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Pro-Hillary 527 Spent Big In Texas
We previously told you about the American Leadership Project, the pro-Hillary 527 running ads in Texas and Ohio. Their first FEC report is in, and it shows just how much they spent to help Hillary win the Texas primary — indeed, it looks like the Ohio race was just a side project by comparison.
The filing shows the ALP spending a full $800,000 in Texas, with only about $31,000 listed in this report for spending in Ohio. The major source of funding was the AFSCME union, which kicked in a cool $1 million, making up the vast majority of their $1,161,485 total contributions.
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Are there any figures estimating what the campaigns themselves spent in Ohio or Texas?
March 6, 2008 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
The reason I ask is to find out how much this 527 spending bursts Clinton's talking point of Obama spending 3 times as much.
March 6, 2008 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, somehow I doubt Hillary was including her swiftboat group in the calculation when she was whining about being outspent.
March 6, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's something I think supporters of both candidates could agree on:
I'm sick of this third-party union against union spending in the primaries. It's a huge waste of money that should be saved for the general election. Shame on AFSCME and the rest for wasting their members' money on attacking other Dems!
March 6, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama had outside support too, like SEIU, which doesn't bother me. 527s are only supposed to advertise issues tho, not candidates, so it looks like that law is just broken...but no one will do anything about it.
March 6, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Eric,
After your head stops spinning, please note that your man Obama outspent Clinton two to one in both Ohio and Texas and he still got clobbered. Get used to it, there is more to come.
March 6, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
hanksf, sorry, but Obama did not get "clobbered" in Texas, he won MORE delegates than Clinton (net gain of +3) in Texas. Which is where AFSCME spent 800 grand. I LOVE AFSCME wasting its members money on LOSING to Obama in Texas, they are such a reactionary, pro-war gang compared to SEIU and the Teamsters. Let them drain all their cash away early, in LOSING states, who cares?
OTOH, I think it would be fair to say that Hillary "clobbered" Obama in Ohio in the popular vote (where AFSCME spent only a tiny amount), but even there she only had a net gain of nine or ten delegates, and for the entire four states she came out with an aggregate net gain of only +8 delegates after more than six million people voted in the Dems primaries.
March 6, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fractal,
Look around you. Things aren't going your way and they are getting worse. Everyone is noticing. You can hope all you want it isn't going to change.
March 6, 2008 9:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clobbered? What a lot of hot air. He was behind 20 points in both states two weeks ago and she gains a whopping total of 10 delegates on him in total which he'll make up in the next two contests. The desperately negative game Sen. Clinton is playing will end up coming back to bite her. My question is what happened to the questioning the complete illegality of these 527s that are patently not 527s? Has a complaint been lodged with the FEC? I know the committee is not functioning due to lack of personnel but is there some other legal tactic?
March 6, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clinton will get the nomination, like John McCain eventually got the nomination, because it's "her turn".
What a fascinating race: two completely compromised and corrupted long-term DC political hacks battle it out.
Which one will win? The one with an "R" after his name, or the one with a "D" after her name?
Do the results matter much in terms of practical consequences to Americans? Not much.
On to Iran!
March 6, 2008 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you honestly think that Clinton will drag us into Iran?
March 6, 2008 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Possibly so. Especially if it looks like it will improve her politically.
I hate to think so; but I put nothing past her.
March 6, 2008 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
The whole 527 thing will not hurt Hillary because no one except the internet media will cover it. They will pay a fine and it wil get buried by major media because any substantive subject is a danger ot the establishment therefore the print and film fluff with a hint of intrigue. I don't sound cynical do I.
As to the Penn primary I have a prediction, Clinton holds strong lead two weeks out, then Obama seems to get some momentum after winning a close race in WY and winning significantly in MS. He will narrow the gap to single digits, ther will be alot of media posturing, Clinton will go negative the last week, Republicans who listen to Rush L, Ann C, and Fox News will cross party lines leaving Hillary with a comfortable lead come primary time. Although she will get some momentum back the delegat picture will look bleaker and bleaker but she will say that she is a fighter and that alot of people have voted for her that she has won the big states and they need a voice. Let's see if it happens.
March 6, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I'm not mistaken,
The Penn primary is a closed Democratic primary so a repeat of Texas is not possible.
March 6, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. I can't believe unions spend so much of their members' money on this year's Democratic PRIMARIES, considering both Obama and Clinton are strong candidates against McCain. I could understand that kind of spending in the general election, but not these Dem primaries. Sheesh.
March 6, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink