Bill Clinton Becomes Ill on Trip Down Under

NewsMax ^ | 2/22/06

[areafiftyone]

Former President Clinton toughed it out as long as he could today, speaking to a group of 1,000 business people in the morning and making it to a separate function with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer before he had to beg off other engagements due to illness.

The Australian Associated Press reports that Clinton excused himself from a press conference, and headed off to his hotel room surrounded by secret service agents.

"I don't think he's been feeling very well for the last couple of days," Downer told reporters.

"It wasn't anything major, he's just been to India and then came here," said Max Markson, who arranged Clinton's trip Down Under. "He just felt a bit sick yesterday and spent most of the day in bed. He was just a bit tired."

"The international statesman was in Sydney for a whirlwind visit to address a major business summit and sign a $25 million agreement with the Australian government to tackle HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region," reports the AAP, after having been in India and Pakistan the week before.

Clinton has been on jetting around the world recently to promote the work of his William J. Clinton Foundation in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

On Tuesday, before falling ill, Clinton seemed fine, and answered myriad questions from reporters and others at the Global Business Forum on everything from the Muhammad cartoon issue to the War on Terror.

He opined:

• On Global Warming: "Countries [need to] unite and fight the problem of global warming, just as they have done to tackle terrorism," reports the AAP.

• On the Muhammad Cartoons: "I think that we ought to have such an attempt to take all of this brouhaha ... and use it to force a dialogue. We could use this thing to build bridges instead of burning them and we need to do that more."

• On Hillary 2008: ""I have no idea if she's going to run, I really don't," he said.

• On his role were she president: "I don't have a clue, but I would probably treat her the same way I do President Bush, that is, I believe if you are an American and the president asks you to do something that's in good conscience and you can do it, you should."

[Panerai]

"Bill Clinton Becomes Ill on Trip Down Under" :) This can have more than one meaning.

[Owen]

I will say this, and not in defense of Clinton, particularly.

Times have changed. Airline schedules make things possible that were not possible in the past. Clinton and Carter gallop about and seem to want their faces on TV all the time and are irritating in the context that "other former presidents don't do this".

Well, other former presidents of the past didn't have the travel infrastructure that exists today. Bush Sr. is a great deal older than Clinton and even he made tsunami trips and got TV face time. Carter has been doing this stuff since he left office, but again because he was young enough and because airlines made it possible.

Point being, the role of ex presidents will not always be what the past defined.

[mkjessup]

Maybe Bill was invited to observe the aboriginal ritual of "pointing the bone" and he said "HYUK! That ain't the way we do it in Arkansas, here lemme show ya....!"

Seriously, he probably has jet lag or ate something that didn't agree with him. He'll be ok.

[nuconvert]

Food poisoning from the wedding in India?

[brewcrew]

Doesn't his illegitimate son Danny live in Australia? Maybe he went for a visit, and feigned illness is the perfect cover to get away to see him. Or his mother, who also lives there as well, I believe.

[Dawgreg]

So what's new? His lips were moving weren't they? *~*

[small voice in the wilderness]

...you can't mean that...it would mean a 2-year funeral, burial just before election day '08. The dems. would haul him all over the world, reading his Last Will and Testament at every stop, where he leaves the unneeded 1996 Presidential votes to Hillary. Of course, his last words were "Please let the madness end. My life for my wife. Vote Hillary." All clinton, all the time. Both of them. Please don't wish that on us!

[bushisforpeace]

Good...maybe the traitor-in-chief will croak.

Don't be too gleeful, if he dies the canonization will last for weeks, there will be no reminders of how awful things were when he was president. It could really hurt the fall elections.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Bill Clinton Becomes Ill on Trip Down Under"

Something that, to the best of our knowledge, can't be said about Monica.

[areafiftyone]

I wouldn't be surprised. India and Pakistan are not exactly the kind of countries you'll come back from fit as a fiddle if you eat their food or even attempt to drink their water.

[Eagles Talon IV]

My prediction.

Hillary wins nomination, poll numbers in general election not looking to good even with lib media bias factored in polls. About 3-4 weeks before election day Bill Clinton is rushed to hospital with what may be a heart attack or other serious malady. Doctor's can't seem to find out the problem and Clinton's condition is reported as worsening. Hillary rushes to his side and tearfully sits by him holding his hand and wiping his fevered brow. Of course this is played by the msm 24/7 and all comment about the strength of this woman, and her dedication to this man she has been through so much with over the years.

I really believe this will come to pass. Will it work? Who knows, but with the foolish "feel good", Hollywood style fairy tale book mentality of so many Americans I wouldn't rule it out.

[small voice in the wilderness]

I believe that, too. As I've said before: Hillary becomes the first Black Widow President. She's spinning the web as we speak..

[hgro]

He's been overdoing it.

Lets see, how old is BJ? Fiftynine (59) I think. That means he has been overdoing "it" for 59 years.

[G.Mason]

I certainly do hope it isn't anything life threatening! < /sarcasm >

[N. Theknow]

"The international statesman was in Sydney for a whirlwind visit to address a major business summit

What the Hell does he know about business?

International statesman? Good Gawd!

[N. Theknow]

"The international statesman was in Sydney for a whirlwind visit to address a major business summit

What the Hell does he know about business?

International statesman? Good Gawd!

[Lx]

That's for sure, he looks older than GH Bush. I'd sure hate to be his cardiologist.

He needs to relax and remember he's had a multiple bypass.

[el_texicano]

Yeah, I can just see the traitor-in-chief's headstone now. Shows an open zipper with the words beneath it saying, "Kiss it". What a legacy...

[colonialhk]

Bird Flu mate....too many birds down unda!