Clintons’ Pool Party
As Bill Clinton Swept the Hamptons for Hillary’s Big Cash—From Perelman’s Mega-Dinner to Patricof’s House of Pancakes—Hillary Does Wonky Thing, Then Arrives to Play Mrs. Elvis
In any given summer, the Hamptons are transformed into an A.T.M. for national politicians, particularly Democrats who are running for president.
This year, the moneyed parts of Long Island have become a 24-hour bank machine for one campaign in particular.
“There’s no question about it,” said corporate P.R. man Morris Reid. “Hillary Clinton owns the Hamptons.”
Or as local bookstore owner Charline Spektor put it, “She’s part of the landscape of what goes on here.”
That much is true—thanks to a certain surrogate named Bill Clinton—even when the candidate isn’t actually present.
At around 9:30 on the night of Friday, Aug. 3, for example, four SUVs rumbled up the driveway of Mr. Reid’s East Hampton home. By then, news that Mrs. Clinton was a no-show had long since sunk in for the roughly 200 people who had paid between $250 and $1,000 to gather in Mr. Morris’ backyard.
Once Mr. Clinton took up his position in front of the crowd, it hardly mattered.
Mr. Reid, co-founder of the P.R. firm Westin Rinehart, gave the introduction. “You guys are all here and we appreciate that, but we want you to dig deep—we need you to dig deep,” he said to a rapt, heavily female audience. “We are in a time where money counts in politics. It’s a shame, but it’s a reality. We’re in the Hamptons, we can all afford to write checks.”
Mr. Reid continued: “Bill Clinton created more millionaires in his terms than any president in history. You guys need to be more enthusiastic about fixing the economy.”
The crowd broke into applause.
Moments later, the former president took the microphone.
“You probably know by now that she’s not here,” said Mr. Clinton, who looked unusually thin and Hamptons-spiffy in a linen blue blazer, khakis and tan loafers, and who had already played surrogate earlier that evening at a fund-raiser at the Southampton home of Irene and Bernard Schwartz. “I want to explain what happened. I got a call tonight a couple of hours ago. She was in the plane. She said, ‘I’m in the plane.’ She said, ‘I’m all dressed up and I look really nice.’”
He went on to explain that his wife had been held up in Washington by a Senate vote. And judging by the crowd’s rapturous reaction, that was enough.
As the recently concluded whirlwind tour of Long Island’s toniest towns—seven events in three days—once again made clear, no other campaign has the moneyed Hamptons at its disposal quite like the Clintons do.
“I don’t think anyone was disappointed,” said Tina Waksman, who attended the event at Mr. Reid’s home. Mr. Clinton, she said, had “cast a spell” on everyone.
Over the course of the weekend, Mr. Clinton would go on to do his bit at a Saturday afternoon cocktail rally at the home of Dottie Herman, president and CEO of Douglas Elliman; at the mega-dinner that night hosted by Revlon poobah Ronald Perelman; and again at a celebrity pancake breakfast at the home of financier Alan Patricof.
Mr. Reid began working for Mr. Clinton on the 1992 election campaign as a field operative in Ohio, and went on to serve as a senior advisor to Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. Next Page >
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- 34.4
- +18.2
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Hillary Clinton's campaign is just one well-sourced news story away from complete collapse. Half the reporters who travel with her know it, but only the Times has condescended to refer to it, albeit in exceptionally oblique terms.
And when it does finally collapse, reminding everyone of everything they DIDN'T like about the Clinton Era, will these two please just GO AWAY!
All those dreadful money people in the Hamptons can surely find someone else to celebrate their boorishness.
What shallow people to constantly fawn over such fakes....Hillary and Billary are having a field day creating a following of the rich to hang on their every word....you obviously can fool some people all of the time. The day will come when they accidentally blow their cover as ego maniacs who care about NO ONE but themselves. They lied their way to the White House and want another stay there to finish the job of destroying our morality as a nation to the entire world.
The proof? Ask any grade school child what oral sex is!!
