I keep being surprised by Hillary Clinton’s political tone-deafness, given that she has lived such a publicly political life so far. If she really is planning to run for the presidency, her tin ear about saying such things as being ‘dead broke‘ when they left the White House is going to be a real liability.
The latest misstep has been the release of the contract that she requires people to sign if they wish to have her come and deliver a speech. Her requirements are mind-boggling.
Clinton, according to her standard speaking contract, outlined in a May 31, 2013, email obtained by the Review-Journal, typically asks for $300,000 right off the bat.
She also requires for herself round-trip transportation on a chartered jet, such as a “Gulfstream 450 or larger jet” — which can cost up to $38 million — in addition to round-trip business class travel for two advance staffers.
The contract also makes room for high-end lodging, stipulating that accommodations include “a presidential suite for Secretary Clinton and up to three (3) adjoining or contiguous single rooms for her travel aides and up to two (2) additional single rooms for the advance staff.”
Clinton also demands that meals and incidentals be covered for her, her travel aides and her advance staff and a $500 travel stipend for out-of-pocket costs for her lead travel aide.
These kinds of contracts are not unusual for celebrities though I have never seen anything as extreme as this. But rock stars being self-indulgent and demanding absurd perks is no surprise. For someone who wants to be elected president in order to serve the people to act like a spoiled prima donna is something else.
smhll says
It would be interesting to compare this with what Bill Clinton charges to deliver a speech to a group.
“She also requires for herself round-trip transportation on a chartered jet, such as a “Gulfstream 450 or larger jet” — which can cost up to $38 million…”
I assume that figure applies to the cost of buying such a plane, not of operating it for a day.
Mano Singham says
Yes, that is not the cost to lease it. I think they gave the figure to show that this is a luxury jet used by the 0.1 per centers.
fksd;fks;kd says
I often fly on planes that cost $65 million or more. She needs to upgrade.
maddog1129 says
I just read a Facebook post about Robin Williams and his “rider” (list of stuff required for the performance). Unlike rockers who demand green M&M’s in their dressing room, or politicians who want jet rides, or other kinds of personal requirements, Robin Williams’s rider included the provision that the host or producer or whatever should hire homeless people to work the event.
Gregory in Seattle says
Such expectations are common at that level of power. This amount of privilege is EXACTLY why things keep getting worse for the average American: the people running this country simply have no concept of what it means to live hand-to-mouth, worried that they will again have to decide between paying the rent or buying food. For people like Clinton — and Obama, and Biden, and Bush, and Cheney, and Rice, and every Senator, and most every Representative, and the justices of the Supreme Court — “poverty” means not getting the all-expenses-paid super luxury vacation to Paris, and “financial crisis” means finding out that you owe 11% in taxes rather than the expected 8%.
fentex says
On the topic of outrageous riders ,such as demanding bowls of M&M’s with all of one colour removed I saw an interview with the very Rock Star famous for that demand.
He explained it wasn’t because he cared that he wrote it in, but that he wondered if anyone ever really read the thing and wrote it ass a humorous test to see if they did.
Eichbaum says
RE: Van Halen’s Brown M&M’s rider Interesting story behind that. (Source: http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/vanhalen.asp)
They claim it was put into the contract as a means to make sure the more important items in the contract were not being ignored:
Mano Singham says
maddog1129,
I did not know much about Williams but after his death a lot of stories have emerged about him that suggest that he was a genuinely nice and generous man. It was not the sort of boilerplate nice things that people sometimes say about nasty people.
kraut says
“Clinton also demands that meals and incidentals be covered for her, her travel aides and her advance staff and a $500 travel stipend for out-of-pocket costs for her lead travel aide.”
Two words come to mind: Fuck you.
lpetrich says
Will Republican politicians now start bragging about how plebeian they are? What peasants they are?
lorn says
Please, this is not an indicator of how she wishes to be treated, rather it is the cost of a speaking engagement, a job which she might not really want to undertake … but if you really, really want her to speak … and are willing to pay her to do what she does not really want to do, then you are certainly free to contact her office and make it worth her time.
I used to work for a trades contractor and he got many ‘calls for bids’ on jobs that we really didn’t want to do. Typically we would do a back-of-the envelope estimate of what it would cost to do, add a standard mark up, and double or triple it. We would use this highly inflated number as our bid and send it in.
The logic worked something like this: It keeps communications and offers coming in. The people making the call for bids keep track of who answers and who does not. A high bid doesn’t bother them, failure to bid can mean they stop sending you projects to bid on. We really don’t want he project. This may be because we are already stretched thin and are expecting to be at, or above capacity when the project starts. It may be because we don’t do that sort of job. Contractors tend to specialize. Perhaps the client is one which we have had problems with in the past. Of course, if they are willing to offer a king’s ransom we might be persuaded to add crews, expand our specialization, or work with difficult clients.
Hillary is simply putting a number on quitting what she is, would rather be, doing and what conditions and compensation would make it worth her time. This is kind of like what they say about buying a Mercedes, if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.
This is how free markets work. If you have more work than you can, or want to, do you raise prices to cull the flock down to those who really want you to do the work. If you really need work you lower your prices to bring in more clients. If the price is too dear you find an alternative. It has nothing to do with “entitlement”.
busterggi says
“For someone who wants to be elected president in order to serve the people to act like a spoiled prima donna is something else.”
This is what happens when dynasties are allowed to develope.
md says
Ipetrich, Romney has been flying coach for sometime to little positive PR effect.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/mitt-romney-has-the-same-problems-we-all-have-flying-coach#2x9q2by
StevoR : Free West Papua, free Tibet, let the Chagossians return! says
I wonder what Obama’s contracts for speaking engagements said or used to say or will say?
I wonder how typical or otherwise this is of such top level political figures?
Is Hilary Clinton really unusual in this sort of contract list? Dunno. Anyone know?
(Maybe this should have been looked at before cherry-picking her if it turns out to be the standard for that level?)