Hillary Clinton donates big speaking fees to a nonprofit foundation 鈥� her own
Hillary Clinton is taking a break from her book tour and speaking schedule. But she鈥檒l be back at it in the fall, very aware that her lead over all potential Republican presidential rivals may be slipping.
Hillary Clinton is taking a break from her book tour and speaking schedule. But she鈥檒l be back at it in the fall, very aware that her lead over all potential Republican presidential rivals may be slipping.
The Clintons are headed to the Hamptons for an extended summer break, and who can blame them?
All that 鈥渨ill she or wont she鈥� clamor over whether Hillary Clinton will run for the White House in 2016. Damage-controlling the eye-rolls over her comment about the Clinton鈥檚 being 鈥渄ead broke鈥� when they left the White House in 2001, a comment she concedes was 鈥渋nartful.鈥� Criticism of her big fees for speaking at colleges and universities.
On Friday, Mrs. Clinton told ABC News鈥� Ann Compton that all of the money she鈥檚 made from colleges since she left her post as secretary of state has been donated to a nonprofit foundation 鈥� hers.
鈥淎ll of the fees have been donated to the Clinton Foundation for it to continue its life-changing and life-saving work,鈥� Clinton said. 鈥淪o it goes from a foundation at a university聽to another foundation.鈥�
To give the organization its full name, that鈥檚 the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation聽(originally, the聽William J. Clinton Foundation).
Set up the year after Bill Clinton finished his second term as president, the Clinton Foundation says its mission is 鈥渢o bring people together to take on the biggest challenges of the 21st century,鈥� including economic development, global health, climate change, and empowering women and girls.
The Wall Street Journal reported recently that the foundation has collected between $750 million and $1.7 billion over the years. That鈥檚 a lot of clout for influencing the public 鈥� i.e., political 鈥� discussion on major issues, something any other politician with presidential stars in his or her eyes could only envy.
Meanwhile, Clinton continues to promote her new memoir 鈥淗ard Choices,鈥� which has gotten mixed reviews but is a blockbuster as self-promotional political tomes go.
US News reports that in its first week, 鈥淗ard Choices鈥� outsold the combined total sale of books by聽five potential GOP candidates聽鈥� including Gov. Rick Perry, Gov. Scott Walker, Rep. Paul Ryan, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and former Gov. Jeb Bush.聽Her book has also done better than those of two potential Democratic rivals: Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.
But her speaking fees 鈥� whether or not they鈥檙e going to her nonprofit 鈥� seem certain to continue generating controversy.
Students at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas say they鈥檒l protest the $225,000 their school has agreed to pay Clinton for a speech in October. In her ABC interview, Clinton tried 鈥� artfully 鈥� to turn aside that potential for trouble.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been my experience that they鈥檙e not worried about my speaking or my household, they鈥檙e worried about their own,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the kind of debate I think I鈥檓 furthering as I go around the country speaking.鈥�
She may be taking a vacation from that speaking tour, but 鈥渨ill maintain a dizzying schedule for much of the year,鈥� reports The Hill magazine. 鈥淐linton, who has not decided to run for president but is widely expected to do so, will address several groups in key states in the coming months, some of which could be helpful for per possible campaign.鈥�
She鈥檚 aware, of course, that her front-runner status may become tenuous as the 2014 mid-term elections come and go and as 2016 approaches.
Writing in Forbes, veteran pollster John Zogby notes that her lead over Jeb Bush and Rand Paul is narrowing.
鈥淪ome pundits suggest that it is good that 鈥� Clinton is airing her dirty linen and making her campaign mistakes now with over two years to go until the 2016 elections,鈥� Mr. Zogby writes. 鈥淥thers, me included, argue that this lackluster performance is not likely to go away. Whichever side is right, the fact is that a new Zogby Analytics poll taken June 27-29 shows that her past two weeks in the limelight have hurt her with the voting public.鈥�
Among Zogby鈥檚 findings: Clinton鈥檚 lead over Mr. Bush has dwindled among men, 18-29 year olds, 30-49 year olds, independents, Catholics, Hispanics, voters in union households, single voters, social networkers, and Weekly Wal-Mart Shoppers. Similarly, Clinton鈥檚 lead over Mr. Paul among these key voter groups has dropped as well.
As she continues her high-paid speaking tour in the fall, you can bet Clinton will be very mindful of such trends.