God. These calls to pay off her debt are so fucking unseemly.

"You and Hillary can write the next chapter of America's history together. By helping us pay off our campaign debt, you're not just helping Hillary elect a Democratic president and grow our majority in Congress. You're making it possible for her to work as hard as she can on the issues we care about,"

So tacky.

The Clintons are worth $100+ million dollars - why don't they just cut a check to the vendors they've stiffed?

Let me guess, Namazee, Johnson, and Buell are acting like spoiled brats?

And those 'donors' who threatened Pelosi are probably the ones throwing these tantrums.

"Clear signs they are being heard" translates to "I don't want to lose any of my access and power with the Democratic Party." Well, now, your power is slip slidin' away and you folks along with it. Don't let the door hit you....

Even the Hillary financial backers better start admitting that Hillary would never have won the general election and she managed to decisively lose the primary while stacking up all sorts of debt. This isn't hardball from these folks--this is blackmail.

That these folks believe they are somehow still in a position of strength is amazing!

"want to have their say before they play nice" = translation: old-school donors are uncertain their bribe money will result in the usual quid pro quo.

don't these people realize the game has changed? Obama can count on literally millions of supporters. the era of the big-money eminence grise is over (or at least on hold).

Why don't these big donors do what the everyday voters have done and throw their support behind Obama? If not, shut up. I really doubt that he needs their monetary support and all polls indicate that there is no irreparable rift in the Dem party ... in fact, it seems like the party has never been so united and so enthusiastic about a nominee.

Tena- agree with you. I am NOT going to chip in a PENNY. Especially not UNTIL she releases all her delegates to him. See, I don't TRUST the clinton's and her donors are just awful. She HAD 150 million when she began thie campaign. SHe blew it off. And where are her 18 million army of robots? Obama is going to help pay off her debt and HE is getting an earful???? Who the F are these people? No. Not a penny from me to the 109 million dollar woman who is the most UNTRUSTWORTHY person in the world.

I will support paying off venders, schools, catering companies, and the businesses all across America that provided services for the Clinton campaign. YAY!

But not a single f*cking penny for that f*ckwad, Mark Penn. He can choke on his own vomit for all I care. I wouldn't cross the street to piss on him if he were on fire holding the original copy of the US Consitution, the Magna Carta, and the recipe for the cure for male pattern baldness.

I'd even support retiring Clinton's personal debt before Penn. Frankly Penn should write that off...he lost this election for Clinton in the first place.

To hell with the big-time fundraisers. Obama doesn't need them. Not for funds, not to attract Clinton supporters.

Some of us want to get a Democrat in the White House. Others want a Republican. If you're trying to straddle the fence because you're so bitter, you don't deserve sympathy.

Obama needs to tell these fundraisers and their strongarm tactics to go jump off a bridge. He doesn't need them anyway. Also, she ought to use her fortune to pay off the small businesspeople she stiffed, not waste Obama's time. I was beginning to think she'd changed. Fool me once...I won't be fooled again!

Greg Sargent, you write:
"But Hillary's debt isn't the only concern.
The senior Hillary source also said that in addition to the campaign's debt, the Hillary donors wanted clear signs that they were being heard. "People want this to work," this source said, "but they also want to have their say before they play nice.""

So Greg, what is it that Hillary donors want heard? What is it they want to say? What your 'senior Hillary source' said, which you repeated, isn't that terribly vague?

No wonder some posters simply take that vague statement and believe it must be an arm twisting kind of attempt to establish a quid pro quo connection to Obama for some special interests.

Sounds like blackmail.

Is it so hard to act gracefully, now that it's all over??

Personally, I think the Dems need the money more than multimillionaire Clinton.

all these calls for stuff is annoying obama has most of hillary supporters and they just want him to kiss their A word... well its not going to work. http://sensico.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/gop-senator-uses-obama-in-new-tv-ad/

Yes, I agree. Obama should not be obliged to help Clinton pay off debt.

And every Clinton supporters should agree not to vote for Obama.

But Clinton supporters are more sensible than Obamites, and more interested in party unification.

No surprise.

Neither Obama nor his supporters should feel at all obligated to cover HRC's gross financial mismanagement.

I do feel bad for the small-business vendors Clinton stiffed, though. I would, as someone suggested above, support an effort to pay them off directly, but I will not send a cent to HRC's campaign.

So maybe that is the solution--organize some way, perhaps in the vein of DonorsChoose.org, to pay off the unpaid vendors without channeling the money through Clinton's campaign. I suppose these payments would still have to be recorded as campaign donations, but at least you'd know where your money was going (eg, NOT to Mark Penn and his slimy ilk).

These people are unreal. I thought they had $109 million bucks?....or can't Bill call up one of his pals in Kazakhstan?

This is blackmail. Plain and simple. One day before the "Unity" appearance. Classy.

Are these donors among the (or the same) twenty wealthy [Jewish] contributors that demanded Pelosi throw the nomination to Pelosi "or else?"

Wow. talk about bitter! Calm down people. Obama is still the nominee, your hero still reigns supreme. He's just also a politician doing what politicians do - you know, talking to special interests and giving special attention to rich people.... chill.

The senior Hillary source also said that in addition to the campaign's debt, the Hillary donors wanted clear signs that they were being heard. "People want this to work," this source said, "but they also want to have their say before they play nice."

