Clinton Summons Top Donors, Supporters For Tuesday Speech

Hillary Clinton has summoned top donors and backers to attend her New York speech tomorrow night in an unusual move that is being widely interpreted to mean she plans to soon suspend her campaign and endorse Barack Obama - not tomorrow night but within a day or two.

Obama and Clinton spoke Sunday night and agreed that their staffs should begin negotiations over post-primary activities, according to reliable sources. In addition to seeking Obama's help in raising money to pay off some $20 million-plus in debts, Clinton is known to want Obama to assist black officials who endorsed her and who are now taking constituent heat, including, in some cases, primary challenges from pro-Obama politicians.

"This has never happened before," one donor said, referring to the personalized request by email to attend the event in New York Tuesday night.

Obama is expected to claim enough delegates to put him over the top that night at a separate event in St. Paul.

In an afternoon conference call today with about two dozen top fundraisers, Clinton strategist Harold Ickes spoke in very conciliatory terms about Obama, in contrast to his tougher rhetoric in public and on television, according to sources. He told the participants that Clinton wants to "significantly" help Obama, but he did not go so far as saying that she will announce withdrawal -- that is the prerogative of the candidate.

Ickes told the group to "take a deep breath" and let Clinton proceed in her own fashion.

Earlier in the day it was reported that Clinton staffers were being urged by the campaign's finance department "to turn in their outstanding expense receipts by the end of the week," another sign that the run at the White House was nearing an end. In addition, Politico wrote that members of Clinton's advance staff had received calls and emails Sunday night, summoning them to New York City and telling them their roles on the campaign are ending.

Comments

[avepa]

09:34 PM on 06/04/2008

You think that Hussein Obama is really sincere in being gracious to Hillary Clinton at this point? He is in for a rude awakening due to the 18 million voters. He needs her and her supporters.

[pakean3]

10:09 AM on 06/06/2008

The Dems need to stand together. This is not Obama vs. Hillary anymore. Obamanites need to remember this. The more you cut Hillary apart the more you split this party. If you want Obama to win in Nov. don't say anything negative about Hill from this point on. It's all in the past. Look forward to Nov to get your man into office..

[ThirdSection]

05:24 PM on 06/04/2008

Well, it's good to see that the Hillary and Barack are finally beginning to bury the hatchet, because let's face it, this particular hatchet is big. Very, very big.

[Alecki]

01:00 PM on 06/04/2008

I Love the Clintons!

It seems like 18 million supporters feel the same way. I am old enough to remember the state of America when they were in office. Most blogs are a bunch of ‘kids” blogging as if they are voting for "American Idol" They have no idea what's going on.

For anyone to suggest that the Clintons aren't the best to straighten this country out shows their ignorance. The older generation knows what's going on.

This was the worst media coverage in a primary election.

The hateful remarks on TV and radio about President Clinton, Senator Clinton and Chelsea were outrageous. I have never seen such cruel remarks on blogs either.
The worst of the coverage was when the media was accusing President Clinton to be a racist. It is a sad America, to hear that from anyone in the media. President Clinton didn’t deserve it. He could have had his office on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park but chose to be in in Harlem NY to keep fighting for their rights.

For black Americans to bad mouth President Clinton for that reason alone, is a disgrace.

I have felt the pain of the Clinton family as they have had to endure the spin of the media and vicious remarks of Senator Obama’s pastor’s hateful remarks about them.

Michigan and Florida voters being denied a vote is the only reason that Obama won the nomination.

I am hoping Senator Clinton would continue fighting for these “silenced” Americans

[Aleka4]

04:42 PM on 06/04/2008

LOL..right. Way to marginalize both Obama - the nominee - and his supporters. And you are pointing fingers? Tsk tsk. Pot...kettle...black.

And btw, she does not have 18 mill anymore. That is a logical flaw which assumes that nothing has changed over the course of time. Recent polls show CA and NY as well as other have voters' remorse and would choose Obama if they could vote now. So this "18 mill" she is using to extort her own way isn't really anything more than the white racists and the militant man haters now.

