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Re:Firms that paid for Clinton speeches have US government i... by jessaustin on Friday April 22, 2016 @09:56AM (#11549179)
Sure, HRC wouldn't cross the street for $200k. However, she and Bill have given speeches like that on a regular basis for years, to the same groups of people. Their campaigns and charitable organizations have been funded by those people too. You don't think that eventually, the cumulative tens of millions of dollars might have an effect on their thinking and decisions?
Re:Firms that paid for Clinton speeches have US government i... by pdabbadabba on Friday April 22, 2016 @10:33AM (#11549475)
> You don't think that eventually, the cumulative tens of millions of dollars might have an effect on their thinking and decisions?

And I'm sure all these donors' interests are aligned, right?

And, to be a little less flippant, I do think that the company a person keeps affects a person's thinking. So if a company can buy their way into Hillary Clinton's circle, I accept that they have managed to buy some amount of influence. But I think this influence is negligible compared to Clinton's formal advisers and organic professional network. You also have to remember that most of these companies have far more effective ways of influencing government than paying for some lousy speeches, none of which is Clinton's doing.

Re:Firms that paid for Clinton speeches have US government i... by jordanb on Friday April 22, 2016 @10:51AM (#11549607)
> And I'm sure all these donors' interests are aligned, right?

Eh? I think they're broadly aligned. They're aligned when it comes to how corporations and executives should be treated by the courts and regulatory agencies. They're aligned on the extent and structure of free trade pacts. They're aligned on corporate taxation. They're aligned with Bill Clinton's claim that the only thing wrong with the American economy is a "skills gap."

Sure there's going to be disagreement (often severe) on particular points here and there but the broad thrust the economic "Washington Consensus" that Bill Clinton championed is a point of alignment among Clinton's donor class.

Re:Firms that paid for Clinton speeches have US government i... by astazangasta on Friday April 22, 2016 @10:01AM (#11549233)
The total between them is $153 million.