While ordinary Americans struggle to make ends meet, the Clintons make 109 million.

[totodeinhere]

Does anyone see a disconnect there? He enters the White House as a man of modest means, and now he is a multi millionaire. And all the while the people that the Clintons profess to support, the working class, are suffering severe financial hardships. IMO there is something very fishy there.

[anonymous171]

1. Bill did it in the first election. Promised those areas more jobs and instead gave them NAFTA.

[jasmine621]

38. You folks have got to be the most hateful MoFos of all time.

109 million is nothing compared to the money the bankers and Wall Street pimps make off of you every day. CEOs of bankrupt companies make that much in golden parachutes. The Clintons have written best selling books, earned money from speaking engagements, investments, and earned income. You folks act like they don't deserve to have the money they make. You have the same mentality that the elite Dems had when Clinton first won the Presidency...they are poor whites, who don't deserve to have what they worked so hard for. Still today, this is how many of the elite Dems in the Obama camp feel about Bill and Hillary. I am just so saddened that so many DUers feel the same way. Firts she was smeared because their taxes were not released, now she is being smeared because have been released. No one will pump the amount they gave to charity beacuse it's a greater percentage of their incomes than either the Bushes or Obamas. So you will searach and search to find fault with anything in these returns. Never mind what the facts are.

[MediaBabe]

56. Thanks for a bit of perspective

I wish there were more of it around here.

[Taxmyth]

76. The Obama Slime machine at work

Personally, I thought Bill would do a lot better than that.

[MichiganVote]

2. And pretty much with Gore and the rest of the entire Congress too.

[totodeinhere]

6. But that still doesn't make it right.

[MichiganVote]

8. No, but let's face it, they all take advantage of their associations.

Blaming either of the candidates is lame.

[Ronnie]

70. If this really bothers you,

I feel sorry for you. However it really sounds like another petty attack on two talented people who have worked hard, and in spite of the jealousy of people like you, have found a certain measure of success. Isn't envy one of the seven deadly sins?

[lefty from jersey]

7. Al Gore made more

The big fat gasbag Al Gore made Clinton's income look like small change. Al Gore is shaking down corporations and entire countries around the word for his own sake. What a phony!

[MichiganVote]

12. You're funny...kinda dumb...but funny.

[movonne]

29. Not even funny..what an ass...

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. ...

:rofl: :silly: :dunce:

[NeedleCast]

59. Your stay will be short.

Enjoy it.

[bilgewaterbill]

71. Your disappearance wouldn't be noticed by

the molecules that moved into the spot you vacated. THAT is how insignificant you are!

[UALRBSofL]

3. You too can write a few books and they be best sellers

And you too can be a millionaire.

[file83]

65. Actually, over 50 million was made by Bill Clinton giving speeches.

I think he makes like $200,000 per speech or something like that.

[flor de jasmim]

4. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in PA (and elsewhere)

[valerief]

5. Several million dollars won't even pay for Bush or Cheney's cowboy boots.

A mere pittance in this billionaire economy.

[totodeinhere]

9. We all know that the Repukes are thieves and crooks,

but I though that Dems were supposed to be different than that.

[valerief]

22. But they're politicians. Double duh. People go into politics for money.

Some toss crumbs. Some don't. The most we can expect are crumbs.

[totodeinhere]

25. That's why I support Obama.

I genuinely believe that he is in it because he loves his country, not because he wants to enrich himself.

[valerief]

32. Well, I support him, too. I think he's our best bet. But you can't change a

leopard's spots. He is, after all, a politician. However, I think he'll throw good sized crumbs at us.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. nothing fishy at all

Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Al Gore, John Edwards - all very rich men. FDR was rich. JFK was rich.

[totodeinhere]

18. They all were rich before they took office.

The Clintons were not rich before he became president. But then he becomes president has he earns 109 million. I still think that's very fishy.

[MonkeyFunk]

31. Write a few best-selling books

and get paid for speaking. Not that fishy.

Gore's made a LOT of money since leaving politics, too.

[onenote]

44. so its better that we elect rich people, and then they get richer?

[UALRBSofL]

26. Interesting how almost of the money they earned were through the books they wrote

And they are criticized for it. Then they are criticized for there donations which is above average and then criticized for not paying enough taxes when 33% is above average considering the donations.

