UPDATE: Clinton Campaign Has $20 Million Of Debt, LA Times Makes Correction

UPDATE 11:13 pm EST: The LA Times mistakenly reported Clinton's campaign was in $31 million of debt. Below is the correction and the real debt number of $20 million:

(*UPDATE: Due to a mathematical error, Hillary Clinton's loans to herself were added twice in the calculation of this item. Her total debts are about $20 million, not $31 million. A corrected item covering the first five paragraphs of this one has been published here.)

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EARLIER ITEM FROM THIS MORNING:
The LA Times is reporting that Hillary Clinton is nearly $31 million in debt. The news comes off a release from her campaign Tuesday night that she has raised $22 million:

No wonder Sen. Hillary Clinton was so late filing her required campaign financial reports Tuesday night. Her political team didn't want the shocking news in it to overshadow her lopsided thumping of Sen. Barack Obama in Kentucky.

Now comes the morning after, pay-up time. Clinton's campaign debt has now soared to nearly $31 million, according to numbers crunched early this morning by The Times' campaign finance guru, Dan Morain.

Comments

[Umungus]

If, by her math, more people have voted for her than anyone else, why is she in debt?

If her supporters would all give a dollar, she'd be nearly debt free. So her supporters will vote for her but they refuse to donate to her?

[Anne1776]

Remember, according to exit polls, her voters are the "poor working class". And uneducated. And also Republicans who are trying to divide Democrats because of Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos".

[Simonanunhappydem]

Unless the polls were all wrong Clinton won decisively in Kentucky for example in all categories, not only the "poor working class" whom many you seem to so despise. It is pretty extraordinary form a candidate who by your belief and according the media drum beat already lost.

[prestochango]

just wondering why, in the FEC report which list contributions by day, that HRC only shows $1.7m on April 23rd.....the claim was $10m in 24 hours.

not that I think she would make it up, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation.

http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M5/C00431569/A_DATE_C00431569.html

[obamagal]

Good catch... I hope Keith Olbermann comments on that tonight.

[MarionKIN]

Hmmm... possibly because the six million plus she added herself was considered a "loan"? I always wondered if she added that money herself to inflate her numbers...made PA's momentum seem far more than it was. Not that she fooled the super delegates.

With her loan of 6.4 million, the 1.7 actually raised became 8.1 ... I guess that rounds up to ten. Actually, I'm surprised with Hillary's *math* that she didn't round her 1.7 up to 20 million.

[kate123]

Her campaign admitted earlier that the "nearly $10 million" they raised in 24 hours was closer to $1 million. If that isn't a blatant manipulation of the facts. Oh yeah, she lies as easily as George Bush does -- we're winning the war, the economy is strong, blah, blah, blah.

Hillary, when you lie about the little things, it's really difficult to believe you on the big things.

[BigMike75]

It's called politics, and Hillary does it with lying precision. If anyone actually thinks that she raised $10 Million in 24 hours after the PA primaries, they need to give their head a shake. But as usual, the media that is feeding into this delusion that she still has a chance to win this nomination, will not call her or her campaign out on it. We still have to listen to clowns like Terry Mcauliffe and Howard Wolfson, the "kings of spin" spew their half truths and distorted facts, and their "Hillary is more electable" argument. Either that or we have to listen to old hags like Geraldine cry the "woe is me, she's a victim of sexism" argument. I haven't seen desperation or entitlement in a campaign like this in my lifetime.

[Simonanunhappydem]

I am wondering about another aspect of this. Most of Obama's financial support is coming from contributions below the $200 limit that requires reporting the donor's identity. I would be surprised if there was no shady dealing behind the enormous amounts he seem to have raised from supposedly small donors. It is easy to break up big donations from special interests and give it as many small donations, all under the limit. Regretfully the media does not investigate this, as they are all Obama-biased, and the election commission is out of commission. It will come out probably after the election, I am waiting to find out. As far as Hillary's finances, she raised the most of any democratic candidates ever (except Obama). This is one of the reasons I am very suspicious about Obama's fund raising.

[SixtiesRebel]

Well, I am an ordinary citizen from PA. I send his campaign at least fifty bucks every two weeks, sometimes more. I vow that i am not tied to any special interest but my country, USA, which is in deep poop beacause of bushie and the repugs. By the way, Hilary lost my vote the day she voted with bush on going to war for all the wrong reasons.

[N8Ma]

Hey when am I gonna get my nifty Obama magnet?

I wanna put it on my car when I have to drive through NC, VA, TN, and SC next month...

[Veeve]

I'm waiting on mine too. :-)

[jah2008]

I think they've been having trouble keeping up with demand.

