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

[marymansour]

Na, na, na - no will do. I have been a steady supporter of Obama but will NOT contribute to the flagrantly unwise Clinton campaign. The Clintons are political powerhouses and are both capable of making major bucks through speeches, books, presidential retirement and senate salary. They declared 109 million between them and that figure was probably not as lucrative as the real money between the power couple. Let the Clintons resolve their own money problems.

[buster05]

AMEN

[dasimms]

I suppose if I were trying to attain sainthood I would feel compelled to help a person worth 1 billion dollars retire their campaign debt. I am just not there yet.

[justobserve]

I am baffled: Obama asked his supporters to donate to Clinton and Clinton asked her supporters to donate to Obama! Why didn't they ask their supporters to donate to their own fund? in the case of Clinton, her supporters should donate to retire her debts. That was her own bad judgment to continue a race that she could never be able to catch up. Furthermore, she is a multimillionaire so she can afford to pay her own debt and her mistakes. She said she is the champion of hard working voters so she should use her own money to pay the small business people who supplied her with their goods and services NOW. Her actions spoke louder than words.

[ladycave]

MOST OF HER BIG MONEY SUPPORTERS HAVE DONATED THEIR LIMIT OF 2300.00 TO HER THEY CAN STILL DONATE TO HIM THE MAX OF 2300.00 HIS MAXED OUT SUPPORTERS CAN DONATE TO HER UP TO 2300.

I THINK THAT'S HOW IT WORKS

OBAMA 08

[TheSecularist]

A whole lot of Hillary's donors have maxed out to the $2300 primary campaign contribution limit. They can't donate more to her, but they can contribute to Obama. The same goes for Obama's big donors. They've maxed out to him, but can contribute $2300 to Hillary.

[BLinCincinnati]

Because the rich supporters he was talking to, already have given the maximum of $2300 to him, and her's have given the max to her. They can't give any more to their candidate. But he can ask his original rich supporters to donate $2300 to her, and in turn her original rich supporters donate $2300 to him. In the end the result is the same, but her donors can't directly donate another $2300 to her.

[indeevoter]

They're talking about their respective 'fundraisers' - the big money types, who gave the maximum $2300 to the candidate they supported and also collected and bundled the maximum contribution from all their family, friends and colleagues for their candidate. Presumably, her donors didn't give the max to Obama - and his didn't give the max to her. They are talking about her small money supporters - nor his.

I agree with you though, if ANY small money donors contribute money for her debt, it most assuredly should be HER supporters.

[indeevoter]

CORRECTION: I should have said "They AREN'T talking about her samall money donors - nor his.

[ampay]

Just another example of the Clinton's disingenuous self-serving BS. Their support has to be bought and paid for.

[DaOne]

Small price to pat for party unity, even smaller price to pay for the Presidency.

It leaves a bad tastes but let's move on folks. We are facing a technological luddite and a warmonger.

[vippy]

I have scruples, I have my standards and I am not willing to deviate. I too saw this coming.

[EuLupu]

Hillaryous Barack! Just Hillaryous! After all the circus you want US to pay her debts! Not even Roman Emperors asked something like this, remember "Pane et circences"?? At the end is just about the money, isn't it?? There is no surprise in "kiss and make up" but paying back the Clinotns is TOO much considering how they made their millions and who's getting paid - Penn and co. No WE CAN'T.

[uvymopkq]

Now we know why she got out of the race! Change you can beleive in (same old stuff).

[JaRip]

Spend what you don't have(or in her case, what she does have) and then expect someone with money to bail you out. The true definition of a Democrat.

[strifeknot]

Why is O asking average Americans who are struggling to get by in this weak economy to pay the debt of a multi-millionaire who kept campaigning and racking up bills months after it was clear she was going to lose?

The Cl!ntons can afford to pay for their own vainglorious tab themselves.

[pleeezzze]

If he's rolling in money , why is he asking constantly for More ????
Not even to mention H illary .

[Damon]

HuffPost's Pick

Man read the article, he didn't ask average Americans as you say, he asked his --Top fundraisers--, not you or us, read the article it's pretty clear.

[gadfly55]

This is good money for Obama to win, going after bad money for Clinton's debts. The bundlers who are maxed out for Obama will ignore Clinton because they have nothing to gain, absolutely nada. Obama can say he nodded in her direction, but not one cent from his campaign will go to Clinton. Simple arithmetic and economics. Anything for her debts can't be used for him, because it is gone down the drain. Who benefits? Not the donor, not Obama, not Obama's army of supporters, not the country. Only Hillary. Duh.

