The attacks on the Clinton Foundation are so evil.

[StevieM]

I just listened to some guy, Walter Isaacson, on MSNBC matter-of-factly say there was a taint of corruption to the Clinton Foundation. That is just so wrong.

The attacks on the Clinton Foundation are based on lies. What Bill Clinton did after leaving the White House was so wonderful. He decided to use his post-presidency to benefit others. And he has.

[DURHAM D]

1. I just posted about this same problem in this thread -

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10984445

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I heard that but what I think he meant was that there were accusations or suggestions

(which is what the term "taint" implies) of improprieties, and there were investigations. As far as I know nothing ever came of the investigations, which were obviously politically motivated, but I didn't get the sense that Isaacson (who is a well-known, respected and non-political historian) was actually accusing the foundation of anything; just in effect noting that accusations had been made.

[TheRealNorth]

4. People are saying.....

The Pope molests sheep, so that makes it perfectly okay to repeat it, cause who knows

[DURHAM D]

5. Sorry, but it went unchallenged by Brian thus leaving

it out there as a "major scandal" equal to the Republican crime families.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Sorry, I just didn't get that sense. It seemed to me more like an afterthought

and I barely even noticed it. If they had gone off the topic of Trump admin corruption and instead started talking about the Clinton Foundation, even to defend it, that's just a reminder of the investigations and makes matters worse. Best to just let it slide and be forgotten. Which I'd have done if I hadn't seen this thread.

[DURHAM D]

9. It did not belong in the segment at all. PERIOD

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. As I said above, best to let it slide, not discuss or acknowledge it.

I immediately forget the comment and wouldn't have remembered it at all but for this thread. To me it was just, yeah, the Clinton Foundation got investigated and nothing came of it.

[DURHAM D]

11. I don't recall being told I need to take orders from you. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Then don't. I'm not ordering you to do anything - just expressing my opinion,

which you are perfectly free to disregard, just as I am disregarding yours.

[mythology]

29. Two posts up, you were giving orders about what should be in the report

It seems you don't like different opinions. Perhaps you should reconsider who is "giving orders". If you can't handle disagreement, that's on you. But it's a discussion forum, people can have different opinions.

[oasis]

3. Issacson just rattled off the bs on the Clinton Foundation as it were fact.

He's supposed to have had an extensive background in journalism. What a disgrace.

[DURHAM D]

6. Yep.

I wanted to pull that rat bastards tongue out and slap him with it.

[rusty quoin]

7. What he has done is like what Jimmy Carter had done with the Carter Center.

They both have worked to improve lives all over the world for decades. Give me one example of an Republican president who has done the same.

[Cicada]

13. The Foundation helped 12 million poor people get AIDS drugs

I saw a fact checker on Hillary’s claim that Bill and the Foundation were essential in helping 10 million get access to the life saving drugs. He said she was mistaken. It was 12 million. With others Bill, the Foundation made a huge purchase of the drugs to get a good price. It had cost $10,000 per year per patient. They initially got a price of $1000, then $400, then $100. They published all known prices so others could see what was possible. They made sure the drugs were getting to those who needed them. They have now gotten malaria drug prices reduced 90%. Both Charity Navigator and Charity Watch give the foundation their highest rating. The tax form 990 for every year is available online. That form shows no one named Clinton has ever been paid even one dollar. CPA firms prepare their forms 990. A CPA firm is hired because lenders and investors trust them. There is massive financial incentive for CPA firms to not lie. Look at what happened to Arthur Andersen when they fudged Enron, complete ruin. Some clowns have claimed high overhead, high administrative costs. Based on the ratio of grants given to receipts. But the Foundation gives some grants but does charitable work directly. That direct charitable work is not overhead, it is not administration. Administration, overhead, fund raising is about 15%.

The Foundation has saved many millions of lives. Efforts to kill it for political reasons are vile.

[Hekate]

20. THANK YOU

[MaryMagdaline]

25. Yes and their high operating costs are due to medical salaries

These salaries cannot be replaced by cheap labor.

To actually undertake something of this magnitude is remarkable. And to have success at it is even more remarkable.

[Pepsidog]

14. Iaacson is a brilliant writer. Wrote Steve Jobs biography. Don't think he meant to disparage Clinton

[doxyluv13]

15. Have you read (Hillary supporter) Jonathan Chiat's...

"The Disastrous Clinton Post-Presidency" from NY Mag? If we can't be realistic about the failings of our leaders, we are doomed.
This came out in April 2015 btw:

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/04/disastrous-clinton-post-presidency.html

[StevieM]

17. The article is garbage IMO. The Clinton Foundation has done extraordinary amounts of good

around the world and the Clinton's don't benefit from it personally.

Attempts to claim that they do are preposterous. He even repeats the ridiculous uranium one story.

[fleabiscuit]

21. Weak article. Points debunked.

Appears election interfering was gearing up early.

[MrsCoffee]

27. Please do not push propaganda.

Especially old, debunked crap like this.

You want to talk about doomed? The internet has made it possible for the gullible to perpetuate the most preposterous and obnoxious propaganda out there. Mindlessly spreading lies and hate. That is what has doomed us.

[mythology]

31. And yet none of the people calling it debunked offered any evidence

Cite something. Dismissing out of hand doesn't help anybody else learn from it.

[secondwind]

16. CF has helped well over 400 million people

all over the world.

[FormerOstrich]

18. I'd like to see the

CF and etal start pursuing defamation and slander actions against people that continue to sell that crap. Hit 'em where it hurts...in the wallet!

[Lee-Lee]

23. As a public organization run by public figures that's hard

Unless they can point to way, way overboard claims then it would be a hard case to push.

And it would also mean that it would open a lot of the internal records and communications of the foundation open to discovery and allow the lawyers for these people to dig through lots of stuff they don’t have access to. And no matter what, they will cherry pick lots of stuff to take out of context and spin new conspiracy theories around it.

Probably best to keep taking the high road here.

[Hekate]

19. I heard that. The lies from the Right have soaked in to the culture & become common wisdom

People repeat this shit unquestioningly and unchallenged. Someone should drop Brian a line about this particular slur. What "taint," except that manufactured by the VRWC?

[Older Than I Look]

22. As with nearly all of the criticisms of the Clintons -

It originated in the poisoned mind of a paid RW propagandist.

[betsuni]

24. Yes it is evil.

[democratisphere]

26. Benefiting OTHERS is inconsistent with redumbliCON values

and this type of behavior must not be allowed and stopped immediately. Lies and propaganda about the horrid Clinton Foundation must be beaten to death, and THEN beaten again!

[enid602]

28. Bern

I think Bernie laid a lot of the foundation for this skepticism. TRump then ran with it.

[mythology]

30. Because Republicans didn't hate the Clintons until 2016?

That's a pretty baseless contention.

[enid602]

32. Bern

So you think Bern was just repeating Republican memes? Guess that's a possibility.