Former President Bill Clinton has been selected for the 2013 Father of the Year Award
Just when you think the spotlight might turn away from Bill Clinton, it doesn’t. Clinton’s larger-than-life post-presidency and post-political season has been extended to honor his philanthropic work and his statesmanship as the 2013 Father of the Year.
“We are extremely honored to have President Clinton accept this award for Father of the Year,” said Dan Orwig, Chairman of the National Father’s Day Committee. “With the profound generosity, leadership and tireless dedication to both his public office and many philanthropic organizations, President Clinton exemplifies the attributes that we celebrate through the father of the year award.”
The fete on Tuesday, June 11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in NYC will honor President Clinton and a handful of other dignitary fathers, yet to be determined.
The 72 Annual Father of the Year Award, bestowed by the National Father’s Day Council, historically celebrates high-profile members of society, including athletes, politicians, artists, CEOs—the type of people that will raise the profile of Father’s Day and entice donors to contribute to that year’s charitable organization. The council has raised $30 million to date in support of “meaningful philanthropies dealing with issues affecting mothers, fathers and children.” This year it is Save The Children.
The organization also hosts regional events around Father’s Day to recognize “numerous men from across the nation for the outstanding strength, commitment and love they exhibit as fathers. These men have not only attained success in their chosen field or endeavor, but carved out time to teach and mature their children while also becoming good citizens and proud members of the community.” The Ashok Sani All-Star Dad, awarded to a non-celebrity dad, has yet to be determined.
Wife Hillary Clinton will be resigning her post as Secretary of State to John Kerry on Monday, January 21, at President Obama’s re-inauguration. Whew. The Clintons are never out of the picture long. Former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton—only child of the Clintons—will be 33 in February, and the tabloids are pushing for a pregnancy like a fretful grandmother.
—photo by jurvetson/Flickr
“The council has raised $30 million to date in support of “meaningful philanthropies dealing with issues affecting mothers, fathers and children.”
I found this line kind of ODD, perhaps it is just me. Notice MOTHERS are first , hell even children are last. This is for “FATHERS DAY” and they still couldn’t see fit to put fathers first.
Hilary is never happy.
Ditto. I loved him as a politician, but as a family man/father figure? Uh, no. In fact, the choice seems so geared to fundraising (vs mission) it makes me think less of the organization.
I hear you, Elizabeth. They’re using the big fish to catch the big fish. It’d be cool if he introduced or handed over the Ashok Sani All-Star Dad award to the “regular guy” dad whose fatherly acts are most remarkable.
The White House Travel Office issue, when the the Cs were first inaugurated sealed it for me.
No other fathers? Nobody who’s been faithful? It’s one thing to want a high-profile figure, but it’s another to make a good father hope he’s never nominated.
Because an invented non-scandal has everything to do with whether Bill’s a good father, right?
copy. Caution. I’m one of the few who watches C-Span. So, as to the travel office issue, if that’s your reference, here’s what happened. The Cs wanted the business for their buddies–Bloodworth-Thomason, iirc–and fired the WH travel office guys. Bad enough. But then, to make it stink, they sicced the FBI on them and did a false prosecution. The jury was out long enough to go to the bathroom–saw through the thing–and exonerated the entire bunch. But they were damn’ near bankrupted by legal fees. This is, the lesson went, what happens when you’re in the way. Beware, copy, I… Read more »
So… you’re all excited about the travel office stuff, yet unable to explain what possible bearing it has on Clinton’s parenting. Sorry, I’m not impressed.
Copy
Apparently I can’t explain it to you.
Now that you know I know about the travel office issue, you switch to being unable to understand why a vile, dishonest, scheming bastard who, as practically his first order of business was to fire long-time employees in favor of a friend, and who, further unnecessarily put them through the difficulties and expenses of a federal prosecution just for grits and shins, and because that’s what power is all about, baby might not be impressive as a father.
Well, perhaps you don’t understand.
I understand just fine–you’re trying to dismiss his parenting skills based on your political hatred of the man. It’s obvious and fairly pathetic.
Copy. Parenting skills include–maybe this was last century–providing an example of morality and integrity. Yeah, that sure sounds last-century to me. The travel office issue wasn’t political. It was simply greed and abuse of power and spite. Nothing to do with politics. So Chelsea can think her dad screwed over half a dozen guys who were employed in an inoffensive role in the government, did it for their well-connected friends, put the guys’ families in an economic bind, then went further and sicced the fibbies on them for fun and, gee, Dad, I love how you show me how to… Read more »
I was never someone who hated Bill Clinton or called him Slick Willy or anything like that. I don’t think he’s the worst, slimy-est politician ever or the worst father ever. I’m sort of agnostic about the good/evil of the Clinton family. But, seriously, there must be almost 100 million dads in the U.S. and billions of dads in the world, and out of all of those Bill Clinton is the best choice? Sit down with a random week of The New York Times and you’ll find a bunch of clearer, though less well-known, candidates. Perhaps the organization is trying… Read more »
Clinton will be a big draw for generous crowd–he’s a great land for the National Father’s Day Council. He’ll help them make money for a great cause. So he’s got one child who’s 33. Not the first type of guy you’d think of for father of the year award, but it’ll help the cause.
Whether it will help the cause will be seen. That they clearly chose a man for publicity and not for integrity speaks of the credibility of the agency.