NYDailyNews

Hil to Hubby: Earn More
Ex-prez cashes in overseas

By THOMAS M. DeFRANK and KENNETH R. BAZINET
Daily News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON: Bill Clinton has been a virtual exile over the last two months, spending more time out of the country than in it — partly at the urging of his wife who wants him to collect fat speaking fees.

Since taking off for six days in India on April 3, the former president has hit at least 18 countries on four continents, and made an estimated $1 million.

Over the last two months, Clinton has spent more than 30 days abroad — visiting such cities as Hong Kong, Paris, Dublin and Warsaw.

And next month, the Clinton gravy train heads for Latin America.

"He gets more money speaking overseas," said a close Clinton source.

The ex-president is paid $150,000 per speech outside the U.S. while he commands a mere $100,000 per in the U.S. And his speeches here have drawn protests that revive the scandals of his administration.

"It wasn't worth putting him out on the domestic circuit, because the conservatives were still after him," said a former top aide.

But other insiders say a major factor in his globetrotting is that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is flogging her husband to maximize his buck-raking to pay off the more than $4 million in legal bills.

"She's very worried about those bills," says the source. "They've always plagued her. Paying them off is a constant theme of hers."

Clinton friends readily concede that the former president feels compelled to make a big payday for his wife since she had been the breadwinner during much of his political career.

Clinton spokeswoman Julia Payne stressed that the ex-President talked about supporting his family on the lecture circuit while still in the White House. "He wants to wipe out the debt as soon as possible, but he's not under any pressure to do so by anybody other than himself."

Sen. Clinton's spokeswoman Karen Dunn said, "It hardly seems unusual for a former president to be traveling abroad" — but withheld any further comment.

Lining the pockets isn't the only reason Clinton's on the run so much.

One Clinton confidant says the ex-President is hopelessly restless without an elected office to fill. "He's rattling around like a pea in a pod. I wouldn't say he's miserable, but he doesn't have enough to fill his days," the source said.

The heavy overseas schedule also allowed Clinton to be out of the spotlight at the height of the clamor over his presidential pardons to billionaire Marc Rich and others, and stories about the furniture the Clintons took from the White House and had to return.

Instead, there were stories of Clinton raising money for earthquake victims in India, discussing AIDS in Nigeria, and meeting with leaders ranging from China's Premier Jiang Zemin to South African icon Nelson Mandela.

In fact, as President Bush prepares for his first major trip abroad this week, Clinton can boast he has met with more foreign leaders than Bush has since Jan. 20th.

His absence from the scene has apparently helped his wife in other ways.

As of early this month, Sen. Clinton's popularity had risen to 51% during her husband's travels — up from 39% during February's pardon tempest, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll.

"It may be that the more Bill stays out of the news, the better off she is," poll director Thomas Kelly told the Daily News earlier this month.

One of their few appearances together came over the weekend, when the two played the ponies and toured the horse stalls at the Belmont Stakes.

Clinton will return to the domestic lecture circuit with events scheduled this month in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

In the fall, it's back to Asia with more travel likely to be added.

* * *

Bill's Excellent Foreign Adventure

Bill Clinton has been globetrotting since he left the White House, stopping in:

Austria
Canada
China
England
France
Germany
Holland
Hong Kong
India
Ireland
Nigeria
Northern Ireland
Norway
Poland
Scotland
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Wales

Original Publication Date: 6/11/01

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

Answers

The US does have a reputation for exporting its garbage!!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

taz....

LOL

it does seem a small "price to pay" to keep him out of the country (specially since someone else is paying!

hehehe

wonder how much it would take to get her to start traveling the circuit????

maybe if we convinced her that cleopatra ALSO used a barge??

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

But who is paying all these costs for flying, hotels, etc? he doesn't stay at private homes all the time, and I doubt he's hiring 20 dollar hookers. I mean, I'm sure the 10 dollar hookers are charging him more...

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Some will be paid by those paying for speeches, rest is tax deductible.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001