Clinton Campaign Staffers Not Going Without Pay
Staff Had Offered to Go Without Pay to Save Campaign Money But Never Did
By KATE SNOW
Feb. 7, 2008 —
So it turns out the Clinton campaign may not be so cash-strapped after all — at least not at this very moment.
After offering on Wednesday to go without paychecks to help save precious campaign resources, senior staff members on Hillary Clinton's campaign are in fact not going without pay during the month of February, ABC News has learned.
"It's not happening," said a source familiar with the situation.
Clinton's campaign has been shouting from the rooftops all day about its online fundraising efforts since Super Tuesday.
Clinton's Money
The campaign announced today that it raised more than four million dollars online in the 24 hours after polls closed on Tuesday — the biggest single haul in one day ever for the campaign.
"We are gratified for this tremendous outpouring of support," said Clinton Campaign Internet Director Peter Daou.
That outpouring is the reason that a handful of senior staff who had offered to go without pay on Wednesday have been told today that they will not need to skip paychecks.
One longtime Democratic consultant not affiliated with any campaign wondered if perhaps the whole thing wasn't a big stunt to garner media attention and look like an "underdog."
"I'd take this revelation as a sign that they planned this whole thing," the consultant said.
The source familiar with the situation also believes Senator Clinton will not need to loan herself any more cash. On Wednesday it was revealed that Hillary Clinton had given her campaign an infusion of $5 million back in January.
Clinton argued today her decision to loan her campaign money should not be seen as a sign that her campaign is in financial trouble.
"We were outraised in January which we took steps immediately to address," she told ABC News' Jake Tapper today.
"Since Tuesday we've raised millions of dollars on the Internet. So we're going to be fine. And you know my staff is so dedicated that they stepped up and said we want to do our part. I did my part. But we're going to be in very good financial shape, people are rallying around. And I think by the end of the week we're going to be back on track," she said.
The Clinton campaign has enough money on hand now to launch television advertising in multiple states.
Ads are going up this week in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., which all vote next Tuesday. The campaign is also advertising in Washington state, Maine, and — to a lesser degree — in Nebraska. Those three states vote this weekend.
Next week the campaign will begin advertising for upcoming battles in Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio.
The Clinton campaign is putting a lot of emphasis on the primaries in Texas and Ohio, hoping that victories in those states—with their high delegate counts—will help put Clinton over the top.
It may be a risky strategy, says the Democratic strategist not affiliated with Clinton.
"Other than Maine they will have a tough couple of weeks. So they're saying the only thing that counts is Texas and Ohio. That's helpful but it also sets them up to have to win there."