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"it's About the Clinton Family Money": Hillary Wants Obama to Pay Off Campaign Debt
Ethics? Morals? Of course not. Hillary in negotiations to leave race if Obama will pay her to go. From the Telegraph:
Negotiations are understood to be taking place between the Obama and Clinton campaigns about the Illinois senator helping to repay some of the massive debt incurred by his rival. One of Hillary Clinton’s donors said that the former First Lady’s campaign was as much as $40 million in the red.
In a conference call with major donors this afternoon, contributors were told by Harold Ickes, a senior Clinton adviser, that she was unlikely to pull out of the race until the issue of her massive debts was resolved. The New York senator has lent her own campaign at least $11.5 million.
One source close to a major donor said: “It’s not about the vice-presidency or any other position she might get. It’s about the money – in particular the Clinton family money.” The Obama campaign might have to reach deeply into its well-stocked coffers in order to secure the full support of Mrs Clinton and her husband Bill in the November general election.
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Comments (22)
I still have a couple of hundred left from my "Free Economy Stimulation" federal refund left....I'll donate!!
Just as long as it goes to the guy in Iowa who made pins for Hillary, the caterers in Iowa who made deli spreads for the caucus goers, the guy who made all those shovels that didn't have to get used in Iowa when it didn't snow after all, and to all the other little people who haven't been paid back in the states that no longer seem to matter.
June 2, 2008 11:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seriously, though, I just hope none of my money goes to Mark Penn.
June 2, 2008 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, she's going to stay in and go further in debt if the issue of her debt isn't resolved?
As long as she gets her $11.5 million back, she doesn't care about the other $28.5 million?
If this report is true, it's simply contemptible.
June 2, 2008 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
With all due respect, let's hold off on believing this until we hear it from Hillary's mouth to her debtors' ears.
June 2, 2008 11:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought the laws were quite plain about this. Obama can assist in raising funds for her to retire her debt, but cannot simply turn over money to retire her debt. That would constitute an illegal campaign contribution. Perhaps, someone more knowledgeable than me could comment on this.
June 2, 2008 11:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is my understanding as well. He can't give her but 4,600 bucks and then another bit from his PAC. All he can do is fundraise for her.
Let's not get our undies in a bunch.
June 3, 2008 1:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know from previous discussions on this, that Obama can't use his supporters' primary donations to pay her debts. He can initiate new fundraising for her though. My brain is too tired and fuzzy to track the info down, but since this just popped up, I thought I'd post it and let those who know more about the rules fill us all in on the issue.
June 2, 2008 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're right, Opus. Obama would have to ask for and fund-raise in Hillary's name, from what I remember from all the previous posts about this issue.
He would not be able to use the money we've already given his campaign.
June 3, 2008 12:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'd happily kick in $10 if it meant she would concede tomorrow night.
June 3, 2008 12:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
A suggestion to anyone who's interested in being benevolent: If you have an extra ten bucks lying around, why not donate it to someone who could really use it? The Clintons are multi-millionaires. Your ten bucks won't even pay for one of Hillary's Crown Royales. It took John Glenn over 20 years to pay off his campaign debt:
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9811/06/indebted.hero/
Nothing against the Clintons, but they don't need your help. They could pay off their debt with a check.
June 3, 2008 1:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but why should they? For a while now many Dems have enabled their atrocious behavior.
Hillary is merely playing the odds they will continue to do so.
PS I agree with you!
June 3, 2008 1:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only because their pissed-off creditors will eventually be forced to sue them for past due bills. They have over a hundred million dollars in their bank account. Why the hell don't they just pay their bills? It makes zero sense.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080208/NEWS/802080448
The landlord eventually got his money:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS/80213011
The Clintons are mind-bogglingly stupid people.
June 3, 2008 1:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
You'll have to show me your math on that one.
According to their tax returns, they grossed $109 million since leaving the White House. On that, they paid $33.7 million in taxes, and donated $10.2 to charity. They were reported to have several million in legal fees when they left the White House. You got to figure that their living expenses averaged a million a year or so, leaving maybe $53 million. That's probably on the high side, since Bill probably had a lot of travel and office expenses that were reported as income.
June 3, 2008 2:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Alright, alright. 53 million. Practically destitute.
June 3, 2008 7:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just find 3,999,999 other like-minded people, and the problem is solved!
June 3, 2008 2:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I just want to let everybody know, for historical reference, that June 3 was the day the week-long Zoot Suit Riots began, when a mob of 60 from the Los Angeles Naval Reserve Armory beat up everyone perceived to be Hispanic.
I just automatically think of June 3 as Zoot Suit Riot Day, in case that ever pops up in conversation and it seems inexplicable or inappropriate to you.
That's just how I remember it's June 3.
So don't freak out or make a big deal out of it if I bring it up.
June 3, 2008 12:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, bugger that!
I'm sorry, but the Clinton campaign started running on credit cards back in March, and that was the collective decision of the candidate and her chief advisors.
Let them pay their own bloody bills. They can afford to do so.
June 3, 2008 12:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
He can't legally pay off her campaign debt. All he can do is hold fundraisers and ask his supporters to help her retire her it. There are other priorities that are far more pressing, however. This is one of them:
https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1318/t/59/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1925
The Clintons have plenty. Hillary should officially and publicly tell Obama (and her supporters) that she doesn't need the help.
June 3, 2008 12:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, I gladly donate on Senator Dodd's behalf.
June 3, 2008 1:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't is interesting that Hillary is a fighter for everything except paying her bills?
What happened to the fighter there?
June 3, 2008 3:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sen. Clinton had a right to stay in the race, but what about all the hard working employees who answered the phones and the businesses that did all the printing and furnished the food and made the t-shirts and cleaned the headquarters? Are they waiting all this time to be paid? I'm just not sure how right it is to continue "fighting" and spending 6 days in sunny Puerto Rico, if at the same time you can't pay the vendors who kept your campaign going. I really don't want to imagine any of it.
June 3, 2008 4:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
In the words of one Hillary Clinton: "They are not going to count for anything." Her delirious campaign's treatment of small vendors shows how she "truly" cares about hard-working Americans - not at all. But maybe it's just because they were not white Americans. Ms. Clinton has put Karl Rove to shame - the GOP doesn't need Karl Rove anymore. They have someone better now - Hillary Clinton. Quoting her husband: Hillary is just a sleazy, slimy scumbag. Well that was meant for someone else, but it fits. Thanks Bill, for telling the truth.
June 3, 2008 7:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
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