AND THIS TIDBIT ON HILLARY – AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  One serious question that will be asked about Queen Hillary's run for the presidency is the amount of cash she and Bill have taken from foreign sources, especially sources in the Arab world.  From Fox: 

The Clinton Foundation reportedly is seeing an increase in contributions from foreign governments after ending a self-imposed ban on such donations, raising new ethical questions as Hillary Clinton prepares for a possible 2016 presidential campaign.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited the foundation's online database, recent donors to the foundation include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, Germany, and a Canadian government agency promoting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

The foundation instituted a foreign gifts ban in 2009 after Hilllary Clinton was named Secretary of State by President Barack Obama. The Journal reports that the ban was not a total one, and some donations were permitted after receiving the approval of State Department ethics officials. Hillary Clinton re-joined the foundation after leaving the State Department in 2013 and has fronted a $250 million endowment campaign.

Ethics experts have told the Journal that the Foundation should re-imposed its ban while Hillary Clinton considers a possible White House bid.

"Now that she is gearing up to run for president, the same potential exists for foreign governments to curry favor with her as a potential president of the United States," said Kirk Hanson, director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University in California.

COMMENT:  The word "ethics" and the name "Clinton" are usually not found in the same sentence.  And I doubt if that will change.  Both Clintons have become fabulously wealthy since leaving office.  I've seen estimates, which I can't independently verify, that Bill Clinton has made about a hundred million dollars.

Some of that money has come from foreign sources, either through the foundation or for speaking and consulting fees.  It's worrisome, very much so.  There are different forms of bribery.

February 18, 2015