Brother's Keeper?
Press Leaps on Latest Excuse to Ignore Usurper Boy
by Tamara Baker

Feb. 22, 2001 -- SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA (APJP) -- Milton Eisenhower.

Harold Nixon.

Billy Carter.

Neil and Jeb Bush.

Well, since the score was 4-1 against the GOP as far as embarrassing Presidential siblings were concerned, it's only fair that Hugh Rodham pull a boner.

No wonder Hillary was so upset. Having a brother who was secretly taking money in order to use his influence on her -- hey, I'd be upset, too.

However, her anger over her brother's idiocy didn't get in the way of her common sense. She and her hubby, President Clinton, quickly moved to undo her brother's boner

The first thing they did, once they found out about the disgusting deal, was make Hugh give back every red cent he got from the buddies of Vignali and Braswell. The second thing they did was to go to the press with it, knowing full well that they would be giving Timmy Russert yet another chance to sneer and gloat and insinuate on prime time TV.

However, even CBS paused in the middle of their indictments-are-just-around-the-corner spiel to note a few facts that will neutralize any attempt by the Republicans to make political hay out of this mess:

• A source close to Mr. Clinton, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the decisions on both men were made on the merits of their situations, and not because of any efforts on Hugh Rodham's part. 
• In the Vignali matter, numerous political figures lobbied to commute his drug sentence, including a Roman Catholic cardinal, a sheriff and community leaders.
• The Florida Republican Party and the George W. Bush presidential campaign last fall returned $175,000 in contributions from Braswell after learning he was a convicted felon.

The net effect: Just another excuse for the TV news folks not to cover things like the presence of GOP donors and Texas oilmen at the controls of the USS Greeneville as it killed nine Japanese fisherfolk.

Other than that, nada.

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