Oh...oh....much as I wish we could put this all behind us....

RIGHT ON for pointing out why the Clintons won't let us.

I agree. This possibility is a good way for Obama to dry up his OWN contribution stream.

Ummmm, I disagree. I think he could help her, and should. Not with his own campaign cash, which, thanks to the explanation given by the posters above, he wouldn't be able to use. But with fundraisers.

Why?

Why should the vendors who Clinton employed by screwed because she ran a losing campaign? Sure, I'm tired of this, too, but I just don't see why small businesses (and larger ones, too) should be made to bear the consequences of the mistakes Clinton made.

Senator Obama's responsibility is not to Hillary Clinton or her unfortunate vendors, certainly not to multimillionaire himself Mark Penn, or even to a Democratic Party, which has left him to find his own way to the nomination for the most part. How many state Democratic machines, like Rendell's here in my state of PA, went full speed for Hillary? Just as Senator Obama refused to pay street money in Philadelphia and used his own volunteers to get out the vote, he should promise all of us who have worked for him in their respective states that he is again not going to play the old Democratic politics of "pay-off" for support. His candidacy has not succumbed to such disappointing tactics throughout this long hard fight. Why would he want to compromise his principles now? He does not need Hillary on the ticket, nor does he need to pay her off in order to beat John McCain, and he certainly doesn't need to do that to maintain the "high" road he has driven so far. This is a new day in political history; let's not forget it.

I'm willing to give up my nonexistent first born child right now if that'll make her go away.

The Clinton's are multi millionaires 100 times over.

It is elitist and juvenile for them to expect other people to pay their debts.

Clinton spent millions of dollars trying to destroy Obama. Why should that behavior be rewarded?

Furthermore, she has the arrogance to further campaign when there's no way in hell she can win?

Clinton is done and needs to bounce. If she makes threats on her way out the door, Obama send her packing. "Let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!"

If Hillary's base starts acting up, all Obama has to say to white women is "Look white women, if you like Roe V Wade, and you know whats good for you, you better vote for me. Because it's history if John McCain gets in. HISTORY!"

Obama should say to white racists, "White racists, this country was been run for the last several decades by smiling white folks just like you, who did not hesitate to ship millions of YOUR jobs overseas when it served their immediate interests. So if you want a job, you better vote for this Black dude. Because McCain is not giving out any jobs. Believe that shit."

Sounds like a lot of emotion in the posts above. IMO, the overriding goal should be to elect Senator Barak Obama to be the next President of the United States. His election would be a magnificent event for this country, in many, many ways. I think he should do just about whatever it takes to win the November election, even if it involves some mildly distasteful (and expensive) mollification of the Clintons.

Excuse me, people.......

The CLintons are worth 3 or 4 times the $25 million she owes.

Why is this even being DISCUSSED????????

Let them pay their own bills - just like the rest of us do.

Donations were given to the Obama campaign to help him win the nomination, and the general election. The donors do not get to micro manage how his campaign decides how to get the best bang for their buck.

If the Obama campaign thinks that spending some of the donations on a way to get Hillary and her supporters on board for the general election, would be a better investment, than just an overkill of TV spots, then let them make that decision. They are the experts, and have run a terrific campaign, so why should a bunch of small amount donors, now feel that they are entitled to substitute their amateur campaign skills and judgment, for those of the Obama professionals who have already proven their worth.

If you think that you are entitled to call the shots on how your donations will be spend, you are being self centered and ego-centric. If you donate to cancer research, do you also demand that you be allowed to control how the research projects are conducted.
We get to fund his campaign. We do not buy the right to run it.

Stop worrying about it. This whole stupid story was invented by Thomas Edsall. There is no legal way for the Obama campaign to transfer your donations to the Clintons. Stop worrying about it.

I have to say that on principle the idea of paying off her campaign is not good for me. However, much as I hate to admit it...she has had a tremendous amount of support. Whether this is because of name recognition and warm fuzzies from her husband's stint (my theory) or what - doesn't matter. What does matter is that out of all the delegates possible (not including Mi, Fl) Obama's lead is around 4% or 5% (I think that's right). Not exactly a landslide. So in that respect, maybe there should be some acknowledgment that we dems are still a pretty diverse group and we should try to remember that we can pick this particular battle and how it ends up. We don't have that luxury against the repubs in the general election.

I don't know why all the Obama supporters here are getting their panties in a bunch. All I heard from his one reply to a reporter was that "we will help her feel comfortable in her campaign". That does not mean he is going to throw good money after bad.

Given the brilliant way he has played this game thus far, do you all honestly believe that he didn't have a long-range plan for this contingency too ? Grow up and don't play the "not my money" kiddies game anymore. No points to win playing meanie from the victor pedestal.

I think all of the general election campaign contributions have to be returned if she doesn't make it to the general.

no need to even help her recoup her debts. she has whining weinstein, bob bimbo johnson of bet, and others whose media crap we don't need to support. shake a few dollahz outta that viacom joke, hil.