What limits on speaking fees do you propose Obama should follow?

[CreekDog]

How much is the maximum compensation he should receive?

From whom should he accept them from?

Should these same limits apply to all former officeholders?

(As many here know, I don't propose any limits beyond what's legal, and certainly none that apply to Obama alone)

[Me.]

1. Sad

[brooklynite]

2. Why should I care what he's paid?

[CreekDog]

5. You don't have to, of course, but for those that do, let's hear their proposals

That's what i want to know.

[rzemanfl]

3. The sky. He will leave the Nazi skinhead audiences to Drumpf. President Obama

has scruples and I trust them.

[Thrill]

4. LOL didn't you hear Van Jones

Free.

Let us dictate how much you earn in your personal career

[Lotusflower70]

31. Yeah

And I would like to hear more about the poverty tour he was talking about. Calling it that seems insulting to me. Just what the he'll is up with Van Jones anyway? I normally love the guy but he has been annoying the hell out of me lately.

[The Polack MSgt]

6. I think we can reach a reasonable compromise

How about three fifths what a white President can charge?

Just in case, because holy crap I'm gonna get alerted on...

[frazzled]

18. Snap

That's about the long and short of it.

[PdxSean]

24. The founding fathers would approve of such compromise.

[The Polack MSgt]

46. Indeed

[LovingA2andMI]

27. Well....

Considering It Is Just One Barack Obama and 44 Other Presidents That In No Way Match Barack Obama's Melanin Count, some may believe the compromise is....reasonable (with is straight up BS by the way, as the only reason some are having an "issue" with Former POTUS Obama's Speaking Fee for this one speech gained his because he is African-American).

Sometimes the truth just needs to be said, Point, Blank, Period!

[brush]

38. TAH-DAH! You win the internet today.

Last edited Mon May 1, 2017, 10:36 PM - Edit history (1)

[GulfCoast66]

42. we have a winner

[CreekDog]

45. Win

So much winning

[CreekDog]

7. The minimum should be high enough that nobody will ever pay Trump more

To speak to them.

[underpants]

8. None. No limit. If they pay, take it

This whole speech business is nonsense. Frankly (this isn't directed at you CreekDog) it reminds me of the Republicans and their press AND the rest of the press continually throwing a fit about what he did or didn't say. For 8 stinking years.

[LovingA2andMI]

9. None...

Former POTUS is a PRIVATE CITIZEN and what he receives for Speaking Fees is his own business.

[Nanjeanne]

10. I think all former officeholders can accept as much money as they want and speak to whomever they

want.

I also think that all voters can admire and defend those choices. Or be disappointed and not like their choices. Some people think it was a good move that Bush stayed out of the limelight and basically withdrew from politics. Others admire Jimmy Carter and his choice to set up the Carter Center and work for Habitat for Humanity, his work on voting rights and speaking out on racial and economic injustice. Some admire Bill Clinton and the creation of the Clinton Foundation.

Others may object to any and all of that. Doesn't mean that voters don't have a right to express their opinions on how it looks or what they wish their ex-Presidents would do.

[DefenseLawyer]

11. I don't have an issue with a former President getting paid

I guess in my Utopian world, Wall Street vultures wouldn't want to hear what my President had to say and he wouldn't want to give them the time of day. But it's not, and they do and he will. So there you go.

[brush]

40. You have no idea what CF is about do you?

Research it, not a Wall Street vulture firm.

[Angry Dragon]

12. I had heard that Reagan got $1 million from the Japanese

[delisen]

14. and he criticized the American worker in his speech

[Angry Dragon]

37. I do think I ever had heard that before ...... thanks

[NightWatcher]

13. He should get as much as he can and speak to whatever group he wants

He's out of office and beholden to no one.

Cash in, roll a fat joint, and enjoy retirement.

If he wants to start a charity, that'd be great too.

[Thinkingabout]

15. If you restrict the payment a person receives for giving a speech then we need to restrict the

amount executives receive, the amount of money a professional sports player gets, this could go on and on. This is a bridge too far, next there will be a maximum amount all of us can receive, we are trying to get the minimum wages up, not place limits on them.

