Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild: The Female Joe Lieberman

Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild must be one of the worst sports that has stepped onto the political stage in a very long time. When Hillary Clinton lost her bid to the Democratic nomination, her Ladyship packed up her toys and jumped into the Republican sandbox with John McCain, and his platform of anti-choice, anti-gay rights, and all the other obstructions to progress the Republicans feel bound to impose.

What makes this even worse is Lady de R also lives (at least part of the time) abroad, which means that she personally knows how the international reputation of the United States has suffered, especially over the last eight years, and what the rest of the world thinks of this election--that it is hugely in favor of Barack Obama's candidacy. In fact, in the snap of an Obama election moment in time, our global esteem will instantly rehabilitate to an enormous degree.

This is what her Ladyship said a year ago in an interview on Condé Nast Portfolio.com:

And I think if history is our guide, we've had stronger economies, more wealth creation, under Democratic presidents than we have under Republican presidents. So I don't understand why all my capitalist friends aren't Democrats.

But now it is the Democratic party and candidate she is taking the time to trash in every media venue that she can get her hands on, including this Op-Ed that she wrote to influence Florida voters (face it, a lot of old people) that originally appeared in the Orlando Sentinel. Lady de R's newfound appropriate audience watches her friend Rupert Murdoch's Fox News and is now perhaps among the James Dobson crowd. Here's her interchange with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who, after the interview sort of apologized for being tough with her. (Why would he do this?) And her giggly teasing response was: "You're the liberal elite. Not me."

This is surely an elitest pot calling the kettle black. The fact that this female half of a billionaire couple (who regularly plays with hundreds of millions of dollars), now "titled" woman who also graduated from some of the best schools in the United States called Barack Obama, Wolf Blitzer, or practically anyone else on the planet "elite" is so disingenuous it's almost laughable. No one except other Republicans would feel sympathetic to such preposterous claims. In fact, she wanted to be identified as liberal until Hillary lost. So suddenly her values completely flip-flopped?

Now she's advising middle class Americans that Obama's policies are going to hurt them? Tut tut. She must be projecting--talking about herself. Surely she pays American taxes? No doubt, her taxes will go up because she must be in the wealthiest 1/10 percent of Americans. If she was a middle class girl, those days are long gone. She truly fits the good Republican mold.

Clearly, Lady de Rothschild is not as supportive or impressed with Hillary and Bill Clinton as she once was. (How much money did she raise for Hillary?) When she so pointedly turned against Democratic philosophy, policies, and candidates-in short everything the Clintons publicly stand for and believe in--then this must feel like a stab in the back to both Hillary and Bill from one of their most loyal friends. When both Hillary and Bill have both campaigned for Obama and publicly said his presidency is the only right future for the U.S., surely her Ladyship realizes her support for McCain/Palin is going against the Democrats' best interests.

Lady de Rothschild has out Liebermanned Joe Lieberman. The Clintons can't be happy about this betrayal, can they? Surely Bill must get over Obama's ascendancy sooner or later. I've lately felt that Hillary has accepted her defeat and is getting on with the future--the 21st Century Democratic Party, a likely Obama presidency, and her own positive part in all of the above. I believe that Hillary is now onboard for a bright Democratic decade. (Don't tell me her fund-raising friend might possibly still be thinking that Hillary is the 2012 candidate if only McCain could win on Tuesday? Surely, she can't be going down that old road. Her Ladyship likely wanted the British ambassadorship, and that went out the window with Hillary's defeat.)

Obviously, Lady de R has raised a boatload of money for the Democrats, and they hate to give it up. But, as George W. might say, if she's not for us, she's against us. And her Ladyship has made it clear where her loyalty now lies. For God's sake, she's happily endorsing Sarah Palin. (And this after Hillary?) This member of the filthy rich might as well tattoo a GOP elephant on her aristocratic forehead. Since she has become a true Republican believer, she could employ Governor Palin in the Rothschild holding company after the election. If she trusts the wolf-shooting gov to make decisions for her home country, surely she would rely on her good judgment and intelligence to make decisions with the Forester/Rothschild hundreds of millions. Gov. Palin could build a Bridge To Somewhere for Lady de R.

Beth Arnold lives and writes in Paris though she is not a billionaire. To see more of her work, go to www.betharnold.com.

Comments

[orangepetal]

It is a right of every American, or rather a duty to vote for who they believe would be better for our nation.
Obama, besides being floated by the Democratic Party came with some strange ideas and not much of a record. Guess what, some on the left found it a concern and still do. People in America are free to vote how they choose and they should not be punished for it. Partisanship is part of our problem, not part of our solution.

