NY Times on HRCs Cash crunch...

[yourguide]

Screw her and her elitist wealthy donors...527s here we come.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/us/politics/20donor.html

*snip*

The Obama fund-raising juggernaut has some of Mrs. Clinton’s most devoted supporters worried and searching for a new way to support her candidacy. Alan Patricof, a national finance chairman for Mrs. Clinton, said four people had called him in the past month to discuss starting a so-called 527 group — named for the section of the tax code the groups are organized under — on her behalf.

“These are people who have maxed out to Hillary and would like to do a lot more but know they cannot do it through the campaign and thus are looking for other legal ways to give and raise more money under a different status,” Mr. Patricof said. “As I have pointed out, once they do that, they can no longer participate in the finance committee calls and they have to do it outside and away from the campaign itself.”

Such groups are potentially attractive for affluent donors because contributions are not capped as they are for candidates. But campaign finance experts say 527s can be legally treacherous; hefty fines were levied against many of the groups after the 2004 election, and the rules that govern them remain hazy.

*snip*

Almost all of the group’s money has come from two unions that have endorsed Mrs. Clinton, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which has contributed $1.2 million, and the Machinists Union.

But the list of individual donors is telling in that eight of the nine people who gave $5,000 or more to the group had already given the maximum $2,300 donation for the primary to Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign.

*snip*

[FrenchieCat]

1. That's what happens when you are the elite candidate with a small elite base

you can't raise money.

That's not what I want going up against Mccain.

[ORDem]

40. And exactly why you have to take her fundraising numbers with a fat grain of salt, because

those donors who've maxed out can only then give to her GE fund, which she can't touch for the primary. Estimates are that her $20M last month is composed of $7M for the GE, so her cash crunch is worse than the top number suggests. We'll know the details tomorrow or Monday when they have to legally disclose everything for March.

:dem:

[dkf]

2. I'm curious about March's final numbers.

Aren't they due soon?

[rainbow4321]

6. By tomorrow

Watch for it here:


http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M4/

[dkf]

11. Does everyone wait to release it?

Can it be released earlier?

I'm wondering what it means that precise numbers haven't come out earlier.

[yourguide]

13. She has to not be releasing it because it's bad.

[dkf]

14. Obama's numbers aren't out either though.

I'm kinda worried about the spending.

[yourguide]

16. I'm not, that campaign is smart in spending.

It's why by SuperTtuesday when the fundraising was neck and neck in totals, Obama outspent her and had money in the bank while she had to give herself a loan.

[dkf]

19. I'm not worried about cash on hand...I'm worried that it will look

like crazy spending.

But that is me...

[yourguide]

21. Nah, if she had it she'd spend it.

[dkf]

23. Oh so true...

That must be what galls her. She never expected she would be outraised in the Dem primary. Now THAT must have been a shocker.

[yourguide]

27. Yuppers!

[dkf]

31. Bitter...

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

[Cha]

34. clinton doesn't set our

standard. And, it's not crazy spending when you have to spend a lot to beat the m$$$$fm and the hilary/repukes.

She's being "outspent" 'cause Obama is getting more Donations. Guess he's just loved more.

[Adelante]

39. I know what you mean, though

ALL of this money makes me kind of ill. I mean, I'm glad Obama has what he needs and I do my part. But the overall cost of presidential elections is just too much goddamned money. They should at least start the campaigns in September instead of January. It seems so profligate, even for a well-managed campaign like Obama's. If we don't get campaign finance reform within the next few years, I don't know if I can stand it.

[kwenu]

32. I understood that his numbers were released for March. $40 mil. Hillary only gave an unofficial

guestimation and promised to release the actuals around 4/20.

[rainbow4321]

24. So far there are 5 are the list released

They've been dribbling out over the last couple days, one by one. Nothing on the current candidates, though.

HRC might as well release hers, waiting is not going to make the list better unless she is frantically paying off people at the last minute, which I doubt. People like local taxpayers, small businesses that have been stiffed since January (Iowa food stores, etc...). All her delay is doing is getting her debts/bills/being broke in the final 24 hour news cycle before PA primary.

Obama may be waiting so it will show how BAD Clinton's debt list is, who knows. Previous months his list was 1/4 the size of her list, with no stiffed local taxpayers (school districts), small businesses, etc..

[dkf]

26. I would think that she couldn't do anything to fix March #s anyway.

Isn't it too late?

[rainbow4321]

36. Not a clue...

Guess it depends on how long into April they get to tweak their March debts. Like could she pay off some up til this past week or was the deadline for "vendor paid" April 1st?

Her amount of money owed on the last debt list was so long I don't see how she can pay off March's list.

