Can anyone tell me how the "$2 million Clinton wedding" meme started, and verify the number?

[Hekate]

It certainly has been a popular topic at DU these past several days, lending itself to all sorts of Clinton-bashing and class-warrior comments, a great many of them extremely heated.

I know it's been lots of fun, if you like that sort of thing, but is there a reputable source for that figure? No fair using FOX or the National Enquirer! Inquiring minds want to know!

Hekate

[grantcart]

1. Can anyone explain why we are spending time on a personal matter

that only further trivializes the focus of DU?

[LoZoccolo]

2. I think the OP is designed to put an end to that. n/t

[Hekate]

22. Bingo

[juajen]

3. How about a lot of us are interested, and the Clintons are important

to this forum? Will that do ya?

[Hekate]

9. Nah. The sheer level of venom pretty much precluded my thinking this was about how 'important to DU'

... the Clintons are.

Hatred. Class-war. How-dare-they-when-children-are-starving-in-Sudan? How-dare-they-be-rich-when-I'm-not?

And most of all: the nearly unanimous and uncritical acceptance of a wildly over-the-top sum of money. Someone said it so it MUST be true.

I'd like to know, because if it's not true it certainly is slander -- one uncritically accepted at DU. And that begs the question: Why?

Hekate

[grantcart]

12. The Clintons are important. This is a strictly personal matter.

Mrs. Clinton has made it clear that she considers it a private family affair and I think that we should honor her wishes.

[bluestateguy]

4. Looks like some people were Brietbarted

I bet you that wedding doesn't cost a tenth of that much.

[NanceGreggs]

5. It's really quite simple ...

... the same people who riled against the RW when they went after Edwards and Gore for their "lavish homes" have now decided that the Clintons should be chastised for spending money on their daughter's wedding.

Please read the memos. If you don't, you could find yourself "under the bus" when you least expect it.

[Divine Discontent]

40. hi NG! good to see you on!

:hug:

[Ross K]

6. I don't give a hoot

As long as I'm not paying for it, knock yerselves out, ya crazy kids!

[pnwmom]

7. I saw the original article but don't know where. It was PURE speculation,

based on a series of estimates for different costs of a wedding like theirs -- always taking the numbers from the high end of a range, and sometimes out of the normal range completely. It was garbage.

For example, I remember the estimator decided that the Clintons would be paying $500 per guest for food costs only -- and that there would be multiple meals at that cost.


Wedding planners love to overstate the average costs of weddings because they get higher payments if they can convince people to spend more.

[Hekate]

26. I figured it had to have been something like that. What weirded me out was the response at DU...

There were uncounted threads and great numbers of DUers who slammed the Clintons up one side and down the other without ever questioning the source or the veracity of the figure.

You'd think we'd have learned by now -- but no. We seem to be gullible fools for RW manipulation.

And the hatred was as palpable and as over-the-top as the purported sum of money. As I said in my OP: that rather begs the question, "why?"

Hekate

[pnwmom]

27. I know. Shouldn't DUers have been glad the Clintons were able to pump some money

into the local economy? I'm sure none of the people servicing the wedding are complaining.

[WillParkinson]

8. I honestly don't care...

It's their money, they can spend it how they like.

And I don't see anyone on the right complaining about the ONE MILLION that Mr. Limbaugh paid to Mr. John in addition to his wedding costs.

[tishaLA]

10. I believe the original article was on politicsdaily.com

and I never looked it up because I didn't give a rat's ass how much anyone was spending on a woman's wedding.

[hfojvt]

11. here's a source, easily googled

http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2010/07/26/chelsea-clintons-2-million-wedding-20-times-the-cost-of-jenna-bushs-nuptials/

Is it reputable? I doubt it.

The accuracy of the $2 million seems like a moot point. $2 million was a number that some people chose to defend. They are assuming the $2 million is accurate and it is perfectly hunky-dory with them.

