Note to Senator Obama

To: Senator Barack Obama
From: Charles Warner

My wife, Julia Bradford, and I have both ardently supported you since the beginning of your campaign when we attended your March, 2007, fundraiser in New York. We are maxed out in our contributions to your primary campaign to become the Democratic Party's nominee and have given over $1,000 to your presidential campaign because we are convinced that you will be the nominee. I co-hosted a party that raised over $10,000 for your candidacy. We took a bus from New York to Philadelphia the Sunday before the Pennsylvania primary to canvas door to door for you in South Philadelphia.

We believe in you and are convinced you will be a president who America and the world will be proud of. We are convinced you will be a president who will tell the truth to the American people and begin to make some necessary changes that will help to repair America's reputation internationally and help to save our precious environment.

We did not give Hillary Clinton a penny. Her mendacious, destructive, poorly managed, and pandering campaign has demonstrated how unfit she is to be president. We did not give your campaign money to see it go to her. If your campaign agrees to pay off any of her campaign's debt in order to bribe her to get out of the race, you will have betrayed our trust in you and you will plummet to her unprincipled level in the gutter.

You have promised to change the ways of Washington politics. Stick to your promise. Don't bribe her. Don't give her a dollar - not a penny of our money. If you do, you will not only break your promise of change, you will also not get any more money from us or millions of other people, and, most importantly, you will lose the mantle of idealism and hope that attracted us to you in the first place.

Finally, idealism is nice, but realistically, you don't need to bail her out. You're going to win the nomination without bribing her. Save the money and invest it in beating McCain. We'll help if you keep our faith and the money we've already given you.

Comments

[Roxanabamamomma]

I sent this email to David Plouffe this morning in response to a soliciation for funds. Could it be that not only would he offer it, but they would actually take it?

Make it not be true!!!


Dear David

I am a grandmother over fifty whose $80M a year job just got out sourced, I am now an $16.00 an hour employee that still has the expenses of a person earning $80M. I am not complaining, I truly believe in the American Dream that has afforded me I wonderful life. (This is a minor set back).

This is the first time in my entire life that I have contributed to a presidential campaign. Twice already.

My concern David, is that I am hearing that there is a possibility that the Obama campaign might help the Clinton campaign resolve some of their debts. I am very distressed with this. Had I wanted to contribute to that campaign I would have. I didn't, I have sent from my earnings $75.00 to date. This may not mean a lot to others, but it significant to me given my current circumstances.

Is the Obama campaign offering to pay the debts or is that just talk?

Please clear this up for me.

Thank you.

Roxana Valera

[creo13]

You make $80M a year?!?!?!!?!?!?!?

[Mesaywar]

Thank you Mr. Warner. A candidate who mismanages their campaign, should not be bailed out. Especially, when they have more than $100 000 000 in the bank.

[rickd24]

Two questions:

1) I've only heard the pundits talking about this. Have there been any leaks from either campaign that this is a possibility? If not, I suspect it's a lot of rubbish.

2) Has anyone ever heard of ANY campaign ever doing this? I never have. On top of looking real bad, It would be a terrible precedent to set. No candidate should ever run a campaign with the assumption that they will be taken care of if they fail. You can bet the right wing media would be all over this example of "socialized campaigning".

[sytgrl]

1) Nothing even remotely substantial. It is illegal to do so, so it will not happen. The only thing that COULD happen is that the Obama campaign offers to either do joint fundraising in the future to help her, or to do fundraising on the side to help her. Either way, I believe that they would have to be explicit that this is what the funds are going towards. NONE of the money that the Obama campaign has raised so far could legally go towards this purpose, because the fund were solicited under the notion that the money was going towards Obama's campaign for president.

2) It's actually been common practice, and is usually part of the reconciliation as part of the primary process.

[lindaisaiah]

I agree that we must come together as a party, but to bail Senator Clinton out of her jam to me is not Senator Obama's or our responsibility. We should show support for the DNC and continue to give our pledges to Senator Obama for the November election. It's still going to take a lot of money to get him in this last scratch to the goal. So although I don't see it as a bribe as you Mr. Warner are trying to make it, I do believe Senator Clinton is a very wealthy woman and can get out of this bankruptcy on her on wits. Let's not start making unnecessary ammunitions for the formidable opponent can use against our candidate. He needs to chose his battles wisely, this is really not a big deal

[Mesaywar]

It is a big deal for those who sacrificed and gave up their $100 to help Obama get where he is now. for many that meant a bill payment delayed, shoes for their children not purchased, etc. To pay off the debt of a foolish candidate who spent her money damaging the Democratic party, prolonging a race lost in February, and race baiting is wrong, especially when she has more than $100 000 000 of her own.

[Umungus]

Mr Warner,

I'm in full agreement. I donated to Senator Obama's campaign, not Senator Clinton.

[marignymitch]

Those in support of the bribe please reread Mr Warner's post. He correct states that such action violates Obama's principles and the trust between him and his supporters, who donate money in good faith. Those are the important issues. He's forging a new trail in American politics; bribery is devolution to politics as usual, politics as personified by Clinton.

[OriginalScreenName]

At the very least, the small vendors and regular staffers like admins, etc should get paid. If Hillary doesn't do it out of her own pocket, then Obama should definitely step in. I most certainly would approve my donations going to that. Democrats need to be seen as paying their bills.

I'm still not quite sure about my feelings regarding Obama paying her senior staff and her loans. I would say only do it if it buys some goodwill and it brings the party together - Party Unity is a very valuable thing right now. Otherwise, your getting nothing for your money and the people that created this mess (which also are far from financial ruin) should sleep in the bed they made.