[Warpy]

16. This is a fake controversy ginned up by trolls on Farcebook

Do you really think anybody at DU gives a shit that ex presidents make their money giving speeches and writing books until they get their lives back a few years down the line?

We've got worse problems. Stop wasting time on this garbage.

And no, I don't care that Sanders said a dumb thing in an unguarded moment. First, it wasn't that dumb and second, it's his opinion, not mine. He's entitled to one, you know.

[brendacoupons]

17. No limits

No limits on how much or where.

He deserves to earn what the market will bear, and I trust him implicitly as to what he says and where he says it.

[Motley13]

19. He should take whatever they are willing to pay

from anyone willing to pay that he is comfortable with.

I'm sure he will report it on his tax return

[Renew Deal]

20. No limit

He's a private citizen now and he has a right to tell his story. If people want to pay, so be it.

[Sculpin Beauregard]

21. Jesus bittersweet Christ. ENOUGH WITH OBAMA'S SPEAKING FEES!

This is trolling, because every goddamned fucking former pres who speaks commands high speaking fees! Bush, Clinton, all of them!

Fucking stop it!!!

When is Cheeto getting perp walked? Now THAT is news we fucking care about!

Fuck off talking about Obama's 'fees'

[rock]

23. The sky

Why should he be any different from anyone else?

[moonscape]

25. As far as I'm concerned, he'll always be underpaid for all he did for us, and

all he had to put up with.

[LovingA2andMI]

29. Speak It, Tell That...

Truth!!!

[greymattermom]

26. Maybe around the amount

they spend to keep Melania in Trump Tower.

[LonePirate]

28. As a private citizen with no intentions of running for office again, there are no limits to impose.

Imposing a limit reeks of racism or communism.

[MedusaX]

30. Beyond the fact that it is none of our business ....

How absolutely fucking delightful is the
very real possibility
that those same $$$$$ monies will end up supporting Resistance efforts and
a myriad of social support programs
that the KGOP would like to do away with.....


It is not the possession of money nor its acquisition that is indicative of a lack of character.....
It is what one does with, or in order to obtain, those monies that separates the philanthropist from the aristocrat.

[lpbk2713]

32. Let the market decide.

There's no reason why a diehard RWer should argue with that.

[shraby]

33. I think he should take what the market will bear. He'll probably do a lot more good

with the money than the ones paying him.

[kentuck]

34. No limits on speaking fees.

But I think the President must think of his legacy. What he gets paid is irrelevant, in my opinion. But, who he speaks to and what he says, is relevant.

If he speaks about healthcare and progressive issues, then there is no problem. But if he speaks to Big Banks and insurance executives and promotes their agenda over the people's agenda, then there may be a problem?

[Doreen]

35. Let him take whatever the people he is speaking for are willing to pay.

He is working for his money. If you want to be angry at someone for taking money be angry at trump who screws people over for money and is stealing it from the American people. He is not working for his money. Leave Obama alone. Obama has done his time. You are wasting your energy you should be using to fight trump and his evil administration.

[Lotusflower70]

36. Wow just wow

It is so fucking unbelievable that as a private citizen he is still getting grief. I don't think there is an issue with him doing whatever he wants.

[spanone]

39. this is all bullshit. total bullshit.

[Voltaire2]

41. How about a sense of propriety?

Don't just take the bucks, use each event as a way to build the Democratic Party message.

[Blue_Tires]

43. This isn't even really about "speaking fees"

because mark my words, if Obama wasn't giving this speech the usual suspects would easily find some other bullshit issue to go to war over...

[loyalsister]

44. No limits or formal policy

But I admit it's bad form and criticism is unsurprising and possibly even justified. While Obama may have been asked without having been president the fact that he did serve as president, no doubt had a lot to do with the amount of money. Defending it leaves little room to criticize people who are willing to actually exploit the presidency to make money.