What a great suggestion. If all Hillary Clinton supporters would just give $1 a piece, and a few dozen giving more, the campaign debt Clinton mounted in the last months of her campaign could be completely retired, without a tit-for-tat agreement with Barack Obama for appearances she is scheduled to make with her beginning next week.
One woman made the rounds of talk show programs this morning stating she's mounting a support John McCain campaign. She does not believe Barack Obama is qualified to be President of the United States.
Guess she and others like her won't be sending Clinton that buck since Clinton will be making her peace with Obama to get a piece of his contributors' cash flow.
If the quote from the New York Daily News is accurate and true, for this reason alone, Obama should reject the idea of any of his funding sources - direct from the people who support him - going to retire Clinton's self-imposed debt.
Hillary Clinton struggles with debt
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and MICHAEL McAULIFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, June 19th 2008, 7:27 PM
...Clinton's best shot at retiring her debt now lies with Obama, who has built the best political cash machine ever seen. Sources said she wants Obama to tap his full grass-roots ATM, but negotiations were ongoing.
At stake for Team Obama is getting Clinton out working for him as soon as possible. "She will not go out until they have an agreement," said a senior source, adding that a deal certainly would be reached...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/06/19/2008-06-19_hillary_clinton_struggles_with_debt.html
If she can spend money she doesn't have on her own behalf, expecting somebody else will be responsible if she doesn't have enough to cover the costs, how great would she have been handling our budget in our house, the White House.
Worse, if her financial backers backed out the day she suspended her campaign, what does that say about their belief in Hillary Clinton?
Volumes. If they supported her before, why aren't they supporting her now, when she's some at least by most accounts $20 to $30 million in debt, with $11 million owed to herself?
It's as if they don't want to contribute to force Barack Obama into yet another position of well to put it starkly, subserviance to Hillary Clinton.
Who can forget Clinton virtually shaking her finger at Obama after an (accurate) email message citing her supporting NAFTA during her husband's administration and saying her famous line: "Shame on you, Barack Obama, shame on you?"
She has demands of potentially by many assessments the next President of the United States, and then she'll do something for him out of the goodness of her heart?
Get real. Obama should not pay one cent of Clinton's campaign debt or he will look like more than a wimp.
Not only all of that. who were contributors to Hillary Clinton's campaign? Do any of them remain to be paid who are the lobbyists Barack Obama so rails against? Are any employees of firms which lobby Washington politicians?
If Obama pays them by assuming some of Clinton's debts, what does that say about his acceptance of their influence on campaigns?
Clinton may still owe a few firms operated by whom?
Mark Penn's firm
Sun Feb 24, 9:10 PM Pacific
Mark Penn's lobbying shop is headed by John McCain's top adviser
...Hillary Clinton's chief strategist is Mark Penn, and Charlie Black, John McCain's top adviser, is chairman of BKSH, the DC-based lobbying subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller -- of which Mark Penn is CEO.
Yes, this is the same lobbyist Barack Obama was referring to when he criticized John McCain for allowing lobbyists to conduct their business on board his bus.
BKSH is a bipartisan lobbying firm. Black, the chairman is the top Republican. The top Democrat is R. Scott Pastrick, who like Penn, supports Hillary Clinton.
Mark Penn's personal interests would clearly be best served by a Hillary Clinton victory.
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/02/mark-penns-lobb.html
McCain & Hillary Share The Same Lobbying Firm
By Hope 4 Obama, DNC- CA Delegate At-Large - Feb 28th, 2008 at 12:58 pm EST
Also listed in: 8 groups
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/hope4/gGggpK
It's not as if the Obama campaign isn't aware that Hillary Clinton and John McCain share "the same lobbying firm."
They know, so Obama should know.
And he should put a stop to any notion his campaign will foot the bill for any portion of Hillary Clinton's debts, as obviously, some of that debt will go to the very type of firms Obama slams for debasing lobbying tactics.
Take a look at this find. Last August...
Edwards, Obama Press Lobby Issue
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards both sharply attacked Sen. Hillary Clinton's statement on Saturday that she would continue to accept money from lobbyists because they "represent real Americans."
Obama, in an interview while campaigning in Le Mars, Iowa was even more direct in criticizing Clinton. "I profoundly disagree with her statements," Obama told the AP. "This campaign is going to come down to whether you believe that it's enough just to get somebody other than George Bush in the White House to fix what ails Washington, or do you think we need to set a fundamentally new course."
He added, "If you don't think lobbyists have too much influence in Washington, then I believe you've probably been in Washington too long."