[smartypants7]

HRC can more than afford to pay her own debts. Loaning her campaign her own money as it floundered was a bad investment, and she should forget about being repaid. She will remain rich without it.

If Obama does agree to pay her off, my contributions to his campaign will stop. I am not that rich.

[smark]

The Clintons are far from being destitute. They HAVE the money to pay the vendors. They just don't want to. Why should Obama pay them for her??? She was not a good steward with her campaign donations and squandered it all away and now expect it to be paid with our contributions? And the mean and nasty campaign she has been running against Obama earns her little to no respect or sympathy from anyone. I worked hard to earn the money I donated to Obama's campaign. Hillary should be made to pay her own bills. She made her bed, she has to lie in it.

[JulieS]

I agree with Mr Warner. We should not bail her out. She has done nothing accept try to hurt his
chances of winning ie: race baiting and negativity.

Don't do it Mr Obama !

[VoodooAndValentine]

I'm an Obama supporter, but I would gladly see my (tiny... I'm a musician) donations go to her if it would help heal the party. I support Obama because I believe in the idealism of the Democratic party and I feel he best embodies that ideal. Part of that is recognizing that he won't be President, alone, independent, and able. He'll need the party and he may need Clinton. We may too!

[Producer1]

Mr. Warner:

Last evening my reaction was basically the same as yours, however, after a good night's sleep I realized that the objective is to get Obama the nomination behind a united party. That money is going to be spent in the next several primaries anyway with few positive results other than a delegate split. Frankly, she's a fool not to take the deal if offered to her.

Hillary has been a huge disappointment to me in the way she has allowed her campaign to deteriorate. What it shows me is that her strategy was wrong in the first place.

She can do herself, the party, the country and President Obama more good by being the force in the Senate that can make Universal Health Care possible as well as making sure that no more Alitos are appointed to the Supreme Court plus all other kinds of meaningful legislation including an effective exit strategy in the Middle East.

[Barbara914]

I trust Obama's judgment. On the one hand, it would stick in my craw to think that my donations would help Hillary--It's not like she's a poverty case. On the other, if this will make her go away, I'm all for it. I feel the same way about Hillary on the ticket. Maybe it's best to keep your opponents nearby. Obama has the brains and the wisdom to make the right choice.

[inspectormerlot]

Please reconsider again. Between them the Clintons can easily make this money out of writing new books, going back on the speech circuit. They haven't earned the Obama contributions from low income folk who donated to him, not to her mendacious campaign. People need to face the consequences of their own actions - not have other people bail them out. Part of the Clintons' problems is how easily they've slid through the results of theri own behaviours because their supporters have come to the rescue every time. That has to stop.

Check out the reviews of `Clinton in Exile` - eg `Overall, the reader is left with a feeling that the last eight years of his life have been much like the previous eight`

Nothing changes.

[burnt]

Thank you. Obama broke the "tradition" of providing "street money" to get the vote out in Philadelphia. I'm certain that may have cost him much needed votes. I applauded him for that decision. It's my belif that if we are to effectively change the core of what is wrong in politics, we all should examine some of these traditional insider practices and urge a stop to those that lead to the systemic rot we call Washington DC politics.

I would cut her off in a heartbeat. The prime reason Clinton continues on with this debacle is that she is able to lend her campaign many millions to pay for slime tactics, with full expectation that she will be reimbursed for the cost of those attacks by Obama. Why wouldn't she continue? It's not her dime.

If she is going to campaign like a Republican, then she should rely upon the Republican Party to pay her debts... or have Bubba cover her markers.

alienated in Seattle

[thisoldbroad]

DITTO!!

[gclum]

I would disagree with Mr. Warner in that it would be a good thing to make nice with Mrs. Clinton and help her exit in a positive way. I personally don't see this as a breaking of a promise to change Washington and as a matter of fact I still hope that the ticket will be the so called dream ticket with Mrs. Clinton being the VP nominee.

[smark]

Are you kidding me? That dream ticket would soon turn into a nightmare with that power-hungry, lying, corrupt woman. The trust factor with her would be ZERO. She cares about no one else but herself and anything she says requires a willing suspension of disbelief!

[wakupmagy]

I'm sorry. This is beyond the pale.
We don't even know yet how the Clintons made their $109 million fortune.
But at least let them use some of those gains to pay their debts.

As for the Veep position. .. with Bill and Hillary Clinton loose in the White House President Obama will spend day and night looking over his shoulder. Just ask Al Gore.

[repearwo]

Dear Mr. Warner,

A gratious gift is not a bribe. Part of the culture in Washington is the paranoia that mistrusts and believes that others are out to get us. Hillary had completely absorbed that idea and may have gone to Washingto with it.

We are a diverse people and for us to survive we must learn to share and forgive. We can not continue the politics of hate. I could never have voted for Hillary. It was not that she voted for the authorization of funds for the disater in Iraq, but because she insulted my intelligence by telling me that she did not know better. For that lack of knowledge or lie, too many men and women have lost their lives.

We must reply to Hatred with Love. We are the largest most powerful Military in History, yet we have twice been unable to overcome a small determined population. That is because Might is not strength, Love is.

If Obama heals the party by paying off Clinton'd debt, that is fine with me.

Hope? When Obama said on Tuesday night that the campaign was not about him, he sealed the deal with me. It is not about Hillary either. When you seek to punish Hillary you make it about her. It is not, it is about us. In that equation the only person I am in control of is me. For me it is about acceptance, redemption, and forgiveness, or it about nothing.