[JI7]

13. why wouldn't it be ? it's not like it's tax payers money

[Drunken Irishman]

14. Right. Who cares how much the Clintons spend on the wedding of their only daughter?

It's their money. They earned it. They can do whatever they please with it.

[old mark]

15. I heard on MSNBC that the numbers were completely made up and

NO ONE has real information on the wedding cost at all.I also understand the REAL wedding is supposed to be very small and private...for some reason, Chelsea does not like publicity...how can THAT be?

mark

[Hekate]

21. After growing up with Bill & Hill, I too simply can't imagine why Chelsea would prefer privacy...

... in her own life. :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

Hekate

[old mark]

31. See? The Media is her friend.......nt

[vaberella]

16. I don't see why it's a big deal. She works and her parents work and have had book deals.

What does it matter if her parents or herself or her future (possibly husband now) want to spend 2 million for a wedding. They could. I think DU needs a life.

[zbdent]

17. makes you wonder how much hosting a wedding reception at the White House costs ...

"On June 21, 2008, President Bush hosted a wedding reception for Jenna and Henry at the White House. The guests included many Republicans, such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. The United States Marine Band performed."

how much does it cost to hire the U.S. Marine Band to perform at your wedding?

[JoePhilly]

18. Must be free ... cause I didn't hear anyone complain.

[zbdent]

19. maybe that's why the economy collapsed ...

a Bush wedding ...

;)

[WI_DEM]

20. This is the Clinton's only daughter and if they want to spend a great deal of money

to make as memorable wedding as possible (remember many more people will be attending, too, than the average wedding), then what do I care? it's their money.

[BlueIdaho]

35. Poor kid

Ridiculed for her looks when she was the country's "first daughter," crap about her school and career choice, more crap when she campaigned for her mom, and now all this flack about the cost of her wedding. If she was my kid and I had the money to spend, I'd do it in a heartbeat and tell anyone that didn't like it to shove it.

Their money, their daughter, none of my business.

[Paladin]

39. My Sentiments Exactly.

You people who are trashing the Clintons over the cost of this wedding---whatever that cost is---are carrying water for Fox "News," which is engaged in the same brain-dead outrage act. Get over it and devote your energies to more worthwhile things, and do it immediately. Quit embarrassing yourselves and the rest of us, as well....

[elleng]

23. media speculation, nothing more.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. Frank Luntz-->Mike Levine-->Rush Limbaugh-->Sean Hannity-->Beck...

You get where this is going...

[secondwind]

25. IT'S THEIR MONEY. END OF STORY.

[Pisces]

28. Who cares. It is their only daughter's wedding. Let them spend 5 million if they want.

[ZombieHorde]

29. This link clearly says, "$2 million Clinton wedding." Read it and weep.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x389132

[Hekate]

32. So it does, so it does....

:evilgrin:

Hekate

[jenmito]

30. I saw it reported on MSNBC last week. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

33. Now it's a "$3 million to $5 million" wedding

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/07/27/2010-07-27_chelsea_clintons_lavish_starstudded_ceremony_will_cost_between_3_million_and_5_m.html

Plenty of believeable detail in the article on how the score runs up, if you're interested.

[Hekate]

34. Is NY Daily News a reliable source--or a tabloid? I read a lot of "probably," "could," and "may"...

Also, "Bill and Hillary Clinton can afford it." nu?

Also this breathless statement: "It's bigger and more important than a celebrity wedding," according to celebrity event planner Diann Valentine. "It will certainly be the most influential of setting trends. If anything becomes public knowledge it will immediately set a trend."

And the gushing conclusion? "As such, no expense will be spared." So let the speculation run rampant!

Hekate

[BeyondGeography]

37. It's New York, and vendors are going to gouge the fuck out of the Clintons

I don't doubt the figures.

[madinmaryland]

36. I read it on the internets, so it must be true!

:crazy:

[jenmito]

38. Today MSNBC reported it "could be up to $5 million." n/t

[Divine Discontent]

41. anything over $100K is odd, but hey, it's only $ & they're loaded & I bet the people they've hired

appreciate the business greatly.