Obama asks donors to help Clinton with debt

[rodeodance]

Source: AP

Obama asks donors to help Clinton with debt

31 minutes ago

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.

....................

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080625/ap_on_el_pr/obama_hillary_clinton;_ylt=AhdlaGnLv2aGPSMHcvS522Ws0NUE

[sasquatch]

1. Fuck, she's got the money make her pay it

[Mind_your_head]

2. Well, that's being a "good sport"

:eyes:

[ORDagnabbit]

3. FUCK THAT!!!! Shes a goddamn multi-multi millionaire and like me needs to pay her own bills!

[Skittles]

7. by that logic

why is anyone donating to Obama?

[JVS]

13. Because he's got a viable campaign going

[Skittles]

14. whoever keeps replying to me

I have you on IGNORE so please stop

[mcctatas]

4. I think he it's good for party unity...

plus, maybe then she could pay off some of the smaller vendors that have yet to see any $...

[frog92969]

16. She could pay them anyway

several times over.:shrug:

[Diane R]

5. I hope she has to swallow that debt. A good example to the next broke, scorched earth candidate.

[stranger_with_candy]

6. There is no way i'd even consider sending her a cent

He has to do this to help unify the party and put the primaries behind us once and for all. That being said i hope she doesnt' see a dime returned of the millions she loaned herself.

[noamnety]

8. Clinton's net worth: $10 million to $50 million

according to her own report last year.

When you have so much money you aren't sure within 40 million how much you have, you should be embarrassed to ask working class people to donate to help you maintain your wealth.

[NM Independent]

10. Yet, there will be no embarrassment...

When she says, "HILLARY. CLINTON. DOT. COM!"

After she tells the story of the kid who was saving for a trip, but donated to her instead. Oh, don't forget that other kid that sold his bicycle. There are plenty of stories like this. I like it no more when politicians ask for money from the poor, than I do the evangelical super-ministries demanding that their "flock must tithe 10% (of the gross, mind you)" before God will send them blessings.

It's sickening to me, but it inspires others. I'm usually pretty good at discernment of the perceptions of others, but not on this topic. This really should serve as a lesson to politicians in the future, imho.

[gateley]

9. I hope she can use the money she has earmarked for her GE campaign

to pay off the debt. It seems fair that she should be able to do that if the contributors agree.

She wouldn't need that much money for her Senate reelection campaign -- I think she's pretty much a shoo-in.

[JohnnyLib2]

11. Not surprising. He's a shrewd politiican.

As President, he'll need support--votes--in the Senate.

:thumbsup:

[miles 2 go]

21. Great.. So he's buying her vote already.

So soon to start being blackmailed into submission. I am greatly disappointed.

[comtec]

12. NO

After WHAT she did.. FUCK HER!
She has enough money , she decided to take the low road, she can FUCKING PAY IT HERSELF THE FUCKING FUCK!!!!!

[ima_sinnic]

15. that does not exactly inspire me to donate to Obama's campaign

because I have no interest in having that money used to help a poor widdle multimillionaire pay off debts that resulted from her own incompetence, mismanagement, and delusions of grandeur.

Perhaps, after the fine work she did for the Republican smear machine, the RNC would help her out? Or how about the DLC fork over some of its war profits that she so dutifully ensured they would get.

[rodeodance]

30. Obama is not asking his little donors

[LeftyMom]

17. Let me check my to-do list. Nope, bail out spoiled millionaire's unwise gambling debt isn't on it.

:shrug:

[frog92969]

18. I had to read this twice

I didn't know Obama was a comedian, what a multi-talented man.
:rofl:

[Jack_DeLeon]

19. ROFLMAO...

shit she drives a nicer car than I do, she can pay her own bills.

Back when I had my old car just before I finally got rid of it because it was starting to break down repeatedly, I was in a parking lot getting ready to leave when a guy asked me if he could "borrow" some change for gas and he pointed to his car. I said you drive a nicer car than me and you want me to give you money? I just laughed and got in my car and left.

[tpsbmam]

20. Common practice......

yet I have problems with this for the following reason: Obama has opted out of pubic financing. His fundraising was almost on a par with McCain and the GOP in the last report. I can't speak for anyone else, but I've given monthly to Obama since the field was narrowed down to he and Clinton. I give what I can afford to -- no more, no less. I can't afford to match my donation to Clinton's campaign -- it's one or the other or split the donation. I'm sure I'm not alone on that. I'm not crazy about fundraising being diverted to Clinton at this point. We need to get Obama elected and then we can worry about Hillary. I know it doesn't work that way and it'd be too late, but I want fundraising resources directed to the nominee, not toward Clinton's failed campaign (one that spent money unwisely IMO).

