back to article Missing moon rock found among Clinton's knickknacks

A missing moon rock has been found gathering dust in a box of Bill Clinton's papers from his time as the governor of Arkansas. The space stone, which was brought back from the Apollo 17 mission and presented to the state in the 1970s, is worth millions of dollars. It's one of the so-called Goodwill Moon Rocks, which came from …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Jolyon Ralph

    The Colorado one

    is now proudly on display at the Colorado School of mines museum, where I saw it last week!

  2. Ally J
    Facepalm

    Cue right-wing Tea Partiers going mental in 5 - 4 - 3

    2 - 1

    "Clinton stole priceless items belonging to teh country!" and so on.

    1. Naughtyhorse
      Joke

      not so sure...

      such a claim by tea partiers would presuppose the moon not being made of cheese, and i'm pretty sure it says in that there book of theirs that it is.

      1. WonkoTheSane
        Trollface

        @Naughtyhorse

        "such a claim by tea partiers would be admitting man went there, and i'm pretty sure it says in that there book of theirs that we didn't."

        Fixed that for you.

        1. Naughtyhorse

          TY

          :-D

    2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Holmes

      Actually...

      This is true. I remember that when President Clinton had to vacate the White House, quite a lot of stuff was "liberated" from the mansion.

      Coz this doesn't beat Cheney taking the Vice Presidential papers with him and burying them in his private home.

    3. unitron

      Whereas with the 2 Republicans mentioned in the article...

      ...it was obviously all just a misunderstanding, an honest mistake.

      Where's the "How Fox News will spin it" icon when you need it?

      1. perlcat
        Trollface

        Oh, good grief.

        If you can't come up with a valid critique of the Tea Party, just imply that they would be upset about it, run with that. No need for facts here at all, is there?

        No TPM that I've talked to is surprised at all, or even incensed about it. The problem they have isn't with liberals or the Clintons -- it is crony capitalism and politics in general. While finding this in Clinton's papers is snarkworthy, it clearly isn't Sandy Berger style kleptomania -- just an oversight. In all probability, some staffer had absolutely no idea that it had any significance, and just threw it in the box on the way out. If Slick Willy had kept this for himself, you wouldn't have found it where they found it. (They never *did* find the 'W' keys, and I thought it was funny, even though I am sort of on the right end of the spectrum -- I can just hear Clinton saying 'U mad, bro?') He's way too smart to hang onto something as identifiable as that.

  3. Flugal
    Trollface

    No no

    They never went to the moon. Most likely explanation it was given to Clinton by God.

  4. peyton?
    Mushroom

    Despite having no recollection...

    Is this really a surprise?? These are governors. I'm amazed they can remember how to find their way to the capitol.

    1. Apocalypse Later

      recollection

      They do get handed an awful lot of plaques.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They can remember how to get to the capitol because that is where they get the paycheck from

      1. Goat Jam

        I thought

        they all had chauffeured limousines and it was the driver who had had some sort of clue.

  5. Hud Dunlap
    FAIL

    Discussing where it goes???

    It belongs to the State of Arkansas not Clinton. There is not question that it does not belong in the Clinton Library.

  6. deshepherd

    When I was at school 30-ish years ago we had a visit from one of the Astronauts who'd been to the moon who gave a lecture about his experiences. In questions afterwards someone asked him if he'd brought any moon rock as a souvenier for himself and he said no that hadn't been allowed and in any case "moon rock just looks like rock ... I show you a piece of rock I said I brought from the moon but you couldn't tell whether that was true or whether I'd just picked it up out of my garden as it would look the same"

  7. miknik
    FAIL

    Who paid to get that rock?

    The public paid, so they should be on public display. Not given to a load of ungrateful dignitaries and politicians who don't even appreciate it.. Thats the problem with politics, the things which are done for the greater good always seem to give perks to the powerful few.

    1. unitron

      Here, fixed that for you

      "Thats the problem with politics, the things which are..." ...*said* to have been... "... done for the greater good always seem to give perks to the powerful few."

      (For sufficiently intentionally and deliberately misleading values of 'said to have been')

  8. geeyore

    Even though politicians are inherently untrustworthy, the plaques were given out 35 years ago and so in some cases it probably was just forgetfulness or an oversight. But the Clinton administration did run a documented sacking of White House furniture and accessories as they moved out and George W Bush moved in.

    Also the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum displayed a small moon rock inside the entrance door for many years. It looked like any rock that you might have picked up from the ground outside the entrance door.

  9. redhunter

    What? I don't get to keep the governor's mansion?

    viously the Clintons and most all other politicians have a very difficult time distinquisihing between state property (aka: taxpayer property) and personal assets.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bloody hell...

    ... worth millions and he forgot about it? Left it in a box?

    Different world to the one I live in.

  11. This post has been deleted by its author

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Clinton and aides didn't trash the white house

    I know he's not a neutral but I don't see why he would pick something easily disprovable for his book. According to Al Franken (Lies and the lying liars who tell them) the trashing of the White House by outgoing Democrats never happened it was a pure team Bush lie. He said that there was an official investigation that found nothing had actually happened.

    It sounds like the rock should belong to Arkansas but it does also sound like it was forgotten and an oversight rather than deliberate theft. If it was deliberate you wouldn't let it be found so easily and you would do something with it rather than leave it in a box.

    1. gabor1
      Happy

      w

      the rumour around the time was that they took some W keys from keyboards. dunno if it's true, but it's funny.

    2. Apocalypse Later

      "Clinton and aides didn't trash the white house"

      And your source for this is Al Franken? The comedian who got into congress by finding box after box of "lost" votes weeks after the polls closed?

  13. bitten

    Labelled "Arkansas flag plaque"

    The box was correctly labelled: "Arkansas flag plaque" as the flag is worth more than the rock.

    Could it be that they forgot to label the rock as a moon rock when making the gift, thinking its meaning could not be forgotten.

  14. Mr Young
    Thumb Up

    That Clinton guy eh?

    Cheeky boy. Wonder if Hilary has ever slapped him? Hmmm....

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Rock on

    I'm happy to have any left over moon rocks.

  16. The Fuzzy Wotnot
    Happy

    Simpsons anyone?

    Why is it whenever I see the words moon-rock I immediately read it with Ralf Wiggum's voice, "I found a moon-rock in my nose!".

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Worth $millions eh?

    How much does this moon pebble weigh? If they brought just one average astronauts weight in moon rock back per trip, they could pay for the whole mission!

  18. Rick Brasche

    shows politicians don't gove a rat's @rse about space exploration

    these guys can remember who they owe favors to and where money comes from, but when someone hands 'em a moon rock, it registers on their personal perception radar the same as a letter from a constituent-only to be remembered if it can be utilized for personal gain.

    You or I get a moon rock, we're all "OMG a F**KIN rock from TEH MOON!!!11!! and it becomes something we only could forget in our advanced aged dementia-and even then doubtful. It'd go on a display of prominence, to the eternal annoyance of our children and significant others.

    I suppose if you gave a moon rock to the average Hollywood celeb or pop music tartlet the effect would be the same. It's just not important enough to care about in their world.

    Course not a lot of difference these days between politicians and entertainment industry cutouts these days. Different masters, same goals.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like