Bonnie Fuller

Bonnie Fuller

Posted: February 13, 2008 11:19 AM

Hey Kathy and Rick Hilton, Dina and Michael Lohan, and Jamie and Lynne Spears: Take Some Parenting Lessons from Hillary Clinton!

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Of all the muck being thrown at Hillary Clinton, our country's first female presidential candidate, by far the worst had to be last week's accusation that she was "pimping out" her daughter Chelsea Clinton. Every working mother, let alone one who is the most controversial woman in the country, is already carrying a giant guilt burden without being accused of being a bad mother on national TV.

In the meantime, 27-year-old smart, well-spoken, and even slim Chelsea, is a model of how 99% of the moms in this country want their children to turn out.

I can bet that Kathy and Rick Hilton have Hillary envy right now as they deal with bailing out their 18-year-old son Barron, their second child to be slapped with a DUI charge. Paris' little brother hit the news Tuesday after his arrest at 8:30 AM by cops, when he registered 2008-02-13-jamieandlynne.jpg nearly twice the legal alcohol limit on a breathalyzer test, and bumped a gas station employee with his car. He was also charged with carrying a fake California driver's license. Plus let's not forget, at 18, it's illegal in California to be drinking.

Haven't Kathy and Rick had enough heartache already in the past year after standing by Paris while she served 21 days in jail for driving with a suspended license?

They have to be questioning the parenting decisions they've made over the years. As does Mel Gibson. The infamous director of The Passion of the Christ has 25-year-old twin sons in rehab for addictions to crack, pills and alcohol.

While Hillary was taking it on the chin for her failed health care plan during husband Bill's presidency and was accused of somehow being involved in the suicide death of deputy White House counsel Vince Foster, Chelsea was growing through her awkward teenage years in the White House. And could any young girl except for maybe Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec, have been more publicly humiliated than Chelsea was when her dad's affair with Monica Lewinsky was made public?

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Yet somehow Chelsea didn't succumb to drugs and alcohol. She didn't make a sex tape. She hasn't "married" an already-married paparazzo boyfriend like Britney as reported in this week's Star magazine, or gotten pregnant at 16. She hasn't starred in a reality show. She's never been photographed pantyless or had an eating disorder. She doesn't chain smoke and her phone number wasn't on Heath Ledger's speed dial.

Instead, she's taken a leave from her current job at the Avenue Capital Group, a multi-billion dollar hedge fund manager. She has worked at highly regarded McKinsey & Co. consultants for several years, where I heard through the grapevine that she was a diligent and respected employee. She graduated from Stanford University and also attended Oxford. Now, 2008-02-13-star.jpg she's getting up at 5:00 AM to campaign across the country for someone she loves — her mom.

Can Lynne or Jamie Spears, Dina Lohan, Lionel Ritchie or Nuala Barton (mother of DUI-charged Mischa) boast that their daughters would do anything like that for them?

Chelsea says that Hillary made her clean her room and set the table in the White House. She also apparently made her do her homework and aspire to get a great college education, not be a great partier.

The Hiltons for all their kabillions have yet to send one of their children to college.

Every mother and father in Hollywood or not, knows that it's not easy to raise a child. So instead of criticizing Hillary on this point, let's applaud her for being a great parent who also wants to be a great President!

Follow Bonnie Fuller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bonniefuller

 
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I thought we were fighting in Iraq for the "freedoms" that the Hiltons, Lohans, and Spears families enjoy...excessive money, consuption and no responsibi­lities...t­hat is what "fighting for freedom" is all about right? Those three are the poster families for Jack-Ass Americans..USA. They are disgusting and I just love seeing them go down in flames. Just goes to show you that money does not create respectable values in the least.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:35 PM on 02/19/2008

I think a lot of kudos go to Chelsea herself. She hasn't had it easy and could easily have taken another route, yet she is a strong, obviously smart and tough despite having two very public parents.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:15 PM on 02/19/2008

Why is the "adultery" issue still being swatted around? Look-Clinton was not the first man to cheat on his wife; I doubt if he was the first president to do so. There was no threat to national security-none. If they agreed to stay married for whatever reason, it's none of our frickin' business.

They raised a great kid. If her parents positions opened a few doors for her-so what? Had she been raised in Snakenavel, USA, she'd still be making six figures at 27.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:08 PM on 02/18/2008

Chelsea Clinton is a 27 year old Princess with a SIX Figure salary at her FIRST job...and she still talks like a nine year old girl. Her Royal Highness needs to come out and stand up for herself by talking to reporters like the true Lobbyist that she is instead of hiding behind Their Imperial Highnesses, Mommy & Daddy Billary.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:55 AM on 02/17/2008
- booker52 I'm a Fan of booker52 24 fans permalink
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You can say alot of things about Bill and Hillary. Good parents, that they are.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:20 AM on 02/17/2008
- Gilda I'm a Fan of Gilda 7 fans permalink
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Yes, privileged parents raising a privileged daughter. Good parents indeed.
Mommy sending the message to a young girl it is ok for daddy to be a serial adulterer.
It is ok to be a drunk in college as long as it is in a foreign country such as the United Kingdom.
It is ok for mommy to use 9/11 for her own political cache by lying about her daughter being in lower Manhattan in the midst of it,
when in fact she was sitting in her apartment, nowhere near the twin towers.
Writing our thesis on daddy's,(the President of the United States) role in Ireland's peace talks. Easy A grade there, plus lots of parental input I bet.
It is way ok to earn a six-figure income in our twenties working for Avenue Capital, run by Marc Lasry, one of mommy and daddy's biggest donors.
Dating the son of Ed Mezvinksy, another Clinton supporter, currently serving seven years in prison, for stealing millions from clients, to cover his losses in one of those Nigerian e-mail fraud schemes.
Serving on the board of daddy's foundation which rakes in millions of dollars.
At least we didn't have to start out at one of those entry levels jobs like so many college graduates!
None of those annoying college loan payments every month!
Helps that six-figure income go a lot further.
Lesson learned?
We are privileged and special and we can get the media to buy the image we wish to convey by
careful manipulation and feeding them only the news we want them to report.
Paris Hilton does not try and make us believe she is anything but a wealthy kid and socialite. Earning her own income through the brilliant marketing of her image.
Britney has emotional and mental problems now but she worked harder as a young child & teenager than some people ever have, to earn her millions.
Chelsea never had to think about serving overseas in that war mommy voted for. Sending thousands of young men and women to die or return home maimed and disabled.







