So Long, Norman

Hey! Hillary!

What's your big donor, dirty dealer Norman Hsu going to do now?

He's not going to Disney World.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Disgraced political donor Norman Hsu was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after a judge refused to throw out his 1992 no-contest plea to fraud.

Hsu's lawyers had asked Judge Stephen Hall to dismiss his 16-year-old plea, arguing that Hsu's right to speedy justice was violated because authorities were not actively pursuing him during his years as a fugitive. They could easily have arrested Hsu, his lawyers argued, at one of the fundraisers he hosted in California for prominent local politicians.

Hsu also faces federal fraud charges in New York.

His troubles began dogging Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and other big-name Democrats last summer when news reports revealed he was a fugitive who fled the state before he was sentenced for the 1992 fraud conviction for scamming investors out of $1 million.

He turned himself in on Aug. 31, posted $2 million in bail, then fled again, skipping a scheduled court appearance.

...Since his fall from grace, many of the candidates Hsu supported gave their donations to charity or returned them. The Clinton campaign pledged to divest $850,000 raised by Hsu.

I wonder if anyone has followed up on Hillary's promise to divest the $850,000?

Did she keep her promise?

Gov. Jim Doyle was also a recipient of Hsu's dirty money.

Doyle was the only Wisconsin candidate to take money from Hsu, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Back in early September, I called for Doyle to return the Hsu dollars.

I'll do it again:

Gov. Doyle,

At least pretend that you're an ethical politician. Get rid of the Hsu $2000.

Keeping it is so slimy.

No Bail for Heterosexual Hillary Clinton's Fundraiser Norman Hsu

Hillary Clinton news:

Democratic fundraiser held in Calif.

Fallen Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu was ordered held without bail Friday, and his attorney attacked the FBI for allegedly extracting a confession while the convicted swindler was hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt.

Hsu appeared briefly in San Mateo Superior Court on a 15-year-old grand theft conviction, one day after federal authorities charged him in New York with bilking investors out of $60 million. Investigators say he donated some of that money to numerous Democratic candidates and causes over the past several years.

Hsu did not speak while his attorney asked a judge to return the $2 million Hsu had posted as bail before skipping a court date earlier this month. The judge told attorney Jim Brosnahan to file formal court papers and scheduled Hsu's next court appearance for Sept. 21.

Deputy Attorney General Ron Smetana said prosecutors would oppose the return of the money.

"If the federal charges are correct, then the money is stolen," Smetana said outside court. "It would be inappropriate to return it to Mr. Hsu."

More Hillary Clinton news:

Hillary Clinton: I'm not a lesbian

During an interview with The Advocate to be published next week, Sean Kennedy, the gay magazine's news and features editor, asked the presidential candidate, "How do you respond to the occasional rumor that you're a lesbian?"

"People say a lot of things about me, so I really don't pay any attention to it," Sen. Clinton (D-N.Y.) replied.

"It's not true, but it is something that I have no control over. People will say what they want to say."

Kennedy told the Daily News he's convinced. "I 100% believe she's a straight, heterosexual woman," he said.

Sometimes a pantsuit is just a pantsuit.

More Charges for Norman Hsu

HillRaiser Norman Hsu is in trouble from sea to shining sea.

In addition to the charges he faces in California, now Hsu will be fighting on an East coast front.

NEW YORK -- Federal prosecutors plan to unseal a criminal complaint Thursday charging Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu with campaign finance violations and the creation of a $60 million Ponzi scheme, according to a law enforcement official.

The charges were to be announced at a 1 p.m. news conference in New York, said the official, who was familiar with the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Details of the charges were not immediately available.

This isn't good news for Hillary or any of the Democrats.

Again, I call on the sleazy Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle to return the dirty Hsu money.

Norman Hsu Thinks Clearly

Corrupt Democrat fundraiser Norman Hsu has surrendered.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Disgraced Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, wanted in California on a 16-year-old felony theft conviction, agreed Wednesday to return to the state without a fight.

Hsu appeared in court, his hands cuffed and his ankles shackled, as he read legal documents waiving his rights and signed four copies of the paperwork. He also answered Judge Brian Flynn's questions about giving up his right to fight extradition.

During the course of the questioning, Flynn asked Hsu, "Are you thinking clearly this morning?"

