These people are blinded by their emotions and can't stand back objectively to see that the Clintons have gone over to the other side-the enemy.

Time to step back and really look at them in the clear light of day-we can't afford to make the same mistakes again.

[LibDemAlways]

12. I don't like the Clintons and would never vote for

Hillary. I don't trust them, but I don't trust Murdoch either - nothing but a propagandist and a shill for the Bush Crime Family.

Interesting that the Monterey conference is being conducted in such secrecy. And why the hell would Gore agree to show up? What does he have to gain from associating with lowlife NewsCorp?

[NYCGirl]

13. Gore is showing up because the environment is bipartisan. NT

[LibDemAlways]

18. Yes, the environment is bipartisan, but

FAUX NEWS sure isn't. Certainly to Gore's credit if his motives are simply to get these suits to consider that Global Warming is real. It takes a strong and dedicated person to come before a bunch of major league corporate assholes bent on your party's destruction and who aided and abetted robbing you of the Presidency and remain statesmanlike and on message. More power to him if he succeeds in opening a few eyes.

[NYCGirl]

19. If he can go to Grover Norquist's weekly meeting to tell them about

global warming, he has the courage to walk into any snake pit.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/01/gore_at_grovers.html

Indeed, the former Vice President did turn up at Grover's Wednesday Group meeting, apparently at his own request, to give an abbreviated version of his global warming presentation. As Grover's meetings are off-the-record, I won't relay any of Gore specific remarks (beyond repeating what I think he'd want Cornerites to hear--that global warming and the potential harm it may do to the planet should be recognized as a moral challenge by everyone, especially conservatives). But I think I can stay within the rules to make a few general observations about the experience.

First, Gore was funny, relaxed, and self-effacing, and he was received by the Group with the utmost politeness and courtesy, as it should be. John Miller is right to praise the guy for seeking to meet with a group of people not one of whom likely voted for him. His Powerpoint presentation on global warming was superbly done--the best I have ever seen either on this or any topic. (He has some dazzling graphics, and uses Powerpoint as it ought to be used.)

Gore took on all comers for about 25 minutes after the speech, and I thought most of his responses were not strong. He graciously acknowledged the merits of good points and some challenges put to him (including two from me, if I can boast a bit). But most of his answers, I thought, sounded like canned bits of the rest of his speech that he left out, and he didn't, with few exceptions, join the fundamental premises at the heart of the questions. He also is not up to date on a few aspects of the climate change debate, but this is entirely forgiveable in my mind because it is almost impossible to keep up with this fast-moving scene.

Above all, Gore the practical politician may have come to realize something the environmental movement is resolutely clueless about: there can be no serious progress on any environmental issues without the participation of conservatives, for the obvious reason that the conservative movement is a potent force that is not going away any time soon. And with most other foreign conservative parties having joined the green/global warming bandwagon to some extent, this leaves the American conservative movement as the most significant remaining holdout. Most environmentalists want to demonize conservatives; Gore says he wants to talk to us. Good for him.

[earth mom]

20. Didn't see Gore's name till you pointed it out.

Very odd-but I'm not ready to throw in the towel on Gore. It could very well be a speech about the environment. Though the secrecy is very odd too....

[NYCGirl]

22. Read the article. Explanation here:

According to a copy of the conference's agenda obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Gore will be presenting his global warm documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Bono will likely speak on poverty and AIDS. And Peres will be on hand to discuss Islam and the West. There is no word yet on whether an Arab representative will be part of the discussion.

[Dob Bole]

14. Maybe...but that doesn't explain Gore or Bono...

It's a big corporate meeting. Likely, Bono will ask for money to aid Africa, and Gore will try to convince the execs that saving the environment= saving money.

[NYCGirl]

23. Explained here:

According to a copy of the conference's agenda obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Gore will be presenting his global warm documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Bono will likely speak on poverty and AIDS.

[Nikki Stone 1]

15. That explains Bono's assholishness on 60 Minutes last Sunday

:kick:

[truebrit71]

16. You mean OTHER than the Hillary fundraiser sponsored by Murdoch?

...

[LibDemAlways]

17. Yes, because the article specifically mentions

Clinton's ties to "NewsCorp" not to Murdoch as an individual. Which, again, begs the question of whether Murdoch is backing her as a private citizen or throwing the weight of his considerable corporate empire behind her - two different things, perhaps?

[Vidar]

21. Bill's waist deep in the corruption where the republicans are drowning.

Unfortunately most politics is a matter of degree. I still like the guy & he's the best politician we've had since LBJ.

[Initech]

24. I thought Clinton-hating was the only pre-requisite for working at News Co

This must be a major turn-around, then. I could imagine that News Corp has real short interviews:

"Do you hate Clinton?"

"Yes."

"Do you blame Clinton for every major news event that's happened in history, much less the last ten years?"

"Yes."

"Get the fuck in the newsroom, then!"