Clinton Debt Means Tough Choices Ahead

obama in debt? lol are you sure?

Isn’t it illegal to raise money that can only be used for the general election and not the primary, shuffle it to your senate campaign, then shuffle it to pay your primary debt?
That’s basically saying the money was for the primary.
With accounting like this, we’ll see more Enrons and mortgage companies making billions why we’re stuck paying for it.
Don’t say you’re for the poor, while you use corrupt accounting practices.

Obama in debt because he had to spend so much, to make less than half the voters.
Does that tell anyone anything?
Hillary is the best candidate for the Nominee and would Beat McCain, and make the better President.
The DNC probably still want their puppet though. They might stick with Obama and his one time voters. At the cost of The democratic party.
The people, the voters want Hillary.
Hillary should start he own party.
RDWB = The real Democrats with out the Bullcrap. Would beat McCain and Obama easy.

Obama is buying he way to the top of the ticket

Ready to lead on day one? She could not even manage an effective presidential campaign even though she has been involved with them since 1972. This debt build up is just another mess that the Clintons will expect other people to clean up. Party unity is one thing and I would expect the Obama campaign to make some effort to help HRC on the campaign dept. But considering the irresponsible manner in which she and Bill have conducted herself, that assistance should be limited and not distract from the funds Obama needs to raise for the general election. Let her go the senate campaign route and pay the bulk of it that way. After all, she raised enormous money in her 2006 re-election campaign against token opposition and then transfered 10 million left over to the presidential campaign. Clean up your own mess Hillary!

1 Quarter of a BILLION dollars!!! And still over budget on just trying to get nominated? Am I the only 1 seeing this problem? Is this an indicatation of things to come if elected?

Who will pay her debt? I guess these people who accused everyone of being sexist should start donate heavily to her, so that she can get back her own money..lol..Is this the lady who wants to be President. Reminds me of Bush….

As usual you have the bigots writing in trying to slam Senator Obama because he ran a wonderful campaign financially and otherwise. I contributed to Senator Obama’s campaign, but will not give anymore money if it is going to Hillary. If she can’t handle her campaign finances any better than she has, then shame on her. Plus she has run a negative and hateful campaign.
Since when does the other candidate have to help get the other out of debt?? Why aren’t her supports funding
her? They want her in so badly, let them get off the cash!

Quote: “Hillary should start her own party.”
Yeah right! Let’s see, what shall we call it? The ‘compulsive liar’s party’? The ‘owe your vendors millions that you won’t pay’ party. The ‘stay in the race till they drag you away’ party?

Quote: “Hillary should start her own party.”
The ‘I personally ruined the democratic party, let’s see how long my own party lasts’.

It disgusts me that so much money is spent on campaigning instead of putting it to good use for things like healthcare for the un-insured.

Nat Turner – You are correct. Obama will have a cakewalk in the GE. If he gets elected I pray that he does a good job because the country is in some serious sheisse now.

Nat – sorry about that. I must have copied your name.

Look at it this way, why not try something new. I’m not going to break out Wikipedia and a thesaurus like some of the individuals above, that is not my reason for writing. I’m writing as a testimonial. At one point in my life, I was an un-aware racist, I judged everything by race, unknowingly. If you look at our country and it’s recent past, you will see that the model president has been white, male, and rich. Either way we go, HRC, or Obama, it will look different from the outside. Let’s face it though, it is the media along with the common man that is destroying our party. We as the people tolerate the kind of media bias that allows us to look at the picture in black and white. How about instead of blaming everything on Bush, which is plausible, haha, we think about papa Clintons time in the Oval Office. How did he handle the situation with Bin Laden? Did he give him weapons? Did he turn a blind eye to attacks on other countries by Bin Laden? Sure, George W. took us from being the darling of the world, to being the devil, but who gave him that opportunity? I think it was the Clintons just passing it off to the next guy….Maybe we do need “Change we can believe in”. thanks for reading

I want to perdict the next president and say why?
Even though I hate to see it happen John will be your next president.
Why?
Well we all know that Obhama will be the nominate person and because to many people in the country are just damm dumb half of the people that would have voted for Hillary are not going to vote for Obhama just because he is black. So this country is doomed to another 4 years of bush lap dog

The National Economy was booming under Bill Clinton, and he left giant budget surpluses in the U.S. Treasury when he left office. He also got us out of the recession that gripped our nation when he first took office, and he left office with a 65 percent approval rating as president. I think that the budget of our country would be better off if it was put back in the hands of a Clinton.

