(Apr 9, 2009): "Hillary Clinton Tries, Again, to Retire Campaign Debt" (Washington Post)

[CGP]

Full Article @ Washington Post (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/09/hillary_clinton_tries_again_to.html?wprss=44)


You might have thought that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would have retired her nearly $6 million presidential campaign debt a long time ago.

Apparently not, judging from an e-mail sent out today by Hillary Clinton for President announcing a lottery -- only $5 a ticket -- and offering as prizes a day with Bill Clinton in New York (as part of "your own special New York City weekend"), a trip to the American Idol Finale in Los Angeles or a flight to Washington for you and a guest for a tour of the District with political operatives and commentators James Carville and Paul Begala.

Almost every dollar raised from the Carville-Begala pitch will go toward someone who those advisers had quite a stormy relationship with -- Mark Penn, the pollster-strategist who was ousted midway through the 2008 primary season.

According to year-end filings with the Federal Election Commission, Clinton's campaign had outstanding debts of $5,943,385. Of that total, Penn's firm was still owed $5,362,278 as of Dec. 31.

In the e-mail from Carville, he says that he "knew it was going to take an extraordinary effort to help pay off Hillary Clinton's campaign debt." Especially after the economy sank and the job situation turned dreary.

So the idea would be "to have some fun" while settling her debt, Carville says. "These amazing prizes are only being offered online and are available only for a limited time," he says, "so please don't delay in acting today."

Then you can "win one of three truly once in a lifetime opportunities." A day with Bill, a night at Americana Idol or, he says, you can "talk politics with me" -- and Begala.

And you can, of course, contribute more than the price of a ticket.

[CGP]

I am keen for Hillary's debt to be completely cleared.

But it's hard to get excited about paying back Mark Penn!

[foxyladi]

I am keen for Hillary's debt to be completely cleared.

But it's hard to get excited about paying back Mark Penn!

that,s my problem too..:thumbsup:

[CGP]

Hillary Clinton supporters to auction 'American Idol' finale tickets to help retire campaign debt (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/04/10/2009-04-10_hil_places_her_debts_on_idol.html)
(NY Daily News, 4/10/09)


She was once America's biggest loser, but now she wants to send you to "American Idol" - for a price.

Friends of Secretary of State Clinton are trying to raise money to retire her old presidential campaign debt, and they're doing it by raffling "fantastic prizes" for a handful of lucky supporters - including two tickets to next month's "American Idol" finale.

"You and a guest will watch live as the 'American Idol' judges make their final comments and decisions on this year's most anticipated season finale!" James Carville, a longtime Clinton adviser, wrote in a breathless e-mail Thursday to loyal Clintonistas.

The other prizes? There's a day in New York with former President Bill Clinton.

If that doesn't thrill you, you can opt to head to Washington for lunch with Carville and fellow Democratic guru Paul Begala.

"We will talk about politics, you will get to tour all the amazing sites D.C. has to offer, and who knows what else could happen!" wrote Carville, hinting that maybe - just maybe - a sitdown with Clinton could be in the offing.

There is no cost to enter the online contest, but organizers are clearly hoping to raise big bucks, with calls for donations included in the e-mail.

The former First Lady conceded defeat to primary challenger and now-President Obama last June, leaving behind a pile of campaign debt that stands at about $6 million, records show.

Like any sitting cabinet member, Clinton is allowed to continue raising money to retire old debt. But federal ethics laws prohibit her from personally soliciting donations.

[Laura Cereta]

I am keen for Hillary's debt to be completely cleared.

But it's hard to get excited about paying back Mark Penn!

genericstamp!

[Tim4Hillary]

I am keen for Hillary's debt to be completely cleared.

But it's hard to get excited about paying back Mark Penn!

This is how I feel. I can't give anymore. Most of that is owed to Penn. He should donate his services and call it a day - seriously.

[CGP]

This is how I feel. I can't give anymore. Most of that is owed to Penn. He should donate his services and call it a day - seriously.

Who knows, maybe he even said "don't worry about it"? Even if he did, I can understand the need for Hillary to want to just clear the debt. Psychologically I think it's important for her to wipe the slate clean!

[Brooke]

Who knows, maybe he even said "don't worry about it"? Even if he did, I can understand the need for Hillary to want to just clear the debt. Psychologically I think it's important for her to wipe the slate clean!

