We suspect we are not the only ones amused by the New York Times editorial board’s anguish upon hearing that former president Barack Obama will be pocketing $400,000 from investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald to speak at a health care conference in September.
“[I]t is disheartening that a man whose historic candidacy was premised on a moral examination of politics now joins almost every modern president in cashing in,” the Times boo-hooed. “And it shows surprising tone deafness, more likely to be expected from the billionaires the Obamas have vacationed with these past months than from a president keenly attuned to the worries and resentments of the 99 percent.”
The Scrapbook knows this may be heartbreaking for some to contemplate, but perhaps Obama never really was that “keenly attuned” to the concerns of the 99 percent to begin with.
Still, Obama has shown that he doesn’t need to push the (cash-stuffed) envelope. He might easily have commanded a million dollars for his upcoming speech. Perhaps the Times should commend him for exercising restraint.
The Obamas have shown there’s no need to rush to the bank. They already have an astounding $65 million two-book deal for his-and-her memoirs, the first of what’s likely to be an endless supply of moneymaking opportunities.
All of this to say the poor dears at the Times should steel themselves for the disappointments to come. Whether they like it or not, chances are the 44th president is going to go from palling around with billionaires to becoming one.
