Friday, February 5, 2016

Gail Collins, "The Things We Love to Loathe": Hillary Took It ($675,000) From Goldman Sachs and Didn't Leave It



Veiled criticism of Hillary Clinton from Gail Collins? Will miracles never cease?

In her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "The Things We Love to Loathe," Collins says of Hillary:

"Clinton did very well at a Democratic forum and debate this week. Except when she was asked, during the forum, why she accepted $675,000 for giving three speeches for the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. ('That’s what they offered.') She had a somewhat less awful response at the debate, but then was unable to say whether she’d ever release the speech transcripts. ('I will look into it.') The situation here is clear. Clinton is never going to say she’s sorry, release transcripts or announce that she’s decided to clear everything up by donating $675,000 to charity. It is what it is, and you’re going to have to take it or leave it."

Hillary obviously took it from Goldman Sachs and didn't leave it.

But Collins can't possibly scold Hillary without castigating Marco Rubio, who is on the rise in New Hampshire. Collins goes on to say of Rubio:

"We have heard a lot already about Rubio’s $800,000 advance for a very modest memoir about his formative years. And the billionaire auto dealer who donated $100,000 to Florida International University, where Rubio was hired as a visiting professor for $69,000. This week, NBC News reported that he worked less than 10 hours a week during his first semester at the teaching gig, missing three of his 10 classes."

Needless to say, Collins doesn't mention that Obama earned $60,000 per year teaching part-time at the University of Chicago.

Collins also doesn't mention that as reported by in a Tampa Bay Times article entitled "Marco Rubio drew strong student reviews, but skimped on job requirements as FIU professor" by Adam C. Smith:

"FIU agreed to pay Rubio $69,000 for 2009, but as his U.S. Senate campaign against Charlie Crist consumed more of his time, that was reduced to $40,000.

. . . .

Nicol Rae, Rubio's co-teacher in 2012, said he had no idea how much time Rubio spent readying for class but he was always well-prepared and attended about 80 or 85 percent of the classes.

Moreno, another co-teacher, said his presence in the classroom has been a coup for FIU.

'He showed up; he did his job. The students liked him, and he would spend time with students, not a lot but usually half an hour after class,' Moreno said, noting that many students have gone on to internships in Rubio's Senate office.

. . . .

The Senate Ethics Committee approved Rubio's job with FIU, which is unusual but not unprecedented. Before he became vice president, Sen. Joe Biden earned more than $20,000 for helping teach a class at Widener School of Law, which has campuses in Wilmington, Del., and Harrisburg, Pa."

But more to the point, how do you compare $675,000 for three speeches for Goldman Sachs with $40,000, or even $69,000, for teaching part-time over the course of a year at FIU? Sorry, Gail, you don't.

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