Tess,
I am curious as to why you think that John Mccain would be better for this country than Barack Obama.

I don’t have a problem helping Clinton deal with her finances.
I chose Obama, but as a democrat I feel proud of both candidates. Their politics are identical and they each got about half the votes. One will win, but it’s not like the loser deserves to lose. It just works out that way. In the long run they’re on the same team.
Clinton and Obama know this. I just hope my fellow voters realise that a vote for Clinton is a vote for Obama, and visa versa. Nomatter what happens they will both be important figures in the new government.
Let’s put democrats in office!

Obama donors,
Do not fear that any money you have donated or will donate to Obama’s campaign will go to cover HRC’s debt. That is illegal. What Obama can do is run joint fundraisers with HRC but only where it is made explicit that the money would go to cover her debt. So relax about that.

Hillary’s supporters are so totally bitter they cannot even think straight anymore. It is sad to see people behave this way.
Two people competed for the same job and one lost. It was their candidate but, they blame Obama and everyone else when in fact in was the candidate. She began with every advantage and was coasting to the nomination. She blew it. She allowed the campaign to be badly managed by people who were not qualified, the money mismanaged and the failure to plan after Feb 5th. Instead of replacing them it took until things got so bad she was forced to. and they did not learn from the mistakes like Obama did.
Blaming Obama is stupid because it is not his fault he ran a better campaign. If they want to blame people then, point it at the ones who let your candidate down. Mark Penn and Bill clinton are good for starters.
And Hillary is ultimately responsible for her campaign and did not take charge and control of the situations.
And yet, instead of seeing where things went wrong and deal with it, it is easier to live in fantasy and blame Obama simply because he was the one that won as a result.
The fact that he was able to run a much better campaign, learn from mistakes and make corrections and plan and be in control of his campaign shows someone who is able to manage the job. Hillary failed in this so, I do not see how she can be concidered the one who is a better choice. Hillary was the one not up for the job.
It is best to face the reality of this.

Yeah…the name of that rock band that was playing? The Decemberists. You remember them they had that huge hit called…umm…er…oh yeah actually no one outside of the relatively small indy music scene has ever heard of them. If they put up posters for a free concert in Portland. Maybe 5000 would show up. Maybe. Do you know how many people 75,000 is? That fills Giants Stadium. That’s a Bruce Springsteen concert. If the “opening act” was Bruce then you might have a point. Even if it was John Mayer, Maroon 5, or Carrie Underwood. But it was the Decemberists. Critic darlings to be sure, but their biggest selling record thus far has sold about 250,000. As a comparison, Dave Matthews Band at their peak (after selling about 20 million records) drew about 120,000 in New York City for a free concert in Central Park. In NEW YORK CITY where 8 million people live within 30 minutes of Central Park. Do you really think the Decemberists could draw more than half that in a city of 600,000?

Even John McCain knows he’s about to fight Barack Obama, but Hillary still don’t get it. It’s still not too late to save her face for the future job, but it’s too late for the president’s job.

Obama people I am sure your money is being used in many ways you would not approve of.

What I can’t wait to see is Obama and McCain sharing a stage together during a debate. Doddering old white guy and an in shape, handsome bi-racial guy. It will be a stark difference.

30+% of the Democrats in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia voted for Bush in 2000 and 20004. Why? Because they viewed Gore and Kerry as elitist and out of touch with their concerns. Those same 30% groups have now voted for Hillary and support her over McCain. So the DNC/SD’s are willing to sacrifice the party in order to force in their “Golden Boy” (NOT)? George S. stated this morning that the SD’s won’t pick Clinton over Obama because they won’t do that to the first African American candidate. What in the hell?! Oh, but they’ll screw the voters who supported this party long before Obama waltzed his brass knuckle “Change” in politics self into the party.

98% of the donations to the Obama camp are less than 200. Providing that most of those counted as the 17mil people donating 150 does not total the 31mil donated in April. So who are the 2%’ers donating 10-11mil plus? Hmmmm?

