Another Investigation.
The Los Angeles Times reports that a federal inquiry has begun looking into the activities of celebrity fund-raiser Aaron Tonken. Part of the probe includes examining his involvement with a $1-million Hollywood political event for Hillary’s 2000 Senate campaign. Although Mr. Tonken was a prolific fundraiser, investigators are particularly interested in the event he organized in August 2000, a high-profile bash designed ostensibly to celebrate Bill Clinton’s presidency, while contributing to his wife’s successful Senate run. Readers may remember an earlier controversy concerning the gala, when Mr. Peter Paul claimed to have underwritten it with in-kind contributions totaling nearly $2 million. Mr. Paul, who was charged with securities fraud and other unsavory matters, subsequently fled to Brazil, where he is awaiting extradition. Mr. Paul had filed two complaints against Hillary, including one in which he said her Senate campaign failed to report the contribution as required under federal law, but the cases were dismissed because of Paul’s fugitive status. Mr. Tonken, for his part, once worked with Mr. Paul and has credited him with helping Tonken break into the celebrity world. Mr. Tonken then apparently helped Mr. Paul gain access to the Clintons. "Through Peter Paul’s money, I bought entr??©e to President and Mrs. Clinton," he said in a recent interview.
The Times reports it is unknown whether Mrs. Clinton will become part of the investigation, and Hillary’s office denied any knowledge of any wrongdoing.
Shrine to Hillary.
In 1999, the Agency for International Development (AID) put up a "virtual shrine" to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton in its headquarters lobby at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The exhibit included a dozen very large photographs of Hillary traveling to various Third World countries. The centerpiece of the shrine was a 6x9-foot bronze plaque with an excerpt from one of her speeches talking about "expanding the circle of human dignity to encompass all human beings." Below the huge plaque was a statement by former AID Administrator Brian Atwood: "May all who pass through these portals recognize the invaluable contribution to worldwide development made by the First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton." The Washington Post now reports that workers recently covered up the shrine to Mrs. Clinton, putting up a 7x15-foot collage of Third World people in its place. AID offered to send the bronze plaque to the Clinton Library, but the library "respectfully declined." Asked to comment about the AID makeover, Hillary’s press secretary said, "They can paper over history, but they can’t rewrite it."
Book News.
An estimated 600,000 copies of Living History have been sold since its June 9 publication, according to Simon & Schuster. According to the publishing company, inking Hillary to an $8 million deal was well worth it: "We certainly knew that this would be the biggest adult book of the year, and it could be one of the biggest of all time," said David Rosenthal. Living History started with a 1 million printing, and the publisher has since printed an additional 600,000 copies. Her memoirs have also reportedly generated $3 million from foreign sales, serial rights to Time, People and some foreign publications. This could be bad news for CNN’s Tucker Carlson, who repeatedly and publicly promised his "Crossfire" cohorts that he would eat articles of his clothing, including his shoes and ties, if Simon & Schuster made their $8 million back.
But like everything involved with the Clintons, many people are viewing the news of Living History’s rapid sales with a jaundiced eye. Rush Limbaugh, whose 1993 book See, I Told You So holds the record for the best-selling nonfiction book in publishing history, is challenging claims by Simon & Schuster that Hillary’s memoirs is selling as briskly as they claim.
Funny Girl.
Hillary made an appearance on the "Late Show" with David Letterman for the first time since running for the Senate. But just like her previous appearance, Hillary, said typical viewers, was perfectly bland and her attempts at humor were forced and unfunny. It was interesting to watch her with Letterman, who has gotten a lot of material from Hillary and her husband’s escapades. In an earlier show, Letterman quipped that "The crime rate in New York City is so low" that "the only people getting ripped off now are the folks buying Hillary’s book."
