Inside Clinton's Elton John Fundraiser: Singer Amazed By "Misogynistic Attitudes" Of Some In USA

NEW YORK — Experience is central to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid, and Wednesday night she tapped one of pop music's most venerable rockers to help fill her campaign coffers with $2.5 million. Elton John, who has sold records and filled arenas for four decades, played a benefit concert for Clinton at Radio City Music Hall.

"I've always been a Hillary supporter," John, 61, said before launching into his 1970 breakthrough hits, "Your Song" and "Border Song." "There is no one more qualified to lead America."

The English singer, composer and pianist added: "I'm amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them .... I love you Hillary, I'll be there for you."

The cheapest tickets, $125 and $250, sold out quickly, campaign aides said. The other seats were filled by fans paying as much as $2,300, the limit for an individual's contribution to a federal candidate.

Preceding John on stage were Clinton, her husband, former President Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea.

Hillary Clinton struck a defiant, underdog note in describing her battle against Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

"What I want you to know is I'm still standing, and I believe this country is worth fighting for," the New York senator said, playing off the title of one of John's hits. "So we're taking our campaign to Pennsylvania and all the states that haven't voted." Pennsylvania votes April 22.

The Clintons have hobnobbed with Hollywood and music industry figures for years. In 1998, John performed at a White House State Dinner the couple hosted for then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Last October, Clinton celebrated her 60th birthday with a fundraiser at New York's Beacon Theater that featured actor Billy Crystal and musicians Elvis Costello and the Wallflowers. It netted more than $1.5 million for her presidential effort.

Comments

[MAX1]

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What has America come to...
When presidential candidates rely upon the endosment of a British Queen?

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[GunneraGirl]

Ha!

[DietrichMoody]

About three years ago Elton John railed against America for being racist because they had voted for a White Female a couple of times on American Idol over a couple of Black singers. Now America is voting for a Black male over a White Female not because of their race or gender but because of who they are, but their qualifications. Sorry, Elton, the Presidency is not American Idol. And ironically it is a FEW Clinton supporters that are projecting as though voting for Obama is like AI but in truth, voting for Hillary is like voting for American Idol, and Elton John just proved it.

[AdultFilmLegend]

"I love you Hillary, I'll be there for you."

...althoug­h I can't vote for you, which is all that really matters.

[djohn78]

but i can fundraise, which is still good.

[Didderbops]

Another Hillary is a victim of sexism/misogynism whine. Gee Elton, I didn't know you were such an expert on American politics living across the pond and all. Perhaps you can write another "Candle in the Wind" for Hillary. Except call it "Shrapnel in the Wind". And you can play the part of Sinbad in the made for TV movie.

[punkingale]

Elton John owns a house in Atlanta and spends most of the year there.

[SharonB]

Then perhaps he should become an American citizen and pay taxes so he will have to right to interfere with our political process.

[rosita]

how funny is this? are we jelous of these 2 individuals' success? both with a lot of money, famous and intelligent people? get a grip all of you!

[GunneraGirl]

Yeah, sure. I can really see how happy they are in their lives, and contented and fulfilled ... NOT!

[Liverp2]

Elton John is right.

It is even easier for someone to see from the outside.

Obama is now planning to remove the Military Do Not Ask Do Not Tell law.
It has been so successful and thanks to that law many gay men have enlisted in the military and gone off to Iraq, been wounded, and given their lives. We don't know who was gay and who wasn't, for him to threaten to remove the law is hateful and worse than racist.

There is so much we don't know about this man Obama and what I do know is frightening.

Forget that Hillary is a woman and think of what a great President she will be.

[thrutheseasons]

Stop with the sex card Hillary. Maybe you are not being derided because of your sex, but for your history and your husband's history. I used to think I liked you, but the way you have made yourself seem the victim when you have constantly taken the low road in this campaign with your misrepresentations, exaggerations, and lies have not helped you; they have only hurt you. It took us years to find out how much Bill was lying to us. In this very short primary race you have been caught numerous times. You have shown that you have no sense. People can see that you basically have inferred in so many ways that a black person cannot win the presidency and they don't like it. You have shown that you don't deserve the presidency now or eight years from now. It is so sad because I used to support you.