[Autumn]

46. They are criticized no matter what they do

it's fucking ridiculous.

[Orsino]

11. Shh. Don't badmouth our representative plutocracy. n/t

[uponit7771]

13. RIGHT!! The Obamas were still paying their student loans 2 years ago while the Clintons don't

...have to work another day in their lives...

This is a small plus on the Obama side for me.

[onenote]

45. The Obamas earned over 2.5 million in 2005-2006. How big were those student loans?

[MediaBabe]

54. Guffaw

They pulled the wrong sympathy card that time. LOL

[BlooInBloo]

73. Doesn't matter. Opportunity cost.

[DJ13]

14. The Clintons represent everything thats wrong with our country

They claim to represent the average american struggling to make ends meet, all while taking millions of dollars from many of the same corporate interests that are responsible for making americans struggle to make ends meet.

Its fucking disgusting.

:puke:

:mad:

[Breeze54]

48. No, they claim they will ALSO represent the interests for the poor and middle n/t

But they have a lot of interests in corporate America, and there in lies the problem.

[Forkboy]

15. Unless they earned it illegally this is a non issue to me.

I don't mind rich people if they earned it legally. And no politician is exactly hurting.

[DearAbby]

16. There is nothing wrong with being successful

if by gaining these means were done legally. Lets not jump on that wagon.

[totodeinhere]

23. It all depends on how you become successful.

[DearAbby]

30. indeed

[Zachstar]

19. There is nothing fishy here. This has been standard from day one. Clinton = Rich and Powerful

While many people try to keep a family from bankruptcy at 50k a year. In 7 years Clintons make over 100 million.

While people are losing their homes. Clintons are raking in the dough elseware.

The fact that Clintons are rich beyond belief yet dont pay back simple debts in the campaign is just the tip of the iceburg. It will be amazing what will be discovered in the reports.

Keep in mind. If these reports were so fine and dandy then why did it take so long to get them out?

[BeyondGeography]

20. This is THE reason why she never should have run

The money is obscene, but they have every right to it. However, they now want to return to the place that made them, which is supposed to be the center of all public life in America. Much of that private money can only be looked at as favors owed if she somehow managed to get them both back to the White House. Democrats need to stop enabling these people or the whole party will become a national joke.

[harun]

50. It is definitely why they were not releasing the returns until the last minute

[workinclasszero]

21. They sold their asses to the highest bidder

How do you think NAFTA and all the other free trade bills that are destroying the middle class got passed?

[totodeinhere]

33. And if Hillary gets in we can expect more of the same.

[bigwillq]

24. Most politicians have money

Doesn't surprise me (or bother me) at all. Just the way it is.

[totodeinhere]

34. And that's what's wrong with the system.

Hopefully, Obama can change that.

[bigwillq]

37. Doubt if he'll change it.

He has money too.

I go back and forth between liking Obama and not liking him.

I think he's a good man. I think he will be a good president. However, he hasn't done much of anything (yet) to prove he is going to be the "second coming" that many believe on this board and in the public.

[Beaverhausen]

27. So, working hard and becoming successful is a bad thing?

Okay.

Just remember, Obama is making millions from book sales and when he leaves politics, will make millions giving speeches. That's how it works.

[cottonseed]

28. So NAFTA was good for some people.

Too bad a lot of PA families couldn't say the same.

[valerief]

35. Yeah, it was good for people who have no problem with college tuitions,

mortgages, or health costs. NAFTA helped those who didn't need help in the first place.

[Breeze54]

49. NAFTA was ONLY good for corporations.

'The people', all the people's lost on that one! :(

[riskpeace]

36. How rich are the Obamas?

My understanding is that Senator Obama made several million from his books.

How much does Michelle Obama make? Will Senator Obama give up paid speeches once he gets out of office?

[file83]

67. In the last couple years, they made about 1 million or 1.5 million per year, but before

that it was more in he several hundred thousand dollar range. The surge in income recently is from book sales.

[quantass]

39. Ivory Back scratcher?

[emilyg]

40. How much did Michelle and Obama make?

and Edwards.