Which are you?

[sharonh]

09:42 PM on 06/04/2008

Stir the pot, keep it brewing, it can only harm your candidate. Why would you want to do that?

[joefazio]

07:56 PM on 06/04/2008

I absolutely agree!

Can you say, "HILLARY INDEPENDENT PRESIDENT 2008 ?"

I know it won't happen, but I gotta tell ya, if it did, I WOULD LOVE IT!

Hillary needs to take a page out of the book of that back-stabing Liberman,
and RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT!

I can hear the MOANS and SCREAMS OF INDIGNATION!

Hillary, they dumped ya babe! You want to be president?
You can if you can spell, I N D E P E N D E N T !

[chs1965]

11:02 AM on 06/04/2008

Hillary is holding out so she can offer Obama the VP slot in 2012.

[sharonh]

09:43 PM on 06/04/2008

How about Donna Brazile.

[Collin430]

10:16 AM on 06/04/2008

No one has had The Courage to call Senator Clinton on Her cowardly bluff, that She has implied "Sexism" practically everytime She has lost, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Not only has this caused new derision in a Political Party already dealing with numerous concerns, but it has also further helped divide a Nation too scared to adress its own gender issues. Even more ironic is the fact that Hillary Clinton supposedly represents the new, empowered Woman; yet in reality She is pushing 's The Woman's Liberation Movement back 20 yrs. The Bold Idea of The Woman's Movement is that Woman are just as capable as Men in competeing in Buisness, Science, Politics, etc., and that after squaring off and bumping shoulders, Winner and Loser alike can straighten up, dust themselves off, shake hands with their opponent and say,"Goog Game". Senator Clinton has showed that She's completly incapable of doing this. After having lost fairly she now shrinks to false claims and ludicrous allegations, which only buffers the claim made by some Men that Woman are not fit to contend on a High Level of Competition, because when they do lose, they stamp their feet and cry,"Foul Play." True Woman of The 21st Century must rise up and bravely denounce these cowardly actions, while Men of true worth must stand forward and bring to Light any Social Injustice, whatever the price.

[sharonh]

09:48 PM on 06/04/2008

The Equal Rights Amendment simply states that it will be unconstitutional to discriminate on someone on account of sex and, shamefully, is still not passed despite trying since 1923. Quit claiming to know what the Women's Liberation Movement is or that you care.

[Rumba]

05:03 PM on 06/05/2008

She appears to be a sexist leading sexists.

[Harrygton]

07:57 AM on 06/04/2008

insanity is not just a trademark of the Bushinites... The Clintonites are its Democratic equivalent!

A / HRC = GWB*A

An equation for National Suicide!

[Kali2012]

04:59 AM on 06/04/2008

I believe Hillary and Bill Clinton cannot believe she is not the nominee.
They have run an aweful race..
- No true consistant message throughout her campaign. She changed like the wind to suit the state at hand.
- Terrible insults to Senator Obama
- Having her staffers blame the media, and anyone else it was biased against her . Bill Clinton even saying in the last days she is being cheated
I could go on, but I truly believe it has all been about her wanting to be the first woman Pres, she said it often.
She was not the one who energized this race by bringing in new voters. Obama was. He brought people out, esp young voters, to get excited about change. Her voters were women who wanted to see the first women pres, and the Blue Collar workers who remember Bill Clinton.
I find this sad to say, but my feeling is that Hillary/Bill and her staffers will make sure their followers continue to feel they were had and will not ask them to back Obama. I do not believe she has any interest in uniting the party. Her only interest is herself and the Clinton dynasty, and I believe she could care less if Obama wins. If she is not the nominee, the party be damned.
Karma Bill and Hillary. As a spiritual person who believes in the Wise Masters of ancient times, the kind of people you are will come back to haunt you

[Okieborn]

10:04 AM on 06/04/2008

kali2012.
The Clinton's cannot conceive that they are not still the power holders !!
Hillary Clinton could care less about ANYTHING except HILLARY !!
SHE HAD BETTER WAKE UP TO THE REAL WORLD AND START HELPING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY KEEP THE BUSHY MCCAIN SLIMERS FROM TAKING ANOTHER STAB AT WIPEING OUT THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS !!
HILLARY IS GOING TO KEEP ON UNTILL SHE IS DRAGGED OUT !!!!!!!

