Bill Clinton & Melania Trump Will Not Cross Paths Before Tonight's Presidential Debate

According to the New York Times, the spouses and children of the two presidential candidates will not cross paths as they enter the third and final debate tonight in Las Vegas.

You'll remember at the last debate, the Trump campaign attempted to seat past accusers of Bill Clinton in the Trump family VIP seating meaning he would have been face to face with the women at the top of the evening.

The Clinton side is not taking any chances at the final presidential debate, on Wednesday night in Las Vegas, and has apparently gained approval of a different protocol for the entry of the candidates’ spouses and families into the debate hall.

The new arrangement calls for the candidates’ spouses to enter the hall closer to their seats, rather than crossing the room, and each other’s paths. That would avoid any potential for confrontations, given Mr. Trump’s penchant for dramatic stunts.

On Tuesday, an aide to Mrs. Clinton declined to comment on the change, and aides to Mr. Trump did not respond to an email seeking comment. It is possible, of course, that further negotiations could result in a different arrangement, if both sides agree, by the time the debate begins at 9 p.m. Eastern.

But the unease over how the candidates’ families interact echoes that of the candidates themselves. At the debate in St. Louis, in a striking departure from tradition, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump did not shake hands at the start, though they did at the conclusion of the 90 minutes.

Loretta Lynch: I Will Accept Clinton Email Investigators Recommendations

Earlier this week, Attorney General Loretta Lynch found herself on the receiving end of a visit by former President Bill Clinton when their two planes happen to be parked at the same airport in Phoenix.

According to reports, the chat was about friends and grand kids, with no talk of any official business.

The impromptu face to face immediately drew raised eyebrows from the political spectrum since there is an ongoing investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, and Lynch will weigh in heavily on the decision - depending on the investigators final report - on whether any charges might be brought in the aftermath of the investigation.

Today, Lynch assured reporters that she will accept the recommendations of the investigators, no matter the results of the findings.

Via Washington Post:

"I will be informed of those findings, as opposed to never reading them or never seeing them, but I will be accepting their recommendations and their plan for going forward," Lynch said while speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado.

The move, first reported by the New York Times, came amid an uproar over Lynch's meeting this week with former U.S. President Bill Clinton while his wife, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the White House, was under federal investigation.

Lynch said she understands how her meeting with Bill Clinton "casts a shadow" over the perception of the Justice Department's probe into Hillary Clinton's email use.
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The private meeting took place on Lynch's plane after she landed in Phoenix on Monday night and Bill Clinton was leaving the airport after a rally for his wife earlier that day.

Lynch, appointed by Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama, told reporters earlier this week that she did not discuss the email investigation or other pending matters before the Justice Department with Bill Clinton, calling their meeting "primarily social."

New Trump Ad Attacks Hillary For Husband's Alleged Sexual Assaults Decades Ago

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is doubling down on the thinking that bringing up decades-old allegations of sexual assault by Bill Clinton will somehow bring down Hillary Clinton's campaign for the White House.

The Trumpster posted this video to his Instagram account with the caption, "Is Hillary really protecting women?"

Check the minor key music, the slow fade up of Bill Clinton with a cigar in his mouth, and then the sound of hysterical laughter apparently coming from Hillary.

First, Trump portrayed Hillary as "laughing" at the Benghazi attacks, and now he has her "laughing" at alleged sexual assaults?

This is really low class stuff, kids.

A video posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on May 23, 2016 at 8:27am PDT

Bill Clinton Turns 'Attack Dog' In New Hampshire

Over the weekend, with Hillary Clinton taking a quick trip to Michigan due to the Flint water fiasco, Bill Clinton stayed in New Hampshire to keep her campaign active.

In his appearances, Bill clearly stepped up his attacks on Hillary's opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders.

I'm not a big fan of the tone things are starting to take, but then, politics is a contact sport.

Donald Trump Calls Bill Clinton "One Of The Great Woman Abusers Of All Time"

Republican presidential contender Donald Trump called in to CNN's New Day to toss some word salad regarding his renewed attacks on Bill Clinton saying the former president is “seedy” and “one of the great woman abusers of all time,”

Trump added that Hillary Clinton is somehow to blame for Bill's past indiscretions calling her his "enabler."

In Trump's head, attacking Bill Clinton (who is not running for office) will somehow help him take out Hillary.  In the past, such attacks have only served to shore up support for Hillary.

Watch below.

President Bill Clinton Speaks at the 2014 Human Rights Campaign Gala

Last night, at the 2014 Human Rights Campaign Gala,  former President Bill Clinton spoke to a packed house of LGBT advocates and activists.

During the speech, Clinton addressed the 3,000 attendees - thanking them for the “poetry and prose” of LGBT activism that he said helped transform the country in regard to LGBT rights and acceptance.

From Politico:

The fired-up crowd attending the Human Rights Campaign’s national dinner at Washington D.C.’s cavernous convention center was particularly enthusiastic whenever he mentioned Hillary Clinton, a likely 2016 Democratic candidate.

