# Genuine Book Deal or Political Grift?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genuine-book-deal-or-political-grift/45898>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 16, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genuine-book-deal-or-political-grift/45898 "2000-12-16T13:51:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genuine-book-deal-or-political-grift/45898/21 "2000-12-18T15:24:25Z")

</div>

Well, FWIW…I think it is a payoff.  
I don’t think this puts Hillary on the far outer reaches of political ethics, but I do think this is part of a continued Clinton pattern to enrich themselves at the tax payers expense.

Of course, to be fair, I think many others on both sides of the aisle have taken this path.  
Drudge has a little blurb about it up right now.

[http://www.drudgereport.com](http://www.drudgereport.com)

> [@](#):
>
> New York Sen.-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed Friday to accept an $8 million book deal with publisher SIMON & SCHUSTER after wining and dining publishing executives at the White House – and the taxpayers picked up the tab!
> 
> …snip…
> 
> A SIMON & SCHUSTER spokesman confirmed Minor and Reidy were invited guests to the State Dinner. But the company strongly denied any suggestion that Hillary’s State Dinner gift – and the $8 million book deal awarded three months later – presented any conflict.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pyrrhonist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pyrrhonist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyrrhonist)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genuine-book-deal-or-political-grift/45898/22 "2000-12-18T15:28:22Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Collounsbury \*  
> \*\*
> 
> Can’t you guys get a new obsession. Cuckling over rabid Clinton hating has lost its amusement value. \*\*

Money for nothing _always_ has its amusing value.

Besides, the deal is questionably of seedy origin. The Clinton’s bring it upon themselves by not staying clean.

The Washington Times reports ([http://www.washtimes.com/national/default-2000121823231.htm](http://www.washtimes.com/national/default-2000121823231.htm)) in an article about how Hillary maybe selling her house in Chappaqua (you know, the house she bought to get a state residency so she could run for the Senate) that the laws should be reviewed and investigated. Some Republicans don’t think it’s much of an issue, they didn’t think it was much of an issue when Newt Gingrich was offered $4.5 million a few years ago, an offer he turned down because of protests from Democrats. Why are the Democrats not protesting now? I think the Republicans may let Hillary sail on the good ship _Hypocrisy_ on this issue.  
\*\* A KIND OF INSIDER INFORMATION:\*\*

A friend of mine (an avowed Liberal Lefeter) who has worked in the book selling trade for over fifteen years and as book buyer (non-fiction titles, including all political titles) for over five thinks it “pretty unlikely” that it would sell the 2 million plus copies to cover the cost of the advance. Simon & Schuster will be playing it rough by asking for huge buys (i.e. multiple waist high stacks in all the stores) to cover promoting the book, and he is not looking forward it. And this from a guy tickled pink when he got a signed advanced copy of _It Takes a Village._

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genuine-book-deal-or-political-grift/45898.md?page=1)