Obama Asks Donors To Help Clinton With Campaign Debt

WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday asked his finance team to help Hillary Rodham Clinton pay off a debt of at least $10 million from her failed presidential campaign, setting the stage for joint appearances by the two former rivals later in the week.

In a teleconference with his top fundraisers Tuesday afternoon, Obama asked them to do what they could to help Clinton, according to two Democrats familiar with the call. A campaign spokesman confirmed that Obama had asked them to help the former first lady.

"Some of our donors have asked and Barack said if they have the ability to raise or give money to help on debt, we encourage them to do so," spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Obama's green light to his money bundlers came two days before he and Clinton were scheduled to meet in Washington with some of her top fundraisers in a show of unity after their bruising contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Friday, the two planned to campaign together in New Hampshire.

Obama clinched the nomination earlier this month; Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed him.

The former first lady reported a $22.5 million debt at the end of May, more than half of which was a personal loan to her presidential campaign. Clinton, in a call to her top fundraisers last week, said she would concentrate on paying off money owed to vendors, not her personal loans.

Obama's finance team has expanded since he secured the nomination earlier this month, providing a broad base of potential assistance to Clinton. At least 200 fundraisers attended the campaign's national finance meeting in Chicago last week. Scores were unable to attend, one participant said.

In urging his top fundraisers to help Clinton, Obama was counting on them to seek out their pool of donors to raise the money in large increments. Donors who have not contributed to Clinton's campaign could give up to $2,300 to help her pay off her debts.

It remained to be seen whether Obama would make a similar appeal to his Internet donors, a vast network of small-dollar contributors who helped Obama shatter fundraising records during the primary contests. As of the end of May, Obama had raised more than $287 million.

Clinton donors had been making a clear case to Obama that he needed to use his fundraising resources to help her get out of the red. Her national finance co-chair, Hassan Nemazee, told The Associated Press last week that Clinton would be freer to campaign for Obama and raise money for him if she did not have to concentrate on retiring her debt.

Moreover, Nemazee said, it would be easier for Clinton fundraisers who wanted to help Obama to be able to tell former Clinton donors, "Look what Senator Obama has done for Senator Clinton."

At least one Obama supporter said that message was heard, prompting Obama's entreaty to his finance team on Tuesday.

Comments

[Arleen1]

Clinton and her entourage flew in many different directions several times over racking up debt in their wake. Even after the death knoll played for her she continued on. I have very little sympathy for her failed campaign. I don't want to be used to retire her debt. She is not worth it. My sacrifice is to get Obama elected against Mc Cain. That is my single focus. Hillary is no where in my scope. Please Obama don't ask this of me. My trust in what these Clinton people want is not there. They are sneaky people. They will use people for what they can get and not look back.

[DontBeFoolish]

What the HELLLLLL! This lady pushes her campaign and budget over the cliff and she wants us to help her pay for it. Not a chance, she should of quit when she was ahead. This is the lady that almost 18 million people wanted to be our next president? She reminds me of Bush! Is there no shame to this lady's game. I know President Obama was embarrassed to even ask.

How can you run a country when you can't even balance your checkbook. Mr. & Mrs. Clinton, suck it up, and pay for it yourselves. I'm sorry, I have nothing against you, but this was a decision that you made, not us. Did you forget that the U.S. Economy is in shambles right now, and we all have financial problems of our own, that we need fixing. And none of us have have 109M to fall back on.

[Faith101]

Although Obama was and still is my guy for prez, I have to agree with Damon from an earlier post. I really have to wonder about Hillary's true supporters. Why haven't they helped her when she asked for more money on her site? I think the true Limbaugh effect is starting to creep in. Some of those of people were never going to vote dem this fall. I am going to send money to Obama,s campaign. I guess they will figure out how to divide it.

[yair]

This article is deceptive:

1. Obama is only asking his top donors (people who have probably already topped out as $2300) to help her, "if they are so inclinded":

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/25/obama-asks-contributors-to-help-clinton-with-debt/

2. It is my understanding that Hillary is not asking for help to pay off the her part of the debt.

[PennP]

Who's going to make sure the $$$ she collects will go to the vendors first?

