HuffPo: Obama campaign wants to help Clinton pay back $11.43M, $10M (or more) will go to Mark Penn

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Top officials of the Barack Obama campaign are privately exploring ways to help Hillary Clinton discharge her debts and pay back the $11.43 million she has loaned her organization, but they are running into two major stumbling blocks. The first is obvious: the deep and growing animosity of Obama supporters towards Clinton, whom they see as raising issues of race and 'elitism' that will hurt the Illinois Senator in November.

In an interview with USA Today for example, Clinton declared: "I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," citing an AP article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me." The second is less obvious: Mark Penn.

For many Obama backers, Penn, the former chief strategist for Clinton and head of one of the biggest PR-lobbying conglomerates in the nation's capital, is the quintessential Washington insider, capitalizing on political connections to become a multi-millionaire.

The immediate problem with Penn -- whose conflicts of interest plagued the Clinton campaign and ultimately led to his being publicly, if not privately, repudiated -- is that if Obama helps Clinton pay off her debts, a big chunk of those debts -- an estimated $10 million or more -- is owed to Penn.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/08/obama-camp-faces-major-ob_n_100928.html

[Frustratedlady]

1. Well, they have one thing right...

"...the deep and growing animosity of Obama supporters towards Clinton."

That's the only reason she's hanging on...to get her $11+M back.

[dkf]

2. I feel like she's holding a gun to our heads. Pay her off or be subject to her attacks.

She is simply awful.

[oviedodem]

3. Here is what I would do: PAY only schools, non-profit orgs, and possibly other

entities like mass mailing, phone stuff. Because these folks were only asked to distribute what Hillary told them to. When it comes to marketing firms, and such (Penn) HELL NO!!!!

[flpoljunkie]

4. Hillary Clinton ought to tell Penn to go piss up a rope.

[dkf]

7. Maybe we should pay him for running her campaign into the ground.

He saved us from her.

[mckeown1128]

9. lol.... just what I was thinking.....

We should pay Penn for doing such a crapy job.... lol.

[dkf]

11. Did you see the TPM piece that when Penn was strategizing he didn't realize CA was not winner takes

all?

That is political malpractice.

[mckeown1128]

19. ya it's a riot.... lol

Penn was a gift to Obama... the way I see it he sucked up money that Hillary could be using in attack ads on Obama.

[newmajority]

30. Guess thats what happens when you hire a Republican

He was going by the Repukes' rules. Maybe that's why Bill & Hill have both said "If we did primaries like the Republicans do, I'd be winning".

Their whole strategy was based on Republican rules, because Republican hit man Penn didn't know the difference. :rofl:

[CatsDogsBabies]

5. I don't understand why she paid Penn so much

or even had him running her campaign. I read he didn't even know how the primaries worked (delegate allocation)- my goodness why would anyone hire him?

[gorekerrydreamticket]

21. Most likely, his fees were set when Clinton was swimming in cash and her nomination was inevitable..

[noel711]

6. Can we pass the hat and take up a collection... for her debts...

and get this over with?

This is painful...

Most people do not want Obama to use his campaign coffers to pay off the debts that the
Clinton campaign has amassed. Okay then, let's do it another way,
and put her out of her misery.

All this talk about "It's her right.."

If she needs to continue this 'campaign' because so many people are depending on her,
fine. But don't continue to rack up debts, don't continue inflammatory language,
don't continue pulling the rug out from the presumptive nominee,and then expect
him to foot the bill. THAT is NOT her right.

[dkf]

8. Asking people like us to pay the debts of someone who has tens of millions of dollars is obscene.

[flpoljunkie]

13. I totally agree.

[IsItJustMe]

10. This is only a rumor, so Obama folks, don't get your underwear all up in knots. This may not even

be true or it might be Clinton spin to hurt Obama's money raising. No tin foil here, just know that politics is strange as hell with a thousand different angles.

[dkf]

14. Hey, the time to speak up is now before the Obama camp

does something.

From the article we can see that our opinions are being noted.

[IsItJustMe]

24. Preemptive as it were. I hear you.

[mrgorth]

12. Sorry for the ignorance but

can someone help me understand the whole "loan the campaign money" and "retire the debt" thing? Aren't Hill and Bill multi-millionaires? They can't self-fund the campaign? Why does it have to be paid back? How? Can't they absorb it? Sorry. Not getting.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. The rich never pay. See: S&L, Bear Stearns, Lockheed, Chrysler, etc...

Welcome to the Chumps Club. :hi:

[Doityourself]

15. If he pays her I want him to pay me back all that I donated. Frick that..I ain't in it to pay Penn

or the Clintons.

[WA98296]

16. If she's so broke, why doesn't she quit spending? Not where I want my donations going.

[nomorewhopper]

17. Mark Penn should be the last person paid.....i cannot believe how much these ppl make

[CreekDog]

18. stop worrying that they will use "your donations" to help Hillary

they won't for obvious political reasons and they can't for legal reasons.

everyone settle down.

any deal that happens would involve people who "choose" to donate to retire the debt.

[flpoljunkie]

22. Yes. It is illegal under campaign finance for the Obama campaign to directly pay off Clinton's debt.

Under federal campaign finance law, the Obama campaign cannot directly
pay off Clinton's debts, or the $11.43 million she has loaned the campaign,
because that would violate campaign contribution limits. But if Obama is the
nominee, he and his donor base could provide invaluable help to her in
raising money through signed appeals, joint fundraisers and by other
methods.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/08/obama-camp-faces-major-ob_n_100928.html

[OzarkDem]

23. Its dirty, corporate money

Obama shouldn't even be taking those donations. This reeks of a back-door attempt by corporations to exercise control over Clinton.

Now Obama wants to help corporations attach strings to Clinton too? No thanks.

We need elected leaders who represent us, not corporate masters.

Keep your dirty money, Obama.

[tabatha]

25. Making derogatory comments on false information.

This is from the Obama website:


As posted by blogger Obamacrat:


“Hillary’s Debt Will NOT Be Paid By Obama for America.

It is not legal to do so.

I secured this information personally from campaign HQ in a phone conversation with the Finance Chairman In Chicago at 2:40 P.M. EDT today Thursday, May 8th. I was asked to relay this information onto the blog by the Finance Chairman.

DONATE to Obama with Absolute Confidence.

There is no need to worry that your donations to Obama for America will go anywhere else.

None of the money you donate to Obama will be diverted to payoff Hillary Clinton’s debt.


Kill Any Rumor To The Contrary … and pass this along, please.

A rumor started about this based on some loose comments by Tim Russert.

Many here became worried and said they would stop donating if it was the case that HRC’s debt would be paid for by us. It Is Not The Case and it will not happen.

Why did I call HQ about this? I called because many bloggers had/have posted that they will not donate to the Obama campaign if Hillary’s debt is paid for by us / Obama for America.”

Don’t believe him (as trustworthy as he is ;o) ?? Call for yourself: 312-819-2008

[Shine]

26. I have mixed feelings about this.

If it's going to help create party unity then it's a good thing...even though I personally think it sucks to in any way support her failed campaign. They got themselves into this position, afterall.

On the other hand, we've got to think Big Picture in the fall and focus on things which will help to draw the party together.

Let's beat McCain!! :toast:

[mystieus]

27. me too...

[Mooney]

28. Shit, Mark Penn was one of the best things to happen to the Obama campaign.

He may not deserve $10 million, but they should certainly throw a t-shirt or a keychain or some other Obama shwag his way.

[Elidor]

29. Maybe he can use some of that money to buy a comb

$10 million to make Hillary go away is starting to sound like a good deal.