Now all of these stories are complex and murky. But what they all reveal -- especially the New York Times' piece on the uranium deal -- is the APPEARANCE of a scandal. Even if you take the Clintons at their word that there was no quid pro quo with these donations to the Clinton Foundation to buy influence, that's not what the donors may have been thinking. As former Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) described it at Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing to be secretary of state: "The core of the problem is that foreign governments and entities may perceive the Clinton Foundation as a means to gain favor with the secretary of state." That's the problem.