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!? Do you not yet understand that G. W. Bush is the biggest liar to hit the Whitehouse since it opened???? People are not fooled by the Clinton's personal lives - - - THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL LIVES!! They do care that Bill Clinton was an excellent president, they care that Hillary Clinton is qualified. Try to get a grip and focus on something meaningful. The fact that nearly 70% of the people in this country do not believe one word that comes from the mouth of any representative of the current occupant should be some kind of wake-up call for you. Pull your head out of wherever you have it and try to think rationally!
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!? Do you not yet understand that G. W. Bush is the biggest liar to hit the Whitehouse since it opened???? People are not fooled by the Clinton's personal lives - - - THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL LIVES!! They do care that Bill Clinton was an excellent president, they care that Hillary Clinton is qualified. Try to get a grip and focus on something meaningful. The fact that nearly 70% of the people in this country do not believe one word that comes from the mouth of any representative of the current occupant should be some kind of wake-up call for you. Pull your head out of wherever you have it and try to think rationally!
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!? Do you not yet understand that G. W. Bush is the biggest liar to hit the Whitehouse since it opened???? People are not fooled by the Clinton's personal lives - - - THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL LIVES!! They do care that Bill Clinton was an excellent president, they care that Hillary Clinton is qualified. Try to get a grip and focus on something meaningful. The fact that nearly 70% of the people in this country do not believe one word that comes from the mouth of any representative of the current occupant should be some kind of wake-up call for you. Pull your head out of wherever you have it and try to think rationally!
These people are a nightmare!
If Her Heinous wins the presidency, I'm moving to Iceland!
I don't want to be here when she completes the work her husband started of destroying this country.
OY, spare me.
the clinton are the ebst-no doubt about it- to those people who hate the clintons well- maybe they like the bushes a war monger and destroy americas economy- bush dont care about american people all he cares is war - abully guy like to kill people in iraq.
the clinton are the ebst-no doubt about it- to those people who hate the clintons well- maybe they like the bushes a war monger and destroy americas economy- bush dont care about american people all he cares is war - abully guy like to kill people in iraq.
These two, Bill & Hill, have never earned an honest dollar their whole careers. Thank God that here in Georgia we have Nute G., who would expose these two for what they are if given a chance. All you N.Y.ers can have these two, we don't need them down here.
These two, Bill & Hill, have never earned an honest dollar their whole careers. Thank God that here in Georgia we have Nute G., who would expose these two for what they are if given a chance. All you N.Y.ers can have these two, we don't need them down here.
These two, Bill & Hill, have never earned an honest dollar their whole careers. Thank God that here in Georgia we have Nute G., who would expose these two for what they are if given a chance. All you N.Y.ers can have these two, we don't need them down here.
It is so curious, I a Republican, one who could not abide either President nor Mrs. Clinton...I, who will pull the lever joyfully, for Mrs. Clinton at the next election.
Why, well, as Disraeli said, "No permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent self interest..."
She is the best of the lot, so far, and I see no hope at all for the Republicans, and as for the rest of the Democrats, oh please.
She simply cannot do as poorly as the one we have now, (although I like him...)
Am I ready for a woman President, no, but then, I think about Mrs. Thatcher, and she did a fine job. So, sigh, I will vote for Mrs. Clinton, and pray she will do a good job.
Half of luck is being prepared, and having the right timing, she appears to have both halves.
If Hillary Clinton wins - and I hope she does - I believe the USA will once again have an opportunity to show the kind of nation it can be. And with Bill Clinton at her side, you might say that your country will truly be getting two-for-one!
Yes you have Newt G!!!! How lucky for you to have that liar in your backyard- he serves one wife with divorce papers on her deathbed and all the while he is publicly attacking Bill Clinton on TV he was carrying on another affair behind another wife's back!!!!!!!!!!
Please- Newt Gingrich's morals are about as strong as Rudy's!!!!
Yes you have Newt G!!!! How lucky for you to have that liar in your backyard- he serves one wife with divorce papers on her deathbed and all the while he is publicly attacking Bill Clinton on TV he was carrying on another affair behind another wife's back!!!!!!!!!!
Please- Newt Gingrich's morals are about as strong as Rudy's!!!!