How do you tell if a US President is crooked?

Follow the money.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_..._net_worth

Then you have to ask yourself two things- how much money they have before entering politics - and how much are they worth now?

The crooked ones are the ones that made the most money by virtue of holding public office.

Agreed?

(February 1, 2020 at 12:56 pm)onlinebiker Wrote: How do you tell if a US President is crooked?

Follow the money.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_..._net_worth

Then you have to ask yourself two things- how much money they have before entering politics - and how much are they worth now?

The crooked ones are the ones that made the most money by virtue of holding public office.

Agreed?

Not necessarily.  Those politicians who enrich themselves while in office and through the operation of that office are certainly suspect.  Once out of office, if they make great walloping wads of cash via giving speeches, writing books, arranging film or television deals, that's not necessarily a sign of criminality.

Boru

(February 1, 2020 at 1:34 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(February 1, 2020 at 12:56 pm)onlinebiker Wrote: How do you tell if a US President is crooked?

Follow the money.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_..._net_worth

Then you have to ask yourself two things- how much money they have before entering politics - and how much are they worth now?

The crooked ones are the ones that made the most money by virtue of holding public office.

Agreed?

Not necessarily.  Those politicians who enrich themselves while in office and through the operation of that office are certainly suspect.  Once out of office, if they make great walloping wads of cash via giving speeches, writing books, arranging film or television deals, that's not necessarily a sign of criminality.

Boru

Profiteering is profiteering any way you paint it.

(February 1, 2020 at 3:09 pm)onlinebiker Wrote:

(February 1, 2020 at 1:34 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Not necessarily.  Those politicians who enrich themselves while in office and through the operation of that office are certainly suspect.  Once out of office, if they make great walloping wads of cash via giving speeches, writing books, arranging film or television deals, that's not necessarily a sign of criminality.

Boru

Profiteering is profiteering any way you paint it.

Profiteering is not illegal in the US unless it is accomplished by criminal means. The last I checked, it isn’t a criminal act for a former president to charge speaking fees or to write his memoirs.

Boru

(February 1, 2020 at 4:07 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(February 1, 2020 at 3:09 pm)onlinebiker Wrote: Profiteering is profiteering any way you paint it.

Profiteering is not illegal in the US unless it is accomplished by criminal means. The last I checked, it isn’t a criminal act for a former president to charge speaking fees or to write his memoirs.

Boru

Or renting out the Lincoln bedroom?

(February 1, 2020 at 4:26 pm)onlinebiker Wrote:

(February 1, 2020 at 4:07 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Profiteering is not illegal in the US unless it is accomplished by criminal means. The last I checked, it isn’t a criminal act for a former president to charge speaking fees or to write his memoirs.

Boru

Or renting out the Lincoln bedroom?

(Full disclosure - I had to look this one up)

People who contributed large amounts to the DNC were ‘perked’ by overnight stays in the White House, frequently (but not always) in the Lincoln Bedroom. Others perks included coffees, jogging with the the President, and so on.

Since staying in the LB was not conditional on making contributions, the practice was determined to be ‘unseemly, but not illegal or unethical.’  It was more as case of, ‘Thanks for the money. How would you like to spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom?’ than ‘If you contribute, we’ll let you stay in the Lincoln Bedroom.’  HUGE difference.

Furthermore, since the Clintons never profited personally from this, the pejorative ‘profiteering’ hardly seems to apply. You started this about presidents enriching themselves while in office. That’s not the case here.

Boru

Oh my.... perks including coffees and jogging! what would I not to for that?

(February 1, 2020 at 4:42 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(February 1, 2020 at 4:26 pm)onlinebiker Wrote: Or renting out the Lincoln bedroom?

(Full disclosure - I had to look this one up)

People who contributed large amounts to the DNC were ‘perked’ by overnight stays in the White House, frequently (but not always) in the Lincoln Bedroom. Others perks included coffees, jogging with the the President, and so on.

Since staying in the LB was not conditional on making contributions, the practice was determined to be ‘unseemly, but not illegal or unethical.’  It was more as case of, ‘Thanks for the money. How would you like to spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom?’ than ‘If you contribute, we’ll let you stay in the Lincoln Bedroom.’  HUGE difference.

Furthermore, since the Clintons never profited personally from this, the pejorative ‘profiteering’ hardly seems to apply. You started this about presidents enriching themselves while in office. That’s not the case here.

Boru

I guess you'll just always be a "it depends on what your definition of "is" is" kinda guy...


....

Just because they didn't slip Slick Willie some cash - doesn't mean he didn't benefit.

Party loyalty and all that....98

(February 1, 2020 at 5:47 pm)onlinebiker Wrote:

(February 1, 2020 at 4:42 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: (Full disclosure - I had to look this one up)

People who contributed large amounts to the DNC were ‘perked’ by overnight stays in the White House, frequently (but not always) in the Lincoln Bedroom. Others perks included coffees, jogging with the the President, and so on.

Since staying in the LB was not conditional on making contributions, the practice was determined to be ‘unseemly, but not illegal or unethical.’  It was more as case of, ‘Thanks for the money. How would you like to spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom?’ than ‘If you contribute, we’ll let you stay in the Lincoln Bedroom.’  HUGE difference.

Furthermore, since the Clintons never profited personally from this, the pejorative ‘profiteering’ hardly seems to apply. You started this about presidents enriching themselves while in office. That’s not the case here.

Boru

I guess you'll just always be a "it depends on what your definition of "is" is" kinda guy...


....

Just because they didn't slip Slick Willie some cash - doesn't mean he didn't benefit.

Party loyalty and all that....98

Of course he benefited, but he would have benefited exactly the same if none of the donors to the DNC had ever gotten within 10 miles of the LB. It wasn’t a money-making scheme, it was a thank you with amazingly bad optics.

But your entire argument above is predicated on the personal wealth of presidents.  Since the LB situation put no money in Clinton’s pocket, it doesn’t apply.

Boru

(February 1, 2020 at 6:17 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: But your entire argument above is predicated on the personal wealth of presidents.  Since the LB situation put no money in Clinton’s pocket, it doesn’t apply.

OLB's argument, like all his other ones is predicated upon the deluded idea that if he shouts loudly enough about minor Democrat misdemeanours, the whole world will quickly forget about the large republitraitor crimes. As such, he's simply following the footsteps of his hero Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer Donald Dumbfuck.