[harriscrl3]

I wll never forgive Hlary Clinton for this. I think this was extremely irresponsible to be continuing in a race when you didnt have the money to do so with the almost certaininty that you will lose. She had no chance to win and it was only when she went openly negative she did better but it was too late by then.

Carol

[1099]

That reminds me of all those people who took out mortgages they knew they couldn't afford.

[partyofone]

Hillary 's stubborn, self-indulgent arrogance continued the high-priced gravy train for overpaid incompetent million-dollar advisers like Mandy Grunwald and Mark Penn and other hangers-on, long after she had lost the nomination. And during the futile months, she and Bill and followers trashed Obama and praised McCain at every opportunity, and fueled racial, gender, and generational divides. She was dishonest, self-serving and divisive.

According to the article she owes $22.5 million debt at the end of May, more than half of which was a personal loan. But what about her June debt, and all those "get your expenses in" calls to staff.
The article also says she will concentrate on paying off money owed to vendors. She is a mega millionaire, and Bill continues to rake in big 'consulting and speaking" fees from corporations and foreign entitites eager to purchase his influence.

Let the Clintons pay off their own debt. Voters who can contribute to politics, need to concentrate on Obama, or Congressional elections, not Hillary the Has Been.

[JDHART]

Funny that this request comes a day after Bill promises to help Obama's campaign. Sounds like a Clinton shake-down to me. Somehow, I can't forget 'as far as I know he's not a Muslim'; 'shame on you Barack Obama', 'It's 3:00 in the a.m.', etc., etc., etc. Hillary loaned her campaign the money so she could continue with her efforts to bury him. Let her pay it back.

[JTyroler]

Feel free to send your hard-earned money to pay Mark Penn's salary for doing a terrible job. Remember when he said that he hadn't realized that the Democratic primaries weren't winner take all? That kind of knowledge and experience that deserves to be paid in the millions. Everyone can help out - switch to generic foods, maybe cut out one or two meals a week, cut down on some medications - after all, half a pill will help you manage your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, or any other medical problem that you're having problems affording medications.

[missette]

I do think it's important that Obama's campaign assure anyone helping to pay off Hillary's debt that NONE of the money will be used to pay of f Penn. Not only because Penn will be just fine regardless, but because no one's hard-earned money should be used to fund incompetence and failure. For Penn, Hillary's campaign was just an extra-curricular activity, and if Hillary was foolish enough to promise to squander her donations on him, that's really a private matter between the two of them, and no one but the Clintons should be held accountable.

[jdenham]

I had to cut back on my meals and medication already to afford gas to make it to my job. But if Hillary needs some money I guess I dont have to eat. And my cholesterol is not that high yet.

[Keith52]

Yeah I think a good tweak on what Barack is asking for would have been that he ask CLINTON'S supporters to pay her debt on a separate web site called HillarysDebt.com.

[bentenrai]

Hillary claims she won the popular votes, where are all those people? Why aren't they paying her debt?

[eden4barack08]

They've betrayed her and moved on to McCain!

[TheOneironaut]

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!

Bentenrai,

Remember Operation Chaos? Well, some say that was a farce or it cant be proven but I think your question is proof that Operation Chaos worked! Everyone overlooks the fact that she didnt start "winning" until after Chaos was declared!! Im not a Hyllery Hater its just fact! However I dont think Operation Chaos was a smear on Clynton or anything! I just think the Reps knew they were doomed for a while now and they tried to throw salt in the game 1st with Fl & Mi and then with Rev. Wright, then on to Chaos. Question is now...what­s next?

[BigBen]

They are the poor,jobless white people of America,senior citizens,working class women and single mothers, who never voted before and they add up to 18 million. They don't have money like the college crowd.

[TheOneironaut]

Most of O'Bama donations werent above $100! While I get where youre going...I think that point is moot! I just dont think all of those people were HER supporters!! Im sorry I just dont!

[olivia]

Boo hoo!

Obama's war chest came from many small donations.

Hill's 18 million could give $1.25 each. Or 1 out of 100 of them could give $125 each.

I suspect there are not 18 million real supporters left, if she cannot get $125 from 1% of them.

[jdenham]

Although the press has claimed that the elitist are supporting Obama. Many of us are just working class, I find a few dollars every month to send to Obama because I believe in what he says. Most of us give small amounts we have saved during the month. We give when we can, and if you cant afford to give dont. Many just give their time. Big Business donated a lot of money to Hillary, But they cant give again because they have hit their limit.

[SpoxLogic]

It was mostly smoke and mirrors. I am sure 95% of her votes actually are from Clinton supporters. The rest was probably Repubs or Independents that wanted her to stay in the race. Still, even if it's 16 million supporters, vice the 18 million she kept touting - and they each sent ONLY $1.50, she'd be fine.