[elusiveyo]

pot calling the kettle black, and i suppose the way obama has played the race card, (oh thats right, people on the kool aid dont even recognize the race card when its played by there side, they even deny the sexism), you obama people remind me of those teenagers pre-iraq war standing on the corners with signs saying "give war a chance" so head strong and so wrong

[FrankBlackFrancis]

give me an example of Obama using race or sexism. Who's being head strong here? A group of people seem content to continue to make general and false statements about the presumptive nominee in defense of a failed candidacy. Seems to me it's the Hilalry supporters who can't get a grip on reality.

[k6007]

Were they among the hundred thousand that marched against it?

[IraqVet04]

Really? Miss "I don't mind getting the first question ALL the time. I just find it curious." That's not complaining?

[jneems]

Exactamundo. I used to like this couple, too. But, Hillary and Bill have exposed themselves as being corporatists and warmongers and the worst sort of opportunists. Who knows. Obama may be found to be guilty of the same things. But it doesn't let Bill and Hillary off the hook. Shame on Elton for supporting a candidate (any candidate) who supports the genocide occurring in Iraq. Stick to British politics, EJ.

[Tane]

Nicely put. No one wants to go there, but I agree that the underlying thought and incredulity of the Hillary camp is sadly just that - they sincerely believe an African American can't win in America. That they chose to pander to the echelon that won't vote for an African American is just one more factor that turned me off to her campaign. We should not be dividing the nation regarding racial attitudes, we should be lifting the discussion, informing people who have deep reticence regarding blacks whether due to lack of exposure, inherited prejudices or in reaction to their misplaced fears of crime that they believe to be disproportionately committed by minorities, and reaching toward more equality in all areas. Hillary should have been at the forefront in this, supporting her African American constituents as well as her esteemed colleague.

This Primary could've been one that showed the country that candidates can run an honorable candidacy without belittling their opponents, resorting to dirty swift-boating tactics and have an honest debate about policies as well as who can expand the democratic base in order to gain a majority in the House and Senate, which is an absolute necessity if we hope to advance any of the policies that either candidate supports. The global crises we are facing can't wait four more years! We must get behind the only candidate that still shows an ability to unite and a superb skill in grass roots political growth. Divided we fail.

[PioneerKing]

So, well this shines a brighter light on Sir Elton John - one must assume that by his comments the good Sir Elton John must clearly have voted for Prime Minister Thatcher.

Bravo!

[ajlaw13]

I'm amazed every day by Elton John's stupidity and self-righteousness. Also, as an American living in England, I can assure Elton that there's misogyny a-plenty in his homeland, so maybe he should stop worrying about the ole USA and focus on where he comes from.

And one more thing -- as a gay man who was one of the first to take advantage of Blair's liberalization of the UK's gay marriage laws (read: allowing it), I'd like to hear Elton's take on Clinton's Defense of Marriage Act.

[Didderbops]

"I'd like to hear Elton's take on Clinton's Defense of Marriage Act."

GREAT point! But probably Hillary was against that too, like everything else about her husband's presidency that have become unpopular.

[BJMS]

I love women...I would LOVE to have a woman President.­..

What I DON'T want is a lying, fear-mongering, race-baiting, pandering, corporate-­lobbyist-l­oving President with no vision, morals, or principles­...I vote for candidates based on what is in their heads and hearts - not what's between their legs!!!

[Tane]

Aptly put!

[olderdem]

If I believe one of the main problems with Hillary is Bill -- is that misogynistic? If I believe both Hillary and Bill have a truth problem -- is that misogynistic? If I believe that Bill will have an influence in the White House -- is that misogynistic? If I believe we need to know more about who paid Bill $500 million to support his foundation/library and what those contributors expect in return -- is that misgynistic? If I believe Hillary's vote on the war in Iraq was wrong and so was McCain and that showed a lack of judgement -- is that misognisic? If I believe that both Hillary and Bill both play the victim card over and over and I'm tired of that, is that mis0gynistic?

Can we not oppose Hillary for valid reasons? Can't we just want something more than Bush/Clint­on/Bush/Cl­inton?

[pinkyboo]

I don't think that's misogynistic at all - seems like pretty well thought out reasons to me.