Hsu responded, "Yes, your honor."

Flynn also asked him if anyone was forcing him to give up his rights and Hsu said no.

Flynn said authorities usually arrive within 10 days to take custody of an extradited individual, but district attorney Pete Hautzinger said he expects San Mateo County authorities to arrive Thursday to take Hsu back to California.

Hsu in handcuffs and with ankles shackled --

What a difference a few weeks makes in the life of a HillRaiser!

Hsu was arrested in Grand Junction, Colo., on Sept. 6 after he failed to show up for a court appearance in California for a 1991 grand theft case that resulted in a conviction.

Hsu raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and others until the recent disclosure of his 1991 case turned him into a major embarrassment.

He was a leading money "bundler" for Clinton, earning the title of "HillRaiser" for his efforts at collecting donations. Her campaign is returning $850,000 in donations linked to Hsu and promising stricter scrutiny of donors.

Oooh. Hsu became a "major embarrassment."

What about the candidates who supposedly blindly accepted his donations?

THEY are also "major embarrasments," especially Hillary Clinton. The most brilliant woman in America screwed up royally.

...A Hsu spokesman said Wednesday that he had intended to appear for his court date in California but may have mistakenly boarded a train out of state. Jason Booth said Hsu was "sick and confused" and may have thought he was boarding a Bay Area Rapid Transit subway when he instead caught an Amtrak train.

What?

Hsu mistakenly boarded a train out of state?

He possibly thought he was boarding a subway instead of an Amtrak train?

Yeah, right.

Did Hsu also "mistakenly" write a suicide note? Did he also "mistakenly" mail it?

The "mistake" excuse is an embarrassment.

I think the embarrassment is just beginning.

Fugitive Fundraiser Norman Hsu Arrested

Last time Norman Hsu went on the lam, he managed to avoid authorities for 15 years.

This time he managed to evade the law for barely 24 hours.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Disgraced Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu was arrested in Colorado late Thursday after he failed to show up for a court appearance related to a felony theft conviction.

FBI agents took Hsu into custody at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., said FBI spokesman Joseph Schadler.

Hsu had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to turn over his passport and ask a judge to cut in half the $2 million bail he posted last week when he turned himself in after spending 15 years on the lam from a felony theft conviction.

Instead, Hsu failed to show up at the bail reduction hearing and a judge issued a new arrest warrant for him.

California Attorney General spokesman Gareth Lacy said Hsu's lawyers told prosecutors Hsu arrived by charter jet at the Oakland airport about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday local time and then wasn't heard from again.

When it became apparent that Hsu had fled the state, California authorities sought the assistance of the FBI, whose agents arrested him Thursday night on charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, Schadler said.

Once he is returned to state custody, the federal charges will be dismissed, Schadler said.

From NBC11, more details:

FBI sources told NBC11's Jean Elle they arrested Norman Hsu in Grand Junction Colorado Thursday night.

Hsu was arrested at St. Marys Hospital, according to NBC11.

...The Grand Junction police department and the Mesa County Sheriff office assisted in the arrest.

Hsu has not been transferred to the Mesa County lock up, according NBC11.

It is not clear why Hsu was at a hospital.

Hsu went to the hospital after he got sick while traveling on the California Zephyr train, the Mercury News reported.

I think Hsu was picked up in Colorado because he wanted to be caught.

If you're a fugitive, you don't go to a hospital.

Did Hsu decide he didn't want to live the fugitive life?

Was he pressured by Democrats, Dem candidates, or some of their shadowy campaign operatives to give himself up?

Was it determined that it would be better to have him in custody than to let the speculation about the mysterious Hsu spiral out of control?

Whatever, it seems like there was a lot of indecision about the best way to handle Hsu-gate.

I think the problem is there are no good options for Hsu and his friends -- Hillary Clinton, Dianne Feinstein, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy, Al Franken, Ed Rendell, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

This story isn't over. It's just beginning.
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More details here.

This is funny.

The growing flap over Hsu's contributions prompted Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd to release a statement Thursday vowing "to refuse to accept or possess campaign contributions raised, solicited, or delivered by fugitives from justice."

What an impressive display of integrity!
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UPDATE:

As more information is becoming available, it's clear that Hsu didn't initiate his medical care.