The former president noted her support for gay rights during her time at State, when she said that “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”

President Bill Clinton Will Be Keynote Speaker at 18th Annual HRC National Dinner

HRC announced today that President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote address at the 18th Annual HRC National Dinner to be held on Saturday, October 25, 2014, in Washington, DC.



“President Bill Clinton is a transformational leader for our nation and the world,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “His ability to build partnerships around the globe and harness the power of human potential is truly remarkable, and we are thrilled he will be returning as our keynote speaker for our national dinner.”

The dinner is sold out and expected to draw over 3,000 guests.

(via press release)

Bill Clinton to World AIDS Conference: An AIDS-free world is just over the horizon

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton told an AIDS Conference in Melbourne on Wednesday that "an AIDS-free generation is within our reach."

The return of Monica Lewinsky

With interesting timing, Monica Lewinsky has resurfaced to write a piece for Vanity Fair for the first time about her 1998 scandal as a White House intern:

“It’s time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress.” She also says: “I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton. Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened.”

After 10 years of virtual silence (“So silent, in fact,” she writes, “that the buzz in some circles has been that the Clintons must have paid me off; why else would I have refrained from speaking out? I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth”), Lewinsky, 40, says it is time to stop “tiptoeing around my past—and other people’s futures. I am determined to have a different ending to my story. I’ve decided, finally, to stick my head above the parapet so that I can take back my narrative and give a purpose to my past. (What this will cost me, I will soon find out.)”

Lewinsky also says she was moved to break her silence by the suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi:

When Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old Rutgers freshman who was secretly streamed via Webcam kissing another man, committed suicide in September 2010, Lewinsky writes, she was brought to tears, but her mother was especially distraught: “She was reliving 1998, when she wouldn’t let me out of her sight. She was replaying those weeks when she stayed by my bed, night after night, because I, too, was suicidal. The shame, the scorn, and the fear that had been thrown at her daughter left her afraid that I would take my own life—a fear that I would be literally humiliated to death.” Lewinsky clarifies that she has never actually attempted suicide, but had strong suicidal temptations several times during the investigations and during one or two periods after.

Lewinsky writes that following Clementi’s tragedy “my own suffering took on a different meaning. Perhaps by sharing my story, I reasoned, I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation. The question became: How do I find and give a purpose to my past?”

The full version of Lewinsky's article will be available May 8th online at VanityFair.com.

Bono does spot-on Bill Clinton impersonation

2013 GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards were held last night:

The event, hosted by actress-producer-director Drew Barrymore, boasted such Hollywood heavyweights as presenters Jennifer Morrison, Charlize Theron, Betty White and Leonardo DiCaprio. Other winners included “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” which was named outstanding film: wide release, and former President Bill Clinton was given the first Advocate for Change award.

On the arrivals line, longtime Clinton friend, Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen, defended the former president’s controversial honor. Under Clinton’s administration came the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage, as well as the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy.

“Actually, (”don’t ask, don’t tell”) was a sorrow for him,” Steenburgen said. “So, I think he’s spent a large part of his life making up for that. But I tell you this: He’s never not had his heart in the right place, in terms of the gay community.”

"I believe you will win the DOMA fight and I think you will win the constitutional right to marry," Clinton said. "If not tomorrow, then the next day and the next day."

President Clinton added, "When you have won marriage equality everywhere, ask yourself, 'How in the world do we ever win a great cultural battle and we can't even pass ENDA?' What is wrong with this picture?"

Bill Clinton to be honored as GLAAD's 1st "Advocate for Change"

Via press release we get the news that former President Bill Clinton will be honored later this month at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles:

Bill Clinton will receive GLAAD's first Advocate for Change Award during the event. In 2011, Clinton advocated for marriage equality in New York, stating that "for more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free. In the 21st century, I believe New York’s welcome must include marriage equality.” In 2012, he joined the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families in working against North Carolina's proposed Amendment One to ban marriage and civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Most recently, he called for the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act in an op-ed for The Washington Post.

During his administration, Clinton became the first U.S. President to appoint out gay and lesbian people to all levels of government. He appointed more than 150 including James Hormel as America's first openly gay ambassador. During the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, his administration convened the first White House Conference on the epidemic, created the national AIDS Policy Coordinator post, and expanded funding for research. In 2002, his Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) began as the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in the developing world.

Here are the details:
Saturday, April 20, 2013 - 5:30pm
JW Marriott Los Angeles
900 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA

Click here for ticket info.

President Clinton writes op-ed urging SCOTUS to strike down DOMA

Former President Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA into law, has written an op-ed urging the US Supreme Court to overturn the discriminatory law.

President Clinton writes, in part:

Americans have been at this sort of a crossroads often enough to recognize the right path. We understand that, while our laws may at times lag behind our best natures, in the end they catch up to our core values. One hundred fifty years ago, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln concluded a message to Congress by posing the very question we face today: “It is not ‘Can any of us imagine better?’ but ‘Can we all do better?’ ”

The answer is of course and always yes. In that spirit, I join with the Obama administration, the petitioner Edith Windsor, and the many other dedicated men and women who have engaged in this struggle for decades in urging the Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.

