It is the reality of life that people who take up Govt. offices ( elected to do so) do so after a long and at times ardous road. They do have to make sacrifices in their respective Jobs/profession to reach that office. This can be translated to financial gain/loss etc. But, after leaving their office they should be left alone to persue their life ( like an aging and out of actor) ...After all they did play a part in making history ...( irrespective whether it is good or bad for the world) .. and so their version of events is what many will pay to hear ...Or may be it is like a Medal on your jacket.. to have an ex- president to address an event or be at the dinner etc...whatever ! They have the full right to be free to associate with whomever they wish..... this may include old enemies when he or she was in office.....Money is great attraction .. specially when you have rubbbed shoulders with the Mega rich when in office and living on Govt. Salary and expenses...There is no reason why he or she should be denied the opportunity to earn money and maintain their status....
Regards to all.
Here an F.O.B., There an F.O.B.
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There is no shortage of tycoons looking to do Bill Clinton favors. Another is Frank Giustra, a Canadian entrepreneur who founded Lions Gate Entertainment, the movie production company. Giustra has given millions to the Clinton Foundation, and is currently planning a March fund-raising gala for the charity in Toronto.
A spokesman for Giustra tells NEWSWEEK the two men first became acquainted in January 2005, when Giustra organized a tsunami-relief fund-raiser. He asked the former president to provide a videotaped thank you to the event's contributors. The men became friends. Later that year, Giustra, whose broad business interests include mining, was negotiating a deal to mine uranium in Kazakhstan. In September 2005, Giustra and Clinton flew to Kazakhstan on Giustra's jet. Clinton gave a press conference announcing an AIDS initiative with the Kazakh government. He also took the opportunity to praise the country's president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, an authoritarian ruler with a poor human-rights record, for "opening up the social and political life of your country."
At the time, Nazarbayev was campaigning for re-election; Clinton lauded him for promising "free, fair and transparent" elections. After a late-night meeting with Kazakh dissidents, Clinton flew out the next day. One day later, UrAsia Energy, a mining company in which Giustra was a major shareholder and director, signed two "memoranda of understanding" to mine uranium in Kazakhstan. Last year, UrAsia merged with a large Canadian mining company. According to Canadian press accounts, the value of Giustra's stock rose to more than $45 million.
Giustra's and Clinton's spokesmen both say the former president had no part in helping Giustra land the deal. Clinton knew that Giustra had mining interests in Kazakhstan, Clinton's spokesman says, but the men had never discussed details. It could be that Clinton and Giustra both had separate interests and agendas in Kazakhstan at the same time, and Bill was just catching a ride on his buddy's plane. That's what friends are for.
With Sarah Elkins and Daniel Stone
© 2008
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