Bill Clinton earned $10 mln giving speeches in '06

[oberliner]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton always had a reputation as a golden-tongued orator, now a Senate financial disclosure form filed by his wife puts a dollar figure on just how gilded.

Bill Clinton earned more than $10 million on the speaking circuit last year, raking in as much as $730,000 in a single day for two speeches, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton reported in a Senate financial disclosure from May that was made public this week.

The former president delivered 57 paid speeches on the lecture circuit in 2006, receiving between $75,000 and $450,000 per address, the disclosure form reported.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1526149520070615

[BOSSHOG]

1. And all I ever got were Letters of Appreciation

You may want to spell check your subject line 10 "min"

[oberliner]

3. That's the way Reuters wrote it

mln = million

[Dukkha]

18. it's almost right

$10/minute for every minute last year = $5,256,000.00 but he got twice that much!

[hfojvt]

2. I don't believe 'earned' is the right word here

Makes me wonder what the Kansas Democratic Party paid him. I also cannot remember how much the tickets cost, nor how many people attended.

[bigscott]

5. why is this not the right term?

just because he "earned" more than you or I will probably ever see in a lifetime - why begrudge him of this? Is he any less deserving that baseball players that "earn" 25 mil per year to play a game? Or Bono who "earned" a brazillion dollars playing music? So he did not dig a ditch or build a car - he still "earned" the money. I say more power to ya Bill

[hfojvt]

11. earning is not the right word for many others either

But to receive $450,000 for a one hour speech, does not fit the meaning that says 'deserve, be entitled to'. I think Bill already has plenty of wealth and power. I hope he uses it in the future to help elect somebody other than Hillary.

[Bucky]

12. It's that damned "fair market" thing

You found the right nuance. He earned the money, because that's what the laws of supply and demand say he's worth. But I guess no one deserves half a mil for talking an hour any more than anyone deserves to pay that money just to hear a retired public servant talk.

Considering the work the Clinton Foundation does, I'm pretty sure most of that money is going to a good cause.

[hfojvt]

17. I'm a heretic on the supposed 'laws' of supply and demand

What this is, is a law of privilege and mass marketing. It's what he demands, and it is what other groups of 'bigshots' who run organizations decide to pay him. Since the Clintons are now worth $50 million, I think some of it is going into their estate. Maybe they do good work with the interest made off of that money, but they have not given all of it away yet.

[WinkyDink]

20. Says you.

[Bucky]

21. Well, that was a lame comeback.

"Says you."? Why did you even waste the time and electrons posting that?

[BuyingThyme]

8. Being that he's probably the best speaker on the planet,

I think earned is probably the right word.

[hfojvt]

13. even if that was true

I don't think an hour's worth of speaking is worth more than 87,000 hours of working, although the people doing it might like you to think so. That sure does undervalue actual work.

[BuyingThyme]

16. Well, you've been proven wrong.

[hfojvt]

19. What, Clinton has proven that the work of ordinary people

is not worth doodoo, compared to his precious speechifying? I guess he is a working class hero. I guess Sandy Weill et. al. must be worth their own bloated paychecks too. They must be, by definition, since they get them.

[BuyingThyme]

22. Whatever makes you happy.

[kestrel91316]

4. Good for him. Part of the reason for impeaching him and all the Whitewater

investigations was, IMHO, to ruin him financially. So he sure has managed to rub the RW's noses in it.

[pitohui]

6. i agree, the only president to ever leave office broke

i hope he continues to triumph financially, emotionally, and really on every level, he has earned it

[theoldman]

7. Let's face it. He knows how to give a feel good speech.

[William769]

9. WTG President Clinton!

May you double that this year.

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. But, but, but......that's an OBSCENE amount of money!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1112580

2nd thread on this subject this week and yet, nobody that typically derides personal wealth accumulation will badmouth ol' Bill.

Personally, I think he is worth every penny and he should charge and receive whatever the market will bear.

[Bitwit1234]

14. GOOD FOR HIM, bet bush won't.

[Catherine Vincent]

15. Yes.

And sweet William Jefferson Clinton deserves every penny of it!