[paganmist]

Wait a second.

Doesn't she still have $109 million dollars?

Like, isn't she still filthy rich, by many millions of dollars? What's this talk about how she... "can't" pay off her debts? She's RICH!? She's a KAZILLIONAIRE!?

Suddenly, I am confused here.

Let's say I have $109 million dollars. And then I incur $24 million dollars worth of debt. Why--

What on earth--

Huh?

Why isn't she paying her OWN debt off? Why would she even need money to help her pay back her personal loans!? She-- they weren't LOANS!? She spent the money on HERSELF. It was HER campaign!?

WTFIGOH?

[JoeBlough]

You are absolutely correct. She's the one who decided to run for office. She should believe enough in her abilities to want pay her own way.

If I go into debt to buy a car, it was my decision and I wouldn't expect other people to bail me out.

Rich people have a strange take how to intergate into life.

[sq1972]

I agree with paganmist-­-moreover, it was her decision to continue campaigning into June--long after the outcome was a foregone conclusion despite what the media talking heads tried to tell us, it was her decision to run attack ads for the 3 am call and other similar fearmongering ads, it was her decision to hire the services of Mark Penn and others of his ilk with duplicitous agendas (one in contradiction with that of U.S. interests)--and we are being asked to pay for it? No thanks. For her contribution of adding fuel to the fire of race relations and teeing up Obama for the Republicans with the ridiculous "elitist" label, I think she should take ownership for work and look no further than her own significant personal wealth to pay the debts of her cesspool of a campaign. As an Obama donor in the past, I am reluctant to donate anything to him in the future until I am certain it will not be used to bail her out.

[sq1972]

I'm in favor of either solution to Clinton's debt situation or a combination thereof:
1) she pay off her debt with her own substantial assets
2) she receive donations only from those with greater net worth than herself

Any other option stinks of corporate welfare--actually this is worse because at least corporate welfare creates/preserves jobs.

[dm92]

He had to put it out there, but I don't suspect they'll get many takers here. It was a very risky proposition to keep spending when the numbers for so ominous and doesn't she have over $100 million???? What kind of financial sense does it make for me to contribute to that cause?

[frustratedinohio]

I have to agree with Obama supporters on this one. I don't want her to go to Obama to pay off her debt. Even though he has all the money in the world right now. I think she should ask her 18 mill supporters to cough up $5, or $1 and pay off the debt herself. I did suggest that at her site too as I made another contribution.

[ishok]

This is ridiculous.
We were reading about vendors having trouble being paid by the Clinton Campaign back in Feb.
Why would any responsible business extend credit to that campaign?
I believe that not only the Clinton's should be held responsible but the vendors and contractors also. They deserve what the don't get.
Remember how pissed we were here on the HuffPost blogs. We asked "what is she doing she has no money".
Campaigns end for 4 major reasons:
1. Message is rejected (or at least not preferred) by voters.
2. Organizational structure breaks down. Staff upheaval.
3. Money. Loss of the ability to raise enough funds to advertise, put on events and pay staff.
4. Numbers don't add-up. Not enough time, votes or delegates left to realistically win.
In the face of all of these conditions our girl stayed in throwing knives and "knee-capping" the probable nominee the whole time.
There is also another reason why I consider it so despicable... WE DEMOCRATS HAVE PROBABLY WASTED 40 - 50 MILLION IN RAISED FUNDS FIGHTING THIS CONTEST SINCE IT WAS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO WIN.

Remember the end of "Thelma and Louise"?...

[nclayla]

"Clinton donors had been making a clear case to Obama that he needed to use his fundraising resources to help her get out of the red. Her national finance co-chair, Hassan Nemazee, told The Associated Press last week that Clinton would be freer to campaign for Obama and raise money for him if she did not have to concentrate on retiring her debt."

