On the Thursday edition of NBC’s Late Night, host Seth Meyers jumped aboard the Clinton campaign’s push to discredit the upcoming book Clinton Cash by Peter Schweizer by mocking Schweizer’s background, previous book titles, and chalking the book up to be nothing more than the latest work from “the cottage industry of anti-Clinton books that come out every year.”
Dubbed the topic of the latest “A Closer Look” segment, Meyers introducted the book and that it’s been mentioned in the news before making a Game of Thrones reference to go after the GOP: “Now, when a new anti-Clinton book comes out certain people get very excited. To put it in Game of Thrones terms, Republicans are treating this book like summer is coming.”
Moving to Schweizer himself, Meyers noted his time in the Bush administration and as an advisor to Sarah Palin before mocking his two of his previous books for having long titles to set up the assertion that he’s not very credible: “So, clearly, it's hard to tell if he has any bias.”
Meyers followed that up with a few jokes and used a direct quote from the author to argue that the Clinton Foundation donors didn’t result in favorable treatment by the Clintons. To his credit, he did spend a few moments giving background information on one of the organizations that donated millions of dollars to the foundation after being under investigation for crimes against humanity while doing business in the Congo.
However, it was short-lived as the liberal late-night comedy host returned to using humor to try and discredit the allegations made in Clinton Cash:
It's certainly fair to raise questions about the donations to the Clinton Foundation, but it's also fair to be suspicious of the cottage industry of anti-Clinton books that come out every year. Not that I can completely blame the people that write them. There are only three kinds of books that still sell: Books about wizards, books about bondage, and books about the Clintons. [LAUGHTER] is why the next book I'm writing is, 50 Shades of Bill: Prisoner of Azkaban. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
Speaking of a “cottage industry” for books, it’s funny that Meyers failed to mention the plethora of anti-George W. Bush books that came out during his presidency (with many coming from members of the mainstream media).
On the other hand, it’s not surprising at all when one considers the fact that Meyers kissed up to the Clintons in September when he hosted a Clinton Global Initiative awards banquet. So, when it comes to discrediting opponents of the Clintons, Meyers fits the bill as the perfect late night comic to push their talking points.
Meyers then concluded with some fawning words for the Democratic presidential candidate by touting her as someone immune to criticism:
Clinton Cash comes out on May 5th and it will interesting to see if any of the allegations hold up under scrutiny. If they do, the question will be, will they affect Hillary's campaign. They might not. She's been attacked for 25 years. It's possible she’s built up an immunity to everything. [LAUGHTER] At this point, she could walk into Disneyland, lick the handrails at Space Mountain and walk out with a clean bill of health. [LAUGHTER] And if this book doesn't hold up to fact checks and inspection, I wouldn't sweat it, I'm sure another anti-Clinton book will be in store soon.
The relevant portion of the transcript from NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers on April 24 can be found below.
NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers
April 24, 2015
12:43 a.m. Eastern
SETH MEYERS: Moving on, everyone, it was reported this week that author, Peter Schweizer, has written a new book titled, Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich. As for what’s in this book and why everyone is talking about it, it's time for a closer look. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Now, when a new anti-Clinton book comes out certain people get very excited. To put it in Game of Thrones terms, Republicans are treating this book like summer is coming. [LAUGHING] Schweizer was a consultant to the Bush administration from 2008-2009 and more recently advised Sarah Palin on foreign policy. Some of his previous books include, Do as I Say, Not as I Do: Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy and the more succinctly titled, and this real, Makers and Takers: Why Conservatives Work Harder, Feel Happier, Have Closer Families, Take Fewer Drugs, Give More Generously, Value Honesty More, Are Less Materialistic and Envious, Whine Less, and Even Hug Their Children More than Liberals. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
So, clearly, it's hard to tell if he has any bias. [LAUGHTER] And as for the accusation that liberals whine, I don't think that's very fair! [LAUGHTER] Some have said his new book only makes loose connections rather than proves anything, up to and including the author himself who said: “Short of someone involved coming forward to give sworn testimony, we don't know what might or might not have been said in private conversations. The exact nature of the transaction or why people in power make the decisions they do.” That quote, coincidently, is also the title of Schweizer's next book. [LAUGHTER] Hillary Clinton's press secretary has dismissed the book as a smear job without a shred of evidence, but there are troubling allegations for Hillary in the book. Many of which are being followed up and reported on news outlets such as The New York Times, which wrote a story today about the chairman of a uranium company who made a previously undisclosed donation to the Clinton Foundation just as the State Department was approving the sale of that company to Russia and let me just say, if there's something dirty about the sale of uranium to the Russians, then I just don't know what to believe anymore. [LAUGHTER] The book also claims that, in 2007, the Clinton Foundation took $100 million from a Swedish oil company called the Lundin Group which was later investigated for war crimes and crimes against humanity and made huge profits in the Congo. You know, as a rule, it's probably not smart to deal with companies who do business in the Congo and have generic names like the Lundin Group. [LAUGHTER]
[IN SMALL CHILD’s VOICE] “Where is papa?” [IN FOREIGN-ACCENT] “He was taken – by the Lundin Group.” [LAUGHTER] The book also draws attention to the fact that Bill Clinton made a total of $104.9 million dollars in speaking fees from 2001-2013. Which is insane to me because I assumed you had to give him money to stop him from talking. [LAUGHTER] We can get Bill Clinton to speak from $150,000 or if we're looking to save money, we could just ask him a question and then sit back and enjoy the show. [LAUGHTER] It's certainly fair to raise questions about the donations to the Clinton Foundation, but it's also fair to be suspicious of the cottage industry of anti-Clinton books that come out every year. Not that I can completely blame the people that write them. There are only three kinds of books that still sell: Books about wizards, books about bondage, and books about the Clintons. [LAUGHTER] is why the next book I'm writing is, 50 Shades of Bill: Prisoner of Azkaban. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
Clinton Cash comes out on May 5th and it will interesting to see if any of the allegations hold up under scrutiny. If they do, the question will be, will they affect Hillary's campaign. They might not. She's been attacked for 25 years. It's possible she’s built up an immunity to everything. [LAUGHTER] At this point, she could walk into Disneyland, lick the handrails at Space Mountain and walk out with a clean bill of health. [LAUGHTER] And if this book doesn't hold up to fact checks and inspection, I wouldn't sweat it, I'm sure another anti-Clinton book will be in store soon.
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[LAUGHTER] This has been a closer look.