After two weeks in which candidates of both parties have criticized Obama's statements on foreign policy, with Clinton calling one of his stances "naive," Clinton's comments at Yearly Kos, a convention for liberal bloggers, has offered Obama a chance to tout his "change" theme while attacking his chief rival.
--Perry Bacon Jr.
Posted at 6:01 PM ET on Aug 6, 2007
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/06/edwards_obama_keep_pressing_lo.html
Oh my goodness CNN Wolf Blitzer The Situation Room a report by Suzanne Malveaux... She says it might be in Obama's interest to retire Hillary's campaign "debt" because she has some high powered fundraisers who can help raise millions.
Say what. She can't get them to contribute to her now after she pulled out, suspended her campaign, whatever, to get her out of debt, but right, they're going to contribute to Obama so "he" can retire her campaign debt.
What kind of insanity is this?
Hillary Clinton Set to Campaign With Barack Obama; McCain's Border Wars; Interview With David Axelrod
Aired June 20, 2008 - 16:00 ET
MALVEAUX: This week, Obama reached out to key voting groups who had supported Clinton -- Hispanics, union leaders and White women. Wednesday, Obama hosted a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser at the home of Ethel Kennedy, where Clinton and Obama loyalists gave $28,000 a pop to the party. Senator Clinton has called on 100 of her top campaign fund-raisers to meet with her and Obama next week at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., to join forces.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Clinton's advocates say it's in Obama's interest to retire her debt, because the less time Clinton has to spend fund- raising, the more time she has to go out and campaign for Obama. And secondly, with her high-powered donors, she has the ability to raise anywhere from $50 million to $100 million for him -- Wolf.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0806/20/sitroom.01.html
THE SITUATION ROOM
Obama and Clinton to Campaign Together; McCain's Path to War Hero; McClellan Speaks on Capitol Hill
Aired June 20, 2008 - 18:00 ET
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0806/20/sitroom.03.html
Seriously, did Malveaux even understand what she was reporting? Obama should pay off Clinton's debts so she won't have to "fundraise" for herself, she can concentrate on getting her big donors to raise $50 to $100 million for him?
And Wolf Blitzer, usually keen to catch such nonsense, just let's it all pass on by.
The same spot featuring Malveaux's report was played during Anderson Cooper, and Cooper looked like a blank slate. His eyes looked glazed over, like, oh, ok clinton has to be free from fundraising for herself so she can get her big donors to contribute $50 million to Obama, ok.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/acd.html
What a disappointment from CNN.
No better at MSNBC, though we didn't catch Hardball tonight or Olbermann. Well, Olbermann might have caught on...
CLINTON: GOTTA PAY OFF THAT DEBT
Posted: Friday, June 20, 2008 9:14 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Clinton
TPM’s Greg Sargent reported, “On a private conference call [yesterday], Hillary urged her top fundraisers in no uncertain terms to throw their weight behind Barack Obama, and directly asked them in surprisingly candid terms to give or raise money to help her pay off her campaign's debt. At the same time, in a move that took some participants on the call by surprise, she also clarified that she was not asking their help in paying off her personal loans to the campaign. Interestingly, Hillary also suggested that she would soon be making public statements about the media coverage of the campaign, as well as the ways ‘women were discussed,’ saying that she would ‘be doing more on that as we go forward.’”
“‘I am going to do everything I can to ensure victory for Senator Obama,’ Hillary told her fundraisers on the call. ‘I am asking each of you to do the same. I really believe we've got to see a Democrat sworn into the White House this January.’”
That conference call came amid this news: "Clinton's fund-raising has run so dry she'll likely have to eat the entire $11 million loan she gave her campaign, sources said," the New York Daily News says. "Clinton's push to retire her debt -- more than $20 million including her loan -- is going so poorly that getting help paying it down has become a major point of negotiation with Barack Obama, who wants Clinton to help smooth things with angry Clinton die-hards, sources said."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/20/1157198.aspx
Again, if the donors aren't helping Clinton pay off her own debts what power does she have to ask they help Obama. They're going to help Obama because they want to help Obama win, not because Hillary Clinton has some power over them to make them help Obama.
What's politico saying here?
HRC’s reward: Bundle of campaign cash?
By KENNETH P. VOGEL | 6/12/08 4:11 AM EST
Though Hillary Rodham Clinton racked up more than $30 million in debt during her Democratic primary campaign, she could emerge from her loss with a bundle of campaign cash to either play kingmaker or mount another campaign of her own.
At her disposal are a handful of accounting maneuvers — some never before tried in presidential politics — that would render her political debt practically insignificant, while at the same time freeing up $24 million in currently off-limits cash, according to interviews with her lawyer and outside campaign finance experts.
