alt.politics.republicans

Real 'Work'? Clinton Swipes at Chelsea's Profession

February 19, 2008 4:48 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker and Eloise Harper Report:

Sen. Hillary Clinton took a swipe at her daughter's profession today
at an economic roundtable discussion at a restaurant in Parma, Ohio,
suggesting wealthy investment bankers and hedge fund managers on Wall
Street aren't doing real 'work.'

The former first lady's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, works for New York-
based hedge fund Avenue Capital Group. She previously worked in New
York for McKinsey & Company, her first job after graduating with her
master's degree from Oxford University.

"We also have to reward work more," Clinton told a small group of Ohio
residents today. "and by that, I mean, I have people in New York
working on Wall Street as investment managers, as hedge fund
executives. Under the tax code, they can pay a lower percentage of
their income in taxes on $50 million dollars, than a teacher, or a
nurse, or a truck driver in Parma pays on $50,000. That's very
discouraging to people."

You just feel like, 'wait a minute. I'm working as hard as I can.' All
those people you see in your law office. They're working as hard as
they can and they feel like they're just getting further and further
behind," Clinton said.

It's not the first time Clinton has taken a swipe against her
daughter's profession. Campaigning in Wisconsin yesterday, Clinton
railed against hedge funds as Chelsea sat off to the side.

"I saw a sign over here - someone has a t-shirt on, tax hedge fund
dealers," Clinton said Monday, "well in this economy we are going to
have a fair tax system again. A Wall Street investment manager, a
hedge fund dealer, should not pay a lower percentage of taxes on his
50 million dollars worth of income."

In 2006, Chelsea scolded her mother for telling an audience that young
people "think work is a four-letter word." Clinton said daughter
Chelsea called her to complain, arguing she does work hard and her
friends work hard. Clinton later said she apologized to her daughter.

The line about investment fund and hedge fund managers has been
introduced into Clinton's talking points as she campaigns across the
economically struggling state of Ohio. Clinton is focusing her
campaign on the delegate-rich states of Ohio and Texas voting March 4.