Amtrak personnel called paramedics.
More information:

Hsu was listed in fair condition, hospital vice president Dan Prinster said in a telephone interview. He declined to provide details of Hsu's ailment, other than to say that Hsu "was delirious (when he arrived) and had identification."

FBI agents arrived at the hospital about 9 p.m. EDT Thursday, Prinster said, adding he didn't know how authorities learned of Hsu's whereabouts. "All I know is I got a call," he said.

Hsu was traveling on an Amtrak train Thursday when he became ill. An ambulance was called when the train stopped in Grand Junction and he was taken to St. Mary's.

Mesa County Sheriff's Officer Heather Benjamin said that under normal procedure, Hsu would be booked into the local jail when he is released from the hospital.

And from the San Francisco Chronicle:

Authorities said Hsu was taken into custody at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction at 7 p.m. local time. He had been on the lam for almost two days after failing to appear in a Redwood City courtroom Wednesday to surrender his passport.

Hsu was taken off a passenger train at the Grand Junction train station earlier in the day by paramedics who requested a backboard to move him, said Sgt. Lonnie Chavez with the Grand Junction Police Department.

Authorities received a request for medical assistance at the train station at about 11:15 a.m., but the exact nature of Hsu's condition was unclear, Chavez said.

Hsu was traveling on an Amtrak train when he became ill, and Amtrak personnel called an ambulance when the train stopped in Grand Junction, said Pete Smarr, a nursing supervisor at St. Mary’s Hospital. Hsu was listed in fair condition early Friday, but Smarr declined to comment on the nature of Hsu's illness or a timetable for his release from the hospital.

The plot thickens....

This is all so strange.

It calls for a film by Oliver Stone.

Speculation is that Hsu may have attempted suicide.

If a failed suicide attempt is, in fact, Hsu's "ailment," he certainly isn't doing the Dems any favors.

A dead or almost dead Hsu is worse than a fugitive Hsu.

This really looks bad for Hillary Clinton.

It dredges up all those old conspiracy theories about the Clinton era body count.
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Witness accounts:

Fugitive political fundraiser Norman Hsu was behaving erratically as he fled the Bay Area on Amtrak's California Zephyr, at one point stripping off his shirt and shoes, before paramedics were called to take him off the train in western Colorado, passengers said Friday.

...Passengers interviewed Friday when the Zephyr reached its final destination of Chicago said it appeared that something was wrong with Hsu.

Alberto Dee, 21, who boarded the train in Truckee, said Hsu "freaked out" when Amtrak personnel approached, and was roaming a train car "without shoes and no shirt. ... I thought he had a suitcase full of crack or meth."

Another passenger disembarking in Chicago, who declined to give his name, said Hsu appeared disoriented and was having trouble opening a door on the train. Several other passengers said they were told Hsu was behaving oddly but did not witness it themselves.

...Dan Roberts, 57, a furniture maker from Grand Junction, said Hsu had been sitting up on a stretcher on the station platform and appeared to be moving.

"We just figured he had a heart attack or something," said his wife, Cheryl Roberts, 52, a nurse.

Hsu Game

History is repeating itself.

Norman Hsu is on the lam.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- A top Democratic fundraiser whose criminal past has roiled the campaigns of top presidential candidates failed to appear Wednesday for a bail hearing and a judge issued a new warrant for his arrest.

Norman Hsu, who had been a fugitive for more than 15 years, forfeits the $2 million bail he posted last week. His attorney said Wednesday he didn't know where his client was.

I guess the $2 million bail wasn't high enough.

Do you think that the Clinton Machine is involved with Hsu's disappearance?

Could it be that the DNC and Chairman Howard Dean have a lot to lose?

Is Hsu too valuable to be locked up?

Jim Doyle and Norman Hsu

Self-proclaimed, squeaky clean Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle was the recipient of campaign donations from fugitive Norman Hsu.

Although other Democrats have returned the money they received from the disgraced Hsu, Doyle hasn't decided what to do about the donations at this point.

MADISON -- Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle received $2,000 in campaign donations from a donor who is reportedly a fugitive from justice in California.

The Wisconsin Republican Party called on Doyle Friday to return the money given by Norman Hsu in July 2005 prior to the governor’s successful re-election in November 2006.