[quickesst]

22. How ironic.....

that the faith Obama supporters have in him is overshadowed by Clinton hatred, the wind beneath many Obama supporters wings. Logically, since Clinton is not asking for the help, but rather Obama is making the request, shouldn't his supporters be directing their anger toward the source of the plea? Not so in O-Land, where hate of another Democrat clearly outweighs the faith in their candidate. There is a twisted, caricature of an ideal here that is overshadowing the goal of regaining America, and it's constitution. I hope that flawed idealism doesn't cost us a country. Thanks.
quickesst

[noamnety]

23. Wow, you made a lot of assumptions in that post.

The wind beneath our wings? Did you imagine us all to be starry-eyed idealistic supporters who believe he's the second coming of America? (just forget his rhetoric on gay marriage, on keeping all options on the table regarding Iran, on funding the Iraq war time and time again while he spoke so inspiringly about how wrong it was).

If there's any twisted caricature-making going on here, I think you might be the one making it.

Many of us here are capable of critical thought, regarding both Obama and Clinton. Just because we recognize republicans are destroying the country at an alarming rate, and democrats, well, they have a slower pace, that doesn't mean we all fall into a disney mentality of believing Obama and Clinton are hero and villain archetypes.

[rodeodance]

26. I think it is a good metaphor.

[noamnety]

34. I think it's the metaphor a person would write

If they had trouble grasping the concept of critiquing an action or request all on its own.

My reaction to a rich person requesting that working class people donate to help secure the rich person's wealth hasn't got much to do with wind beneath anyone's wings.

Maybe if people were capable within themselves of having something other than knee jerk reactions, they'd be more likely to assume others don't all function in that way.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. People, please, chill out. You don't have to do how he says.

He can't give money to her directly. If you donate to Obama exclusively, your money is guaranteed not to go to the Antichrist Hillary. Geez. Stop the hating already.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

25. It is important to note that Obama only addressed this to his top donors

The big money fat cats who can well afford it, and will do as they choose anyway.

This is a gesture of goodwill which was to be expected.

There's no reason for anyone to react to this adversely.

[Blue_Tires]

27. i'm in debt and could use a few thou

[rodeodance]

29. Obama needs Hillary's top donors.

[paparush]

28. I can hear Sam Kenison - "Well maybe if she hadn't done that last SIX FUCKING WEEKS OF CAMPAIGNING!

OH OH OOOOOOH!!!! Maybe..maybe if she'd gotten the fucking message..Maybe if she'd done some simple fuckin arithmetic...just maybe she wouldn't have all this FUCKING DEBT!! OH OH OOOOOOH!!!"

[Bush_MUST_Go]

31. Let her 18 million supporters pay her bills.

At least the ones who were NOT just pretending to support her to screw with the Dem nomination.

[rodeodance]

33. Obama: I Need the Clintons

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/06/25/obama-i-need-the-clintons/

June 25, 2008
Obama: I Need the Clintons
@ 11:38 am by Andy Barr

Despite any bad blood that may exist between Barack Obama and the Clintons, Obama says the two camps will have to put it behind them in order for him to win in November.

"I am going to need them," Obama said in an interview on CNN Wednesday, saying he envisions both Clintons campaigning "actively" in support of him and other Democrats.

Obama said he and the Clintons will be "working closely together over the next couple of weeks."

Both camps have been making public and private efforts recently to heal wounds caused by the primary.

[cap]

32. There is some arcane logic to this...

i wish i remember the article that explains this... i think the law states that Hillary must remain a candidate so she can raise funds to collect her debt... but her donors, themselves, can't pay it off. It must be raised outside. So Hillary's donors can go off and support Obama but they can't pay off her debt. Obama's donors, on the other hand, can pay off Hillary's debt. So, Obama's donors help Hillary and Hillary's will help Obama. It's an odd twist of the law. Net effect, Hillary's donors will give more to Obama than $20 milllion so Obama will come out ahead.

It's some weird twist.... I wish I could remember that article so I could give a proper citation.