NEWS AND OPINION:
When it was released in May, The New York Times called “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich” by Peter Schweizer “the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle.” Here comes part two. Just in time to attract millennial voters, it’s “Clinton Cash: The Graphic Novel” from Regnery Publishing.
Mr. Schweizer has teamed up with comic book writer Chuck Dixon and artist Brett R. Smith to adapt his investigative work into a 112-page expose. His collaborators are DC Comics veterans, producing fare for such characters as Batman, Nightwing and The Punisher. The graphic version will be published Aug. 8 and is now ready for preorder.
“It would be hilarious — if only it weren’t so horrifying,” the publisher notes.
And on a semirelated subject, Dinesh D’Souza’s new documentary, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party,” is currently showing in 1,200 theaters around the nation, according to Variety, which now deems Mr. D’Souza “the Michael Moore of the right.”
GLORIA ALLRED ON TRUMP PATROL
Feminist lawyer Gloria Allred is among the delegates to attend the Democratic National Convention this week, representing the 33rd Congressional District in California — and eager to nominate Hillary Clinton. Ms. Allred describes herself as “the only Hillary delegate who has ever won a legal battle against Donald Trump,” the Republican presidential nominee, according to a press release from the lawyer.
Four years ago, she represented Canadian transgender model Jenna Talackova, who was disqualified from the Miss Universe pageant after officials learned that she “had been born with a penis.” At the time, Mr. Trump owned the pageant, which required contestants to be a “naturally born female.” It’s complicated.
“After a high profile public battle between Ms. Allred and Mr. Trump which involved arguments about Mr. Trump’s penis as well as the genitals of Ms. Allred’s client, Jenna was reinstated and the rule was eliminated. Ms. Allred is now looking forward to fighting for Hillary against Trump,” the press release states.
’UNDER-VACATIONED AMERICANS’
Uncomfortable taking a vacation? So are 55 percent of other Americans who seriously cut back on their time off, according to a GFK survey of 5,600 employees. The findings revealed that the average worker took 16 days of vacation in 2015, leaving a grand collective total of 658 million vacation days unused. The survey says this population represents “under-vacationed Americans.” See the Poll du Jour at column’s end for the top reasons why people skimped on vacations. There’s also an economic dynamic, the researchers say.
“The more than 600 million unused vacation days represent billions in lost economic potential. Had Americans used the vacation time they earned in 2015, it would have meant $223 billion in spending for the U.S. economy. Servicing the needs of those unused vacation days would have created 1.6 million jobs, resulting in $65 billion in additional income. If Americans were to just use one more day, it would be $34 billion in total spending for the U.S. economy,” the survey analysis notes.
AWKWARD MONDAY
So much for a no-drama convention. President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Michael Bloomberg are among the luminaries set to speak at the Democratic National Convention.
In a case of inopportune timing, Sen. Bernie Sanders will be in the first wave of speakers on Monday, this following controversy over leaked Democratic Party emails suggesting there was official bias against Mr. Sanders and a “rigged” campaign. He goes on just before Mrs. Obama at night’s end. Awkward, but the show must go on.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sanders dutifully made the Sunday talk show rounds, expressed his disappointment over the emails and his annoyance that Sen. Tim Kaine was Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Meanwhile, the Green Party is urging Mr. Sanders to join up with its independent efforts, just in case he wants to reinvent his presidential campaign. And that is Day One for the Dems.
KAINE’S PRO-LIFE REALITY CHECK
Some advise parsing the pro-life record of Sen. Tim Kaine with care, now that the lawmaker from Virginia has become Hillary Clinton’s running mate.
“Sen. Kaine says he’s personally pro-life, but the abortion lobby has nothing to worry about. There is absolutely no daylight between Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton on abortion. Sen. Kaine has sponsored legislation to wipe out every state pro-life law on the books, and even opposed a common ground ban on painful late-term abortions more than halfway through pregnancy,” says Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List.
“Thirty-two percent of Democrats consider themselves pro-life, according to Gallup, but these days even the slightest diversion from the modern-day Democratic Party abortion orthodoxy is punished. Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are pushing the Democratic Party further and further to the extreme on abortion,” Mrs. Dannenfelser notes. “We are confident that their position in support of abortion on demand, up until the moment of birth, at taxpayer’s expense, will be rejected at the ballot box.”
POLL DU JOUR
• 65 percent of U.S. workers receive “mixed messages” from employers about taking time off.
• 37 percent say they don’t take vacations because they can’t face returning “to a mountain of work.”
• 30 percent say no one else can do their job; 30 percent don’t have the money to take a vacation.
• 22 percent say skipping a vacation is a way to show “complete dedication.”
• 19 percent don’t want to be seen as “replaceable.”
Source: A GFK “Project Time Off” survey of 5,641 U.S. workers conducted Jan. 20 to Feb. 16 and released Friday.
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• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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