There is one important reason both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren don't accept speaking fees

[CreekDog]

As Senators, they cannot legally do so.

This isn't to say it's the only reason. But legally, they aren't allowed.

This isn't a criticism of Sanders or Warren.

It's just pointing out that their lack of speaking fees is not necessarily due to altruism on their part.

[skylucy]

1. You are correct. Thank you for pointing that out.

[Cha]

11. Hey, skylucy..

Aloha!

[skylucy]

16. Aloha Cha!

[betsuni]

2. I get annoyed when I see people get this wrong when I know they know better.

Whether journalist or blogger or commenter, they shouldn't pretend Senators can give paid speeches.

[Ninsianna]

3. Was Senator Warren doing paid speeches before she got elected?

I know Bernie wasn't, and he's been in office for decades, and not terribly prominent before. Warren was writing books and was lecturing, so it seems like it's a possibility for her.

What is the big deal about speaker's fees all of a sudden?

[pnwmom]

5. Before he got elected, Bernie wouldn't have been in demand for speeches.

I don't know why people are criticizing Obama. Retired Presidents, in the modern era anyway, have always made money by giving speeches.

[Ninsianna]

6. They started with Hillary, they didn't mind so much with Bill, but

Hillary getting paid really seemed to upset them. She wasn't even being paid in the top tier, as I'd expect given her stature. She's so maligned that people forget how admired she is around the world and here at home as well.

[pnwmom]

7. It doesn't seem to be a coincidence that the first black President

gets criticized for something retired Presidents have done routinely.

Or that there was a special degree of resentment toward Hillary, the first woman to rise as high as she did in politics.

[Ninsianna]

8. Right? Didn't expect it from the left though.

[LuvLoogie]

4. I think that both Hillary and Barack will have bigger political impact

during the trump administration than either Bernie or Liz will have.

They should accept that and worry about their own efforts.

[Cha]

10. Right, Luv

[Cha]

9. But, they do go on "book tours" and sell

those books.. and criticize President Obama while they're at it.

[safeinOhio]

12. Older DUers remember Reagan.

Cut a big deal with Japan to relax rules on auto imports for their cars. I ont think it was a month, he went to Japan and gave a short speech for a million bucks. Lots of $ back then.

[frankieallen]

13. It's just that it's difficult to fight Wall Street greed, when at the same time being paid huge sums

of money from them to basically do nothing. Do they really care what Obama has to say, or do they expect something for their money?
We should leave this to the republicans.
How long does it take the little guy to earn $400,000? More than an afternoon.

[Demsrule86]

14. President Obama is no longer in office...

He does not have to fight Wall Street greed nor live by your rules...and I believe if people who call out the president on this, they will only hurt their own credibility with Democrats.

[frankieallen]

20. three words..."Occupy Wall Street"

[athena]

15. A top hedge-fund manager earns $400,000 an hour.

Look it up. Look up the total earnings of the top 25 hedge fund managers, then divide that by 25, and then by 52, then by 40.
You will find they earn about $400,000 an hour. This calculation assumes 40-hour workweeks and no vacations. I guarantee you that they work less than 40 solid hours a week and take plenty of vacation, but we won't worry about that.

Writing a speech is not "nothing". If you think so, you clearly have never written one. And it takes much more than one hour to write it and then deliver it. In fact, it takes about a week of thought and work to write a good speech.

The bottom line is that you think Secretary Clinton and President Obama are less important than top hedge fund managers. Otherwise, you'd be railing against hedge fund managers rather than at Secretary Clinton and President Obama.

I think the key here is that some white men can't stand it that a mere woman and a Black man could earn so much money. They're not bothered when white men earn more money; it's all good as long as women and Black people are kept in their place.

[athena]

21. So in your view, the "little guy"'s enemy is HRC and Barack Obama.

Who cares about hedge fund managers who make $400,000 an hour all year round, when you can attack President Obama and Secretary Clinton for making $400,000 for one speech? And let's not even worry about Republicans. No need to attack them! After all, they're all for the "little guy".

And when Barack Obama, who wrote two books (one before anyone even knew who he was), gives a speech, you claim it is "nothing" and that he had nothing to do with it. Even assuming he didn't write the speech himself (a big if, given what a good writer he is), whoever wrote it should not be paid, either, since he's only working for Barack Obama.

Welcome to ignore. Enjoy attacking Democratic politicians in the guise of standing up for the little guy. You are fooling no one.

[Bengus81]

17. Go do some research on Cantor Fitzgerald,not the GS that people association with Wall St

That's who he's speaking to and he's a private citizen. Hope he makes more for the grinding eight years he put in.

[AgadorSparticus]

18. Whether they can or not, it is still their own personal decision.

I just don't understand why they felt the need to pubicly critique Obama. It is a personal choice.