How Bill Clinton's excellent adventure at the Clinton Foundation became a drag on his wife's presidential ambitions

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

published 3 June 2015

The Washington Post this week published a very useful overview of the rise of the Clinton Foundation, from its humble roots helping small business owners in Harlem to the sprawling philanthropic empire it has become today — one that has produced numerous conflicts of interest that have already created headaches for Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations.

One of the more interesting aspects of the story is how the Clinton Foundation filled a void in Bill Clinton's restless post-presidential life, turning him — project by project, donation by donation — into the "world's middleman" for getting stuff done, whether it be lowering the cost of AIDS drugs or fighting childhood obesity:

For Clinton, the foundation had re-created many of the things he loved about the presidency — cheering crowds, an army of aides, and a resonant sense that he was doing good on a global scale.Even better, in this job, there were no foreign crises to derail his plans. And no meddling Republicans. In fact, the foundation drew contributions from some who were once Clinton’s most bitter GOP enemies, including Newsmax chief executive Christopher Ruddy and conservative mega-donor Richard Mellon Scaife.There was also no date when the ride had to end. [The Washington Post]