Enhancing her flexibility is that all but $1 million of her $9.5 million in unpaid bills at the end of April was owed to allies and political firms unlikely to cause her legal or political headaches by demanding prompt payment.
In fact, their assumed — but unspoken — cooperation is a key part of the New York senator’s most likely path to robust campaign finances.
That financial path would go something like this: Reclassify as a contribution most of the $11.4 million or more she loaned her campaign, which would be a personal financial hit because she wouldn’t be able to recoup much of it. Ask her donors to redirect $23.7 million they gave for her presidential general election campaign to her Senate campaign committee.
Meanwhile, try to raise some fast cash — possibly with assistance from her vanquisher, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama — to pay off vendors who might sue her presidential campaign, leaving “friendly” debt to be paid down gradually as she raises money from her Senate perch.
A riskier route would be to ask her general election donors to redirect — or “redesignate,” in campaign finance parlance — their general election contributions to Obama’s presidential campaign as part of a deal under which the Illinois senator would ask his donors to give to Clinton to help her
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11020.html
Oh right, let's make a deal, Obama, all to help you, of course, of course. Repeat it often enough and maybe he'll believe...
Clinton asks top donors to meeting with Obama
By JIM KUHNHENN and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers
Wed Jun 18, 2:13 AM ET
The meeting is set for June 26 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, several top Clinton fundraisers said Tuesday. The former first lady will introduce Obama to her financial backers.
Jonathan Mantz, Clinton's national finance director, notified donors about the meeting by e-mail Tuesday and urged them to attend and to contribute to Obama, who clinched the Democratic Party's nomination on June 3.
Two people closely involved with Clinton's fundraising said the meeting had taken on added urgency after several of her money "bundlers" complained that they felt their concerns weren't heard during meetings last week with Obama campaign officials in New York and Washington.
Both individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting.
Among other things, the donors want to make sure Obama knows that in order to get their help he needs to help Clinton pay down her campaign debt. As of the end of April, Clinton had more than $20 million in debt, a figure that likely increased by the time she suspended her campaign June 7.
Obama cannot use his campaign money to help Clinton with her debt, which includes at least $11 million of her own money. But he can encourage his donors to contribute to her campaign.
The two fundraisers who discussed the meeting said many donors also are furious that Obama's campaign hired Patti Solis Doyle as chief of staff to Obama's eventual running mate, calling it a slap in the face to Clinton and an implicit acknowledgment that she would not be on the ticket with him.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080618/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_obama_meeting
Haha. this is so funny. Clinton's donors want Obama to pay off Clinton's debts, right, then they'll contribute to Obama, but for now, they're sorta, kinda, upset with Obama, so there, take that Obama. Just cause you raised some astronomical amount of money during the primaries without US, don't think you can do it again, without US, Hillary Clinton supporters to the end...
After all people, she did just "suspend" her campaign. No guarantee she's not sending a message to her "delegates" to cause a stir come August.
Net the Truth Online
Excellent posts
Bailing out Hillary Clinton's Campaign Debt
By Russell Parker - Jun 8th, 2008 at 12:05 am EDT
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/russellparker/gG5BcF
hokies4ever Fri Jun-20-08 06:02 AM
Response to Reply #1 6.
If each one of those 'supporters' gave $1 to her campaign, her debt would be paid off
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6388305
Hillary Clinton: Puts Her Own Selfishness Above The Country
by The Bagof Health and Politics
Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 07:06:14 AM PDT
http://openthread.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/20/93853/8794/64/538940
By MICHAEL LUO, JO BECKER and PATRICK HEALY
Published: February 22, 2008
Correction Appended
This article was reported by Michael Luo, Jo Becker and Patrick Healy and was written by Mr. Healy.
...The high-priced senior consultants to Mrs. Clinton, of New York, have emerged as particular targets of complaints, given that they conceived and executed a political strategy that has thus far proved unsuccessful.
The firm that includes Mark Penn, Mrs. Clinton’s chief strategist and pollster, and his team collected $3.8 million for fees and expenses in January; in total, including what the campaign still owes, the firm has billed more than $10 million for consulting, direct mail and other services, an amount other Democratic strategists who are not affiliated with either campaign called stunning.
Howard Wolfson, the communications director and a senior member of the advertising team, earned nearly $267,000 in January. His total, including the campaign’s debt to him, tops $730,000.
The advertising firm owned by Mandy Grunwald, the longtime media strategist for both Mrs. Clinton and Bill Clinton, the former president, has collected $2.3 million in fees and expenses, and is still owed another $240,000...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/politics/22clinton.html