Doyle’s campaign spokesman Mike Tate said Friday, “We just became aware of this and we are reviewing our records.”

According to a campaign donation database maintained by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Doyle is the only candidate in Wisconsin to have received money from Hsu.

Of all the Democrat candidates in Wisconsin, Doyle is the only one who accepted Hsu's money.

I would have thought other Dems would have benefited from Hsu's donations. They probably did indirectly, via Hsu's fundraising for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Steve Kagen comes to mind as a possible recipient of funds from Hsu.

...“If Doyle is serious about practicing a high standard of ethics as he has said, he would follow his Democratic friends’ lead and get rid of the questionable Hsu cash immediately,” said Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Mark Jefferson. “But don’t hold your breath.”

Doyle isn't serious about ethics.

The list of his dirty dealings is a mile long.

If Doyle were serious about exhibiting high ethical standards, he'd be getting rid of Hsu's donations.

Of course, he's trying to hold on to the money.

Apparently, Doyle thinks that no one is paying attention.

He's probably right.

The severely ethically-challenged Doyle managed to get reelected in spite of his many questionable dealings.

He has no reason to change his ways. Wisconsin voters overlooked all the corruption in his administration and all his lies and gave him a second term.

$2000 from Hsu is so nothing.

Sad, but true.

Bad Day for Norman Hsu and Hillary Clinton

Norman Hsu booking photo (AFP/Getty Images)


Norman and Hillary's happy days


When Norman Hsu turned himself in to authorities yesterday, I'm sure Hillary Clinton wasn't smiling.

I doubt that others with Hsu's money in their campaign coffers, like Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, John Kerry, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Mary Landrieu and Al Franken, were happy.

Add the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to the list, too.

It's not good to have a campaign donor turn himself in on a grand theft charge, appear in court, be handcuffed, and held on $2 million bail. Then, there's also that annoying FBI investigation into Hsu's campaign donations.


Norman Hsu, 56, prepares to be taken into custody Friday on fraud charges at the San Mateo County Courthouse, where he later posted bail. The FBI has opened an investigation into Hsu’s campaign donations. (Robert Durell/LAT)

The Los Angeles Times asks the question: "How did Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign fail to see the red flags in Hsu's contributions?"

Good question.

Until this week, Clinton counted Hsu as one of her most prolific money bundlers. He gave her campaign $22,300, regularly appeared as a co-host for major fundraising lunches and dinners, and raised more than $100,000 from his friends for her presidential run.

"Obviously, we were all surprised by this news, and we have a procedure that we follow and upon verifying it, we returned his money," Clinton said this week.

When a campaign has attracted more than 500,000 donors, as Clinton's has, there is no way a candidate's staff can check out each contributor. Clinton and her aides said there was little they could have done to protect themselves, but fundraising experts from both parties pointed to warning signs that should have given aides pause.

"If I were raising money for the prohibitive front-runner for president of the United States, I would be very, very careful about who these donors are and do some level of research," said Marty Wilson, a Republican strategist and fundraiser for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and others.

The most obvious red flag: A check of a commonly used database produces a 1990 San Francisco Chronicle news story detailing how Norman Hsu had been kidnapped by gang members in the San Mateo County suburb of Foster City. A second widely used database discloses that Norman Yuan Yuen Hsu of Foster City had a bankruptcy in 1990.

Having established that he lived in San Mateo County, a check of the San Mateo County Superior Court's website reveals that Norman Yuan Yuen Hsu had a criminal case.

...In most instances, a donor's background is well-known. But if the person is not known to the campaign, that person will be vetted.

All major campaigns employ researchers who investigate their opponents, and pick over their candidates' donors, particularly those who are raising six-figure sums. Some campaigns retain consulting firms specifically to vet donors.

..."There is a concern, though nothing is proven, that there is some potential reimbursement of campaign contributions," said Richard L. Hasen, a Loyola Law School professor and election law expert. "Anytime you have an entire family or group of employees of apparently modest means making large contributions . . . it raises a red flag."

At an appearance in New York this week, Clinton vowed that her campaign would "continue to analyze all contributions and take action if that's warranted."

Hillary says she will continue to analyze all contributions?

She makes it sound as if her campaign checked Hsu out.

