Hillary met with donors. Of course.

Elected officials need to raise money to fund their campaigns

There is an accusation in the air.  Hillary Clinton met with donors.  Republicans are shocked! Shocked!

I watched Chris Christie talk about political donations two or three times.  He said that to be a politician requires one to be "a professional ingrate."   You take their money, thank them, then give them nothing.

I wrote a couple of days ago about doing the "ask" at political fundraisers.  I tell people that, amidst all the talk of corrupting money the money they give is the antidote: nice, clean donations on behalf of good government.

Hillary Clinton handles criticism or a question with a presumption imbedded very differently than does Trump.  When criticized Hillary tends to become defensive and she minimizes.  Trump leans in.  When asked if Judge Curiel would be prejudiced against him, he answered of course.  And would Muslims, he was asked?  Sure.

Hillary Clinton could have leaned in, when challenged on her having met with donors to the Clinton Foundation, and said that of course she met with them and lots of other people, some rich, some poor, some with good ideas, some she considered and rejected.  She could have attempted to say this with an eager and guiltless face.  This isn't the Hillary way. The Hillary way is lawyerly.  Make the other side prove things.  Don't embrace and de-fang the question; minimize it.

Q:  "Did you meet with donors?"

A:  "Of course.   I meet with people all the time.  Everyone in Washington meets with donors, supporters, opponents, academics, staff, media, plus people with problems that need our attention.  We meet with interest groups, we meet with individuals.  We get our photos taken with girl scouts and with donors, both. That's what we do.  All of us.  My critics included.  Of course we meet with donors, and some of those people may or may not have donated to the Clinton Foundation.  They should quit pretending they are surprised and stop the silly hypocrisy.

Click here for the article describing cold calling requirements

Here is the simple reality:   every elected accuser of her trades money for access of one sort or another.   News articles report on the fact that new Congressmen are told by more senior congressmen that, if they want to be considered serious about the office and therefore eligible for money from the party and to be considered for committee assignments they need to raise money.    Raise two million dollars your first term in congress:  $18,000 a day.

I hold fundraising events.   For statewide offices the current expectation on giving is in the range of $2,500-$5,000 to be a host, $1,000 to be invited to a smaller reception of 20 or fewer people, and $50-100 to attend the event in the larger group.   The more one gives, the smaller and more intimate the meeting.  

Senator Merkley meets with donors.  No secret, no surprise.

There is no ugly dealmaking going on.  Mostly, it is just a smaller group, it being noted probably in a blur by the candidate but recognized by the campaign people who gave $2,500, who gave $1,000, and who gave $50.   The activist volunteers who actually walk door to door and who give $50 aren't ignored; they are valued and thanked and listened to.  The larger donors mostly simply get wine, cheese, and a small group.

My wife and I get about 15 or 20 calls a week on our land line, nearly all of them being requests for donations from Democratic groups, from Emily's list, from the DNC.  About twice or three times a year we get calls from Senators Wyden or Merkley, from a cell phone number with a 202 area code.  They say they are thinking of us and wonder how we are doing.  I understand exactly what it up.  They are off the Capital grounds (you cannot raise money on federal property) and they are asking for money.   I feel sorry for them, having to do this so I immediately attempt to get the ugly part over with and I immediately ask, "You need money, I know, it's ok.  What do you need?"   They then explain they need to raise money for themselves or more often for some other Democratic senator who they need to help.   I immediately say yes and volunteer a number that I can live with, so they don't have to ask.  I tell them to have a staff person email me with the mailing instructions,   Then, with that out of the way, we talk for five or so minutes.

My goal is to be an easy call.  I don't mind giving to them.   I don't ask them for anything except to do whatever it is they do.   Better to get money from me than from someone with an agenda, but I recognize they get money from them, too.   It is how the system currently operates.

How did I get a photo with Hillary?  I donated.  No secret, no surprise

Fundraising events generally involve face time with the candidate or office holder.  This is not a Hillary Clinton deal, it is a universal deal.  Everyone does it.  Everyone.

Of course she met with donors to the Clinton Foundation.   Her husband is an ex president and there is prestige and cache to being involved with the charitable work of an ex president as well as with Hillary when she was the former Secretary of State.    

She did what other former Secretaries of State, and what other former presidents have done: monetize their prestige.   President Reagan made paid speeches to the Japanese and then came home to the more humdrum work of making appearances for Prudential Insurance.





George W. Bush is enjoying his own payday.

George W. Bush does it.

Former Cabinet officers do it.   Here is an Washington Post article on Colin Powell and Robert Gates.

Click here

The  link above brings you to the whole article, an illuminating glimpse of the life of cabinet officials and former presidents after leaving office.   The behavior of former president Bill Clinton, and of Hillary Clinton after leaving the office of Secretary of State is the bipartisan pattern for people holding those offices.   They are in demand as speakers.   They have a story to tell and organizations want to hear them tell it.