Clinton Team Acknowledges $20M Debt

Washington Post: Top Aide Denies Rumors That She Is Seeking VP Slot

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Anne E. Kornblut.

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With her campaign falling ever deeper into debt, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton spent a rainy Mother's Day seeking votes ahead of Tuesday's primary here, turning a deaf ear to calls for her to leave a Democratic presidential contest she has little hope of winning.

Clinton aides continued to insist that she will remain in the race even while confirming that she is $20 million in debt. "The voters are going to decide this," senior adviser Howard Wolfson said on "Fox News Sunday," acknowledging the $20 million figure. "There is no reason for her not to continue this process." Wolfson said he has seen "no evidence of her interest" in pursuing the second-place spot on the Democratic ticket, contrary to rumors that she is staying in the race to leverage a bid for the vice presidential nomination.

With the primary season nearing its close, Sen. Barack Obama's advisers are beginning to consider the question of his running mate with more urgency as they focus more openly on the general election. Although Obama himself has been careful to insist that the Democratic race is not over as long as Clinton stays in it, his advisers have planned a trip to Missouri -- a state that held its primary on Feb. 5 but appears certain to be a key November battleground -- this week.

While not dismissing the states entirely, Obama's campaign is making it clear he will not aggressively contest West Virginia or Kentucky, which holds its primary a week from Tuesday. Obama is likely to win in Oregon, also a May 20 primary state. Clinton has campaigned hard in West Virginia, and her aides said Sunday that she will hold a victory celebration at the Charleston Civic Center on Tuesday night.

With nearly everyone -- including, privately, many on her own team -- contemplating when, not if, she will quit the race, the questions surrounding Clinton now go largely to her motivation. Publicly, her campaign argues that victories in West Virginia and Kentucky could shift the growing tide of momentum for Obama back to her by demonstrating that she has appeal in states that Democrats must to win to take back the White House in November. What is unclear is whether she hopes strong performances will make Obama consider her for the No. 2 slot or at least help her retire her growing debt.

"I don't believe that Senator Clinton is looking for a deal," Obama strategist David Axelrod said on the same Fox show on which Wolfson appeared. Saying that Clinton "competed hard" and is "playing it out as she sees fit," he said the Clinton campaign is capable of deciding how to leave for itself. "I don't think she's waiting for a cue or a signal from us or an offer of financial assistance. And I think that would demean her to suggest otherwise," he said.

Axelrod added: "I don't think even under any scenario . . . that we were going to transfer money from the Obama campaign to the Clinton campaign. We obviously need the resources we have. We have a great task ahead of us."

There was, Axelrod said, "a misunderstanding out there about that." After reports that Michelle Obama, the senator's wife, has rejected the possibility of an Obama-Clinton ticket, Axelrod flatly said: "That's false." He said there have not been overtures made to the Clinton team to negotiate her departure from the campaign.

Clinton has spent the better part of the past year on the campaign trail, with almost every holiday doubling as a campaign opportunity. Mother's Day was no exception: After holding a fundraiser in New York, Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, went to West Virginia and toured the birthplace of Anna Jarvis, the woman who founded the holiday a century earlier. Clinton told reporters that she had gotten flowers from her daughter and husband, as well as a vase and a perfume bottle made in West Virginia. She continues campaigning here Monday with stops in four towns, Montgomery, Clear Fork, Logan and Fairmont.

[eroosevelt08]

Hillary Clinton must be sincere to invest so much of her own funds in the campaign. I am going to Hillary.com to contribute to her campaign right now!

[lawrence57]

There are many nuts, RNC, and Republican operatives who are stirring up trouble between Obama and Hillary supporters to divide the Democrat Party. Whenever you read or hear extreme racial overtone on blogs or in conversation of Democrats voting for McShame, bringing up Fl & Mich., Reverend Wright, Obama being Muslim, media being bias in favor of Obama, and etc., please dismiss this RNC propaganda, but please don%u2019t turn on your fellow democrat.

