The apocalypse is nigh: Bill Clinton and Richard Mellon Scaife are pals
posted at 7:44 am on November 13, 2007 by Bryan
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There goes the right’s answer to George Soros in 2008. Scaife says he’s still a Republican. But he and the man he hired to dig up dirt on the Clintons in the 1990s, Christopher Ruddy (now editor of NewsMax) may have become part of the Elvis entourage.
Scaife was no run-of-the-mill Clinton hater. In the 1990s, the heir to the Mellon banking fortune contributed millions to efforts to dig up dirt on President Clinton. He backed the Clinton-bashing American Spectator magazine, whose muckrakers produced lurid stories about Clinton’s alleged financial improprieties and trysts. Scaife also financed a probe called the Arkansas Project that tried, among other things, to show that Clinton, while Arkansas governor, protected drug runners…
Bill Clinton now finds himself the unlikeliest of Scaife heroes. Last month Ruddy posted a softball interview with Clinton on the Newsmax site (sample question: “What is the best thing about being an ex-president?”). A worshipful cover story followed in the current edition of the magazine. Clinton, it gushed, is “a political and cultural powerhouse” who is “part Merlin and part Midas—a politician with a magical touch.”
What is going on here? Scaife declined to comment, but Ruddy tells NEWSWEEK he and Scaife believe Clinton’s life since leaving office has been “very laudable,” and that he is doing “very important work representing the country when the U.S. is widely resented in the world.” He said they never suggested Clinton was involved in Foster’s death, and insisted they were not among those hyping alleged Clinton sex scandals, though he acknowledged their work may have encouraged others.
The alternate universe equivalent of this would be if, say, George Soros suddenly struck up a friendship with George W. Bush. Or if Sid Blumenthal suddenly grew a human heart. It’s that shocking and unlikely.
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Three letters, and only three letters, describe this one – Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
steveegg on November 13, 2007 at 8:07 AM
I’m headed to my bunker and locking the door.
csdeven on November 13, 2007 at 8:09 AM
They caught the David Brock disease.
BJ on November 13, 2007 at 8:17 AM
Oh boy,sounds like the Clinton goons have something on him.
I hope Scaife doesn’t go on any airplane rides like Ron Brown did,or take a moon lit stroll in a park late at night.
And I’m confused,which Clinton is actually running for
president,former president (sexual predator)Bill,or it’s a
(vast right wing conspiracy) Hillary.
canopfor on November 13, 2007 at 8:20 AM
These sort of things happen because the Right spent far too much demonizing the Clintons personally which was undeserved and not enough time demonizing their policies which was abundantly deserved. Why not hate socialism, but love the socialists?
thuja on November 13, 2007 at 8:22 AM
One turncoat is fathomable but two?
Valiant on November 13, 2007 at 8:34 AM
Sounds like Clinton got to Scaife somehow; and then Scaife yanked Ruddy’s chain. Just like the Mafia from the movies. Guess Mark Levin’s description of them as the ‘Clinton Crime Family’ isn’t too far off the mark.
austinnelly on November 13, 2007 at 8:40 AM
Sick.
Oh no – not resented! Maybe this clown can join forces with Gates and Buffet and throw away millions of dollars to try and clear his conscience. Rich man’s guilt. I guess he think he can buy some conscience-credits.
That makes me so angry, being resented is not a reflection of the target that is being resented. It reflects poorly on the one who is doing the resenting. It’s not our job to make these other countries feel less bitter.
Very important work… unreal. The only important work that Slick Willie is doing is keeping his name in lights.
reaganaut on November 13, 2007 at 9:01 AM
Come on now, that cries out to be edited ……
A worshipful cover story followed in the current edition of the magazine. Clinton, it gushed, is “a political and cultural embarrassment ” who is “part sexual predator and part pathological liar—a politician who can’t keep his hands to himself.
fogw on November 13, 2007 at 9:09 AM
I have nothing.
Jaibones on November 13, 2007 at 9:11 AM
newt gingrich doesnt call bill the most talented politician of our generation for nothing.
ernesto on November 13, 2007 at 9:17 AM
Alleged, in the same way his entire presidency was alleged.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on November 13, 2007 at 9:39 AM
The only thing this can mean is that they both are seeking “fame” and name recognition….
….which would imply that when going after Clinton and his policies it wasn’t for any particular moral or “right” reason..
…..rather it too, was at the heart of it, merely an attempt to gain “fame” and name recognition.
If fame and name recognition is the reason we oppose our opposition we lose every time.
New
smaxschmax never struck me as an endeavor of serious ambition into critical journalism/blogging and as such they are just a waste of bandwidth.Mcguyver on November 13, 2007 at 10:30 AM
The word “Blackmail” comes to mind.
Winebabe on November 13, 2007 at 12:41 PM
FBI files, anyone?
I guess they took a while to go through.
Nah, that would be a conspiracy theiry.
Except that they really did steal FBI files.
Nah, couldn’t be.
Merovign on November 13, 2007 at 5:28 PM
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