[Tane]

I agree. We know the the Clinton's take loyalty extremely seriously - they bet her candidacy on it. Well, loyalty goes the other way too. Unfortunately for Hillary, Bill represents a significant conflict of interest. I happen to think he has done a lot of good since leaving office and his work with AIDS, education, and poverty over the world makes him one of my hero's, however, his ties to world leaders through his Foundation and the money he took from them for that organizations as well as his speeches creates a problem. When he was paid $800,000 from Columbian Trade advocates or 400,000 to speak in the Middle East, including one speech in which he stated that Hillary would not take all the troops out of Iraq, that she'd leave forces in the North to help the Turks gives me pause. Were these agencies and people paying him those huge sums of money for "just words"? I seriously doubt that. The problem is with their staunch loyalty. How can we ask the Clinton's to abandon their loyalties to these foreign organizations when they account for half of their net worth?

[weddedgay]

Of course there is sexism in this campaign. There is racism too. (Witness the whole Rev. Wright broo-ha-ha. He called us on our history of racism and caught hell for it.) To have expected anything else would be naive.
The difference is in how the two candidates are handling/using the sexism and racism. Do they rise above it or fall victim to it? Do they push us beyond the inherent ease to remain racist and sexist , or do they add to the morass by repeating the same shibboleths that keep us mired in the past?
It is interesting to see which approach is working best with the American voter.

[Tane]

Well put!

[goplayrabbit]

"From my point of view, I would ban religion completely­." - Elton John

hillary!! you must agree with everything elton john has ever said or done. i can't believe hillary is so anti-religion.

”Sometimes when I’m flying over the Alps I think, ‘That’s all the cocaine I sniffed.’” - Elton John

OMG, hillary supports ingesting mountains of cocaine

Elton John got cited in England for child porn! OMG hillary supports child porn http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=483748&in_page_id=1770

"I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span. Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet." - Elton John

hillary supports banning the internet!! OMG

(this entire posts relies on the "logic" employed by hillarybots - guilt by association. coool)

[jbsouth]

Hillary did not write a book about the coked out life of Obama. Obama did.

[k6007]

Lies, lies, tell your sweet little lies......­....

[goplayrabbit]

her book was about revisionist history. i see you are into that too.

[FrankenPC]

Nicely done. Fair's fair.

[pinkyboo]

Guilt by association is being done on both sides- we need to stop!

[k6007]

Why? I always have paid attention to the people my children thought to call friend, or associate with. And to the ones I chose to bring around them. You'd better!

[candyc]

I'm impressed! Great comment goplayrabbit !

[veracal]

Oh Lord, someone send Mr. John to the old divas home for the terminally self-important. He is of course entitled to his opinion but like most celebrity endorsemen­ts...who really cares. His value to HIllary was in providing her with free publicity because the $2M is not going to go very far due to the mismanaged, debt ridden campaign that HIllary has run.

[jbsouth]

That debt ridden campaign whupped ass in Ohio and etc.

[k6007]

Thanks to your Repug Rushites.

[maxfusion]

Actually, the loud mouth lesbian was fired.

[Benmyoho]

Come on, guys, stop the sourgraping! If it was Obama for whom Elton John sang and did a benefit concert for, you Obamaniacs would praise him to high heavens. Don't be jealous that your candidate cannot enlist A-list artists! Hurray for Elton John for calling a spade a spade!

[jbsouth]

Will I am sounds like sh.t compared to Elton.

[punkingale]

I heard 50 Cent say on TV he supports Hillary Clinton because he thinks she'd be the best President. Maybe he'll do a concert for her.

[Axolotl]

Thanks for your racist (spade) comment, Benmyoho.

The contest for the nomination is not a battle of the bands. Clintons can spray or paste on as much glitz and tits as they want, but they are still trying to put lipstick on a pig.

All the lying and vulgarity and management negligence that constantly wafts from their candidate overshadows and neuters any plus they expect to get from such a concert.

[Didderbops]

Elton John hasn't been A-List for some time. Except for perhaps the senior citizen circuit.

[colonelcobwebs]

"I'm amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them ."

No. To hell with YOU, limey poofter.

[jbsouth]

No........­..to hell with you colonel cob webs.

[veracal]

Seriously stupid.