PRESIDENTIAL CONNECTION - How Bill Clinton's Aide Facilitated a Messy Deal

Wall Street Journal ^ | Wednesday - September, 26, 2007 | John R. Emshwiller & Gabriel Kahan

[Bronc1]

"For the past 6 years, the road to Bill Clinton has often run through Douglas Band, a 34-year-old former White House intern [and close friend of Monica Lewinsky] who has helped manage Mr. Clinton's time, accompanied him around the world and even fielded some of his calls."

"Two years ago, Mr. Band befriended a handsome and charming Italian businessman named Raphaella Follieri [owner of Follieri Group.] The young Italian, now 29 years old, had moved to New York in 2003 to launch a business buying and redeveloping Roman Catholic Church properties. [Andrea Sodano, a consultant to the Follieri Group, is the nephew of Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's secretary of state until last year.]...[Mr. Follieri] also said he could help Mr. Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, with Catholic voters..."

"As a gatekeeper to the former president's web of business and charitable enterprises, Mr. Band [a friend of fellow White House intern Monica Lewinsky] helped Mr. Raphaella Follieri get into business with Mr. Clinton... In 2005, RYucaipa Cos., a Los Angeles investment firm where Mr. Clinton has been a partner and a senior adviser to company owner Ron Burkle, agreed to invest up to $100 million in Mr. Follieri's church-property venture...."

[Bronc1]

This is a story with legs. Watch for a follow-up article in the WSJ soon.

[rfp1234]

“Link” as in Sausage?!

[edcoil]

Bill Clinton was an Entered Apprentice Freemason
Hillary Clinton’s dad is a 32 degree Freemason Scottish Rite.

[Rummyfan]

Also here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1902308/posts

[jjm2111]

How about using the real headline?

[Suzy Quzy]

Doug Band said he GAVE AWAY the $400,000.00 Finder's Fee for this crook!!!!!! WHO would BELIEVE THIS CRAP?? Hello...IRS!!!!!

So Dougie is just gonna give money back while his thieving boss gets 40 MILLION????? HAHAHAHAHA!

[Bronc1]

I thought the WSJ headline tiptoed around the real story.

[jdm]

This is a dupe post - you’re right.

[pandoraou812]

interesting...

[Miss Didi]

From the article:

[Lead Moderator]

To prevent duplication, please do not alter the title. Thanks.

[Enchante]

Sounds too messy and confusing to hurt the Clintonistas, unless there are some clear-cut misdeeds that can be more simply described. So far it just sounds to me like Bill Clinton’s key aide mucked around with a rich Italian boy who’s embroiled now in a couple of lawsuits. But unless there are criminal activities, the lawsuits with Cooper and Burkle are going to be settled at some point, for some amount of money, and I fail to see how this is going to stop Hillary??!!??

[Redleg Duke]

Clinton was DeMolay, but never a Mason of any Degree.

Don't blame the Freemasons for this Clinton Crap. Look at Ross Perot and all of you useful idiots who voted for him to "send a message"!

[Alex Murphy]

Parishes are up for sale all over the country, to pay off abuse settlements and judgments. Somebody has to find a (new) use for them before someone can be persuaded to buy them (so that the dioceses can actually pay the settlements and judgments). Sounds like a cottage industry to me. I must be dense - I'm not sure what the religious angle on the story is here, if any. I see a political and a financial one, but the Catholic angle seems precipitous at best.

Sunday needs a pick-me-up?
here's your chance
do you get tired of the same old square dance?
allemande right now
all join hands
do-si-do to the promised boogieland
got no need for altar calls
sold the altar for the mirror balls
do you shuffle? do you twist?
'cause with a hot hits playlist, now we say

chorus 1:
This disco used to be a cute cathedral
where the chosen cha-cha every day of the year
this disco used to be a cute cathedral
where we only play the stuff you're wanting to hear

Mickey does the two-step
One, Two, Swing
all the little church mice doing their thing
boppin' in the belltower
rumba to the right
knock, knock
who's there?
get me outta this limelight
so, you want to defect?
officer, what did you expect?
got no rhythm, got no dough
he said, "Listen, Bozo, don't you know"

chorus 2:
This disco used to be a cute cathedral
where the chosen cha-cha every day of the week
this disco used to be a cute cathedral
but we got no room if you ain't gonna be chic

Sell your holy habitats
this ship's been deserted by sinking rats
the exclusive place to go
it's where the pious pogo
don't you know

(chorus 1)
(chorus 2)

[Graybeard58]

Hillary Clinton’s dad is a 32 degree Freemason Scottish Rite.

So am I.

[Bronc1]

Is it required that the original headline must be used? If so, you have my permission to change it to the original headline. If there are no posted rules for headlines, I ask you to accept my revised headline.

What is “Clinton’s Roman Catholic Connection?”
Answer: Raffaello Follieri

What is “An Intriguing Monica Lewinsky Link?”
Answer: Douglas Band who worked as White House intern at same time as Monica Lewinsky, accompanied her to the 1995 White House Ball and after the Lewinsky Scandal broke was promoted to Clinton’s personal aide.

[investigateworld]

Interesting players. Wonder if the P2 Lodge is involved?

Good way to get a (quick)peek at the underside of the Blackfriars Bridge ;^)