Hillary Clinton's Election $hopping $pree

The Skinny: New York Senator's $30M Campaign Includes $13,000 For Flowers And $27,000 For Valet Parking

(CBS)  The Skinny is Hillary Profita's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton spent about a gazillion dollars on her election campaign (somewhat odd, since I can barely remember the name of the person who ran against her) and the New York Times has a rundown of all the receipts. It's a financial record that "has fueled some criticism among Democratic activists and prompted concern among Mrs. Clinton's supporters, including complaints from some of her fund-raisers that her top aides exercised a lack of discipline."

That's because the campaign spent more than $13,000 on flowers, $27,000 for valet parking, as much as $800 in credit card interest in a single month and "paid tens of thousands of dollars a month to an assortment of consultants and aides." Oh, and "$17 million in advertising and fund-raising mailings." In all, Clinton spent about $30 million on the campaign.

Clinton was not available for comment, but the campaign's executive director told the Times: "We're very pleased with the outcome of this election: the bottom line is victory with 67 percent of the vote, a substantial increase among independents and Republicans, and a list of several hundred thousand donors, beneficial in this and future campaigns."

As of mid-October, Clinton had $14 million left. The Times notes that "the law allows money left in a Senate campaign fund to be transferred to a presidential campaign." Not that she's running or anything.

Fox Caves On O.J.

You've more than likely heard the news by now, but if not, four newspapers feature the denouement of the O.J. Simpson book and interview saga on their front pages. News Corp., which owns Fox television and HarperCollins publishing, pulled the plug on both the book and the interview, in which Simpson discusses how he would have murdered his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

The decision followed a storm of outrage from, well, everyone whose heart doesn't pump black lava. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said: "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project. We are sorry for any pain this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson." By the time that statement had been distributed, writes the Washington Post, "more than 48,000 people had signed a petition on the Web site Dontpayoj.com, demanding the projects be scrubbed." Also, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly had commenced an on-air conniption fit.

Simpson, for his part, told the AP that he wouldn't yet comment. "I would like nothing better than to straighten out some things that have been mischaracterized. But I think I'm legally muzzled at this point."

Most papers have a look behind the scenes at News Corp., where, The New York Times notes, employees were characterized as "thankful the company had abandoned the project." There's also a fascinating explanation from an anonymous executive, who "said that the company had badly miscalculated the public's tolerance for anything having to do with Mr. Simpson, thinking enough time had passed for the public to consider him less a pariah." Um, no, anonymous executive, he's pretty much still a pariah.

With everyone wondering whether Simpson has already made good on his reported $3.5 million contract, the Wall Street Journal spoke with Simpson's lawyer, Yale Galanter, who said: "All of his contractual obligations have been fulfilled and weren't contingent upon any type of book or interview." Asked whether Mr. Simpson would receive his entire fee for the book, he said, "Far as I know."

But don't worry, American public, this saga has likely not reached its end. The NYT notes that Regan's interview with Simpson already exists on tape, which some News Corp. executives say "means it is likely to turn up somewhere, perhaps on the Internet."

Iran Blows Kisses To Iraq, Syria

As the U.S. currently refuses to engage in discussions with Iran and Syria, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has offered invitations to Iraq and Syria for a summit, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani — who, as prime minister last year refused to meet with Ahmadinejad — plans to meet with the Iranian leader in Tehran on Sunday to "iron out details of a possible three-way meeting." The State Department "sought to play down the significance of a possible three-way summit," writes the Times, saying that such previous plans never materialized.

"What we'd like to see the Iranian government do is desist, first and foremost, from negative actions it's taken in Iraq," said a State Department spokesman. "As we have always said with respect to the Syrians, you know, the problem is not what they say, the problem is what they do."

Land Grab?

Elsewhere in Middle East, an Israeli advocacy group is saying that "39 percent of the land held by Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is privately owned by Palestinians," The New York Times reports on its front page. If true, "that is bound to create embarrassment for Israel and further complicate the already distant prospect of a negotiated peace," as Israel has "long asserted that it fully respects Palestinian private property in the West Bank and only takes land there legally or, for security reasons, temporarily."

Pentagon A Nerve Gas Slowpoke

USA Today has obtained Pentagon documents that reveal the Department of Defense "won't eliminate its stocks of deadly nerve gases and skin-blistering agents until 11 years after the 2012 deadline set by the international Chemical Weapons Convention."

The people who live near the seven sites where the weapons are kept are a little miffed about that. And their representatives are having a fit. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the new deadlines "simply unacceptable." A Pentagon spokesman said the delay is the result of technological challenges. "Destroying these weapons safely is not a fast or simple process," he said.