It would not surprise me if Warren Buffet was supporting Obama. In “The Audacity of Hope”, which was a FANTASTIC book, Warren Buffet expressed that it was not fair that his SECRETARY paid a higher percentage rate in taxes than he did.
On a different note – I am just wondering one thing – if the Democrats needed to find a “puppet” as so many think – don’t you think they might have been able to find someone that wasn’t a black man named Obama? They could have found someone much easier to get in office… Hilarious.
Why is it so difficult to believe that there are people, democrats, that actually approve of Obama. I am STILL waiting for someone, ANYONE, in real life (not online), to tell me why I SHOULDN’T vote for Obama. My best friend said she is voting for Clinton because she is a woman, but couldn’t discuss issues with me. Someone at work, just today, told me she couldn’t vote for him because his name is Obama, which is too close to Osama. Here again, could not discuss views on issues with me. I think it’s disgusting. How can you decide to vote/not vote for someone because of their NAME? Ugh – infuriating.
Pass the popcorn, please. :)

Bruce Becker–
Great post. I only hope the DNC holds her to what she agreed to over and over again. For supposedly being so savvy, she doesn’t seem to comprehend that people can actually go back and listen to what you said. Or watch you land on a nice clear day in Bosnia sans sniper fire.

praks; that’s the 17mil that he has. that includes the old donors…….

The DNC Obama, Dean, Poloski, Donna Brazille and many more of the shady Democrats have beaten Hillary left and right and Hillary is still standing even though she’s fighting a losing battle. The Democrat dirty politics this year is disgusting and they’ve lost this Democrat forever. I’ll be Republican from now on. At least their honest when they play dirty.

This is ridiculous. How is she allowed to keep spending so many millions more than she has? I thought the point of having to rely on donations was to limit the amount they can spend. I do not want the money I donated to Obama to go to Clinton’s debt because she cannot manage a budget. This is yet another reason I am glad she will not be the nominee. How can we expect her to manage the country if she can’t even manage her own campaign?

Why should Obama supporter’s money be used to pay off Hillary’s horribly mismanaged campaign? And isn’t it somewhat possible that Hillary was never an attractive candidate to begin with, that had it not been Obama it would have been Edwards or someone else who would’ve beaten her?

Clinton, who has $109 million in the bank, has asked her supporters to send her money to pay off her campaign debt. Romney sponsored his own campaign. Hillary should be a woman and pay her own debts.
Obama ’08!