A few days ago, the LA Times reported:

"Norman Hsu is a longtime and generous supporter of the Democratic Party and its candidates, including Sen. Clinton," Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the campaign, said Tuesday.

"During Mr. Hsu's many years of active participation in the political process, there has been no question about his integrity or his commitment to playing by the rules, and we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question or to return them."

Does that mean the Hillary camp did a bad job of "analyzing" Hsu? Was front-runner Hillary's campaign sloppy?

That's the best case scenario.

Knowing that Hsu's money was dirty and accepting it anyway would be a real problem for Hillary and the Dems.

Hsu's money is all over the Democrat party. This isn't about an isolated bad donation to one candidate.

It's that cloud of corruption again.

It's that Clinton family cloud that hasn't dissipated since Bill became a public servant.
_______________________

Right from the Right has a chart of Hsu & Associates nationwide (state and federal) campaign contributions.

Looks like Hillary has the most to worry about.
______________________

Bill weighs in on Hsu.

Former President Bill Clinton said he was "shocked" by revelations that a top fundraiser for his wife is a fugitive from justice and claimed he didn't even know what "HillRaiser" Norman Hsu did for a living.

"You could have knocked me over with a straw, especially when I heard the L.A. people had been allegedly looking for him for 15 years when he was in plain view," he told Newsday while touring a county fair in rural New Hampshire Sunday.

"I never knew how he made a living or anything, but I was shocked," said Clinton of Hsu, who has made millions as an investor in tetxtile and other businesses.

...Clinton said it wasn't necessary to return $100,000 or more collected by Hsu from other donors.

"I think she did the right thing giving the money back pending resolution of his case," Clinton added. "If the other people say they gave the money of their own accord then I think she should keep it."

Hillary, David; David, Hillary

Helping David Letterman celebrate his 14 years on the air at CBS was none other than New York's distinguished senator, former first lady, and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Hillary dominated the show, getting three segments.

As Hillary came on stage, the band played Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run.

Kind of stupid.

Naturally, she was wearing a pantsuit. She looked sort of tired and bloated. Personally, I prefer to see baggy eyes than an immobilized Botoxed face.

After saying that she had been a guest on the show seven times, Hillary read jokes that Letterman had made about her pantsuits.

It seemed like a set-up. Remember the pop quiz Letterman gave Hillary during the 2000 campaign?

Hillary said she's a good campaigner, her best quality being stamina. God knows, staying married to Bill takes stamina.

Letterman asked her if she has any weaknesses as a campaigner.

After a pause, Hillary said, "Sure." Nothing more.

Big laugh.

Letterman mentioned that she's raised $6o million+ for her campaign.

Hillary admitted that it's an astronomical amount of money for a campaign.

She explained that the Supreme Court decided that political contributions are part of free speech.

She said, "As a senator, and hopefully as president, I will work to change that."

She wants a system of public financing.

Of course, there was no mention of Norman Hsu.


Letterman wanted to know if it's fun campaigning with Bill.

He asked, "Does he ever forget that he's not running?"

Hillary quipped, "Let me say, if the Constitution had not been amended to make it two terms, he might be running."

She went on to invite Letterman on the campaign trail. "It's fun. You should come with us sometime."

Yeah, right.

After the break, they talked a little about Chelsea.

Then Letterman asked, "What's the deal with Sen. Craig?"

The audience laughed but Hillary took the high road. Actually, given Bill's past indiscretions, it was the only road she could take.

She said, "I think it's very sad. I think it's a very sad story. I'm wishing the best for him and his family."

She said the voters of Idaho will have to handle the Craig matter, though I doubt Craig will ever be on a ballot again.

Next topic -- a woman as president.

Are we ready? Can we do it?

Hillary said, "We'll never know whether we can until we try."

She talked about the little girls that want to meet her, as if she's such an inspiring figure. She spoke of all the women in their 90s that want her to be president.

"I know this is a big deal that I might be the first woman president," Hillary said with all the gravitas that she could muster, which wasn't much.

Hillary said that being president is a tough job and being the first woman president would hold a special responsibility.

She said that it will be especially hard following President Bush and Vice President Cheney and rolled her eyes and nodded. Blah, blah, blah.

Letterman talked about Hillary being a Republican, that dark, scary past.

