Haqihana, check this out. Not one media outlet can take a film clip of Elian, and the family that loved and supported him can't see him, but the White House can ferry him to a major fundraisers home. Talk about desperate, Democrats are now renting Elian as a fund raising tool.
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUNDAY MAY 07 2000 09:21:10 ET XXXXX
drudgereport.com
ELIAN TAKEN TO TOP DEMOCRATIC FUNDRAISER'S HOUSE; 'NO MONEY CHANGED HANDS'
As Attorney General Janet Reno received an Ellis Island medal last night, little Elian Gonzalez was taken under police escort to have dinner at the home of major Democratic party fundraisers.
Elian, and his father, were entertained for more than four hours Saturday night at the Georgetown home of Smith and Elizabeth Bagley, who are top Democratic donors. The Gonzalezs reportedly dined on smoked salmon, shrimp and fruit in the Bagleys' atrium. The home features grand marble pillars, tile floors, an exercise room and indoor pool.
For their party patronage, The Bagleys, who have been major contributors to President Clinton defense fund, have been rewarded with frequent guest invites at official White House dinners, including the White House Millennium Dinner last New Year's Eve and a state dinner for the king of Spain a few months ago.
Bagley is an heir to North Carolina's Reynolds tobacco fortune.
Gregory Craig, attorney for Elian's father, approved the Gonzalez visit to the Bagley residence. But a source close to the famed attorney bristled at the notion that the boy was being used as a fundraising tool.
"Of course it was not a fundraising event," said a source close to Craig. "Not one dollar changed hands. It was an opportunity for Mr. Gonzalez to meet some of the city's most prominent citizens. It was a party for the little boy... balloons and cake."
No less than 4 Clinton fundraisers have taken place in homes owned by the Bagleys, among them:
The Bagleys hosted Bill and Hillary Clinton last summer at their Nantucket home, an event that raised more than $200,000 for the Democratic Party.
In 1997 the duo hosted the president in their Georgetown spread and raised more than $250,000 for the DNC.
Just last month, mega-donor Elizabeth Bagley was toasted by Terry McAuliffe, President Clinton's money maestro, for her involvement in an upcoming fundraising blowout, an all-star concert which party officials hope will go down as the biggest political fundraiser ever. |