Hillary’s Remarks on Counting Every Vote at a “Solutions for America” event in Boca Raton, FL
It’s exciting to be with some wonderful supporters and friends. I thank your senator and my friend, Ted Deutch, he’s a real leader. He and I have talked about the issues that matter to you over many years, and I’m so grateful to have his support. Commissioner Burt Aaronson, who has also led the way in so many important things here in Palm Beach County. I want to thank Jean Enright, one of your port commissioners. I want to thank Anne Gannon, the tax collector who is here, Representative Kelly Skidmore. And I am especially pleased to be accompanied today by a longtime friend of mine, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who is a real fighter and a champion. She has a tremendously important position in the House of Representatives, where she does work on behalf of veterans and the needs, not only of her constituents in the Jacksonville area, but indeed all of Florida and America.
Now, this year’s presidential election is like none other in history. And we have had more people engaging and volunteering, casting their ballots, than ever before. Everywhere I go, people tell me, “I’ve never given money to a campaign in my life; this year is different. I’ve never followed an election before; this time I can’t stop watching.” And there’s a reason for that. With our economy in crisis, and with two wars and our children’s future in the balance, more people than ever before are taking politics seriously.
I happen to welcome that because this is a democracy, and we’ve all got to participate. In fact, we want more democracy, not less democracy. We want more people taking a part in the selection of their president.
Here in Florida, more than 1.7 million people cast their vote, the highest primary turnout in the history of Florida. And nearly 600,000 voters in Michigan did the same. And not a day goes by that I don’t meet someone who grabs my hand or holds up a sign, no matter where I am, in Kentucky or anywhere else, and says, “Please, make my vote count.”
I receive dozens and dozens of letters and emails and phone calls, every couple of hours it seems like, all making the same urgent request: please count my vote. We used to be worried about voter apathy, didn’t we? We worried why Americans didn’t participate. Now, people are worried that their participation won’t matter.
I believe the Democratic Party must count these votes. They should count them exactly as they were cast. Democracy demands no less.
I am here today because I believe that the decision our party faces is not just about the fate of these votes and the outcome of these primaries. It is about whether we will uphold our most fundamental values as Democrats and Americans. It is about whether we will move forward, united, to win this state and take back the White House this November. That has to be the prize that we keep in mind.
Because here in America, unlike in many other nations, we are bound together, not by a single shared religion or cultural heritage, but by a shared set of ideas and ideals, a shared civic faith, that we are entitled to speak and worship freely, that we deserve equal justice under the law, that we have certain core rights that no government can abridge and these rights are rooted in and sustained by the principle that our founders set forth in the Declaration of Independence. That a just government derives its power from the consent of the governed, that each of us should have an equal voice in determining the destiny of our nation. A generation of patriots risked and sacrificed lives on the battlefield for that ideal.
The union they ultimately formed was far from perfect. It excluded many of our citizens; people like Congresswoman Brown, me, my daughter. But it was an ideal that set forth a goal that we have consistently worked for.
Fortunately, in each successive generation, this nation was blessed by men and women who refused to accept their assigned place as second-class citizens. Men and women who saw America not as it was, but as it could and should be, and committed themselves to extending the frontiers of our democracy. The abolitionists and all who fought to end slavery and ensure freedom came with the full right of citizenship. The tenacious women and a few brave men who gathered at the Seneca Falls convention back in 1848 to demand the right to vote.
It took more than 70 years of struggle, setbacks, and grinding hard work and only one of those original suffragists lived to see women cast their ballots. There are women here today – as with my own mother – who were born before the Constitution granted us the right to vote. This is not something lost in the mists of memory and history; this is real. The generations here in this room have seen change. The men and women who knew their Constitutional right to vote meant little when poll taxes and literacy tests, violence, and intimidation made it impossible to exercise their right, so they marched and protested, faced dogs and tear gas, knelt down on that bridge in Selma to pray and were beaten within an inch of their lives.
Some gave their lives to the struggle for a more perfect union. There is a reason why so many have fought so hard and sacrificed so much. It is because they knew that to be a citizen of this country is to have the right and responsibility to help shape its future, not just to make your voice heard, but to have it count. People have fought hard because they knew their vote was at stake and so was their children’s future. Because of those who have come before, Senator Obama and I and so many of you have this precious right today. Because of all that has been done, we are in this historic presidential election. I believe that both Senator Obama and myself have an obligation as potential Democratic nominees – in fact, we all have an obligation as Democrats – to carry on this legacy and ensure that in our nominating process every voice is heard and every single vote is counted.
This work to extend the franchise to all of our citizens is a core mission of the modern Democratic Party, from signing the voting rights act and fighting racial discrimination at the ballot box, to lowering the voting age so those old enough to fight and die in war would have the right to choose their Commander-in-Chief, to fighting for multi-lingual ballots so you can make your voice heard no matter what language you speak. I am proud of our work today. We are fighting the redistricting initiatives that would dilute African American and Latino votes. We are fighting efforts to purge voters from the rolls here in Florida and elsewhere. We are fighting voter identification laws that could wrongly keep tens of thousands of voters from casting their ballots this November.
We carry on this cause for a simple reason, because we believe the outcome of our elections should be determined by the will of the people – nothing more, nothing less.
We believe the popular vote is the truest expression of your will. We believe it today, just as we believed it back in 2000 when right here in Florida, you learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren’t counted and the candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner. The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear. If any votes aren’t counted, the will of the people is not realized and our democracy is diminished. That is what I have always believed.
My first job in politics was on the 1972 presidential campaign registering African-American and Hispanic voters in Texas. That work took me from home to home in neighborhood after neighborhood. I was determined to knock on every door and sign up every voter I could find. While we may not have won that election, I have never given up the fight. It is a fight I continue to this day.
Because I think it is appalling that in the 21st century, voters are still being wrongly turned away from the polls, ballots are still mysteriously lost in state after state, African-American and Hispanic voters still wait in line for hours while voters in the same state, even in the same county can wait just minutes to cast their votes. That’s why I’ve been working since 2004 with my dear friend Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones to pass the Count Every Vote Act; comprehensive voting rights legislation designed to end these deplorable violations. It will ensure that every eligible voter can vote, every vote is counted, and every vote can verify his or her vote before it is finally cast.
