The Shark attack! The Press feed in a frenzy over the Clintons and the gifts- -Mephisto
Mr. Boehlert says that "When the Clintons' full-disclosure form was released last month, it included a pricey $22,000 personal gift from glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. As the controversy began to simmer, Chihuly's office started getting press inquirers asking about the circumstances of the gift.
Chihuly's assistant Janet Makela says she explained to each reporter that although the gift was included on the 2000 list, it was actually given to the Clintons EIGHT YEARS AGO..
Yet an electronic search on Nexis shows not a single mention of that fact.
Speaking of Chihuly, the Georgetown alumni class of 1968 also gave the Clintons a $38,000
Chihuly piece, which the couple accepted in 2000. In reality, the gift was given in 1998.
And then there is New York furniture maker Steve Mittman, who, according to the disclosure form,
gave $19,000 worth of sofas, easy chairs and ottomans. Going on nothing more than a hunch,
New York Times columnist Maureen DOWD wrote that Mittman's gifts were part of the
Clintons' goodbye gift splurge intended to stock their new homes.
Actually, the items were given seven years ago. DOWD made a similar error in referring to the timing of the $22,000 Chihuly piece.
Combined, the two glass sculptures, as well as Mittman's furniture, represent nearly one-half
of the Clintons' $190,000 gift total. Yet none of them were given to the Clintons last year when they were supposedly stocking up on goodbye gifts.
The Times' DOWD also played a starring role in creating the story that Hillary
had registered for expensive goodbye gifts at Borsheim's. Dancing around the facts,
she never came out and wrote that Hillary was registered, but that friends were
treating her "like a bride" with gifts from the store.
Borsheim's CEO, not to mention Hillary's spokesperson, immediately denied she was registered
with the store or that anyone had set up a registry for her.
It didn't matter. The press loved the limousine-liberal angle, and if DOWD
wouldn't say that Hillary was registered, others would.
NBC's Mitchell: "Mrs. Clinton registered her choices last November, just like a new bride."
Syndicated columnist Mona Charen: "Hillary likes to shop at Borsheim's
Fine Jewelry & Gifts in Omaha, and according to DOWD, her china and silver patterns
are on the registry list there for those who wish to help out the new homeowner."
New York Daily News: "Clinton had registered her choices for gifts in November, just like a bride."
New York Post columnist Dick Morris: "Apparently, it was not enough for them to establish a bridal-like registry to solicit almost $200,000 worth of china, silver and furniture for their Chappaqua and D.C. mansions."
Keep in mind: The two parties involved, Hillary Clinton and Borsheim's, long ago denied the existence
of a registry and to date no reporter has been able to come up with any other proof that one exists,
yet the fact is simply retold over and over. Why? The press likes the story.
Just like the press loves the Senate gift-ban angle, which introduced an element of real wrongdoing.
Once again, the notion was first floated by DOWD, who wrote, "As a senator, Hillary
won't be able to accept gifts worth more than $100. But as First Lady, she can take gifts as long as
she discloses those over $250. So we have a nice window of opportunity before Jan. 3."
The above excerpt is from Hillary's mysterious bridal registry And other MYTHS a biased and credulous press corps has created around the Clintons' exit.
- - - - - - - - - - - -By Eric Boehlert from SALON
salon.com
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I wanted to see what DOWD wrote so I looked at her February 4, 2001 column, LIBERTIES which appeared in The New York Times. The following is an excerpt from the article entitled,
Fork It Over.
DOWD pointed out that Hillary
"had to succumb and write checks for $86,000 worth of
tainted loot. But now we know the junior senator from New York has
terribly flawed judgment. And her sense of entitlement knows no bounds."
Ms. Dowd goes on to say, " I heard about the Hillary secret "shower" just before Christmas.
The story was that Rita Pynoos, the wife of a Beverly Hills businessman, Morris Pynoos,
was talking to other wealthy Clinton supporters about contributing $5,000 each so Hillary
could have all the things she never had a chance to accrue during her years in public housing.
"There were lists of Hillary's china and silver patterns, available at
Borsheim's in Omaha and other stores. Time was of the essence because
Hillary, who had been elected to the Senate, could take expensive gifts
only until she was sworn in and the Senate gift ban went into effect."
Reached on Dec. 23 at home, Mrs. Pynoos said she was "offended" to
be questioned.
After the Clintons publicly disclosed their gifts, and it became clear that
Hillary had been smothered in china and silver on her way out of the
White House,………………"
The above excerpt appeared The New York Times
nytimes.com
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However, Mr. Boehlert points out In the SALON article, " Because no first lady had
ever left the White House and gone directly into elected office, this issue had never come up before
Plus, the Senate gift ban is relatively new.
But following DOWD's lead, the press, just as it was sure all the Clinton gifts
were given last year and that Hillary had registered like a bride, was utterly confident about
the Senate gift ban.
The Providence Journal: "The recent acts of generosity were rushed to avoid
congressional rules forbidding such freebies that would have gone into effect for Mrs. Clinton
once she took the oath of office as New York's junior senator."
NBC's Mitchell: "The gifts were donated by friends and Democratic Party contributors just before Mrs. Clinton was sworn in, to avoid violating Senate ethics rules."
The New York Post: "Now that she is a senator, Hillary Clinton is covered by much
stricter gift rules -- she can't accept any item worth more than $50 or a total of over $100 worth
of presents from an individual in a single year."
Problem is, that's not what the law actually says. Yes, senators are forbidden from accepting gifts
valued at more than $50. But according to the Senate Ethics Manual, "The Gift Rule contains 23 exceptions:
the following gifts are expressly excluded from the Rule's limitations: 4) anything provided by an
individual on the basis of a personal friendship."
The above excerpt is from Hillary's mysterious bridal registry And other MYTHS a biased and credulous press corps has created around the Clintons' exit.,
- - - - - - - - - - - -By Eric Boehlert
salon.com |
