It is also naive to believe that anything a past president, or past first lady, or cabinet officer would say is worth a 30 minute speaking fee of $250,000. In my opinion, the fee, no doubt, is paid to help the payer understand and perhaps obtain governmental access. A mobile phone number or two could be valuable. And when speaking fees and foundation donations are paid by foreign governments, the same foreign governments that received billions of dollars of aid from the person who is now reaping these grandiose fees, then the question, should elected officials profit from public service, demands legitimate enquiry?
Isn't it just likely that the receiver of these obscene fees is harvesting crops from seeds previously sowed? Seeds that the American taxpayer may have paid for. Truman recognized this massive opportunity for a conflict of interest and acted accordingly. Truman was an ordinary man with extraordinary integrity and genuine respect for the office of the president.
Or just maybe these fees are just an accidental coincidence?
Thought provoking post.
ReplyDeleteFollow the money. If an organization is paying those kinds of fees, I'd bet it's because they are making even more, or have the potential to benefit. Or it could be "payment" for past favors. It always comes down to money. At least, that's one strategy of the FBI, when investigating things that don't seem to be quite right.