I will continue to fight for that same principle every day in this campaign. The fact is, the people of Florida voted back in January. You did your part. You showed up in record numbers and you made informed choices. But today, some months later, you still do not know if these votes will help determine our party’s nominee. You still don’t know if this great state will be represented at our convention in August. It is time you knew, because the more than 2.3 million people who voted in Florida and Michigan exercised their fundamental American right in good faith. You watched the news. You went to the candidates’ web sites, you talked to your friends and neighbors, you learned about our records and policies so you could make informed voting decisions. You didn’t break a single rule, and you should not be punished for matters beyond your control.
Now, I know that Senator Obama chose to remove his name from the ballot in Michigan, and that was his right. But his choice does not negate the votes of all those who turned out to cast their ballots, and we should not let our process rob them and all of you of your voices. To do so would undermine the very purpose of the nominating process. To ensure that as many Democrats as possible can cast their votes. To ensure that the party selects a nominee who truly represents the will of the voters and to ensure that the Democrats take back the White House to rebuild America.
Now, I’ve heard some say that counting Florida and Michigan would be changing the rules. I say that not counting Florida and Michigan is changing a central governing rule of this country – that whenever we can understand the clear intent of the voters, their votes should be counted. I remember very well back in 2000, there were those who argued that people’s votes should be discounted over technicalities. For the people of Florida who voted in this primary, the notion of discounting their votes sounds way too much of the same.
The votes of 1.7 million people should not be cast aside because of a technicality. The people who voted did nothing wrong, and it would be wrong to punish you. As the Florida Supreme Court said back in 2000, before the United States Supreme Court took the case away from them, as your Supreme Court said, it’s not about the technicalities or about the contestants. It’s about the will of the people. And whenever you can understand their intent, it should govern. It’s very clear what 1.7 million people intended here in Florida. Playing a role in the nominating process in a two-party system is just as important as having a vote in the presidential election on Election Day count.
We know it was wrong to penalize voters for the decisions of state officials back in the 2000 presidential election. It would be wrong to do so for decisions made in our nominating process. Democrats argued passionately. We are still arguing, aren’t we, for counting all the votes back in 2000, and we should be just as passionately arguing for that principle today, here in Florida and in Michigan. It is well within the Democratic Party rules to take this stand. The rules clearly state that we can count all of these votes and seat all of these delegates, pledged and unpledged, if we so choose. And the rules lay out a clear process for doing so.
With this process, if hope we will honor the will of those who came out to cast votes. Think of how that day was. Workers who rushed to the polls between shifts; students who came between classes, parents who rearranged their family’s schedules, senior citizens who arranged transportation to the polls, all so you could have your votes counted. And whether you voted for better schools for your kids or a secure retirement for your parents, for jobs you can raise a family on, for health care you can afford, to bring your son, your grandson, your daughter or your granddaughter back from Iraq or bring back America’s reputation in the world. Whether you voted for me or Senator Obama or Senator Edwards or someone else, each vote you cast is a prayer for our nation, a declaration of your dreams for your children and grandchildren; a reflection of your determination to ensure that our country lives up to its promise. Each vote is a tool, one used throughout history to break barriers, open doors, and widen the circle of opportunity.
I remember when President Lyndon Johnson addressed the Congress and the nation urging the passage of the Voting Rights Act. He declared, “I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.” It was urgent, elevated language, but it was not hyperbole. Now, as back then, those are the stakes. That’s why here in Florida, even when you were told your primary might not count, you voted anyway.
A Floridian I know from Tallahassee told me about his mother’s canasta club. It’s a group of women in their golden years who gather every week to play cards and visit. They talked about that Florida primary every week as they gathered around the card table. They followed the news closely. They discussed the candidates and their positions on the issues. They knew about the dispute over the primary schedule and the question of seating delegates. And when it came time to vote, like so many other good citizens of this state, the ladies of the canasta club dutifully cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice. They made informed choices. They did nothing wrong, and they should not be punished for doing their civic duty.
You knew then what Americans know, that this political process of ours is about more than the candidates running, the pundits commenting or the ads blaring. It’s about the path we choose as a nation. If anyone ever doubted whether it mattered who our president was, the last seven years with George Bush should have removed every single doubt from anyone’s mind.
That’s why you voted, and that’s why I’m running. And that’s why you’ve been organizing and raising your voices, hoping to have your votes count. You refused to stay home then, and you refuse to stay silent now. Because you want to change America’s future and you have faith that your party, the Democratic Party, will give you that chance. I’m here today because I believe we should keep that faith, listen to your voices and count every single one of your votes. If we fail to do so, I worry that we will pay not only a moral cost, but a political cost as well.
We know the road to a Democratic White House runs right through Florida and Michigan. And if we care about winning those states in November, we need to count your votes now. If Democrats send the message that we don’t fully value your votes, we know Senator McCain and the Republicans will be more than happy to have them. The Republicans will make a simple and compelling argument. Why should Florida and Michigan voters trust the Democratic Party to look out for you when they won’t even listen to you?
Now, if you agree with me, I urge you to go to my website, HillaryClinton.com, and join the more than 300,000 who have already signed our petition asking the Democratic National Committee to count your votes. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the territories will have a chance to play a role in this historic process. Now is not the time for our party to have a dialogue about which states and which votes should count. The people of Florida are all too familiar with where that discussion can lead. In the end, we cannot move forward as a united party if some members of our party are left out. Senator Obama and I are running to be president of all Americans and all 50 states. And I want to be sure that all 50 states are counted and your delegates are seated at our convention.
So will you join me in making sure your voices are raised and heard so that your votes can be counted? Because remember, it’s been the mission of the Democratic Party, guided always by the understanding that as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “the ultimate rulers of our democracy are not the president, the senators, the members of Congress and government officials, but the voters of this country.” In this Democratic Party, the voters rule. So let’s make sure your voices are heard and your votes are counted.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.