She talked about growing up in the Midwest, like Letterman. It sounded to me like she was courting flyover country bigtime.

In the third and final segment, the discussion was Iraq. Things got very serious.

Hillary said:

"There are no good options."

"But I think we need to begin to withdraw our troops now. Bring them home. Make it clear they're not going to continue to referee a civil war."

"There is no military solution."

She said that the troops performed heroically.

They were asked to bring Saddam Hussein to justice and they did. They made free elections happen. Hillary said we should be proud of the military.

Hillary was really in campaign stump speech mode.

Her carefully orchestrated visit with Letterman concluded on a lighter, albeit lame, note. She read her own top ten list.

My top ten campaign promises:

10. Bring civility and long term security to The View.

9. Each year on my birthday every American gets a cupcake.

8. You will have the option of rolling dice against the IRS for double or nothing on your taxes.

7. If you're having trouble getting a flight and Air Force One is available, it's yours.

6. My vice president will never shoot anybody in the face.

5. Turn Gitmo into a Dairy Queen as soon as possible.

4. You know for over a century there have been only two Dakotas; I plan to double that.

3. We will finally have a president who doesn't mind pulling over and asking for directions. (Hillary added, "Am I right, ladies?")

2. I will appoint a committee to find out what the heck is happening on Lost.

1. One more pantsuit joke and Letterman disappears.

Those are all better ideas than her plan to socialize medicine.
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Norman Hsu

Norman Who?

Let me guess how Hillary Clinton will react to the revelations about Norman Hsu:

"I could hardly breathe. Gulping for air, I started crying and yelling at him, 'What do you mean? What are you saying? Why did you lie to me?' I was furious and getting more so by the second."

Actually, I think the anger act would be her last resort.

For now, her campaign is acting clueless, standing by Hsu's integrity.

From the Los Angeles Times:

For the last 15 years, California authorities have been trying to figure out what happened to a businessman named Norman Hsu, who pleaded no contest to grand theft, agreed to serve up to three years in prison and then seemed to vanish.

"He is a fugitive," Ronald Smetana, who handled the case for the state attorney general, said in an interview. "Do you know where he is?"

Hsu, it seems, has been hiding in plain sight, at least for the last three years.

Since 2004, one Norman Hsu has been carving out a prominent place of honor among Democratic fundraisers. He has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions into party coffers, much of it earmarked for presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

In addition to making his own contributions, Hsu has honed the practice of assembling packets of checks from contributors who bear little resemblance to the usual Democratic deep pockets: A self-described apparel executive with a variety of business interests, Hsu has focused on delivering hefty contributions from citizens who live modest lives and are neophytes in the world of campaign giving.

On Tuesday, E. Lawrence Barcella Jr. -- a Washington lawyer who represents the Democratic fundraiser -- confirmed that Hsu was the same man who was involved in the California case. Barcella said his client did not remember pleading to a criminal charge and facing the prospect of jail time. Hsu remembers the episode as part of a settlement with creditors when he also went through bankruptcy, Barcella said.

...As a Democratic rainmaker, Hsu -- who graduated from UC Berkeley and the Wharton School of Business -- is credited with donating nearly $500,000 to national and local party candidates and their political committees in the last three years. He earned a place in the Clinton campaign's "HillRaiser" group by pledging to raise more than $100,000 for her presidential bid.

Records show that Hsu helped raise an additional $500,000 from other sources for Clinton and other Democrats.

"Norman Hsu is a longtime and generous supporter of the Democratic Party and its candidates, including Sen. Clinton," Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the campaign, said Tuesday.

"During Mr. Hsu's many years of active participation in the political process, there has been no question about his integrity or his commitment to playing by the rules, and we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question or to return them."

It's clear that Hillary is going to play the "I'm clueless" card -- AGAIN.

Her supporters don't seem to care when Hillary claims to be a victim.

Does the name David Rosen ring a bell?

If Hillary and her people are so stupid when it comes to fundraising, can she really be trusted to run the country?

If she's so willing to tolerate corruption in her campaign, what does that say about the sort of leadership we can expect from Hillary?

I guess it's says that she's a lot like Bill.

To quote Michelle Obama:

"If you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House."

