Posted on 09/25/2007 9:02:09 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
For whatever reason, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton wants this photo taken
down from inside Osso Buco in Greenwich Village. She's so serious she has recruited her father,
former President Bill Clinton, and a team lawyers to see that it's done.
(CBS) NEW YORK -- A celebrity photo has led a former president to send a threatening letter to a local restaurant owner.
On Tuesday night, President Bill Clinton demanded that a Manhattan restaurant remove a picture of his daughter Chelsea.
The picture has been up for years, but now it's posing a problem.
She's the former first daughter and a current customer at Osso Buco. But private citizen Chelsea Clinton doesn't want the photo of her with owner Nino Selimaj hanging in the restaurant.
So her Presidential Papa is demanding they take it down.
You may remember Selimaj. Earlier this year he made national headlines for offering a $1,000 pizza at his restaurant. Now he's butting heads with the former leader of the free world.
March 14: Luxury Pie: NYC Restaurant Offers $1,000 Pizza
Customer John Cremin says the Selimaj should comply with Clinton's request.
"She doesn't want to be involved with advertising for the store," Cremin said. "That's up to her. It's her God given right, no?"
Nino Selimaj says the photo has graced his restaurant window for nearly five years, and admits it's been good for business.
He says he was surprised to receive a letter from the Clinton's lawyer demanding he take the picture down. On official William Jefferson Clinton letterhead, was a threat to take further action: "We reserve the right to exercise any and all options available to us if you refuse to comply."
Selimaj says the letter came as quite a shock.
"I was really, really heartbroken because I have four daughters and Chelsea is like my daughter," Selimaj said. "She doesn't want to be there. If that comes from them directly, definitely, I will remove it. If she really insists to remove it."
Selimaj has photos with other celebrities like Regis Philbin, Derek Jeter and even 2008 Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani hanging in his restaurant and he says they haven't objected.
Customer Iris Elkabs says she thinks Chelsea should reconsider.
"She has a right," Elkabs said. "If she doesn't like it, it should come down, but I think it should stay. It's a very nice photograph."
I noticed that, too: The restaurant's owner has an Albanian name.
At first thought it seems like a stretch ... but otoh, there are indeed Albanians in America who have either terrorist or drug trade connections (or both) with their comrades-in-arms back in Kosovo.
There could be more to this story than is being reported.
At very least, it might be Bill "feels uncomfortable" over anything that could hint at the truth of his little war-to-aid-Muslim-terrorists in Kosovo.
Could there be some cash bundling going on that lists the pizza parlor address as the home of say, 20 families that each decided to donate the maximum amount?
I refuse to go to a local chain restaurant because it has a mural featuring Je$$e Jack$on. I told the manager I would not be back until it’s gone. He probably didn’t care, but it made me feel better.
Yes. OTOH, the MSM seldom, if ever, refers to Bush as President Bush.
The arrogance of the Clinton’s still stuns you when it rears its head in such a fashion.
I’d take the picture down, and post a sign saying ‘Clinton’s no longer wanted as customers’.
O.K. two people says it's Chelsea's "RIGHT" TO HAVE IT TAKEN DOWN. What right is that?
It's unprecedented, in my decades on this island, to hear of someone threatening to sue a small businessman over the display of such an image. There's got to be a serious backstory here.
LOL!!! Thanks, I needed a good belly laugh. That was good.
There are plenty of relevant reasons to criticize the Clintons.
Yes. It's not a nice way to behave.
The owner should auction the picture on eBay.
SELIMAJ, NINO MR.
NEW YORK, NY 10021
NINO’S RESTAURANT/OWNER
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
06/30/2006 500.00 26960266335
09/19/2006 500.00 26940505864
12/14/2006 250.00 27930116413
And a more recent story about Boston eateries. City man busted for coke in pizza parlor raid
He couldn’t lead a stream of ants toward a Ritz cracker.
It’s a publicity stunt.
Well put.
Exactly
How did I overlook that? Thank you :)
From another board regarding Chelsey’s picture.
“The photo is confusing the patrons. Her buck-teeth look so much like a bottle opener, they keep trying to open their drinks on it. “
Also they said the picture was making the customers nauseous and they couldn’t hold down the restaurants food.
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