Clinton Hillraiser Defects To Obama

One of the things that both Dem campaigns are always nervous about is defectors. In particular, Clinton is more vulnerable to this problem since she's the candidate that is trailing. Well, NBC News has learned that a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, former Amb. to Chile Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon is leaving the campaign to join up Barack Obama's campaign. Officially dubbed a "Hillraiser," Guerra-Mondragon raised nearly $500,000 for Clinton's campaign, according to some estimates. He has been informing people inside Clintonworld this week in what's been described as some tough conversations. A formal announcement of a role for Guerra-Mondragon on Obama's national finance committee will be made next week. Guerra-Mondragon was appointed Amb. to Chile by Pres. Clinton in '94 and served until '98.

Among the reasons for Guerra-Mondragon to defect, according to one informed source, was he was uneasy with the tone of the Clinton campaign and was beginning to worry about what this would mean for the general election.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Testtubebaby]

Seriously, I've been waiting for someone to do background. Something Shady is going on and he doesn't want to be a part of it. So how long is the press going to sit on this?

[PAposter]

Could there possibly be some voting violations going on? I mean the places where Clinton won in PA are small, remote, places, could someone be tampering with votes? How does Obama take even 30 % in places where they can't even pronounce his name. Is this just to make it look legitimate?

[southafrica4obama]

I hope Carville is aware of this. What will he say now! nuthead

[brabry]

Do you believe that Hilliary raised 10 million in 24 hours? How can this be checked. I don't believe her, it won't be the first time she misspoke.

[PAposter]

Show me the money!

[Pupster]

From Wash Post story this morning:
'Campaign finance records released this week show that a growing number of Clinton's early supporters migrated to Obama in March, after he achieved 11 straight victories. Of those who had previously made maximum contributions to Clinton, 73 wrote their first checks to Obama in March. The reverse was not true: Of those who had made large contributions to Obama last year, none wrote checks to Clinton in March.

'"I think she is destroying the Democratic Party," said New York lawyer Daniel Berger, who had backed Clinton with the maximum allowable donation of $2,300. "That there's no way for her to win this election except by destroying [Obama], I just don't like it. So in my own little way, I'm trying to send her a message."

'The message came in the form of a $2,300 contribution to Obama. '

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042503707.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

[Northlite]

I saw the same WaPo piece. I particularly noted: "According to campaign finance records released this week, 73 top Clinton donors wrote their first checks to Obama in March. None of Obama's deep-pocketed supporters, by contrast, defected to Clinton."

I was a fairly strong Clinton supporter and donor, first Bill and then Hillary. But the "Throw the kitchen sink at him" strategy has turned me off. I am no political purist or naif, but all the garbage coming from Hillary, Bill, and their campaign towards a fellow Dem and our likely nominee just stinks. While the ugliest tactics may be ultimately appropiate in the general--the Republicans are a no-holds-barred to get elected crowd--I am deeply offended by the use of wedge issues within our party. That's at least partly why I am a D.

[PAposter]

I just want to know what Hillary Clinton has done with all the money supporters like you have contributed? There is no excuse for her campaign being bankrupt, and I don't believe the hype about the 10M in 24 hrs.

[spooks51]

CNN reports that when he told her she replied,"Well too bad for you, I'm going to win".

[CapitalistRebel]

Haha.. she's such a creep!

[drzoon]

seriously....

she has just become some kind of nutcase!

[PAposter]

Did she scream "Shame on you", with her eyes bulging out of her head, LOL

[omop]

Coming of age in the USA in the 21st. Century during these "headline times" verges on being in a psychadelic or bizarro world:

a) one of the Presidentail candidates aspiring to become CinC envisions "obliterating" an entire nation of close to 70 million humans....another claims to know who is the preferred candidate of a political party of a prison compound named Gaza some 8000 miles away from the shores of the USA....and the third candidate is being chastised for attending church services where the pastor could have claimed that New Orleans was obliterated by a Hurrincane named Katrina as punishment by God for its sins but instead attended a different one.

b) now what if ..one of the candidates expressed the notion that maybe talking issues out before obliterating Iran might not be such a bad idea...save lives... money and effort...while another stated that regardless of what the israelis, the Hamas, the Arubians, the snake charmers prefferred to become CinC in DC that it is basically the citizens of these 50 states who will decide..... and another rhetorically ask is it fair to claim that the Pope must be a peadophile since several Catholic bishops have been judged to be ones?

[Raisean]

Another one wakes up and smells the coffee!

[PAposter]

WTF took so long? Who are the people voting for Clinton? No seriously, I don't know anyone who supports her, unless they're not being honest.

[westcoastsc]

Question: Why would the people who know the Clintons best, who worked closely with them, come into the Obama camp? Is it because they know best who the better candidate is?

[ibsteve2u]

Worrisome. I'm not a Clinton supporter, but what could be so bad - whether it involves the current Clinton campaign or Clinton's future plans - as to turn a dedicated and successful campaigner/supporter off at this late stage?

[kinnycut]

The tenor of the campaign she is running is what is causing these Clinton loyalists to jump over to support Obama. Democrats, like these, who are in the know realize she is doing nothing but destroying the Party's chances to win in the general. The may still think a lot of the Clinton's individually, but logically Party loyalty must prevail. Supporting someone that is doing nothing but Mcgovernizing the likely nominee is damaging to the Party. Democratic voters are not helping themselves by voting for a candidate that statistically cannot win the nomination. They are in fact cheering her on as she literally hands the Republican Party the easy win in November.

[PAposter]

Excellent observation. Why can't they see this?

[halyscomet]

Good! Nothing like when people who work CLOSELY with the Clintons and see them for who they TRULY are, leave to support Obama, ala Reisch and Richardson. Certainly speaks volumes!

[PorkBelly]

Good. Nice to see. Let's wrap this up.

[zorrobozo]

Get on board, dems! Obama is the winning ticket. . .

Let's take back the country from the Republicans and the Republicrats !

[personalpolitical]

This is just one defection of many, even her top supporters see her for what she is now:

http://www.thepersonalispolitical.com/2008/04/hillary-doesnt-know-when-to-quit.html

[marijam]

If Obama is the nominee and doesn't prevail in the general election, what then?

[Gmoney1]

If Hillary is the nominee and doesn't prevail in the general election, what then?

[Sparklez]

She has herself to thank for that

[Mesaywar]

Thank Hillary.

[Marioth]

Huckabee would be elected as McCain's health prevents him from continuing.

[Testtubebaby]

Well she won't win... so your rationale is what?