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

[WFV]

There should be a way for the big donors to review the outstanding bills and if they choose to do so, pay the vendors directly. I am talking about caterers, facilities where speeches were held, printers, that sort of thing. It is a real shame they are being stiffed by the mismanaged campaign.

Other debts, such as those to consultants or for negative ads should be borne by those who incurred the debts. The vanity tour went on far too long and they should pay for it themselves. Let's not forget, the former candidate and her husband are not poor, and they have great ability to earn more, so let them pay for their ego trip.

[nclayla]

Sounds good to me!

[southernsepia]

Just a suggestion people.

There is no way on gods green earth that any of his long time supporters would help.

I am all for party unity but when it comes to paying other folks bills I draw the line.

[Damon]

I, as a former Clinton supporter recently donated again on her web site to help her with her debt (200 dollars).

I'm still wondering, where are all the other Clinton supporters who voted for her ? She was your candidate, you believed in her, why aren't you donating to help her ?
This is exactly how we see who her real supporters were, those who really believed in her;
when I hear fake Clinton supporters threatening to vote for McCain't, I say these people sold their candidate, her ideas, her fight and all she's been fighting for, for so many years, and they also sold their own soul.

A true Clinton supporter would help her and will never vote for a guy who didn't say anything when a woman of his own campaign called Clinton, quote: "What are we gonna do with the Bit...???"­.

A true Clinton supporter can't vote for a guy whose ideas are 100% opposite to hers, never...

[nclayla]

Hillary was fortunate to have you as a supporter, Damon. You are loyal and have a strong sense of personal integrity. I cannot, however, understand your overwhelming desire to help the multimillionaire out of her self inflicted financial catastrophe. I hope the money you have given is money that you could easily afford to give without any belt tightening on your part. I wish you well.

[JoeBlough]

If Hillary truely believed in herself, she would be happy to pay her debts with her own personal fortune. Is this a problem?

[DontBeFoolish]

Damon, this lady wanted to be PRESIDENT. If we already have to bail her out, who knows what she's going to do in the White House. Although I like her, and I am an Obama supporter. I don't understand why she is not handling her debt on her own, she has 109M laying somewhere.

The additional money that she and Obama had to spend, because she chose to stay in a race that she could not of possibly won. Could of been used to battle against John McCain and the REPUBLICAN ATTACK MACHINE.

Now she wants to not only spend all of her money, but she now wants to spend even more, by gettting it from the other candidate. I'm sorry, but this sounds more and more like a scourned women to me. You help her Damon, I personally think that there is still some maturing that needs to take place with HRC.

[spiderbucket]

This is tacky. Just write a book or give a few speeches, Hillary.

[1099]

This is common practice in presidential campaigns. Hillary is not reinventing the wheel here.

[nclayla]

The fact that it has done before does not not make it any less tacky.

[DontBeFoolish]

Yea, well she's not making it roll smoother either.

[mom2sons]

What about the small business vendors? I'll see how much they get by July or by the convention and donate something maybe. I agree, it is a small price to pay. I am one of the under $40,000, 2 children, 1 college age, and have health insurance. Thank God! Don't drive, so don't have to pay for gas, but bus passes are $70 a pop. Help out if you can.

[Doofus]

That's a very nice gesture from Senator Obama,
and when I hear a convincing apology from Senator
Clinton for her vote on the October 2002 Iraq War Resolution
I would seriously consider making a donation to help cover her debt.

[mahoner]

On CNN Candy Crowley said that Obama is asking his big donors, not the average hard working Americans (like you guys) - just his big wigs who have the pockets that can swallow it.

Personally I agree that it shoud be Clinton supporters (especially those ridiculous PUMA members who have mysteriously disappeared from this thread) to pony up and help her out.

I see...they don't wanna contribute to her debt, but they'd like to sabotage the DNC/election this yearso she'll run in 2012.

I'd sucker punch a PUMA member so fast it'd make their head spin.

[jdenham]

I find it strange that these rabid Clinton supporters are not sending money to help pay off her debt. I guess the cause is not worth paying for. I am sure there are Clinton supporters who have sent in a contribution and I salute them. It is time for the 18 million to pony up a few dollars to pay off her debt.

[ggmome]

Her debt would not have amounted to $22 Million if she had gotten out while the getting was good. I figure it would have only been the $5 Million she 'borrowed' from her own coffers. So now that she is going to pay herself back all these 'other' Millions of dollars she used, it sound to me like the infamous 'they' are going to make money on the deal. Her DEBTS sound like a personal problem to me. She had three people, with three different entourages as well as other extra 'activities' going on. So Bill is being allowed to pimp her run for office. I hear the rip from here!

I am holding off any further contributions to anybody, cause I don't like users or abusers. Enough already.

[Obama4change]

I am in total agreement with the sentiments that Hillary supporters should help her pay her debt since a majority of it will go to Mark Penn (the slimeball). They said they greatly believed in her then all they have to donate is $1.25. Remember the DNC needs money for the convention as well.

