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Insider Report: Is Congress Reading Bill Clinton's Book? Special From NewsMax's Most Informed Sources
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Is Congress Reading Tyrrell's Clinton Book? Former President Bill Clinton was invited to testify before a House Judiciary subcommittee on the proper use of presidential pardons. Perhaps committee members were inspired by a reading of R. Emmett Tyrrell's new book "The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House," which explores the pardons Clinton issued during his last days in the White House. In a letter faxed to Clinton's office, Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, wrote: "You are no stranger to controversial pardons, most notably the pardon of Marc Rich on your last day in office. I can think of no better person than you to speak on this issue." Clinton declined, citing a full schedule.
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But congressmen could learn a great deal about Clinton's pardons in Tyrrell's recently released book. "The Clinton Crack-Up" examines in detail the "pardongate" scandal and the enormous media frenzy that followed. Tyrrell chronicles the hundreds of pardons and commutations of convicted felons, including cocaine dealers, fraud perpetrators, and murderers. Says Tyrrell, "The Marc Rich pardon was perhaps one of the most egregious in the history of presidential pardons. But even worse than the actual pardon of Marc Rich, this reckless, restless former president met surreptitiously with Rich in Switzerland 14 months later." Tyrrell said this was revealed to him by a former Rich bodyguard and a secret service agent. "This post-pardon meeting with Marc Rich raises some serious questions, all of which are addressed in The Clinton Crack-Up,'" he added. "Have the congressmen read it?" "The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House" is an investigative look into the former president's life since leaving the Oval Office, as written by nationally syndicated columnist R. Emmett Tyrrell, founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. Tyrrell exposes the untold story of Clinton's unhappy post-presidential lifestyle, including his bouts with emotional distress, his endless globetrotting, his dubious foreign contacts, his nightlife, his role in Hillary's presidential run plus his possible role as America's first "first man." Editor's Note: 2. French Jews Turning to Right-Wing Extremist Jews in France feel so neglected by their government that many could vote for far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen in this year's presidential elections. Jews are increasingly drawn to Le Pen's get-tough policy on French Muslims, who have unleashed a wave of anti-Jewish attacks in recent years. "The enemy of my enemy has suddenly become a friend," according to the Israeli news Web site haaretz.com. Widespread attacks on Jews by French Muslims began in the fall of 2000, in response to Israeli treatment of Palestinians in the territories. Hundreds of attacks on Jews and Jewish schools, synagogues and other institutions were reported. But the French government dismissed the attacks as the work of criminals or delinquent youths. Jews had to take to the streets and demand protection from the attacks before the government finally acknowledged that the country was in the grips of Muslim anti-Semitism. While the attacks have abated to a degree recently, "it is almost certain the extreme right headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen will benefit from the terror that has settled in the hearts of the Jews," Haaretz reports. "In the past, Jews did not vote for Le Pen because they saw him as a racist and a xenophobe. As long as they felt protected, they condemned him and his opinions. But in light of their feeling that the state has abandoned them, some see him as a worthy [candidate]." Le Pen who in the past has been accused of being a Holocaust denier asserts that most Muslims in France should return to their countries of origin. Estimates of the number of Muslims in France vary widely, but they could comprise as much as 10 percent of the population. In the 2002 presidential elections, Le Pen outpolled the left's standard-bearer Lionel Jospin in the first round of balloting, garnering 17 percent of the vote, before losing to Jacques Chirac in the second round. The 2007 elections, which begin April 22, will mark the fifth time Le Pen has run for the office. A Jewish professor who spoke with Haaretz said: "I have a feeling that Le Pen will do very well in the coming elections." Editor's Note: 3. Mexican President's Relatives May Be Illegal Aliens The movement of Mexicans into the U.S. has become such a flood that even Mexican President Felipe Calderon may have relatives who are in this country illegally.
At a press conference in Merida, Mexico, Calderon admitted that he didn't know the immigration status of relatives picking vegetables in the U.S. "I do have family in the United States, and what I can tell you is that these are people who work and respect that country," Calderon said. "They pay their taxes to the government. These are people who work in the fields with vegetables. "I have not seen them in a long time and do not know their migratory status."