These are the same people that stand to gain from a 100-year war at 12 billion a month. These people are defense contractor (former military people), politicians, and cronies. These people are only trying to protect their investments by keeping the war going and taking middle class and poor people%u2019s homes back from them.
They realize that they have the worst candidate representing their party since David Duke. The country is experiencing a recession, housing issues, enormous national debt, unpopular president (dumb George), an unpopular war in Iraq, high gas prices, lack of respect in the international community; 4000 plus of our men and women dying, 1000s maimed, beheaded, suffering from mental illness, suicide, domestic violence among service members families, lack of hope, and the list goes on and on.

If you had McShame as a presidential candidate with that type of record to go on, divide and conquer would be the only reasonable way they could come close to winning in November.

[eddynewhope]

Fuggin jagoff Hillary supporters sit here and whine behind the anonymity of the web, spewing names like "anti-American", "Islamofascist", "Elitist" etc. What could possibly be more anti-American than that? You are bunch of spineless looser whom history is passing by and leaving in the dust. What have you done for your country that gives you the right to judge with such sanctimony? I''d bet the answer is not a gawd d-mn thing. Sit on your fat, lazy azzes and whine. Fuggin pathetic.

[starleo146]

Geezus keeeeeeeriiist...Kstar...another one. Old gas bag Michelle gets around doesn''''t she?

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 10:51 PM : May 12, 2008
+ report

Talk about henpecked Obama maybe sitting in the Oval Office but this bossy man handler good grief, Michelle go to the background no one is voting for you

[rowdytexan2]

Just another so called "hard working American" which seems to be Hillary''''s code words for bigot.


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Posted by vmcneal2 at 08:36 AM : May 13, 2008

A bigot calling someone else a racist, my my.

[vmcneal2]

If Obama gets in, the number of "reverse" discrimination cases will increase ten times or more. It is bad enough whites have to "take it" from blacks in Federal Court, let alone have a racist against whites President. Obama went to Rev. Wrights church for 20 years, plenty of brainwashing time. His wife Michelle is also anti American.
OBAMA''''s, IF YOU DO NOT LOVE AMERICA, then LEAVE AND GO BACK TO AFRICA WHERE YOUR FATHER AND FATHER IN LAW ARE FROM.

HILLARY YOU HAVE TO GET THE NOMINATION, STAY IN THERE!! Or else, don''''t come back to NEW YORK!!!


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Posted by cmp271 at 05:42 PM : May 12, 2008

Just another so called "hard working American" which seems to be Hillary''s code words for bigot.

[vmcneal2]

am sick and tired of the news anchors that are men to stop putting down Hillary. They show how much they do not want a woman as a President. They are male chauvinistic pigs. I am a male, 46,live in PA and voted for a human being that would be the right person to do the job, which is Hilary Clinton.


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Posted by prayerman3 at 10:13 PM : May 12, 2008

They have been all that fair with Obama either. Some White men are just scared to death of strong women and educated Black men.

[eddynewhope]

RowdyTexan is a child molester! WHY do you molest children RowdyTexan? Why? You see, how do you like it when people slander you? What the hell are you talking about "What about all the favors Obama owes to the Chicago Ishlamofascists that are HIS contributors?" That''s fuggin Karl Rove B S right there. Where do you get this stuff? You suggesting that Senator Obama is somehow associated with "Islamofascists" is about as valid as me calling you a child molester. Fuggin hag.

[rowdytexan2]

really don''''''''t think it''''''''s the money that they''''''''re after though. It''''''''s a lust for power and control. I''''''''ve always clearly sensed that about Hillary. She is power hungry and a control freak. What also scares me about Clinton is all the favors she owes to the people who helped put her where she is. She owes lots of favors to lots of powerful people in this country.

Posted by ontheleft,

What about all the favors Obama owes to the Chicago Ishlamofascists that are HIS contributors?

Good grief, get real!

[stn_sage]

I live in Southern Mississippi.... I''''m not awash in ignorance..... I''''m drowning in it!!!
Posted by SHAWNP1968 at 04:01 PM : May 12, 2008
---------------------------------------------------
My response: I lived in MS. for a couple months many years ago. Most of the people there are pretty nice, but I did notice a tendency, especially on the part of whites, to bring up the subject of race a lot, to the point I''d call unusual! So, I understand how it is there. I don''t know that it will ever happen, but people do need to get beyond it!