[cheerleaderBush]

Seeing as the US taxpayers have doled out about $4 TRILLION for our national defense over the past 8 years, isn't paying taxes the same thing as supporting our troops? If so, why would the super-rich/super patriots have a problem paying taxes...or even MORE taxes to SUPPORT THE TROOPS EVEN MORE?

[macohmz]

I know what it feels like to be elitist. I live in one of the better trailer parks in town.

[CaptainStormfield]

I posted this on my blog along with a toon about the pot calling the kettle black.
http://captainstormfields.blogspot.com/2008/09/those-pesky-elitist-democrats.html

"Elitism," Forrester assures us, "is a state of mind, a view of the world that cannot be measured simply by one's net worth, position or number of houses." That definition conveniently excludes Forrester, a millionaire businesswoman who became a billionaire socialite when she married into the Rothschild banking fortune. (Lloyd Grove has called her the "flashiest hostess in London," a position which I'm sure she attained due to her close touch with working-class mores.)
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/09/11/more-rothschild-populism.aspx

[CaptainVideo]

Anybody who has an aristocratic title like Lady de is automatically a member of the elite.

Fortunately the granting of such titles is not permitted in the United States. In a republic all people are citizens and nothing more.

[CaptainStormfield]

Beth, thanks so much for writing this article. I checked out the editorial link you posted in Florida and read the comments. Seems to be about half wacko's saying "Im scared of Obama!!!" and "The Socialist Dems will ruin the country"..

[orangepetal]

Democrats just love all those republicans endorsing their guy, but when the democrats who really know where he is coming from speak out, you cry foul. Too bad. What happened? Did you forget we are Americans and we will put our country first ?
Reform - Peace - Prosperity sounds pretty good to me.
McCains bi-partisanship is on record, unlike Obamas rhetoric. His experience, we wont go there. McCain does not have all those delightful friends, who IMO seek influence on public policy. I also think McCain is quite cool. Oooh, you don't like that, he stole change, how dare he steal cool too !

[mcthfg]

McCain stole from you.

He stole money for a war that we will never win. He helped steal money from you when the savings and loans crashed. He stole money from you when he crashed 3 US-owned planes.

But you just keep coming back for more.

I think they call it "Battered Wife Syndrome."

Tell us how that works for ya.

[Katie1263]

I have been a Democrat for 27 years, but here is why I am voting for McCain:

Reverend Wright
Father Pfleger
William Ayers
Tony Rezko,
The tape that the L.A. Times will not release about Obama.
The bias media for Obama.

I AM DONE. LYNN IS MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE!!! May all the women who will no longer tolerate
sexism, VOTE FOR JOHN McCain. AMEN!!!!!!!!

[OregonGary]

Have fun in your new party. PUMAs are so boring

[ElBorba]

I've been a Republican for the last 29, and after McCain's and the Party's pathetic performance, I'm not only never voting Republican again, I've been actively working for Obama . . I've brought about 15 Republicans over to Obama this election, and I could not be more proud!!

[AuntSally]

yawn.

[VirginiaScott]

So, how'd that work out for you?

[IntExec]

man -- are you lost or what?

[ChunkyMunky]

Lady De Rothschild: one presidential election and two losses.

[JayInDallas]

OMG, Beth. You've just gained a new fan. Just with the title of your piece. When I saw it I laughed out loud. So true. Thanks!

[CharonMinos]

I remember her saying she would have been supporting Hillary had she been selected as the Dem nominee. So she hasn't 'turned her back on Hillary & Bill' but she has made a choice to go with McCain over Obama - simple as that...

[000Jade000]

Could it be because the Clintons and McCains share the same lobbyist/special interest friends? I won't say that the Clinton's haven't helped Obama or that Bill wasn't a good President, but he just placated the middle class while he was in office while making the wealthy even more comfortable.

[CaptainVideo]

Unfair. The real income of working people increased significantly under Clinton, but not under Bush.

The Clintons are now with the program and are among the good guys again.

[mediaoffline]

It would seem it's hedging one's bets on Palin 2012. This video illustrates Palin's raw Republicannibal ambition worthy of such backing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrUN8oldj9o

[kurttrail]

Didn't we fight a revolution to get rid of royal titles?

[Rmtns]

We did get rid of titles, She lives in England. Good riddance!

[orangepetal]

Well she does only gets one vot, so I think it's fair.