TEAM OBAMA RIPS CLINTONS IN OPPO DOC
The Clinton Campaign was sent an oppostion document drawn up by the Obama
campaign yesterday. Camp Clinton sent it on to The Mouth.
The document trashes Bill Clinton's stock investments, his fees from
out-sourcing and down-sizing companies and Hillary Clinton's support from
well-off Indian Americans who also profit from out-sourcing. It describes
Hillary's political affiliation as (D-Punjab), apparently riffing on a joke
made by a supporter about how well the senator understands India's issues.
Apparently, The New York Times also got the doc, which they bury in a story
about the Clintons selling off the stocks in their blind trust to avoid the
appearance of conflicts of interests.
The Mouth leaves it up to others to say whether this is a low-road attack of
the kind that the Obama campaign has pledged to avoid, or a legitimate
attack on the interests a politician may be catering to.
The document is posted after the jump and in this link.
- Michael McAuliff
HILLARY CLINTON (D-PUNJAB)'S
PERSONAL FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL TIES TO INDIA
The Clintons have reaped significant financial rewards from their
relationship with the Indian community, both in their personal finances and
Hillary's campaign fundraising. Hillary Clinton, who is the co-chair of the
Senate India Caucus, has drawn criticism from anti-offshoring groups for her
vocal support of Indian business and unwillingness to protect American jobs.
Bill Clinton has invested tens of thousands of dollars in an Indian bill
payment company, while Hillary Clinton has taken tens of thousands from
companies that outsource jobs to India. Workers who have been laid off in
upstate New York might not think that her recent joke that she could be
elected to the Senate seat in Punjab is that funny.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
PERSONAL HOLDINGS
2006: Bill Clinton Invested Tens of Thousands In An Indian Bill Payment
Company. According to Hillary Clinton's personal financial disclosure form,
as part his ownership of WJC Investments, LP LLC, Bill Clinton held between
$15,001 and $50,000 worth of stock in Easy Bill Limited, an Indian company.
According to the company's website, "Functioning as a one-stop bill payment
shop, Easy Bill facilitates payment of utility bills as well as recharging
of pre-paid mobile connections at a place the consumer is already familiar
and comfortable with the neighbourhood store." In addition to providing
terminals throughout India where customers may pay their bills, the company
also maintains a call center described as "a dedicated response centre for
efficient customer service." [Hillary Clinton 2006 Financial Disclosure
Report, http://www.easybillindia.com/]
2006: Bill Clinton Collected $300,000 From Cisco In 2006. Hillary's personal
financial disclosure forms indicate that Bill Clinton gave two speeches to
Cisco Systems, each for $150,000 on 5/18/06 and 8/17/06. [Hillary Clinton
2006 Financial Disclosure Report; 3,4]
CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING
Hillary Clinton Accepted Almost $60,000 In Contributions From Employees Of
Cisco Systems, Which Laid Off American Workers to Hire Indian "Techies."
Clinton's Presidential Exploratory Committee took $39,450 from Cisco
employees during the first quarter of 2007. Cisco employees have also
donated $18,900 to Clinton's Senate committee between 1999 and 2006. Forbes
reported, in a feature called "A Tale of Two Cities" that Cisco was laying
off $60,000-a-year "techies," while hiring new employees in Bangalore,
India. "Cisco used only a few Infosys workers in Bangalore six years ago [in
1998]; [by 2004, it used] almost 300 contract staff, plus 550 full-fledged
employees in its own Bangalore office." In 2006, Newsweek reported that "for
Cisco, India is the new frontier, where it's investing $1.2 billion to build
a gleaming R&D campus that will employ 3,000 people." [FEC filings; Forbes,
4/12/04; Newsweek, 3/6/06]
Clinton Donor, Sant Singh Chatwal, Cited Clinton's India Caucus Work Vowed
To Raise $5 Million. In March 2007, the Economic Times wrote, "[Clinton] has
roped in New York-based hotelier Sant Chatwal as co-chair of her recently
formed presidential exploratory committee to run for the 2008 White House
race. [.] He is also creating an organization called Indian Americans for
Hillary 2008." In April 2007, Mangalorean reported that Indian Americans for
Hillary 2008 (IAFH) had already raised $1 million and "aimed to raise at
least five million dollars." A major fund raiser on June 24 hosted by
Chatwal, the founder of IAFH; steel baron, Lakshmi Mittal, and businessman
SP Hindujas, was expected to pull more than 1,000 guests. In June 2007, The