[joefazio]

08:11 PM on 06/04/2008

Hillarys gonna keep it up !/!?

Hey, she's been going a thousand miles an hour for
a very long time. Now you and others are screamin'
for her to slam on the brakes, propell herself through
the windshild, fly over a cliff--and die!!

You wanna ease up here? Giive the woman a chance
to catch her breath. Cut her some slack. Yeah, she
needs a bit of time to slow down...to get out.

In view of all she has done, and all that she attempted
to do for this country, she deserves AT LEAST that much consideration.

Take a deep breath. Relax. Chill. She'll give you and people like
you, the pound of flesh that you unfairly scream for.

[joefazio]

08:02 PM on 06/04/2008

Hey Kali2012--WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!
President Clinton did more for this country than any
president in morden times.

Hillary has been breaking her back most of her life
for the have nots and the middle class.

Most of the poeple that seem so offended by her taking
her next breath are those couch potatoes who rearly do
anything for their country--but complain!

How about you? What's you big contribution to this
country?

[Rumba]

05:06 PM on 06/05/2008

Bill's resume is great...that is why Hillary claimed it as hers.

[shelobo]

12:22 AM on 06/04/2008

Hillary won't concede and she won't support ANYONE for presidential office other than herself. The nomination process IS OVER ,with her years in politics SHE should know this .She's about as AMERICAN as Hitler was from the way she is acting,she proved that by the stunt she pulled tonight.If you care about THIS country you don't put YOUR wants and issues FIRST,they come second.Every young person who has died in the war she voted yes on has shown that their country came BEFORE them !Hillary plans on keeping the democratic party split ,and as long non democrats back her ,she will keep it split . She has convinced whites that Obama is not as good as she is,she has convinced women only she will fight for them ,just WHAT is she fighting for on their behalf ?She has promised illegals families that only she can help their family members become legal citizens !!She has promised Native Americans that only she will make sure they have a place in the goverment ,THAT PROMISE has been broken time and time again since this country was taken from the Native Americans. First she said she would END the war,tonight she said she wants to WIN the war !! Read her past speeches !!Her supporters claim they are Americans ,but yet are still rambling along on a lost agenda and STILL giving her money ,for what? WHY does she need money from people who can barely pay their own bills ,let alone hers?

[BigMike75]

12:21 AM on 06/04/2008

Forget sexism, forget made up conspiracies, I call it like I see it, I call a spade a spade. Hillary Clinton along with her husband, are egotistical, power hungry, narcissists. What you saw with Hillary's speech tonight was an extortion play. Forget about the happenings on the campaign trail, take a look at the two speeches tonight and you saw the difference in class between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Where was the concession? Where was the concillatory feel? Where was her olive branch offer? Even after being defeated, she still made a campaign speech touting herself as the better candidate, on the night the Democratic nominee was being coronated. Where was her recognization of this historic night? Barack Obama is the nominee, but we heard all night about what Hillary wants, she echoed the sentiment in her speech. This was night was supposed to be about Barack and the history this time represents for America, she continued to be defiant, she continued to stoke the flames of her supporters, where was the unity Hillary? It's still about her, and this built up leverage that her supporters feel, now they want to put a gun to Barack's head and say "take me as VP or else". I will NEVER vote for an Obama/Hillary ticket that is forced by that wench!

[joefazio]

08:16 PM on 06/04/2008

Hey BigMike, watch who your callin' a wench!

You talking about a woman who has done more for this
country by accident, than most people do by design?

It always amazes me how quickly people are to throw others
under the bus, WHO HAVE MADE A SUBSTANTIAL CONTIRBUTION
TO SOCIETY, when many times the one complaining--has done
LITTLE OR NOTHING to contribuate anything in the betterment
of this country.

