John Glenn free from $2.68 million debt for 1984 presidential campaign

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1138797039226220.xml&coll=2

Thursday, February 16, 2006
Stephen Koff
Plain Dealer Bureau Chief

Washington – He's been an astronaut, senator, hero, teacher and $2.68 million campaign debtor. But John Glenn is in debt no more.

Effective today, Glenn closes the books on $2 million worth of bank loans, plus interest, that his ill-fated 1984 presidential campaign took on. His campaign didn't get enough contributions to pay back the money in full – a fact that has haunted Glenn in an otherwise illustrious public life.

Until now, Glenn aides, volunteers and his daughter, campaign treasurer Lyn Glenn, have had to faithfully provide the Federal Election Commission with quarterly updates, listing every penny that the campaign still owed and adding interest on the bank loans. But thanks to a request from Lyn Glenn in October and an FEC decision made in January and effective today, Friends of John Glenn can call it quits and, as Lyn requested, "let the public record stand as it is."

"I'm glad to see the whole thing come to an end," John Glenn told The Plain Dealer, which found the FEC order when examining election records...



Fly with John Glenn, pay later -- maybe

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/openers/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_openers/archives/2006_02.html#113518

Did the press stiff John Glenn for thousands of dollars in travel bills after his failed 1984 presidential bid?

That's the impression from the Glenn campaign's filings with the Federal Election Commission -- filings that detail $2.68 million in debt the campaign owes and $66,169 that others, including the media, owe the campaign. It's all become funny money after 22 years, with no chance of further payment, so the FEC as of today is letting Friends of John Glenn end its quarterly filings and shut the books on this chapter of the former astronaut's life. (See Plain Dealer story).

But what of the media debts? Did all these news organizations, from National Public Radio to U.S. News & World Report and a handful of newspapers and chains, shirk their obligations?

No, even though the records make it look that way, says Whitney Burns, a longtime Glenn volunteer who kept the campaign's books...

[pitohui]

1. jesus

no wonder decent people don't want to run for public office, if you're an honest person who doesn't have a hand out, you'll be financially ruined forever, hell, they came damn close to ruining the clintons and only their popularity as writers and speakers pulled them out of the soup, not everybody can write a $10 million best-seller

[bleedingheart]

2. bingo!

I know a guy who ran for congress..he lost .and he now owes around $70K...and his mother is trying to help him pay that back.....not everyone is willing to risk it...

[4_Legs_Good]

3. I can't believe one of the Greatest American Heroes EVER had to carry

this debt for nearly a quarter of a decade.

Hats off to you Senator Glen! Thanks for everything you've done!

david

[Xithras]

5. He really should have asked for help.

Had Glenn made it known that he was in that deep, I'm sure people would have donated to help him out. The man really is a hero and I certainly would have contributed.

[Yupster]

9. There's been a guy following him around for about 20 years

who's been demnding he repay the few thousand dollars he owes from the guy printing campaign leaflets for him back then. He owned a neighborhood printshop.

Why couldn't he pay his debt back?

Usually after a campaign friends of the guy will hold fundraisers to retire his campaign debt.

I would think Glenn could make $ 5,000 a speech or more. You'd think in 25 years he could have repayed the people he owed.

I guess I don't have much sympathy for guys who won't repay their debts.

Hell, Kerry could have given him the money from his leftover millions he ended the last election with.

You don't havce to go into debt to run for office anyway. You can raise money and when you can't raise anymore you can drop out.

On edit -- I found a CNN story about this. The printer was paid in the 90's.

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9811/06/indebted.hero/

It's not like Glenn was in the thick of the race and he thought he would win till the last minute.

[Javaman]

4. I have friends that tell me I should run for the local rep, but...

I just got out of debt, I don't want to get back into it.

Face folks, there are only two kinds of people in this country, the have-lots and the have-none.

Politics in this country have been so far removed from the average guy, that it's just one big pissing fight between the rich.

The more and more I read, the more and more I learn, the more and more I hear about politics, the less and less I am becoming interested in that rich mans political club.

We may fight the good fights at the local level, but I'm coming around to the fact that the ones in washington, don't give a whit about us.

[Daphne08]

6. "...the ones in washington, don't give a whit about us."

I feel the same since it is becoming increasingly clear to me that (with a few exceptions) most of those in both houses of Congress owe their allegiance to the corporate lobbyists.

The Founding Fathers would be so pleased. :sarcasm:

[KansDem]

7. The irony is that the GOP, the "party of term limits"...

wants to limit congressional terms so that "others" (the average folk) may have a chance at "serving the people" but can't due to "professional politicians."

At least that was in their "Contract on with America" in 1994.

Sorry for the strikeover. Prepositions are problematic in any language...

[KansDem]

8. Maybe he got tired of the phone calls?

"Hello?"
"Is 'John Glen' there?"
"Yes. This is he."
"John?"
"Yes"
"This is 'Joe' at 'EZ Credit 4U.' How are you doing this evening?"
"Fine..."
"Terrific. Before we continue, I must inform you that this call may be recorded for quality purposes..."
"OK"
"...and this is an attempt to collect a debt."
"OK"
"Now, John, according to our records..."