Lets turn now to

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Let’s turn now to the increasingly notorious Hillary Clinton book deal. My understanding was always that Newt Gingrich got in trouble for his book deal because he basically cut the deal with Rupert Murdoch’s lobbyist. It wasn’t an open bid. It was a sweetheart deal.

Hillary’s book deal was the product of an open bid. So what exactly is the problem?

Yes, she should probably recuse herself from legislation directly affecting Viacom. But can’t she write a book? Shouldn’t she be able to make money from it? (Trust me: I know some folks at the Clinton Legal Expense Trust. They really need the money.) Does anyone doubt that a book in which Hillary discusses her marriage will sell about a gazillion copies? Does anyone doubt that it will sell more copies than Newt Gingrich’s tome about third-wave, information age, opportunity-society claptrap and how it relates to dinosaurs?

No, I didn’t think so.

Maybe there’s something wrong with the book deal. Maybe she shouldn’t have accepted an advance. But Newt’s book deal just doesn’t seem like an apt comparison.

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