    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:53 AM on 02/17/2008
- PerryWhite I'm a Fan of PerryWhite 11 fans permalink

It Takes a Village!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:51 PM on 02/17/2008
- wayoutleft I'm a Fan of wayoutleft 39 fans permalink
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i think you're saying she's rich and famous so she went to a good school and got a good job. good for her. and good for paris and britney too. i congratulate them on all their millions; but i have no objection to taxing them and the other 1%'ers to build up the country.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:29 AM on 02/19/2008

Good story!!! and yes what about the drug addicted Bush twins, they could have joined up for thier daddies war, but no they stayed home and partied it up!
Bravo to Hill and Bill for the the very model of perfection, Chelsea.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:20 PM on 02/15/2008

Thank you! Despite all the accusations against the Clintons, they are apparently great parents. And I think that actually says a lot about all the ridiculous rumors spread about them. No, they're not perfect, but it does appear they try, which is more than you can say for some people. Personally, I think you should have to pass a test or get a license before being allowed to have children!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:56 PM on 02/14/2008
- rwe I'm a Fan of rwe 21 fans permalink

Up to this point in her life she would rank up there with Carolyn Kennedy as an admirable presidential offspring...there are quite the masses of libs who would think the Clinton parental units are sociopaths. Chelsea probably would be a better first woman president than her mother... And you really can't credit Hillary as she would argue that a village of liberals would be needed to raise a child

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:19 AM on 02/14/2008

It seems to me (I'm neutral between HRC & BHO) that Hillary is, and has been, subject to a tremendous amount of vicious attacks, including lies and misquotes, since Bill entered the original race. Trying to reason with the HRC-haters is useless.

Raising Chelsea under the conditions that the family faced, some of their own doing, was tremendously hard compared to raising an ordinary family. Yes, the whole family is to be congratulated for how Chelsea turned out.

As I understand it, people who work on a political campaign at this level should clear any interviews with the candidate or the campaign manager so that there won't be conflicting views floating around. In Chelsea's specific case, the main reason for people wanting an interview with her is to get more material to twist, maliciously edit, or deliberately misquote. There doesn't seem to be a similar outcry for interviews with the offspring of the other candidates, for instance Huckabee's son David.

This is just another case of any club with which to beat the Clintons.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:10 AM on 02/14/2008

I'll bet Obama & his wife are looking forward to their kids growing up in this atmosphere! God help those kids for the Republican media is going to tear them to shreds!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:29 AM on 02/14/2008

The best counter for the wing-nut's claim that the Clintons are sociopaths is Chelsea. A decent kid. Bill and Hill did alright there.

I'm still voting for Obama. :-)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:19 PM on 02/13/2008

Actually, most people do a good job of raising their children. Even most people with the wealth of the Clintons do a good job of raising their children. Do we have to praise the Clintons for simply doing normal things?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:08 PM on 02/13/2008

While I agree that most people do a great job of raising their children, most people don't have to raise their children in the spotlight. Bill and Hillary did a fine job of keeping their daughter out of the line of fire. Being the daughter of a president is anything but normal.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:29 PM on 02/14/2008

I'm no historian but the presidential children that I recall all seemed to be raised just fine -- the Nixons, Kennedys, Carter, and, dare I say this, even George Bush. As Chelsea grew up, she had to become aware of how her father treated women and how her mother tolerated that behavior as the price of promoting her political ambitions.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:01 PM on 02/14/2008

Chelsea may be polite and carry herself well but she is as dishonest as both of her parents. Her mother is the queen of pork-barrel earmarks that are a total waste of taxpayer money (but generate political support) but Chelsea characterizes her mother as fiscally conservative.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:52 PM on 02/13/2008
- westview I'm a Fan of westview 4 fans permalink

What nonsense. Get a grip. Stop putting out republican garbage. I think it is nice to see a presidential child who is not dating odd people, running naked through hotels in other countries, getting dui's, or coming up with arrest records for drugs. She has good grades, a quiet style, is supportive of her parents, and holds a real job. The Clintons did this well just as they ran the country well. I would take them all back in a new york minute.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:59 AM on 02/16/2008

Thank you so much for writing this. We are so bombarded by the media with negative images of young women like Paris and Britney that we forget about upstanding young women like Chelsea. Politics aside (I'm also supporting Barack), I think that Hillary and Bill have done and outstanding job of raising their daughter in the most extreme of circumstances. By all accounts Chelsea is smart, polite and respectful. She was given all of the privilage that these other "women" were, but has managed to navigate through dangerous waters beautifully. And that credit goes to the Clintons!

Thanks so much for reminding me that there are young women in America today that can be looked up to.

These other so-called parents should be ashamed!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:58 PM on 02/13/2008

They have always been shameless stage parents-Spears and Lohans-who put their children in show business when they were babies. In the Spears case, obviously the whole family is living off of Britney's money. She really was "pimped" out. Pathetic. And the Hiltons-how disgusting. With all that money and social status, they couldn't raise a child who was smart enough to go to college. Good old conservative American "Family Values" I guess.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:26 PM on 02/15/2008
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