The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...

Do They Want Us to Hate Them?

Two items today that should go to the top of the "Clinton fatigue" greatest hits. First is Hillary laughing at a reporter's question about Bill getting paid $800,000 to speak at a group that supports the Colombia free-trade agreement  (that the Democrats have taken a ridiculous anti-free-trade stand is another issue). The reporter asks if there is a conflict since Hillary has made a personal loan to her campaign, money that might be tainted by Bill's pro-free trade payments. She hoots at the question as if she's never heard anything more ludicrous. What's so funny? This is an issue at the heart of a potential third Clinton administration. It's vital to find out both where Bill's personal and presidential library money is from, and to have Hillary explain how her administration would keep him from going around the world getting paid for speeches (or even raising money for his charities) from groups or governments whose policies are in opposition to hers. That's not about perception of conflict of interest, that's about actual conflict of interest.

The second item is Bill's defense (now that the issue is finally dying down) of Hillary's description of the landing in Tuzla. He says her characterization of it was essentially correct—which is odd since she was forced to say she "misspoke." Then he says she may not have been completely accurate because she spoke late at night (wrong) and she's 60 years old and was exhausted. That's the way to get your wife elected president! (His behavior is consistent with my view that he doesn't want there to be another President Clinton.) The "she's old and tired" argument is perhaps not the strongest one to make especially since she's released two recent ads showing that a President Hillary Clinton will constantly be up at 3 a.m. taking calls about national security and home foreclosures.