Yeah right. He's owed like 2 million dollars. Who in their right mind would say "Don't worry about it"? :laughing:

Well I really hadn't planned on donating because of the temptation of this contest. But I just installed Firefox and lost my webpages and accidentally typed in Hillary's campaign page to get here and it popped up and what did I do? I grabbed my Visa card and donated 10 bucks and yep, picked the day with Bill.

I have no self control when it comes to him. None. I know this after 17 years. It's amazing something really bad hasn't happened. :laughing:

[CGP]

Yeah right. He's owed like 2 million dollars. Who in their right mind would say "Don't worry about it"? :laughing:

Well I really hadn't planned on donating because of the temptation of this contest. But I just installed Firefox and lost my webpages and accidentally typed in Hillary's campaign page to get here and it popped up and what did I do? I grabbed my Visa card and donated 10 bucks and yep, picked the day with Bill.

I have no self control when it comes to him. None. I know this after 17 years. It's amazing something really bad hasn't happened. :laughing:

I think it's actually 5 million that he is owed! :eek:

[Brooke]

Well even still, I'm sure he wants that money. And I'll do whatever I can to help her get him off her back.

[CGP]

Well even still, I'm sure he wants that money. And I'll do whatever I can to help her get him off her back.

Yes, that's the best way to see it!

[ImmaSlave4U]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached an important milestone Wednesday in her quest to pay the debt from her failed 2008 presidential bid: For the first time in eight months, her campaign committee reported having more money in the bank than it owes.

On a day most Americans were preoccupied with filing their federal income taxes, Clinton's campaign committee filed finance documents with the Federal Election Commission, reporting a total of $2.3 million in debts at the end of March, compared with $2.6 million in the bank.

The nation's top diplomat has been steadily chipping away at unpaid campaign bills since suspending her White House bid in June 2008, when her debt peaked at $25.2 million. That amount covered $12 million owed to vendors, as well as the $13.2 million she loaned her campaign from personal funds.

Clinton's campaign was unable to repay that personal loan by the time the Democratic National Convention convened in Denver, Colorado, last August, the deadline mandated by the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. The former New York senator was forced to forgive the entire loan amount.

Her campaign owed $6.4 million to 16 creditors at the end of November; $5.9 million to five creditors at the end of December; and the current $2.3 million owed to just one creditor at the end of March. That creditor is Penn, Schoen & Berland, a political consulting and polling firm that advised Clinton during her presidential bid. The firm's president, Mark Penn, was Clinton's senior campaign strategist until he stepped down last April amid revelations that he had lobbied on behalf of Colombia for a U.S.-Colombia trade deal that Clinton opposed. Penn remained involved with the campaign.

Earlier this year, Clinton and her supporters raced to pay as much of the debt as possible by the time she was confirmed and sworn in as the nation's 67th secretary of state on January 21. As of that date, Clinton became subject to a federal law known as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from personally soliciting or accepting political contributions. The Hatch Act allows others to keep raising money on Clinton's behalf, without her direct involvement.

This week, longtime Clinton ally James Carville, a CNN contributor, sent a fundraising e-mail to Democrats on behalf of Clinton's campaign, requesting contributions of as little as $5 in exchange for a chance to win one of several prizes, including spending a day with former President Bill Clinton.

"I won't spend a lot of time trying to convince you to help Hillary," Carville e-mailed. "I know what she means to you, and I'm sure you know how important it is for her to have her campaign pay off all its obligations."

It's unclear whether the campaign will use the $2.6 million in the bank to clear its $2.3 million in debts in the short term. Continued fundraising indicates that it will not. Additional operating expenses and other outlays could emerge.

Any extra money from the campaign could be donated to political causes or returned to donors.

Clinton's campaign reported raising $938,000 in contributions in the first three months of 2009.

In addition to tapping traditional fundraising, the campaign also generated money by selling or renting various campaign assets to other organizations. It received $2.6 million from Clinton's "Friends of Hillary" U.S. Senate campaign committee for the sale of unspecified assets and an additional $2.2 million from renting out its lists of campaign supporters.

Organizations that have rented Clinton's lists include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the inaugural committee of then-President-elect Barack Obama, and the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation. Those organizations each paid $274,297. Clinton's political action committee, HillPAC, rented the lists for $822,492.

Among the Democratic candidates who have rented Clinton's campaign lists are Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln; Virginia gubernatorial candidate and former Clinton campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe; New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed to fill Clinton's seat; and New York congressional candidate Scott Murphy, who hopes to succeed Gillibrand in the U.S. House.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/16/clinton.debt/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[Brooke]

Woo hooo!! Go Hillary, go!!!