The American Spectator

Is the Sequester the chance for Bill Clinton to bond with Fox’s Eric Bolling and Sean Hannity?

Bill Clinton — our former president who loves to say taxes should be raised on the rich and that he is rich and doesn’t mind paying more — has a new challenge.

This is the same former President Clinton who wrote a book called Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. In which the ex-president discussed the importance of individual giving.

Well, OK. Got the message. So the question?

Will the self-admitted rich guy Bill Clinton join Fox’s Eric Bolling and Sean Hannity in putting up the bucks so Iowa school kids – and others – can tour the White House?

You know how the former president loves to say he doesn’t need a tax cut because he’s done so well? In fact, as reported by the McClatchy newspapers back in 2008 when wife and then-Senator Hillary Clinton was running for president and had to actually reveal some tax returns, it turns out that:

The Clintons’ tax returns show that Bill Clinton earned nearly $51 million from 2004 through 2006.

Who knows how much has accumulated in the Clinton bank account since then — and who cares?

Between the ex-president’s tax returns and his constant joking — as in here where he joshed of his wealth:

“I never had any money until I got out of the White House, you know, but I’ve done reasonably well since then.”

 …well, we get the message. Bill has the bucks. Clinton has said some version of this repeatedly over the years as he has made the Obama case for taxing the rich. He begs: raise my taxes.

That being the case — the obvious:

As a rich ex-president who loves to challenge the rich to pay more, will Bill Clinton join Fox’s Eric Bolling and Sean Hannity in making a solo pledge of $74,000 to keep the White House tours open for his less wealthy fellow Americans? Like these school kids in as reported by ABC News?

So. This will be interesting.

On Wednesday night Clinton’s old sparring partner, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, went on Fox’s Greta Van Susteren show to say he imagined there were three or four people who could afford to get the White House tours running again.

Within less than 24 hours Eric Bolling was making his pledge on The Five, saying directly to the President and his press secretary Jay Carney:

“I’ll make you a deal Mr. President… Let these families take their White House tours next week and I’ll cover the added expenses. Word is it will cost around $74,000…. Mr. Carney, you know this an offer you can’t refuse. Give me a call.”

 Within minutes, Sean Hannity tweeted:

seanhannity. @ericbolling great idea! Count me in, I will pay for a week also!

So. Bolling and Hannity have now stepped forward.

The obvious question?

Will President Clinton step forward and do the giving needed to help all these American kids who want to visit the White House?

Stay tuned.