[MethuenProgressive]

41. To be able to give $10,237,741.00 to charity!

That's a blessing from above!

[DerekJ]

58. Better give them to HER OWN charity, than to pay them in taxes.

[Brundle_Fly]

63. 9% of their income

9% of there insane income....

[Jed Dilligan]

42. The ultra-rich don't give up that kind of change for nothing...

It's clear the money was earned by serving their interests.

[onenote]

43. and this makes them unique?

Obama entered the Senate as a man of modest means. He made nearly $1.7 million in 2005 and nearly a million in 2006? How? Mostly book proceeds. But the Clintons earned a lot from book proceeds too. And his wife started earning a lot more. Well, so did Hillary's husband.

[Breeze54]

47. You sound jealous to me....

:shrug:

[Penndems]

51. You know, the press made quite a bit out of the fact that when former President Clinton was first

sworn into office on January 19, 1993, he and Mrs. Clinton had never owned a home of their own.

Now they're being criticized by Senator Obama's supporters who believe the Clintons make too much.

[DuaneBidoux]

52. This IS class warfare bullshit.

Being rich has nothing to do, absolutely NOTHING, with being for the good of the working or the poor, or the country. They do their share, and they paid what they owed, and I know they would pay more if it were systemically needed (they gave 10% in charity, more than God demands of his most loyal servants).

When Republicans talk about "class warfare" this is exactly the kind of bullshit they are talking about.

Many in Hollywood earn much more and yet are the best for the working folk of all.

Remember George Soros? A billionaire who fought and fought to get rid of Bush not because he thought it was good for him but because he thought it was GOOD, period.

Don't diminish someone's goodness because they are rich. In fact, let us all applaud and encourage them to be rich, powerful, AND for all. If not, you are becoming the worst that Republicans and the like imagine you can be. Rich AND poor, and middle class, CAN work together to make it a better country for EVERYONE.

When everyone does better then everyone does better. We know that.

[totodeinhere]

61. That class warfare stuff is Rove speak.

[EffieBlack]

69. THANK you!

We whine and complain that the Republicans don't want anyone else to get a piece of the pie, but then we viciously attack any Democrat who manages to get a slice.

I suspect it's based on envy and the zero sum game notion - if someone else has it, it means less for me, so I hate them for getting something I don't have.

Pathetic.

[MediaBabe]

53. And Obama pays $100,000 for five feet of YARD.

Talk about disconnect. A hundred grand for five feet of lawn.

[DerekJ]

57. Please tell me you live in some rural area.

And that you have never lived, or purchased a house in a city like Chicago before.

[intheozone]

55. to answer your question, NO! Not just no, but hell no.

Do you know how the real world works???

[totodeinhere]

62. Yes I do. In the real world the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

That's what we have got to try to change.

[DerekJ]

60. Taxes show shady connections to some corporations, individuals, and links to Dubai

raises more questions than it answers

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23943618#23960864

[Seeker30]

64. Dear dumbass, Clinton created 22 million jobs

and took more people out of poverty than any president in history. Quit your right wing spin bullshit.

[totodeinhere]

74. At least this dumbass realizes that Clinton pushed through NAFTA which has cost...

us many well paying jobs to foreign competition.

[Aussie leftie]

66. John Kerry wasn't short of a dollar either

By your criteria: If you are a Democrat and want to run for office, don't have too much money. The Clintons donated $10 million to charity (nearly 10% of what they made). What percentage did Obama donate to charity?

Instead of trying to find fault with Hillary and Bill Clinton, why don't you put your energy into finding fault with McCain.

[doc03]

68. Get a life!

[BlooInBloo]

72. I the furthest thing from a Clinton supporter for the primary, but nor do I hate rich people...

... "just because". I think it's petty and small.

[totodeinhere]

75. Interesting Washington Post take on this.

In the past eight years, Bill and Hillary Clinton earned a combined $109 million, with the former president collecting nearly half of that money as a speaker hired at times by companies that have been among his wife's most generous political supporters.

That looks like a very convenient arrangement to me. Campaign finance laws limit how much the fat cats can contribute to the Clinton campaign, so instead they hire Bill to speak and get more money to the Clintons that way, skirting the campaign finance laws.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040403927.html?hpid=topnews