[ENOUGH1]

WHY CAN'T HILLARY RUN A PRIMARY IN THE BLACK INSTEAD OF THE RED?

I WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANYPERSON FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT CANNOT MANAGE THEIR FINANCIAL HOUSE.

I AM A MIDDLEAGED, WHITE WOMAN (WHO HAS VOTED REPUBLICAN SINCE REGAN) WHO WILL VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA. HE HAS SHOWN HE IS WELL ORGANIZED AND ABLE TO TAKE ON THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT.

[wellinformed08]

I just think that she would have a hard time managing the economy if her campaign is in the red! There would full of "quick fixes" like the "gas holiday" than real solutions.

[rpd123]

This is so sexist!! If a fading male candiate were $20 million in debt, you'd be saying that he was being irresponsible and delusional and self-serving and... wait, that argument won't work.

It's sexist because...well, because Hillary's a woman and you can't make critical observations of a woman without being sexist.

Or something like that.

[grinreaper]

just like ya cant say anythin bad about rev nobama
or else youre a racist

[Veeve]

I'm betting that it doesn't stop you. It hadn't stopped Slick Willie or Ms. Wannabe Triangulator in Chief!

[rpd123]

Obama has never once suggested that any criticsm pointed at him was due to race. Hillary, however, is playing the wounded fawn now that she is behind and her campaign is imploding. Children whine about being picked on, rather than accept responsibility. Truly arrogant people lack the humility to entertain the possibility that criticisms might just be valid afterall.

[VOTER]

Who are you?

Jeb Bush or Old Lady Baba?

[Oeht]

I believe even he said that Rev. Wright SHOULD BE a legitimate topic of discussion, and it's fair. Get your facts straight.

[MarionKIN]

LOLOL Great satire!

[SMP]

She is being so dang selfish. Asking the poor..and I mean financially poor, voter to give her money to continue a campaign that is losing by every concievable metric measure. She even accepted 400$ from an 11 yr old boy who sold his bike and video games.....shameful....

Time for the Clintons to step down. pay her debt out of her own wealthy pocket. and start to mend the fence she willingly broke.

[Toonbytes07]

That kid's parents should be arrested for abuse.

[MarionKIN]

Yeah, that really is selfish of her. And she bragged about it, too. As though to say... see, kids - here's a great example of how you can help my campaign. Parents, c'mon...I know you can pawn some of those toys. Help me out, here!

Kids, do N O T give your bike money to Hillary, please. :-( She's a multimillionaire.

[partyofone]

The bottom line, of course, is that the self-indulgent Mrs. Clinton is spending money like a drunken sailor, with the expecation Obama supporters will eventually bail her out and replenish her ill-gotten personal coffers.

Hillary 's torutured math, logic, and values take arrogance, dishonesty and self-interest to new hights, unseen before in the Democratic Party. Many may be willing to forgive and forget, embracing the Clintons and returning them to positions of influence in the party. Not me. They have cashed in big time on their account of good will, and it is more serioulsy in deficiet that Hillary's campaign funds.

Enough of the Bushes and the Clintons. They are the same. Be gone!

[Kencleanersystem]

How Irresponsible. Just what we want in the White House - someone who blindly adds up debt in pursuit of a deluded self-serving endeavor. Real change there.

[BillyT]

DEBT....NOT....GOING....AWAY.....

She's raising funds to pay off debt but that debt is not getting any smaller, is it???? It's a losing proposition! Face it Hillary!!

[bygollymissmolly]

If the reported amount of $20 million is correct, and she owes $9.5 to vendors, she is paying off her debt to herself and to Penn. She's just not paying her vendors.

[adept2u]

She and her 50+ year old women are living in a dream world. It's like when your wife starts a company, and you support it with your heart and soul as her mate, but in the end who really wants to pay money to make scrap books.

[naschkatze]

LOL! BTW, I always feel obligated to issue a disclaimer that I am a 65 year old woman for Obama.

[SMP]

I am a 50 yr old white woman for Obama.............so it isnt all of us!!!!

[jah2008]

There are lot of older women and men who support Obama. I think it's an unfair generalization.

The problem is Hillary can't even manage her own campaign's finance, and she expects people to entrust her to manage the country? I don't think so. This goes back to the argument of judgment. She surrounds herself with incompetent people who basically failed her in so many ways.

[VOTER]

White, female, AirForceVet/Vietnam and a proud OBAMA SUPPORTER!

[ThatSharkeyGeezer]

"This is going all the way to Denver, to the convention!" - HRC, April 2008.

Uh, unless you and your shambolic campaign plan on hitch-hiking, then no, it isn't. Coz right about now you can't even afford bus tickets.