New York Times reported that "two Indo-American receptions have a total of
$450,000 in commitments." In the picture (right), Sen. Clinton speaks at a
reception hosted to push forward the US-India nuclear deal while Sant Singh
Chatwal listens carefully. [New York Times, 6/7/07; Economic Times of India,
3/18/07; mangalorean.com, 4/14/07, accessed 4/18/07; picture, Tribune India,
9/14/06]
? Chatwal Owed The City Of New York More Than $2 Million In Back Taxes, Fled
Prosecution For Fraud But Was Arrested During Visit to India With Bill
Clinton. Sant Singh Chatwal, who raised more $200,000 for Sen. Clinton in
2000, owed New York City $2.4 million in back property taxes. In addition,
during a visit to India with Bill Clinton, in May 2001, Chatwal was arrested
by authorities there and charged with defrauding the New York City branch of
the Bank of India out of $9 million he borrowed in 1994. He posted bail,
then fled India, boarding a flight to Vienna despite an attempt by
authorities to detain him. . [New York Daily News, 11/24/02; New York Daily
News, 11/7/00]
? FDIC Charged Chatwal With Obtaining Improper Loans. In a separate 1996
case, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. charged Chatwal with obtaining
improper loans from the First New York Bank for Business, causing the bank
to lose more than $25 million. Chatwal, who was a director of the bank,
arranged more than $14 million in loans to himself and his businesses, often
with no collateral, said the FDIC. He didn't repay the loans and the bank
failed. [New York Daily News, 11/24/02; New York Daily News, 11/7/00]
CLINTON AND THE SENATE INDIA CAUCUS
Clinton Co-Founded The Senate India Caucus, A Project Of The U.S. India
Political Action Committee. In 2004, Clinton co-founded and became the
co-chair of the Senate India Caucus which was coordinated by the U.S. India
Political Action Committee (USINPAC). Roll Call reported, "The goals of the
caucus, which already has 31 members, include increasing trade with India
and improving security against global terrorism." Sen. Clinton said, "It is
imperative that the Unites States do everything possible to reach out to
India. This Caucus is dedicated to expanding areas of agreement with India
and engaging in a candid dialogue of differences." [link to photo at USINPAC
website, accessed 4/17/07; Roll Call, 4/28/04; PR Newswire, 4/29/04]
CLINTON WINS "WEASEL AWARD" FOR COMMENTS ON INDIA
2005: Anti-Offshoring Advocacy Group Gave Sen. Clinton A "Weasel Award,"
Citing Pro-Outsourcing Comments Clinton Made In India. The Press Trust of
India wrote, "An American anti-offshoring advocacy group has awarded its
first 'Weasel Award of 2005' to Democrat Senator Hillary Clinton for her
recent remarks supporting outsourcing. The Delaware-based IT Professionals
Association of America (ITPAA) representing over 1,200 IT professionals
nationwide, said on its Web site that it presented this award to business
and political leaders that it believes 'betray the trust of the American
people.' Scott Kirwin, founder of the organization claimed that people were
'tired of Democrats pretending they care about the problems facing average
Americans. Senator Clinton's actions prove they clearly do not.' The ITPAA
based its award on press reports of Hilary Clinton supporting outsourcing
and assuring political and business leaders in India that the US would not
attempt to save the jobs lost. 'Outsourcing will continue. There is no way
to legislate against reality. We are not in favor of putting up fences.'
Hillary had said on Feb 28 in India, according to a report by the Asia
Times. Kirwin also cited her position as co-chair of the 'Friends of India
Caucus' in the Senate, a group of senators that supports issues important to
India, including outsourcing and H-1B and L-1 visas, as another reason
behind the ITPAA's decision to give the award to the prospective Democrat
presidential nominee." [Press Trust Of India, 3/5/05; Link To Weasel Award]
? 2/05: On India Trip, Clinton Allayed India's Fears That Outsourcing Would
End. The India Review wrote, "Senator Clinton allayed apprehensions in India
that there would be a bar on outsourcing. 'There is no way to legislate
against reality. Outsourcing will continue," she said. [India Review, 4/05,
accessed, 6/7/07]
? Sen. Clinton (D-Punjab) Joked That She Was Senator From The Punjab Region
In India. "At the fundraiser hosted by Dr Rajwant Singh at his Potomac,
Maryland, home, and which raised nearly $50,000 for her re-election
campaign, Clinton began by joking that, ''I can certainly run for the Senate
seat in Punjab and win easily,' after being introduced by Singh as the
Senator not only from New York but also Punjab." [India Abroad, 3/17/06]
CLINTON CLAIMS OUTSOURCING
"WORKS BOTH WAYS.IT ACTUALLY BROUGHT JOBS TO BUFFALO."
