Hillary's Advantage

Hillary Rodham Clinton has a huge advantage over the other Democrat candidates. That is, unless the others can produce a brother with the potential to embarrass them if they get elected President. Every Democrat President in the last 40 years has been embarrassed by a brother. Well, actually there have only been two Democrat Presidents in almost 40 years, but that's another story.

Billy Carter set the bar high for embarrassing presidential brothers. He launched "Billy Beer" hoping to capitalize on his exposure as the President's brother and his reputation as a beer drinker. He traveled to Libya several times and became a paid, registered agent for Libya at a time when relations between the US and Libya were tense. He once urinated on an airport runway in full view of the press and dignitaries. He was always ready to offer his opinion on any subject. (Now, I'm convinced that Billy would have been a better President than Jimmy.)

But Roger Clinton moved the bar up a notch or two. He formed a rock band that went nowhere. He appeared as a guest on several television shows and had a role in some obscure movie. He was arrested for cocaine possession and served time in prison. Bill pardoned Roger for that crime before he left office. There are allegations that he had a role in obtaining pardons for several other shady characters.

From The New Republic on Tony Rodham's involvement in Bill Clinton's pardoning of some carnival operators convicted of bank fraud:

Tony's Carneygate trial could hardly come at a worse time for Hillary Clinton. Not that she's unused to her brothers being a liability: Throughout the Clinton presidency, the bizarre antics of second-born Hugh and baby brother Tony often left Hillary chagrined and apologetic. From wacky business schemes to ill-fated Senate runs, the Brothers Rodham--as they were known among White House staffers--engaged in one embarrassing shenanigan after another, often brazenly cashing in on their connection to the Clintons. As one former White House official recalled in 2001, "You never wanted to hear their name come up in any context other than playing golf."

Given that having an embarrassing brother seems to be a prerequisite for a Democrat President, I would argue that this comes at the best time for Hillary. And if one embarrassing brother is an asset, just imagine what she can do with two.

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