American Spectator

The Toy President

Brought Down to Size

Bill Clinton recently spent part of a week in Los Angeles hanging out with celebrities, but also doing some business -- business, some might say, of a personal nature.

According to on former Clinton aide, the ex-president bragged about meeting with the creator of the TV show "Power Rangers," Haim Saban. No, not about a TV show, but about a Bill Clinton action figure, which would be sold -- with accessories -- in the Clinton Library gift shop in Arkansas. "There are any number of marketing and fundraising opportunities available to us," says a fundraiser for the library. "Licensing agreements for President Clinton's likeness could be profitable and carry his legacy to another generation that won't remember as well as we do."

This apparently wasn't Clinton's idea. Rather, it was something proposed by toymakers. Saban's Power Ranger toys bring in tens of millions of dollars a year as an off-shoot of the popular daily syndicated TV show.

No word yet on whether the mini-Bill would wear boxers or briefs.

The Accidental Tourists

Clinton was having so much fun out in Los Angeles that he committed to spending several more weeks out on the Left Coast later this summer. He's been living on the kindness of strangers, including several DNC fundraisers, who have lent him beach houses and pool houses for his visits.

One problem with some of Clinton's plans: he had to be reminded he had a vacation date with wife Hillary on Martha's Vineyard. "He tends to forget about dates, long-term planning stuff," says a former aide. "That's why he has people do it for him."

The Martha's Vineyard trip will come during the Senate summer recess in August. But it won't be at a vacation spot recommended by Hillary's staff, according to one of her aides. "We wanted her in New York, hanging with her constituents," she says. Clinton's staff looked into vacation spots on Long Island, the Hamptons, the Fingerlakes region, the Catskills, even a brief stop in Cooperstown, "because she claims to be such a baseball fan," says the aide. "The Hamptons weren't doable because of scheduling, and the rest of our suggestions weren't appealing to her. She said they all sounded 'too touristy.' It was very frustrating. She just had no interest in spending time off in her adoptive home state. Voters will remember this kind of behavior." They will?

(Posted 6/25 at 12:05 a.m.)

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Answers

And by an odd coincidence:

Washington Times

The top 10 The liberal magazine Mother Jones has issued its annual list of the nationīs 400 top political contributors, and the top 10 names on the list "are all Democrats -- except for Cincinnati mogul Carl Lindner, who gives to both parties," United Press International reports in its "Capital Comment" column. "Others in the top ten include former Slim-Fast Chairman S. Daniel Abraham (1), Loral CEO Bernard Schwartz (2), Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos (7), and Haim Saban, CEO of Fox Family and the man who brought the Power Rangers to America (5)."

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

oh... this is such an easy opening... ACTION FIGURE... rotflmao

I could open up a whole can of worms on this one, but I won't go there unless requested. ;)

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Come'on Sheeple, go for it, I need to know if anyone else's reactions are as evil as mine!

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Brooks,

LOL! You know that they are!

Something about if all the interns will be required to own one, and exactly what they might do with one if they were so required. Does it come with a case of cigars? 'Umbrella's' supplied to keep stains away?

The list goes on and on and on... much like the energizer bunny.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

I want to know if there'll be companion dolls, like Hillary, Monica, Gennifer, Paula, Denise, Gore, Vince Foster, etc., etc.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

OG,

If they did make the other dolls, I'd think that they'd leave the wicked witch of the west out, since he seems to be done with her, and has (apparently) been for some time!

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

I suppose we'll be treated to some more soppy hand-in-hand-on-the-beach photos from Martha's Vineyard. Ugh! Urp!

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Sheeple, what I was wondering was if there would be a removable appendage. It's time us ladies get the opportunity to castrate the bastard, again and again. (So you need to be able to stick it back on, temporarily.)

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Brooks,

My feelings were there as well, just didn't want the other guys here to think that they had a 'mad sheep' running around. LOL

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

I thought Carter was a good enough president (mostly because of his environmental initiatives and maybe, yeah, cuz mom couldn't stand him). OTOH, I think he has been a pretty outstanding ex-president. At least I thought his dedication to Habitat was pretty cool.

For all the disgrace Clinton brought to the office, it is so disappointing, but I guess not unexpected, that he will bring the expresidency to new lows. That's my reaction to an action figure, whether it is otherwise in good taste or not.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Perhaps it would come with a Bobbitting knife.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

"I want to know if there'll be companion dolls, like Hillary, Monica, Gennifer, Paula, Denise, Gore, Vince Foster, etc., etc."

I can see it now, a Monica doll equipped with knee pads with presidential seals. The Monica doll will be sporting a purse made out of a cigar box. Yep, that's it! LOL!

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

A Socks doll will be conspicuously absent. . .

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Does Buddy come with an automatic slobber machine (kinda like the peeing dolls)?

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Git, there USED to be a Socks doll, but it was discontinued.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Maybe it comes as an accessory with the secretary doll. I doubt they would be crass enough to make it an accessory for the Chelsea doll--although it looks as if Bono might be one, lol.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001