[oleander8]

Comments on how Hillary Clinton spent a "gazillion" dollars on her campaign might have some relevance if there were also some comparisons on what other candidates spent on these items.

This is the first time I have read the "skinny" and it's nothing more than a gossip column and belongs down in the Opinion section - not in the headlines.

[peterbaldwin-2009]

Other candidates have spent the equivalent of $13,000 on flowers but they send them to other people. Hillary sent them to herself. "A flower a day keeps Obama away".

[cfuture]

Although I dislike Hillary, and no amount of money would get me to vote for her. She spent around the same amount that the Michigan Governors did for their race.

What ever happened to the legislation to cap spending on elections. Oh, that's right we left it to the politicians to take care of. Why would we expect them to do anything.

[hprofita]

oleander8:

Point taken. It would have been useful to include that information in my summary of the Times article -- which is why I link to the entire article.

FYI, The Times article (a link is included in the roundup) says in its lead paragraph that Clinton "spent more on her re-election %u2014 upward of $30 million %u2014 than any other candidate for Senate this year."

The article also notes the amount that other candidates spent on similar items in their campaigns. From the Times: "Representative Corrine Brown, Democrat of Florida, spent $24,000 of her campaign money this year on flowers; her campaign said she sent them to the families of constituents who died. Representative Richard W. Pombo, Republican of California, spent $17,250 on balloons for a single event in July."

[mjv2944]

Hillary, don't waste your time or money, you are not electable, just try to be a good and honest senator from NY.

[frankly6]

She spent the most money on her Senate campaign. So what? The GOP outspent the Dems by HUGE margins because they were flush with corporate cash. That's news worthy. Is anyone who donated to her campaign complaining here? This will be one of many baseless attacks to come I'm sure.

[frankly6]

FARTKNOCKER2

What tax money?

[perception5]

The $13K in flowers was probably for herself as she's still getting over Willy's 1/2 dozen or so ex-girlfriends in Arkanas and one intern in the White House..... and..... the $27K was for valet paking for the "global warming SUV's" that they never use or drive or have.......

[deantroup]

Okay...she was given millions and people are complaining...why??? She reached her goal and won.

[angryliberal-2009]

They are complaining because instead of spending 50 or 60 bucks at Panera bread (Rick Santourum) she spends tens of thousands on dinners, 13,000 on flowers and $27,000 on PARKING!!! Come on...lol, that is a just a smige OBSURD!!! AND THIS IS THE PARTY OF THE "COMMON" MAN...lol, give me a break. They claim to support the poor and minorities and yet they spend 27 grand on parking......hmmmmmm. Perhaps that money would be better donated to some charity, heck maybe Hill could sacrfice and walk to the front door of the resturant...lol.

[angryliberal-2009]

I read this a long article about this on the Drudge Report and I was in shock. The fact is she could have won her election without spending a dime, in fact alot of her money was spent on things that were irrelevant to her campaign, lets just say she was "walking the line" on what can be considered "Campaign" expenses and what is PURE SELF INDULDGENCE. Dont you realize that she spent more on parking than most of her supporters make in a YEAR!!!...lol

[cantshutup]

Maybe Sen. Clinton's leftover $14,000,000 could be used to feed some hungry American's...she could help so many people who are in desperate need...It's shameful that politicians are allowed to raise such huge amounts of money when so many are in need...This just proves that money buys you power and no need to think of the needy!

[guessagain4]

The democrats and the republicans are the same.
We exchange them like used cars in our elections.
We even vote for sons, wives and husbands.
It is a new kind of monarchy. They give money to the media to get elected; once elected they spend your money on things you don't want. They don't pay for things we do, witness the bill for Iraq and Afghanistan tops $500 billion!!!! Our kids will be paying for this monarchy for a long time.
Time for a change?

[marcodele]

Its all chicken feed compared to what was spent convincing Americans that 'Junior' was actually presidential material. And not even a fraction of what that mistake has cost us, and our grandchildren.

[sharncedar]

People who love Hillary at this point are in the same league as those who still love GW. Just plain idiots.

Is there anything Hillary could do, however selfish, undemocratic, un-Democratic, so that her blind worshippers would stop loving her? The answer is apparently no. That makes her a weird satanic cult leader rather than a political leader.

[akarsno]

I think you people aare just jealous cause your not her and she can raise that kind of funds for herself and spend the way she does.
You people so thinks she is nothing, your nothing cause your nothing close to what she has and got and that is a brilliant mind compared to yours.
If she's not capable, she would not be elected again, but she is! So up yours you losers!

[akarsno]

And one more thing! She gets things done unlike other republicans who just sit on their fat bottoms!
At least she has the guts and drive to stand up to what she believes in and make it happen!
You go girl! Your it!