One in every 10 persons born in Mexico now lives in the U.S., and Calderon said half of the 4 million people from his home state of Michoacan live here. Last year Mexicans working in the U.S. sent back $20 billion to Mexico, the Washington Times reported. Calderon added that he wants workers who come to the U.S. to eventually return to Mexico. "We miss them," he said. "These are our best people." Editor's Note: 4. Prankster Hacks McCain's MySpace Page A prankster altered presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain's MySpace page to indicate that he supports marriage for gays and especially for lesbians. The image on McCain's page that provides links to add the Arizona Republican as a "friend," or to IM him, was removed. In its place was a fake campaign announcement that read: "Dear Supporters, Today I have announced that I have reversed my position and come out in full support of gay marriage . . . particularly marriage between passionate females." The prank came in response to mistakes by people in charge of McCain's MySpace page, according to CNET News.com. Newsvine's founder Mike Davidson had designed the template that the McCain camp used for the page, and he claimed that the campaign had "commandeered" his design by using it without permission. CNET News reported: "Since [McCain's people] linked to images on Davidson's own server [sucking up his bandwidth in the process], Davidson could easily replace one of them with a prank image as retribution. Which he did." Editor's Note: 5. Rush Loses 30 Pounds in 40 Days There's a lot less of Rush Limbaugh to like these days the leading radio talk-show host has shed 30 pounds in 40 days. "I'm on a diet," he recently told listeners. "I've not made a big deal about this because I've done it so many times, but I'm down 30 pounds in 40 days and have taken five notches off the belt." Rush said he's avoided eating out at restaurants, but has gone to other people's homes for dinner. "What's really tough is everybody else gets sauced and I'm sitting there drinking water and then all they want to do is talk about the diet." Later, after an e-mailer asked Rush how he lost the weight, he explained: "It's 1,000 to 1,400 calories a day. I vary the number of calories so my body doesn't get used to a restricted amount." When another e-mailer asked how does Rush plan to keep the weight off, he answered simply: "I don't." Editor's Note: 6. Romney: Black Hair Isn't Dyed Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney sought to squelch rumors that he dyes his hair, insisting that his black hair is natural. "I don't dye it," the 60-year-old former Massachusetts governor told reporters after a fundraiser in Milwaukee. "I don't color it and you can take a real close camera shot and see there's a lot of gray mixed in with all that black." An internal campaign document that recently surfaced in the media revealed that Romney's advisers worry that his hair is too "perfect," according to the Boston Globe. Of Romney's two leading rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Rudolph Giuliani is mostly bald, and John McCain has white hair. Editor's Note: 7. University of Florida Nixes Award for Jeb The Faculty Senate at the University of Florida has voted to deny former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush an honorary degree. University President Bernie Machen said he was "tremendously disappointed" with the decision. "Jeb Bush has been a great friend of the University of Florida," he said. The University of Florida is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 public universities in the nation, and it reached that milestone under the leadership of Jeb Bush. But Kathleen Price, associate dean of library and technology at the school's Levin College of Law, told the Gainesville Sun: "I really don't feel this is a person who has been a supporter of UF." Bush was also criticized for his "One Florida" proposal, which ended race-based admissions programs at state universities.
The Senate voted 38-28 against bestowing the honorary degree on the former governor, CBS News reported. Bush had been nominated for the award by the Faculty Senate's Honorary Degrees, Distinguished Alumnus Awards and Memorials Committee. According to Machen, the Senate had never before rejected a nominee approved by the committee. Editor's Note: 8. We Heard . . . THAT former Secretary of State James Baker has a plan to end the war in Iraq. He recently told a friend from the Reagan administration: "We just get the Iraq government to ask us to leave." Asked when this might happen, Baker reportedly answered: "Soon. We're getting close." THAT CNN's Larry King has told sources his scenario for the 2008 presidential race: It will be Rudolph Giuliani against Hillary Clinton. THAT California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking his act to New York City, attending a dinner at 21 Club hosted by Rupert Murdoch and his wife. The dinner on April 12 seeks to raise money for Schwarzenegger's successful 2006 re-election campaign. Serving on the affair's host committee will cost contributors from $15,000 to $20,000 per couple. But a photo with the governor is included. THAT former President Bill Clinton says he is a big fan of the TV drama "24" even though it's produced by "an uber right-wing guy." The Emmy-winning political thriller is produced by noted Republican Joel Surnow, but Clinton told a gathering of advertisers in New York that he appreciates the fact that conservatives and liberals can both be bad guys on the show. Clinton said his other top shows include "Grey's Anatomy" and "Boston Legal," according to the Hollywood Reporter. He also enjoys the classic "I Love Lucy," which now airs on TV Land. He told the group that he watches a lot of TV at night, noting: "As you know, my wife is away, so I'm home alone at lot." Editor's Note: Editor's Notes:
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