My question for Hillary's supporters:

Is it worse for presidential candidate Hillary to be a liar, or to be so stupid that she doesn't realize people are lying?
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UPDATE: Change of plans at Hillary headquarters--

WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will give to charity the $23,000 in donations she has received from a fundraiser who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge.

The decision came Wednesday as other Democrats began distancing themselves from Norman Hsu, whose legal encounters and links to other Democratic donors have drawn public scrutiny in the past two days.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., also planned to turn over Hsu contributions to his 2004 presidential campaign to charity. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Al Franken, a Senate candidate in Minnesota, Reps. Michael Honda and Doris Matsui of California and Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania said they would divest their campaigns of Hsu's donations as well.

Hsu is a fundraiser for Clinton and is described as a devoted fan of the presidential candidate and New York senator. He had planned to co-host a money event for Clinton on Sept. 30. In a statement Wednesday, Hsu said he believed he had resolved his legal issues, but said he would halt his work raising political money.

"I would not consciously subject any of the candidates and causes in which I believe to any harm through my actions," he said. "Therefore, until this matter is resolved, I intend to refrain from all fundraising activities on behalf of all candidates and causes."

Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said the $23,000 included contributions from Hsu to Clinton's presidential campaign, her Senate re-election and her political action committee. The campaign did not plan to return any money Hsu raised from other donors, Singer said.

"In light of the information regarding Mr. Hsu's outstanding warrant in California, we will be giving his contribution to charity," Singer said.

Yesterday, campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said there was no plan to return any money.

Today, Hillary camp's is giving up some money. The decision to hand over $23,000 of the donations from Hsu to charity is a poor attempt to distance Hillary from the impropriety.

That sum is just a drop in her bucket.

Given how many candidates are connected to Hsu's dirty money, I think this story should be far more significant in terms of the 2008 political landscape than Larry Craig's airport bathroom behavior.

It should be but it won't be. The media are having way too much fun playing up Craig's case.
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More on the mysterious Mr. Hsu:

Money has brought both trappings and trouble for Norman Hsu. Major contributions to the campaigns of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and other candidates have made the apparel executive an insider in elite political circles. He shows up in cozy pictures with politicians, at lavish fundraising events, and on the boards of prestigious organizations.

But Hsu's history includes more unsavory episodes and associations. In 1990, he allegedly was kidnapped by Chinese gang members in San Francisco as part of an apparent effort to collect a debt. A year and a half later, he pleaded no contest to a charge of fleecing investors in what authorities called a Ponzi scheme of fraud. Along the way, he left a bankruptcy filing and bitter investors who accused him of making off with their savings.

...Court documents and interviews with close associates of Hsu have shed considerable light on his unlikely emergence as a major Democratic fundraiser. But much of Hsu's story remains a mystery -- including how to account for significant gaps on his resume and record, and where he got all the money that he has showered on Democratic candidates and causes.

Clinton and other candidates have scrambled to distance themselves from Hsu's money. At a New York event Thursday, Clinton said: "I wish Mr. Hsu well in dealing with the problems he's confronting."

But he has powerful defenders. Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) said in an interview that Hsu was being pilloried unfairly.

"This isn't Osama bin Laden or some drug kingpin," Kerrey said. "What he's done is he's volunteered to help people raise money for their campaigns. That doesn't make him either unique or bad."

...Records indicate that he didn't make his first federal campaign contribution until 2003, when he gave $2,000 to the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). Hsu rapidly established himself as a major donor, contributing to an array of Democrats -- including California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Louisiana Sen. Mary L. Landrieu and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

All have said in recent days that they plan to divest their campaigns of Hsu's donations.

Hsu has donated or raised more than $1 million for Democrats and their causes, often delivering large donations from multiple individuals. Some of these "bundled" contributions have raised suspicions. In particular, Hsu has worked closely with a family in Daly City, Calif., headed by William Paw, a mail carrier, and his wife, Alice, who is listed as a homemaker.

The Paws apparently never donated to national candidates until 2004. Since then, they have given $213,000, including $55,000 to Clinton. Barcella denies Hsu provided money for the contributions, which would violate federal law. The Paws, Barcella said, "have the financial wherewithal to make their own donations."

Who is Hsu?

Very strange. Very mysterious. Probably very corrupt.
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