Conspiracy Watch: Bill and Hill’s Thrill Kill

From the January/February 2008 issue.

Illustration: Peter Hoey

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THE CONSPIRACY: Over the years, Bill and Hillary Clinton have knocked off dozens of people who have stood in their way. The trail of mayhem was uncovered in 1993, when a right-wing group called the American Justice Federation compiled “Coincidence or the Kiss of Death?” It listed 21 Clinton colleagues and acquaintances who had died “mysteriously” in what appeared to be run-of-the-mill heart attacks, suicides, and plane crashes. The “Clinton Body Count” became an Internet phenomenon, but died off after they left the White House. When Hillary announced her presidential bid last January, an expanded version of the body count started making the rounds. Could this be why Barack Obama requested protection from the Secret Service months before candidates usually do?

THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS: There’s speculation that rival political operatives have revived the list. It’s also received a nod from conservative commentators such as Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter, who quipped, “If you attack the Clintons publicly, make sure all your friends know that you are not planning suicide.”

MEANWHILE, BACK ON EARTH: As we went to press, Coulter had not yet offed herself.

Kookiness Rating: tin foil hattin foil hattin foil hattin foil hattin foil hat (1=maybe they’re on to something, 5=break out the tinfoil hat!)

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THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

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So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

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