"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones" - Mark Antony, Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene ii
Most of us who follow the Clinton Foundation work do so via the foundation website, their Facebook posts, and newsletters in our inboxes. I really never gave much of a thought to the fact that headlines do not cover their extensive work even while the Clintons messaged us to look at the trend lines in contrast to the headlines.
We are accustomed to the media blackout on foundation efforts. We message each other when President or Chelsea Clinton will appear on late night or early morning TV to talk about the tremendous work they have seen in the course of a CGI or after the annual foundation summit. There is always that odd question poking through in a corner of the mind: Why doesn't this work receive more coverage?"Underneath the headlines, the trend lines are going in our direction. You must not be discouraged by the fact that doing good is not often considered good news.”
– President Bill Clinton
When the foundation came under attack in the lead up to the release of Clinton Cash, we were forewarned by Hillary's campaign that the book was a litany of unfounded allegations. As Bill and Chelsea Clinton toured foundation-backed initiatives in Africa in the days leading to CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) Middle East & Africa, the attention the press did bother to pay did not focus on the distribution of hearing aids or the battles against blindness, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Instead, what space they did devote implied that the bucks were dirty and therefore so was the travel and work.
It was true serendipity. I stumbled on this article from five days ago when I was searching for something else. Mysteriously, it did not not arrive amid the flurry of Clinton Foundation tagged articles in my news feeds on the heels of the release of Clinton Cash.
In a masterful and concise piece, Joe Conason takes the media to task for the blinders they wear and the blunders they commit in under reporting the work of the Clinton Foundation and making fast work, in their signature manner, of condemning the Clintons when the facts do not bear out the fictions.
When They Scream 'Clinton Scandal,' Wait For The Facts
A very strange thing has happened to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Suddenly, journalists who never paid the least attention to the foundation's work over the past decade or so -- and seemed content to let the Clintons and their associates try to do some good in the world -- proclaim their concern about the foundation's finances, transparency and efficiency. Commentators with very little knowledge of any of the foundation's programs, still unable to distinguish the Clinton Global Initiative from the Clinton Health Access Initiative, confidently denounce the entire operation as suspect.
What provoked this frenzy of ignorance and indignation, of course, is the candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president of the United States. Partisan adversaries of the former secretary of state have been working overtime, subsidized by millions of dollars in Republican "dark money," to construct a conspiratorial narrative that transforms her husband's good works into dirty deals. (Transparency is evidently required of the Clintons, but not of their critics.)
The main product of that effort, delivered by media mogul Rupert Murdoch amid a din of promotion in mainstream and right-wing media, is "Clinton Cash," written by a former Bush speech writer named Peter Schweizer.
Compressing lengthy timelines, blurring important distinctions, and sometimes simply inventing false "facts," Schweizer has attempted to transform the Clinton Foundation from an innovative, successful humanitarian organization into a sham institution that sells public favors for private gain.
By all means please read more >>>>
Many thanks to Joe Conason and Real Clear Politics for shining a light on dark and murky journalistic practices.
This just in from the Clinton Foundation.
Right now, we're in the final hours of our Unlocking Potential fundraising drive, where we are scaling what's working well in Africa to reach more communities around the world.
We are changing lives through lasting solutions – but our work isn't done. Last week President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton visited the Foundation's work in Africa, where we saw how technology is being used to help Kenyans fight climate change, and we spoke with community leaders about expanding secondary education for women and girls to open up a world of opportunity.
But there are still millions of people who need our help making real progress for themselves and their communities.
Contribute now and help us change more lives. We need 400 donors by MIDNIGHT:
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation of $5 or more to our Unlocking Potential fundraising drive before midnight.
In Africa, we saw firsthand the innovations that are driving positive change. The Foundation's newest Anchor Farm project in Tanzania is replicating our success in Malawi, where thousands of farmers have increased their incomes – making it possible for more children to go to school and for more families to access health care, often for the first time.
We have the trend lines moving in the right direction, but there are still barriers preventing millions of people from living their best lives. Be one of 400 donors to help us Unlock Potential and reach more people now:
Click here to donate to help President Clinton, Chelsea, and our entire team change more lives.
Thanks,
Clinton Foundation
