News.com.au

Clinton goes Goodwill hunting

13aug01

FORMER US president Bill Clinton wanted to be the $6 million man of Brisbane's Goodwill Games.

Mr Clinton stunned organisers with an informal approach to appear at the Games as they finalised preparations for the August 28 opening ceremony.

The Courier-Mail understands the approach was made through a group of interstate businessmen who were negotiating with Mr Clinton about an Australian fundraising event.

The unsolicited approach is understood to have involved a $US3 million fee ($5.85 million) to make a speaking appearance at the Games.

But sources said Games organisers gave the Clinton intermediaries a firm no.

Had the demand been accepted Mr Clinton, who is more famous for his deeds with cigars and his battle with ballooning weight than his sporting prowess, would have been the highest paid figure at the Games.

Mr Clinton has been in negotiations for an Australian tour next month.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Answers

From Lucianne

The New Charlie Hustle: The name sports writers gave Pete Rose for his speed around the bases should now pass to Bill Clinton for his international greed. Here's a small item [above] in an Australian paper in which you can almost feel the breathless disbelief between the lines. And this was the guy everyone said didn't care anything about money.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Does the president make more or less than a senator?

They have all those legal bills, and I don't think they've had any serious money coming into that legal fund of theirs.

Bill better be careful, or they'll need that fund for new stuff.

So, how's his whor, er, I mean his wife, doing? I'm not really interested, just making noise so it sounds crowded in here and I can slip away before someone answers.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2001