NOT THAT YOU ASKED

I was really surprised when the only "controversy" from Hillary Clinton's interview with Diane Sawyer came from her comment that she and Bill were flat broke when they left the White House. With the right wing's obsession with Benghazi, I was sure that her saying she wouldn't have done anything differently at the time would be what they would pounce on.

While I doubt that the Clintons were on the verge of going on welfare and food stamps when his presidency was over, they certainly weren't well off. Unlike most modern Presidents, Bill Clinton wasn't wealthy when he took office. In fact, Hillary was the main provider for the family while he was Governor through her work at the Rose Law Firm, and she gave that up when she became first lady.

On top of that, they were under investigation almost from the moment Bill finished the oath of office. In fact, Republicans were so much in a frenzy to investigate Clinton, that had he flubbed the oath like Obama did the first time, they probably would have investigated that. First there was the Whitewater land deal, quickly followed by inquiries into the Travel Office firings, the White House coffees, Hillary's billing records, and even Vince Foster's suicide. Then of course there was Monica Lewinski, thanks to Bill's libido and Linda Tripp's treachery.

All of those investigations meant that the Clinton's had to hire lawyers, and pay their legal fees during most of the time they were in the White House. Lawyers in Washington don't come cheap. They bill by the hour, just like high class call girls, at about the same rates. Actually that's kind of appropriate since they are in similar types of work.

When the Clinton's left the White House they owed millions in legal fees, plus they had to buy two houses, one in New York, and one in Washington. Housing in those two locations does not come cheap. They also had a daughter attending Stanford University. Tuition at that place is a lot higher than it is at ASU.

It's true that the Clinton's have made millions from book deals and speaking fees, but as you can see, they also had a lot of debt. Besides, they are hardly alone in such post presidency deals. The now common practice of cashing in on the presidency after leaving office began with Gerald Ford, who joined several corporate boards after leaving office. There was certainly nothing illegal or immoral about that, and he didn't try to hide it. Like Clinton, Ford was not a wealthy man before becoming President.

Most of our recent President have been wealthy men, who didn't need or look for extra income when they left office. In fact, the only one who did was Ronald Reagan, who pocketed a cool million right after leaving office for two speeches in Japan. He and Nancy also moved into a new mansion when they went back to California, paid for by their friends, even though he was no fan of public housing for the poor.

It's just a fact of life that the modern post presidency is very lucrative. You may resent the millions made by Ford, Reagan, and Clinton, but it was all perfectly legal. Besides, you don't get any brownie points from the public for not doing it. When Harry Truman left office in 1953 he was offered seats on several corporate boards. He turned them all down. He said, "They aren't interested in Harry Truman, they want to buy the Presidency, and it's not mine to sell." Even with that type of integrity he left office with near a near record low approval rate.