Doesn't quote above really say, or at least infer, that unless Obama's financial backers step up and repay the Clinton's personal funds that they used to bash Obama that Hillary will renege on her pledge to fully back him?

[JoeBlough]

Again, she is not in debt. She has a sizable personal fortune to cover all bets. Why do citizens have to pay for every failed effort on her part? They are her bills, not Americas.

[PennP]

It sounds that way to me. Like extortion. Like paying for support. Like TIME TO REGISTER A LOT MORE DEMS!

[gadfly55]

Obama is being compromised by Clinton again and again and again. He should stand off and not nod in her direction. Hillary has advertised her website shamelessly, relentlessly begging for money for months when she knew the race was over. Already her money bundlers are annoyed they don't have specific access to Obama's operation, campaign, policies, agenda etc, but Obama owes the little people, the millions who have forced the establishment and the Clintons to back down and stand aside. He owes the Clintons nothing, and the quickest way to annoy his army is to give or encourage to give a nickel to Hillary. She made her bed, now she can stew in it.

[Damon]

Apparently, people are fooling themselves here, you need to read the article WELL, Barack didn't ask you (or his grassroots donors) to give money to help Hillary, he asked his "Top fundraisers" (not you) to help her, it's pretty clear in the article, so people here really need to chill out.

Peace everyone, calm down.

[DontBeFoolish]

Thanks Damon, but they shouldn't help her either. How ridiculous this is.

[PennP]

If the donors don't deliver, he'll be pitching us via email. And that's one message that will be parsed from here to eternity.

[DebofMD]

I think this is B.S. He should not have to help her with anything. After all the dirt she did to him....this is her mess. Let her get out of it herself. I cannot stand the Clintons. They are a freakin' albatross.

[Damon]

You guys here didn't read the article well, Barack didn't ask his grassroots donors to help her pay her debt, it's not you, he didn't ask you, he asked his top fundraisers;

Quote: """"Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday asked his finance team to help Hillary Rodham Clinton pay off a debt of at least $10 million""""""

2nd quote: """"""In a teleconference with his top fundraisers Tuesday afternoon, Obama asked them to do what they could to help Clinton, according to two Democrats familiar with the call.""""""""

It's pretty clear though, it's not you, it's his top fundraisers, so what are you afraid of here ? It's not your money guys...

[Doofus]

They'd be fundraisers who can persuade 5000-10000 donors
to kick in about $2k each, on a lost yet still noble cause. Yes,
this could just work, if it included signed copies of the Clinton
family oeuvres, past & future. But I'm still waiting for that War
Resolution apology, and $2 is still my limit.

[blustate135]

That's true - it's not my money. I won't be one of the ones maxed out in donations that will be asked to contribute to HRC's debt. But that's not the point of the outrage here - it's the audacity that after she decided to stay in the race knowing she didn't have enough money to continue, and then later knowing she could never catch up in the numbers, that she's asking for help in paying for it. Running in an election is VOLUNTARY. No one made her stay longer than her funds held up. Too bad so sad Hil.

[Doofus]

'Under federal campaign finance law, the Obama campaign cannot directly pay off Clinton's debts, or the $11.43 million she has loaned the campaign, because that would violate campaign contribution limits. But if Obama is the nominee, he and his donor base could provide invaluable help to her in raising money through signed appeals, joint fundraisers and by other methods.' ... Thomas B. Edsall - Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/08/obama-camp-faces-major-ob_n_100928.html

[Gericault]

As reported by Dan Abrams last night Bill Clinton finally gave his endorsement to Barack Obama.
27 words given through a surrogate.
That breaks down to a little over a million dollars a word.
Wow, has his speaking fees gone up or what?

[ceindependence]

This campaign is about "Change", how is helping out your crony in Washington "Change", how is asking your "money bundlers" for assistance "Change"? We don't even want to discuss the legitimacy of "money bundlers". Can't have lobbists but money bundlers are ok! The more I hear from and about Obama, the more he sounds just like what we have always seen in Washington. I think once Obama is in office, we are going to be very disappointed. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!!!