NYT: Clinton Effort Reaps Pledges of $7.3 Billion in Global Aid

[DeepModem Mom]

Clinton Effort Reaps Pledges of $7.3 Billion in Global Aid
By CELIA W. DUGGER
Published: September 23, 2006

A Sheraton hotel in Midtown Manhattan was the scene of feverish matchmaking over the past three days during Bill Clinton’s second annual gathering on global problems.

Only those who promised to do something concrete about poverty, disease, conflict or climate change were invited. The entry fee for aspiring philanthropists was $15,000. Hundreds lined up for the privilege.

In cafes, hallways and conference rooms, some of the many rich people Mr. Clinton has gotten to know over the years — and others he has never met or knows only as acquaintances — brainstormed with leaders of nonprofit groups, African health ministers and others who had their own plentiful ideas about how to put that wealth to work....

***

Yesterday, Mr. Clinton triumphantly announced the results of this year’s Clinton Global Initiative from a circular stage in a hushed ballroom filled with more than 1,000 people.

“As of now, we have 215 commitments from two times that many people and the value, my staff swears, is $7.3 billion,” he said....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/world/23aid.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. AWOL Bush & republicons: "Ho hum, we have a golf game to play..."

"So let the world go to hell in a climate change bucket. We and our corrupt republicon cronies are toooo busy counting up our massive oil-and-munitions profits to bother with this Do Gooder Shit." - George AWOL Bush and Republicon party

[Monkeyman]

2. Bigdog the man

[gratuitous]

3. Oh yeah? Well, George W. Bush is giving, uh, $250 million to Lebanon

Hmmm. Sort of makes old George look like a niggardly little piker, doesn't it?

[patricia92243]

4. He's doing more good as a ex-president than Bush - who has all the power -

does as Prez. Clinton got schools to start serving sugar free soft drinks. Sounds like not too big a deal, but it is. It will help fight obesity and tooth decay in our kids.

[Berry Cool]

5. Give some of the donors in this program credit.

Many corporations chock full of Republicans who are always talking a good game about the private sector helping people actually stood up and put their money where their mouth was at this event. The whole point was to bring people together in a nonpartisan way and find ways to put people with money to help solve problems together with problems that money could help solve. Some Republican corporations and people actually stepped up to the plate and delivered. Good for them.

[Freeusfromthechurch]

6. Now take the 7.3 Billion an

finance a liberal non profit news station. Give the people a taste of what real journalism is and in turn we will get and keep a Democratic majority in office. Then we'll tax the republican rich and solve the worlds problems.