Chuck Todd is well aware of the realities surrounding the Clinton Foundation.
The Clinton Foundation story is Right Wing fodder, and Chuck Todd knows it
The fact that Chuck Todd made the statement at the end of this video clip proves he knows the Clinton Foundation story is hogwash. He and the mainstream media continue to allow the Right Wing to force them to cover it.
The exchange on the Meet the Press between Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell, Joy-Ann Reid, and Hugh Hewitt said it all. Mitchell pointed out that much of what is coming out is not news. Moreover, she said that unwinding such an organization would be difficult because unlike other foundations, the Clinton Foundation is operational while others simply give grants.
Right Wing radio host Hugh Hewitt attempted to insert a false charge in his interjection. He implied the Clintons were breaking the law. Joy-Ann Reid did not let him get away. In fact, she did what real journalist do. Reid explained quid pro quo to Hewitt as one would to a middle-schooler and then gave perspective. She pointed out that no one questioned the Bush Foundation which operated for the Bush Library as opposed to the Clinton Foundation who aids people throughout the world. In effect, she called the media hypocrites by inference.
Andrea Mitchell, likely feeling the journalistic urge brought on by Joy-Ann Reid said what should have put this story to bed long ago. She said the State Department found nothing where there was any proof of action. She noted that not even the AP flawed and bias article about meetings with donors to the foundation found any quid pro quo.
But ultimately Chuck Todd got it right.
“Here is what the voter hears,” Chuck Todd chimed in. “Rich people get access. And by the way, that’s legal. And that is American politics.”
It is up to voters to do something about this. But until then, the media is wasting time on nonissues. They should spend their time informing Americans that supply side economics is a debunked ideology. They must tell Americans that tax cuts do not cause economic recoveries. Even Reagan found that out. They must educate Americans on the reality of health care systems around the world that work even as American companies pilfer us all.
Americans are ill-informed because of a derelict media that allows fallacies to permeate the psyche of many. That is why we must support the alternative media or those who can and should become the media.
Here is the transcript.
Andrea Mitchell: You know, here is the pushback and it’s something that we really have to get on because they say they’re winding it down, but what I am told is it is really hard to wind this down. For one thing, Joe Scarborough asked her on Friday, “Why not just turn it over to the Gates Foundation?” The Gates Foundation does grants, they don’t do operations on the ground. The Clinton Foundation does. And so, there are different types of foundations. They have already accepted the whole healthcare component, which is one of the largest components. That will not be wound down. Chelsea Clinton is going to be on the board, they’ve been saying this for a while, that’s not news. But the fact is that she is still going to be on the board to help wind this down–
Hugh Hewitt: But–
Andrea Mitchell: Let me just finish. Bill Clinton just said to all of us in the press on Wednesday that they don’t want anyone to be fired.
Chuck Todd: Right.
Andrea Mitchell: So it is going to be a slow wind down, it’s not going to be wound down, by the time if she’s elected and takes over.
Hugh Hewitt: But that’s not an excuse for breaking the law.
Andrea Mitchell: I’m not saying that’s an excuse
Joy-Ann Reid: What law was broken?
Andrea Mitchell: There is no law.
Hugh Hewitt: The quo and quid pro quo is the meeting and you cannot set up meetings on behalf of–
Joy-Ann Reid: But one moment, the quid here is to very wealthy people, “Give us money, so we can give 11.5 million people AIDS drugs.” And the quo is, “Huma Abedin may call you back.” That is not a quid pro quo, in a sense. And I think we have to ask whether we’ve invented a new standard. The George Bush Foundation, which benefits him, it benefits his library, which can accept foreign donations, existed all through the eight years of his son’s Presidency.
Chuck Todd: Right.
Joy-Ann Reid: I don’t recall us asking whether people who might want to influence President George W. Bush could simply give to a foundation that benefited him. His foundations have not financially benefited the Clinton family at all.
Andrea Mitchell: Let me just answer what she just said. The State Department, which has been very uncomfortable about a lot of this has said they find nothing where this is a proof of action. And I’ve got to tell you, when we went through the AP story, they found emails, they found connections, they did not find the other piece.
Chuck Todd: Very quickly, and Robert, when we’re debating oh, proof of this, proof of that, here’s what the voter hears: Rich people get access.