Read the entire op-ed at Washington Post.

Frank Bruni for New York Times: "Dear President Clinton"

"Dear President Clinton, 

What a year you’ve had, the kind that really burnishes a legend. At the Democratic National Convention, on the campaign trail, in speeches aplenty and during interviews galore, you spoke eloquently about what this country should value, and you spoke unequivocally about where it should head. Such a bounty of convictions, such a harvest of words, except for one that’s long overdue: Sorry.

"Where’s your apology for signing the Defense of Marriage Act? And why, amid all the battles you’ve joined, and with all the energy you’ve been able to muster, haven’t you made a more vigorous case for same-sex marriage, especially in light of your history on this issue? You fret about your legacy, as any president would. For turning a blind eye to the butchery in Rwanda, you struggled through a mea culpa of sorts, and after Barack Obama seemed to lavish higher praise on Ronald Reagan than on you, you seethed.

"Well, DOMA, which says that the federal government recognizes only marriages of a man and a woman, is one of the uglier blemishes on your record, an act of indisputable discrimination that codified unequal treatment of gay men and lesbians and, in doing so, validated the views of Americans who see us as lesser people. If our most committed, heartfelt relationships don’t measure up, then neither do we. If how we love is suspect, then so is who we are. No two ways to interpret that. No other conclusion to be drawn.

[snip]

"I was sloppy at the start. What I and many others want most from you isn’t really an apology. It’s full membership — and, better yet, leadership — in a movement that’s headed inexorably in the right direction, with or without you." - Frank Bruni, writing for the New York Times.

Read the full essay here.

Bill Clinton explains Mitt Romney's tax plan

I like things explained to me in simple terms. I don't pretend to be an economic genius. I do understand a lot through reading as much as I can, but like most Americans, I admit I understand things best when broken down in commonsense terms.

Bill Clinton breaks down Mitt Romney's $5 trillion tax cut plan in a new ad in easy to understand terms. You know 1+1 still equals 2 in the real world:

"The effect will be to give people with incomes over $3 million a $250,000 tax cut" and raise taxes on middle income people by an average of $2,000, adding, "We simply cannot afford to give another round of tax cuts to people who got the benefit of the tax cuts and the economic growth of the last decade. It hasn't worked before, and it won't work this time."

Bruce Springsteen to campaign for President Obama

Bruce Springsteen will join former President Bill Clinton at a rally in Parma, Ohio, on Tuesday, the day of the second presidential debate. Obama will not attend the rally.

"The Boss" campaigned for Obama in 2008, but this is his first political appearance of the 2012 cycle.

Clinton has become an increasingly prominent surrogate for Obama, campaigning for the president in several battleground states.

(source)

President Clinton reacts to "the new Mitt Romney" at last week's debate

Bill Clinton addressed "the new Mitt Romney who showed up at last week's debate while campaigning for President Obama in Las Vegas.

Said Clinton:

I had a different reaction to that first debate than a lot of people did. I mean, I thought, “Wow! Here’s old Moderate Mitt. Where you been, boy, I missed you all these last two years!” But I was paying attention these past two years. And it was like one of these Bain Capital deals where, you know, he’s the closer. So he shows up, doesn’t really know much about the deal and says, “tell me what I’m supposed to say to close.”

Now the problem with this deal is, the deal was made by Severe Conservative Mitt. That was how he described himself for two whole years. Until three or four days before the debate they all got together and said, “hey Mitt, this ship is sinkin’ faster than the Titanic…but people are still frustrated about the economy, they want it fixed yesterday, so just show up with a sunny face and say I didn’t say all that stuff I said for the last two years. I don’t have that tax plan I’ve had for the last two years, you gonna believe me or your lyin’ eyes here? Come on. What are you doin’?” And if I’d been the President, I might have said, “well, I hate to get in the way of this, I missed you.”

Bill Clinton's full speech at the 2012 Democratic Convention

THIS is how you give a political speech.

It doesn't get any better than this kids.

And then, there was the surprise appearance by President Obama at the end of Bill's speech.

NC: President Clinton speaks out against Amendment 1

The full message, via Coalition to Protect NC Families:

"Hello, this is President Bill Clinton. I'm calling to urge you to vote against Amendment One on Tuesday May 8. If it passes, it won't change North Carolina's law on marriage. What it will change is North Carolina's ability to keep good businesses, attract new jobs, and attract and keep talented entrepreneurs. If it passes, your ability to keep those businesses, get those jobs, and get those talented entrepreneurs will be weakened. And losing even one job to Amendment One is too big of a risk."

"It's passage will also take away health insurance from children and could even take away domestic violence protections from women."

"So the real effect of the law is not to keep the traditional definition of marriage, you've already done that. The real effect of the law will be to hurt families and drive away jobs. North Carolina can do better. Again, this is Bill Clinton asking you to please vote against Amendment One. Thanks."

Crossing my fingers this isn't coming too late. The polls show an uphill climb for the good guys here. But I'm still thinking good thoughts.