NYT, pg1: Clinton Donors Worried by Campaign’s Spending

[DeepModem Mom]

Clinton Donors Worried by Campaign’s Spending
By MICHAEL LUO, JO BECKER and PATRICK HEALY
Published: February 22, 2008

Nearly $100,000 went for party platters and groceries before the Iowa caucuses, even though the partying mood evaporated quickly. Rooms at the Bellagio luxury hotel in Las Vegas consumed more than $25,000; the Four Seasons, another $5,000. And top consultants collected about $5 million in January, a month of crucial expenses and tough fund-raising.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s latest campaign finance report, published Wednesday night, appeared even to her most stalwart supporters and donors to be a road map of her political and management failings. Several of them, echoing political analysts, expressed concerns that Mrs. Clinton’s spending priorities amounted to costly errors in judgment that have hamstrung her competitiveness against Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

“We didn’t raise all of this money to keep paying consultants who have pursued basically the wrong strategy for a year now,” said a prominent New York donor. “So much about her campaign needs to change — but it may be too late.”

The high-priced senior consultants to Mrs. Clinton, of New York, have emerged as particular targets of complaints, given that they conceived and executed a political strategy that has thus far proved unsuccessful.

The firm that includes Mark Penn, Mrs. Clinton’s chief strategist and pollster, and his team collected $3.8 million for fees and expenses in January; in total, including what the campaign still owes, the firm has billed more than $10 million for consulting, direct mail and other services, an amount other Democratic strategists who are not affiliated with either campaign called stunning. Howard Wolfson, the communications director and a senior member of the advertising team, earned nearly $267,000 in January. His total, including the campaign’s debt to him, tops $730,000. The advertising firm owned by Mandy Grunwald, the longtime media strategist for both Mrs. Clinton and Bill Clinton, the former president, has collected $2.3 million in fees and expenses, and is still owed another $240,000.

“Fees and payments are in line with industry standards,” Mr. Wolfson said. “Spending priorities have been consistent with overall strategic goals.” But some Democrats are now asking if the money spent on a campaign that appears to be sputtering — $106 million so far — was worth it....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/politics/22clinton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[liberalnurse]

1. I'm not worried.

Obama has the same bills. You have a staff to manage, they are not all volunteers.


Of course, with Obama, I sense that Oprah has them on her second set of books. Chicago business plan.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. you never miss an opportunitiy to slander, huh?

unlike the Clinton surrogates, I don't think Oprah would do anything illegal. Obama may meet or even surpass the 1 million donor mark this month. People who make small donations; $25 to $100, and can give over & over & over again.

She has mismanaged a $135 million warchest, and I don't think I want someone like her spouting off about her "economic" plan. Puhleeze.