[VSamuels]

Of course it would make sense for Hillary's base to pony up and pay off her debts, however, it is more than clear that Hillary while gaining these voters do not have some absolute control over them. The reasons that Hillary got all of those voters are far more complicated than the way the media dove in and kept repeating that she had this legion of followers who needed to be massaged and catered to. Many probably voted for Hillary believing she and Bill had a better chance to win, but were not necessarily against Obama, although there are a few who were simply voting for her because she was a woman.

Yet, the question does remain as why they are not stepping up to the plate to help her. It is also interesting how Obama's surrogates are being asked about why his donors aren't helping out, while they don't seem to be raising the same question about Hillary's base.

[olivia]

She has cost me enough.

I gave Obama money to fight her in the months after she had already lost. That is money I should have been able to give to the general election fund.

She wasted a great deal of money - hers and his - with her stubbornness and hubris.

[blustate135]

I agree. I'm really annoyed that she dragged it out, costing both campaigns millions, knowing she was in debt and couldn't catch up. No way I would help her, nor encourage others to help her.

[rinpochet]

Why is she the only candidate asking that Obama's donors pay off her debt? Because she stayed in the race long after she ran out of money, irresponsibly creating this debt. The others left the race when they ran out of money. What a concept?

If I had millions in the bank and asked others to pay my debt, they would laugh at me. She wanted to be POTUS but doesn't understand the meaning of financial responsibility.

Actually, to all you donors out there, how about helping me pay off my debt?

[Roose]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Tell me another joke cause I'm LMAO!

[ladycave]

Don't forget everyone Obama can not give money to her that we donate to him. He has only asked mostly his big money Donors to help make donations to her directly. And only the amount that is owed to all of those vendors that have been denied payment for so long. We that are a part of his small donor list will most likely not be sent an e-mail asking for donations to Hillary.com .

Obama understands that his grassroots supporters are not happy about the many comments she made that were really below the belt ... ie she and McCain have been tested and all he has is a speach in 2004. That one will hard to forget, but I am willing to move on for the greater good

Obama 08

[michael429]

i don't think that you are correct...­.what is the basis for your saying that he cannot use his current campaign funds to pay her debt?

[nomobull]

its not allowed read the article.

[1099]

So it's OK for him to hit up his "big donors" to pony up dough for Hillary but it would be wrong of him to use money from small donations. Idiocy.

He can use whatever funds he wishes to pay off Clinton's campaign debt.

[SpoxLogic]

Obama would only be able to give the Clinton campaign the max donation - $2300. His campaign is treated as being an indivdual - so any more than that would be breaking the law.

So for all those people out there who thinkk your money will go to Hilalry -relax.

The most that will go is $2300 and I doubt that makes much of a difference when she owes millions.

[nclayla]

Actually, legally he cannot.

[nclayla]

Actually you are wrong, There are laws in place to prevent funds raced for a campiagn being used for another purpose.

[PennP]

"He has only asked mostly his big money Donors to help make donations to her directly. And only the amount that is owed to all of those vendors that have been denied payment for so long."

This is a bit disingenuous. The amount owed the vendors is quite close to the amount--$12M--that she borrowed from her marital assets. The article says, "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." This is absolutely meaningless, especially coming from HRC. She cannot repay herself once the convention opens, so OF COURSE SHE'LL PAY HERSELF FIRST. Any meaningful support she can give Obama appears to be conditioned on his willingness--if not ability--to help her fleece a new group of donors (us) so she doesn't have to pay for her appallingly mismanaged campaign with her own funds. It's hard to imagine a more pointless expenditure of $10M, except for the Bush War she so passionately supported for years.

Unless Obama has absolute control of the revenue he helps to raise for her, and will make sure the vendors are paid first, I have no reason to believe they'll ever see a dime. I don't believe her support is worth $10-$23M to Obama, and have no intention of enabling this kind of extortion-­-especiall­y at my personal expense.

[xcrunner77]

Let every person who voted for Hillary send her $1.25. 18 million x $1.25 will pay off her debt.

See how easy that was? Tell me that even those hard-working white people in rural Appalachia can't spare a buck twenty-five for their queen. Send her $2 each and she'll have a great start on her Senate race.

There is no need for Obama's supporters to pay off her debt when the math is so easy. If her voters aren't willing to cough up less than $2 each then they must not support her all that much.

[TheOneironaut]

If you dont pay yo' buck o'five who wiiiiiilll­llllllll..­... LOL LOL

[WFV]

Because, as we all know, there aren't 18 million of them anymore. Not even close.

[PennP]

Then the PUMAs and Harriet Christian contingent can pick up the share of the people who saw the light. It shouldn't matter to them whether it's $1.25 or $125 if they're making a statement of support for their "girl."

[siri2k]

xcrunner77, whoever you are, THIS is brilliant! I totally laughed out loud. It's simple, elegant logic and is THE PERFECT RESPONSE.
Thank GAWD this woman will get no where NEAR the Oval Office! Ready from Day One my assssss!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!
LOL!
GOOOD job, x, GOOOOOOD JOB!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!