[colonieny]

to prayman3:Sister you are right on. We need to call for a national 1 % tax on all money than is earned by men, to be placed in funds, social endeavors, community projects, tuitions, and woman programs around the country, to uplife WOMEN . This is to repay the 1000 years of American servitute to men since the founding of the so called Democracy ! Women meetings, councils locally and nationally will decide where to place funds. If we had this , then Hillary would not be asking for any money.
I for one am insulted and fed up .

[croft777]

So whats up with all the Oh Bomb Obama clan?

[the74blaster]

Politics has been a financially rewarding field for the Clintons. The real financial rewards for a president come after they leave office and they write books and charge for speeches.

I really don''''t think it''''s the money that they''''re after though. It''''s a lust for power and control. I''''ve always clearly sensed that about Hillary. She is power hungry and a control freak. What also scares me about Clinton is all the favors she owes to the people who helped put her where she is. She owes lots of favors to lots of powerful people in this country.

Posted by ontheleft,

Good point! My question is how much is it going to cost us taxpayers to repay the favors?

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by kstar42 at 08:04 PM : May 12, 2008

Geezus keeeeeeeriiist...Kstar...another one. Old gas bag Michelle gets around doesn''t she?

[rowdytexan2]

Now, my only concern is that Obama should NOT select Hillary as his running mate. I do not want to see any Clintons back in the White House for any reason.

Posted by tibu987,

My concern is that he will offer it and she will take it. And then if something happens to him, she''ll be the first one eyeballed and could go down as a scapegoat for his Ishlamofascist corrupt Chicago mafia ball busters. The numbers of his whacko corrupt campaign raisers and donators is just getting larger, and those kind of people don''t put out money for nothing.

[ontheleft]

"What concerns me is why would anyone pay $ 20,000,000 for a job that pays $ 400,000 annualized? They must plan on cashing in if they win the nomination and the Whitehouse."
Posted by the74blaster at 09:58 PM

Politics has been a financially rewarding field for the Clintons. The real financial rewards for a president come after they leave office and they write books and charge for speeches.

I really don''t think it''s the money that they''re after though. It''s a lust for power and control. I''ve always clearly sensed that about Hillary. She is power hungry and a control freak. What also scares me about Clinton is all the favors she owes to the people who helped put her where she is. She owes lots of favors to lots of powerful people in this country.

[prayerman3]

I am sick and tired of the news anchors that are men to stop putting down Hillary. They show how much they do not want a woman as a President. They are male chauvinistic pigs. I am a male, 46,live in PA and voted for a human being that would be the right person to do the job, which is Hilary Clinton.

[the74blaster]

Now, my only concern is that Obama should NOT select Hillary as his running mate. I do not want to see any Clintons back in the White House for any reason.

Posted by tibu987,

What concerns me is why would anyone pay $ 20,000,000 for a job that pays $ 400,000 annualized? They must plan on cashing in if they win the nomination and the Whitehouse.

[tibu987]

Duh!, As Hillary has pandered for the womens vote, so what''''s the difference?

Well, one thing is that millions of women are voting for Hillary for no other reason than that she is a woman and they want to see a woman in the White House, ignorant of the fact the the Clintons are stained by many scandals from Arkansas to the White House. One scandal resulted in the suicide of one of their friends and associate.

Another is the receipt of $1,000,000 from indicted campaign donor Norman Hsu which had to be returned. Sound familiar?

And then, there is the matter of the Clintons pastor in New York being accused of child molestation.

Gimme a break.

[tibu987]

Another thing to keep in mind as Hillary is using millions of her own funds for her campaign.
Obama has received many more millions of dollars from millions of voters that want to see him as president.

I am one of those small contributors, $10.00 at a time, twice so far. This speaks volumes and shows just how much support Obama has.

Now, my only concern is that Obama should NOT select Hillary as his running mate. I do not want to see any Clintons back in the White House for any reason.