[blackjack19]

It's interesting that the Clinton supporters keep chanting that the "race must go on," "count every vote," and "Hillary is the only Democrat electable in November," but they are apparently unwilling to put their money where their mouth is.

[Oeht]

Exactly, she wants everyone to vote then have the superdelegates overturn everything. What crap!

[wellinformed08]

How the hell is she electable when she has to manuever her own party. i'm furthermore disgusted that she thinks she is "just going to get the small and caucus states, educated, young and African American vote" if she STEALS the nomination but her "hard working WHITE Americans" (which i took extra offense to because I'm a black female and I work my ass off) aren't gonna go for Obama. Small and causus states have already been repeatedly told by her campaign that "they don't matter." Educated people are gonna turn their backs on her. Young voters will label her a cheater in a process that is unjust and black people are just not gonna vote for her ass. the thing about Clinton is that she knew this process well, agreed with it and thought she had it in the bag. When she realized she didn't, she acted as if she has always thought the process was flawed. What a hypocrit! She now wants to "let every vote count." I wonder would that be the battle cry if Obama was in her situation? Slick Willie and every news channel would have been singing a different song! Obama would have been accused of being divisive and stupid! Please don't let him have been running out of money. That would set everybody off! Now who is REALLY getting a pass!

[Daddio1]

Clinton's aggressive tactics in campaigning includes race baiting. It has been the core of her platform for some time now. Her push toward the convention is twofold. It is to degrade Obama's image with white Americans and prove to super delegates that they won't vote for him, and also apply financial pressure on the D.N.C. by pushing her debt higher and higher. If fear mongering and blackmail is the way Clinton negotiates, then I hope she can live with herself when it's all over.

[partyofone]

Well stated. Honest people, who care about the Democratic Party, the democratic process, our social fabric, and the future of the nation should be outraged by the Clintons. Their dispicable actions must be absolutely rejected and their "leadership" status revoked. These are not good people.

[bygollymissmolly]

Ok, if her debt is really only $20 milion and she has $9.5 million in debt to vendors, that means that Hillary has been using campaign contributions to pay herself back and to pay Penn. Last I heard she owed herself $12 million and Penn something like $5 million. So if those numbers are correct, she is paying herself and Penn back before she is paying the vendors she is stiffing. Nice...

[gapanther]

I wonder how many of those vendors are " working, hard-workin white Americans" that support her? Don't need $ to keep they're business going?

[VOTER]

Perhaps all of Super Delegates "sitting on the fence" with their endorsements
should step forward now.

If they are going to endorse Hillary, they should come with their checkbooks and
be prepared to pay her vendors.

OR

They can come forward and endorse the Dem Winner, Senator Obama!

[grinreaper]

may as well
she aint got the $millions to buy em off like rev nobamas been doin all along
http://www.hyscience.com/archives/2008/05/is_obama_buying.php
shhh.. noone can talk bad about rev nobama

[BillyT]

Do I want to read info pointed out by someone who can't even spell "GRIM??"

[bygollymissmolly]

Just for the hell of it I clicked on the link. What a hoot. Someone writing on a blog about Obama "buying' super delegates. The problem is, there is not one iota of evidence in the post. It's all conjecture.

God I am going to love watching the right wing implode. It's starting already. On the morning of November 3, I think we will hear the sound of millions of Republican heads exploding.

[obamagal]

I guess you missed this one....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/19/superdelegates-turned-dow_n_102450.html

Now, you were saying?

[Aleka4]

wtf is with the "rev nobama"? Do you think you are being "clever"?

You sound, and type, like a 15 year old.

[partyofone]

One major argument for why Hillary should drop out, is she can't pay her bills. She fully expects to poor mouth and get herself repaid, at the expense of Obama supporters, while she cackels all the way to the bank.

[laylahb]

LA Times has UPDATED/ REVISED their numbers The correct number is $20mm, NOT $31 million. They admit that they double-counted the money that Clinton gave to her own campaign.

$20 million not $31 million. Still not good news for her campaign.

[borderorder]

What's 11 million among friends?

[lecraftygirl]

well i'm sure HufPo is working on it, but i hope they correct the headline. i wouldnt want Clinton supporters to complain that we are spreading false rumors.

[ThatSharkeyGeezer]

OH, I SEE!

It's "only" $20 million, not $31 million!

Well, that makes all the difference!!

If she's "only" $20 million in debt after a seven month campaign, then I say she's ready to be Commander In Chief on day one!

Hillary Rodham Clinton: you can trust her to rack up debt the American way!

[naschkatze]

It's still $9.5 owed to unpaid vendors, though, isn't it? As always, the little people come last.

[jah2008]

Phew, that's MUCH better. ONLY $20 million in debt. She might even boast that she now has $11million surplus.