Obama spent $36.4 million over the course of the month-about 4 million more than he raised during the same time as he tried to sew up the nomination. Despite outspending Clinton in PI, IN he lost both contests

Bill Clinton was fortunate that the entire world was moving toward the start of the new millennium with optimism when he arrived at the helm. He was perhaps fortunate to displace the incumbent WHWB, with the help of Ross Perot. Clinton has repeatedly claimed that his administration had created something of the order of 22 million jobs, yet we are now learning what his CAFTA and NAFTA agreements really mean for our country. He also made it possible for the right-wing nut jobs to go crazy on us over the air by removing the restrictions on media ownership. He also made it possible for Genetically Modified foods entering our food chain without proper precautions. He also disgraced the office of the POTUS by consorting with a female intern, in the WH.
To all those people who long for a return to the Clinton years I’d say they were fairy tales and unrepeatable coincidences. Apart from the balanced budget I know of nothing of a lasting benefit that could be attributed to the Clintons, and seeing how they’ve mismanaged the nomination campaign that was supposed to be automatically theirs, one has to feel relieved that they’ll return from whence they came with tails between legs.

Obama should demonstrate he has an iron backbone.
Let the Clintons twist-in-the-wind with their self-inflicted debts. Those funds were used primarily to destroy Barack Obama!
Pick a VP candidate that is everything Hillary is not: honest, genuinely experienced, and respected.

If that lady CAN’T manage her own money that means she CAN’T handle a whole country’s finances
Period

Obama has played by the rules all of the way and he has taken and he has stayed on the high road , Clinton has tried to change the rules , move the goal posts , she has tried every trick in the book , she has put on every mask she has and she ain’t done yet . In complete desperation she will take this all the way to the convention , she cares about Hillary Clinton and being thee President of the United States , it’s about power and ego and personal ambition and her life long goal , it has never been about caring , about the people , the country , the party or women and she doesn’t give a damn if she costs the Democrats the White House . I was more or less neutral about her before the primaries began , now she absolutely disgusts me . The woman is a self serving , lying , corrupt and hypocritical politician , exactly what we do not need in these times .