Clinton Says "Outsourcing Does Work Both Ways." Crain's New York Business
wrote, "Mrs. Clinton may be motivated by a desire to uphold the free trade
legacy of the Clinton years. [.] In an appearance on CNN's Lou Dobbs
Tonight, she boasted about attracting 10 jobs to New York from India-based
Tata Consulting. When Mr. Dobbs inquired if she had understood the degree to
which Tata, which helps U.S. companies outsource, was stealing American
jobs, Mrs. Clinton rejoined: 'They've actually brought jobs to Buffalo.
Outsourcing does work both ways.'" [Crain's New York Business, 6/21/04; CNN,
3/3/04]
In An Interview With Lou Dobbs, Senator Clinton Defended Her Support Of Tata
Consulting, A Company That Brought Ten Jobs To Native Buffalo Residents But
Destroyed Thousands Of Jobs Over The Years. Lou Dobbs asked Clinton,
"Senator, a number of people pointed out to us, e-mailing us and calling us,
saying, ask the senator about her helping Tata Consulting, a well-known
outsourcer, open jobs -- and office in Buffalo, New York. I'm asking you,
did you really understand the degree to which they were involved in
outsourcing jobs when you were there?" Clinton replied, "Well, of course I
know that they outsource jobs, that they've actually brought jobs to
Buffalo. They've created 10 jobs in Buffalo and have told me and the Buffalo
community that they intend to be a source of new jobs in the area, because,
you know, outsourcing does work both ways." [CNN, 3/3/04]
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Is Famous For Pioneering The Business
Practice Of Off-shoring. The San Jose Mercury News wrote, "TCS, however,
will go down in the annals of offshoring as the original high-tech body
shop. Starting in the early 1990s, TCS blanketed the American landscape with
legions of itinerant software programmers from India. [.] Tata pioneered an
industry that eventually evolved into the dynamo of offshoring, or sending
work to cheap labor markets overseas. [.] Tata's methods have not been
popular among U.S. technology workers, however, who complain guest workers
suppress local wages and offshoring takes good jobs overseas." [San Jose
Mercury News, 12/6/04]
Tata's Buffalo, N.Y. Training Center Caters To The Needs Of The Company's
8,000 Employees In The United States, 80 Percent Of Whom Are Workers From
India. India Abroad wrote, "At the Chrysalis Center TCS will host new
employees in month-long training sessions to make them aware of the company's
history and culture and to hone their core IT skills that will bridge
existing knowledge with advanced skills necessary to work on innovative
projects for customers." The center will also cater to the training needs of
the more than 8,000 TCS employees across the US, 80 percent of whom are from
India, according to Buffalo News. [India Abroad, 7/30/04; Buffalo News,
7/20/04]
Gupta Said Democrats' Stand On Outsourcing Was Poll-Year Rhetoric. The
Economic Times wrote, "Vinod 'Vin' Gupta [.] also believes that the
Democratic Party's stand on outsourcing is more poll year rhetoric than any
serious economic policy statement. 'We have to compete globally and US has
to find the best product and services at the best cost. Tapping global
resources will obviously make the US economy stronger,' says Gupta whose own
company InfoUSA outsources both technology support and database work to
vendors in India. Gupta, who has helped Hillary Clinton and Al Gore in
fund-raising efforts for their campaigns, is now involved in fund raising
efforts for Senator Kerry." [The Economic Times, 3/29/04]
--
Eight years before 9/11, on Feb. 26, 1993, Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida
terrorist network declared war against the United States with a deadly
attack on the World Trade Center. Al-Qaida continued to wage war on the U.S.
throughout the Clinton administration, attacking Khobar Towers in 1996, two
U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998, and the U.S.S. Cole in 2000.
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