The only way her March IOU list will be short is if vendors have started telling her people CASH UP FRONT before services are rendored. Given the national stories of companies in the campaign's past complaining about getting stiffed, this may well be the case.

[rocktivity]

35. She woudn't be releasing them tomorrow if she weren't legally required

which means the numbers probably look quite poor.

:headbang:
rocknation

[rainbow4321]

41. Guess it is too much to hope for that she ends up under the..

"Termination Report" on the FEC list??


http://query.nictusa.com/pres/


April release list is getting longer but no HRC..yet.

http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M4/

[rocktivity]

43. Nothing as of 2PM Eastern 4/20

Guess we'll have to wait until a second before midnight.

:headbang:
rocknation

[PM7nj]

8. yup. Tomorrow! nt

[polpilot]

3. Hope v. Hopeless is reflected in their financial support.

[yourguide]

4. indeed!

:rofl:

[Swamp Rat]

5. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign = bad investment.

The cash flow is coming to a halt.

[crankychatter]

7. too little, too late

unless they're going to donate to mccain

[City Lights]

9. Maybe the Wyly brothers can kick in a few mil to run some negative ads

against Obama for Hill.

[libnnc]

10. What's wrong Hillary? Thought you didn't need the "grassroots"?

:shrug:

[rainbow4321]

12. From a Feb. 2008 article about HRC and 527 "American Leadership Project"

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/proclinton_527_prepares_for_oh.php

Allies of Hillary Clinton plan an expensive, stealth campaign to buttress her standing in the must-win states of Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.

They're canvassing Clinton donors for pledges of up to $100,000 in the hope of raising at least $10M by the end of next week. The money will be placed in the account of a political committee organized under section 527 of the tax code.

A Democrat who was briefed on the project said that Pennsylvania attorney William A. K. Titelman is leading the effort to solicit money. Titleman, who raised money for Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign, has not contributed money to Clinton. He did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

By law, the 527 cannot coordinate its activities with the Clinton campaign, although at least one major Clinton donor with direct ties to the campaign said last night that the effort was an open secret among donors. (Update: Per ABC's Jake Tapper, the group is calling itself the "American Leadership Project" and is staffed by several veterans of the Clinton White House.)

[AllentownJake]

17. This must have failed

Because the only 527 ad I've seen or heard from Clinton was a radio spot from the Teacher's Union. I'm in the Philly media market so I'd assume that the radio and TV ads would appear here :shrug:

[dkf]

15. Guess we will be seeing a lot of resignations from her finance committee.

[AllentownJake]

18. First though

They'll all say something awful than resign...been a pattern. Wonder if Gerry Ferraro is working on some of this.

[dkf]

20. lol. I guess they can have their incendiary right wing smears all lined up.

[AllentownJake]

22. That will be next weeks parade

of filth right after the primary before NC and IN

[yourguide]

25. OMG - the nerve

she just said on CNN in York PA "the wealthy and the well connected have had their president". well what the hell does she think she's doing tapping donors already legally tapped. oh she will lie, and say and do ANYTHING to get elected.

[AllentownJake]

28. She's a habitual liar

and she isn't very good at it.

[Zachstar]

29. Wow I did not know her campaign was in such need.

If she wins by over 10 watch her say over and over for people to website and donate.

PA was a nightmare because Obama had to put that much money in a small area meaning ads are running almost nonstop. To the point of annoying some people.

Once he is out in the open for May he can spread it out and put ads in states Clinton cant afford to run them yet. Long term will see him raise those polls.

[phrigndumass]

30. Terrific, a swift-boating style group

G.U.T.T.E.R.

There should be a limit on gifts to those groups as well, when campaigns are the chief benefactor. If we can only give $2,300 to support a campaign, and we can give $5,000 or more to a different group to smear the opposing campaign, the wealthy will do both. This is the equivalent of giving the wealthy more access.

To rephrase that, the negativity in effect comes directly from the money people, the "insiders" and those who want special access.

[Lucky 13]

33. Her end is near. Can you smell the panic?

It's everywhere. It's PALPABLE.

I cannot WAIT for Tuesday. I'm as giddy as a school kid! It's like waiting for the Superbowl or your birthday!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

37. Hillary's supporters should be worried, VERY worried.

[slinkerwink]

38. don't buy this. It's the Clinton comeback meme.

[BeyondGeography]

42. There's no future in her campaign model

dependent as she is on the wealthy. If she were somehow screw Obama out of the nomination, she would need Obama's donor base to save her. I've probably given about $1,300 to Obama so far, and not a nickel would come from me. I'm sure I'm not alone.