Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signs copies of her new book "Hard Choices" at Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles on June 19, 2014. UPI/Jim Ruymen |
License Photo
WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- For Hillary Clinton, the struggle is real. The Former Secretary of State said in an interview today that she isn't 'truly well off' despite having a reported net worth of over $20 million and commanding six figures for speaking engagements.
This isn't the first time Clinton has found herself tasting her proverbial foot after making comments about money--comments ostensibly meant to distance herself from her one percenter peer group and ally her to average, hard working Americans, which comments invariably seem to wind up being perceived in the press as alienating her from the very same demographic.
The former first lady came under fire earlier this month for her comment that she and husband Bill were "dead broke" when they left the White House after his presidency.
When the Guardian asked Clinton how, with "her huge personal wealth," she could possibly hope to be credible in addressing the issue of "America's glaring income inequality" being that "people see her as part of the problem, not its solution," Clinton responded: "But they don't see me as part of the problem because we pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names; and we've done it through dint of hard work."
The interview in the Guardian notes that Clinton let out a burst of laughter after answering, and guesses that she found the question painful.
Clinton concluded the interview with the following hope for the United States:
"I would like the social fabric that has begun to fray to have been repaired, for people to feel we were all in this together, that the American dream was real, not some distant vanishing image on the horizon, that fairness had been returned to the economy and politics, that our education system was doing a better job and more kids were healthy, and that we were once again respected for our values and how we presented ourselves to the world."
No word on what it takes to be officially be 'truly well off' in America anymore.
