Bill Clinton just as involved with Colombia as Penn.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/bill-clintons-ties-to-col_n_95651.html

On Sunday evening, Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist, Mark Penn, resigned from his post after it was revealed he was working (on the side) for the passage of a Colombia Free Trade Agreement that his candidate opposed.

But within the Clinton campaign, Penn is not the highest-ranking adviser with financial ties to groups and individuals supporting the passage of the measure.

Former President Bill Clinton has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars speaking on behalf of a Colombia-based group pushing the trade pact, and representatives of that organization tell The Huffington Post that the former president shared their sentiment.

In June 2005, Clinton was paid $800,000 by the Colombia-based Gold Service International to give four speeches throughout Latin America. The organization is, ostensibly, a development group tasked with bringing investment to the country and educating world leaders about the Colombia's business opportunities.

The group's chief operating officer, Andres Franco, said in an interview that the group supports the congressional ratification of the free trade agreement and that, when Clinton was on his speaking tour, he expressed similar opinions.

"He was supportive of the trade agreement at the time that he came, but that was several years ago. In the present context, I don't know what his position would be. It is not only about union trade rights. It is about what benefit or damage it can do to the US economy," said Franco. "Events with the Clinton campaign are not good at all for the trade agreement... Right now it became a campaign issues and that is sad, because it needs to go through."

<more at link>

This needs to be discussed by the MSM. Clinton is getting free ride because they want to keep the horserace going for their ratings!

The word is getting out there...

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/backstory_of_colombia_and_clin.html

Backstory: Colombia, Clinton Inc.

Posted April 9, 2008 6:42 AM
The Swamp

By John Riley


Following the excellent links in this Huffington Post story on Bill Clinton's ties to Colombia and lucrative trade-related speaking fees, we find:

In May, 2007, Colombia -- looking to overcome Democrats' resistance to a free trade deal -- hires Mark Penn's firm, Burson Marsteller, for $300,000. Penn is Hillary's chief strategist at the time, and the hiring is publicized.

In May, 2007, Colombia -- pursuing the same goals -- puts the Glover Park Group, partly owned by Hillary spokesman Howard Wolfson, on a $30,000 a month retainer. Wolfson is already working for Hillary, and that deal is also publicized.

In May 2007, Colombia announces plans for a gala in June to honor former President Bill Clinton, with President Alvaro Uribe (left) to honor Clinton with a "Colombia is Passion" award in return for his support. While Al Gore backed out of an April, 2007, event with Uribe because of his opposition to Colombia's human and labor rights practices, Clinton attends the June gala, and says in his speech, "We need to remember that we are friends."

Hillary did not attend the gala, and came out in opposition to the Colombia free-trade agreement in November. So, she can reasonably argue that Colombia's efforts to work Clinton connections didn't influence her -- "Senator Clinton is the candidate for president and she is a clear and firm opponent of the Colombian free trade agreement," her campaign said today -- but she can hardly argue that she was unaware of them.

So why did she act shocked last week when the Wall Street Journal said Penn met with Colombia on the trade deal? What was going on that she didn't already know was going on?

We're still skeptical about the significance of this story to ordinary voters. But if Penn's demotion was supposed to suggest to her blue-collar labor base that she was shocked and surprised that a top aide was working for Colombia, it just won't wash. The ties of Colombia and Clinton Inc. seem to have been pretty open and obvious.

It was hardly a secret.

John Riley writes Newsday'

which is clearly a ruse.

Lets hope the media follows up on this in the same manner that they exploded the Goolsby gaffe, which ended up being NOTHING prior to the Ohio primary.

This information is significant and the voters need to be aware. I live in Michigan where we have been devastated by NAFTA. Clinton is the wrong candidate for our country at this time.

at the moment and he WILL discuss it.

from the OP:


"Update:"

"Sen. Clinton's spokesperson, Jay Carson, notes that Bill Clinton has supported the Colombia trade deal since 2000, but that his wife has been consistent in her opposition"

"Senator Clinton is the candidate for president and she is a clear and firm opponent of the Colombian free trade agreement," he said. "Like other married couples who disagree on issues from time to time, she disagrees with her husband on this issue. President Clinton has been public about his support for Columbia's request for U.S. trade preferences since 2000."

I have no idea what you posted, but there is no defense with regard to these latest reports of Bill's involvment with Colombia.
Your candidate has a lot of explaining to do to the voters with regard to alleged NAFTA/Free Trade positions!

Columbia is a record company, a city, and the ancient Encl. Brit version of describing the lands that chris ran into on his way to China.

When Bill's money throwing buddies signed him up to promote the Dubai Ports Deal - for which he is still owed $20 Mil - Hillary was out in the Senate saying it was a bad thing for the country!

Now how in the H can anyone say they want someone in the White House who is married to a lobbyist who sides with NAFTA, CAFTA, and Dubai/Saudi interests? Not only that but Hillary & Bill love to give their East Indian friends perks! Vin Gupta and many others got favors and turned around and gave Bill more millions!

Come on people - are you really telling me you don't care about that?

Well maybe if you don't why don't you ask your Kids & Grandkids! And if you're not old enough to have Grandkids think about what you will have to tell them someday if these people get back in the White House!

As for VP I sure don't want HRC for that office either! She has cooked her goose and it is burnt!
:applause:

and funny how Hillary and Bill are the same on the war, too.
Oh, except Bill still defends the war.

They just say anything, its their actions that you have to believe.

in Bill's and therefore Hillary's pockets.

$50 million is a nice chunk of change and she owes them as much as he does.