[Rumba]

11:11 AM on 06/05/2008

Hey Joe wake up...It has always been for her, the most obsessive power hungry person the sexists chose to follow like sheep.
She has no place in the future of America.

[conned]

06:20 PM on 06/03/2008

McCain couldn't be a worse candidate at this time and place. If Dems can't win now, we might as well call it quits.

[KyleCope]

03:00 PM on 06/03/2008

Ha Ha - Have you seen this Hillary spoof?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGMgxFE6bms

[newsketeer]

12:00 PM on 06/03/2008

I've heard some really sore and ungracious losers come out of Hillary's camp. There's a lot of anger in that woman.

[joefazio]

08:04 PM on 06/04/2008

Try killing yourself to improve conditions in this country
and then being rejected by the very people you've
been fighting for.

Tell me...ya think that might make you a bit angry?

[Rumba]

11:16 AM on 06/05/2008

If she was a wonderful as you dream she is , she would be overjoyed at Obama's success.
Take a guess.....think she may be?
She is not upset thinking America will go down the toilet under the fine inspirational leadership of Obama, but at the loss of her perceived coronation which she personally went into debt for, and which she wants others to pay for.

[cyndeewi]

11:02 AM on 06/03/2008

I hate the moderators, they are slow as heck!

[ohmercy]

01:17 PM on 06/03/2008

sweetie, you just hate. period.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr.]

03:26 PM on 06/03/2008

Thousands and thousands of comments an hour. They work their butts off.

[Flagal]

11:01 AM on 06/03/2008

I think H-illarys speech tonight might be to announce she is switching parties.

[apikores]

01:24 PM on 06/03/2008

why wouldn't she? she has done everything in her power to stir up hate among her supporters for liberals and liberalism. read the clinton supporter rants here, they talk about "commies" and "latte liberals" as if they were guests on the rush limbaugh show. pro-war, pro-big business...what's not to like about the GOP for Hillary Clinton? and her supporters will like its socially conservative ideas: polling indicates that white Democrats with a negative view of Obama (ie HRC supporters) are

More likely to say that equal rights for minorities have been "pushed too far" (19% of those with a favorable opinion of him vs 45% of those who have an unfavorable opinion)

More likely to disapprove of "interracial dating" (8% vs 28%)

More likely to say that immigrants "threaten our traditional values" (31% vs 48%)

More likely to say that we should fight for the US "whether it is right or wrong" (48% to 61%)

More likely to say that men make better leaders than women (12% to 24%)

Aaaaaaannnddd....

MUCH more likely to believe that Obama is a Muslim (5% to 23%)

Data is all available here. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/779/obama-weathers-the-wright-storm-clinton-faces-credibility-probl

[sharonh]

09:52 PM on 06/04/2008

More likely to be annoyed by inane posts (100%)

[yesenia]

02:17 PM on 06/03/2008

It's time for Hillary to step aside and learn from the rookie who beat her fair and square... What a phenomenal campaign President Obama has ran..

[shelobo]

10:58 AM on 06/03/2008

Maybe Clintons people have decided to act like true patriotic AMERICANS and live by what Lincoln once said :"Stand with anybody that stands RIGHT. Stand with him while he is right and PART with him when he goes wrong."The same choice Obama had to make when he gave up his Church membership.Clinton has ran a historical campaign ,just as Obama has,and BOTH will have their special place in OUR history.Weather Obama can do what he says he will do remains to be seen ,as nothing gets done when the lawmakers of this country fight among themselves .The economy and the war hopefully will be his FIRST prioritys .Austrailia has withdrawn their troops ,thus leaveing American troops in even more danger,we need ALL the help we can get over there in Iraq ,and other countries are bailing on this country !The war HAS to end,there's no doubt about it.Instead of bashing our NEXT president ,whoever it maybe,we as Americans should support that person and remain loyal to that offices TITLE, not WHO has the title of President of this great country.If we fall apart within the structuring of this country ,we fall apart in full view of the world !UNITED we will acomplish what is needed ,UNITY among AMERICANS.