Fuck 'em. Let them vote for McCain. 50 state strategy, FTW.

oh boo hoo Hillary! You lost! YOU mismanaged your campaign. YOU dragged the election out far beyond what needed to be. YOU pay for your OWN debt. YOU and your husband have made over $100 million. you can afford to foot the bill.

Ahhh, it's good to be reminded of why I hated the Clinton campaign it's self righteous-she's-earned-the-Presidency-wait your-turn-Obama followers so much. WTF... Politics ain't beanbag.

And just before Unity Day, too! How special.

Geez...if only Barack Obama the brains of his fucking idiotic supporters in this thread! Heh-heh.

According to NY mag, Ron Burkle laid 20 million on Bill earlier this year. That should pretty much cover the campaign debts, no?

Besides, now that Hillary is no longer the nominee, maybe Bill can "transition" back into their business relationship.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/01/bill_clinton_and_ron_burkle_ha.html

Listen, I have no problem with Clinton supporters. I DO however have a problem with anyone from the Clinton group making DEMANDS on Obama. They should shut their traps and accept they didn't win. Obama won fair and sqaure. They have no leverage to MAKE DEMANDS.

If you want unity, then prove it. Otherwise shut up and take your empty threats with you.

How dare they "lecture" Obama about anything. He is the nominee.

Ughhhh more of the same old "I deserve this" bullshit.

I've never seen such a demanding losing team.

Do you think the Lakers demanded foot rubs after they lost to the Celtics? Do you think they moped around talking about how much the Celtics owed them?

Or do you think they reflected for awhile, took a vacation and then hit the court to get ready for next year? That's what adults do.

It sounds like Hillary's recent meeting with her donors, was about asking them to pressure on Obama for money.

With so many people struggling just to come up with the money to get a tank of gas, the Clinton's have it backwards. They should be doing everything they can to get Obama elected regardless of whether he can help them with their campaign debt.

Any Democrat who sits on the sidelines out of pique, especially the big money donors, needs to do a priority check. If they care about this country, they'll do the right thing.

what an awesome post that i wanted to share.

Though I no longer post here very often, I felt compelled to say something in regards to this post.

Linfar, I have been following your diaries for sometime, and I have generally found myself in agreement with your writing. I was especially moved by the post you wrote awhile back about your own family's involvement with the civil rights movement and the Obama campaign's playing of the race card. I find, however, that your post today is deeply misguided and somewhat hypocritical given some of your past writing.

I respect the decision that you, and Taylor, and millions of other Clinton supporters have made to support Obama's candidacy. For some, it is because Clinton asked, for others it is because Obama is a Democrat, and for others still it is because McCain is unbearable. I hear you on all of these points. But I feel like I, along with many other Clinton supporters who cannot and will not fall in line, are not being heard.

I think it is simply wrong to suggest that my decision to vote for neither Obama or McCain is in any way dishonoring Hillary Clinton. I gave my loyalty to HILLARY, I worked my heart out making calls and knocking on doors for HILLARY, I maxed out to HILLARY...that was all for HILLARY, a candidate that I believe in, deeply trust, and admire on so many counts, a candidate who I have always been and always will be proud to support. But my loyalty is not transferable. Hillary EARNED that loyalty with her record, with her years and years of hard work on behalf and women and children and on behalf of health care when no one else was willing to take a stand. She EARNED my respect, my hard work on her behalf, and my vote.

Barack Obama has not earned my loyalty, my hard work on his behalf, or my vote at this point. Never say never, I suppose, but I think it is pretty safe to say that he has done too much, said too much, and flip flopped to much to ever earn my vote. I was disgusted by the tactics his campaign used, including race baiting and sexism. His entire campaign was focused on the Clinton is evvviiil theme. It's politics, you say, Hillary got over it, so why don't you? Fair enough I suppose. Except that even beyond his campaign tactics I don't trust him to speak out and to act on behalf of the progressive principles that I value deeply and his recent actions on FISA just reinforce this sentiment. Even when he talks about issues such as choice, he adopts right wing talking points. Apparently, women need their ministers before they can be trusted to be in charge of their own bodies. And, of course, there is the fact that sometimes it just seems like Obama doesn't really know what he is talking about when it comes to policy (and I don't think is a point that either Taylor or Linfar could disagree with given their previous posts), like his fumbling and bubling on healthcare at a campaign stop a few weeks ago in Bristol, VA, like his fumbling and bumbling when it came to the capital gains tax during the last debate...and while in past years I may have felt compelled to vote for ANY democrat, no matter how poor a candidate I thought he was, the behavior of the Democratic party over the past few months has shown me that Dems are no better than Republicans. So, sorry, I won't line up anymore to blindly support a party that did not stand up for me and for women everywhere against the sexism that was unleashed, or for a party that engaged in blatant vote stealing to favor their chosen candidate.

All of this being said, I know McCain does not stand for the values that I hold dear, so I will not give him my vote. So what does that mean? It means it's my vote. Not Hillary's to give to Obama, not Obama's just because he is a Democrat, and not McCain's just because I am disgusted with the Democratic nominee. I suspect I will not vote for President this November. I am not dishonoring Hillary Clinton in any way by using my own head and recognizing Obama for the unqualified candidate I believe that he is.

Good people can agree to disagree. Don't label every disaffected Clinton supporter as a hysterical person who don't know what is good for her (or him). And this includes Clinton supporters, such as my parents, who will vote for McCain. They don't think Obama has enough experience, he has not convinced them that experience does not matter, and while they disagree with McCain on many things, they feel like they can understand him better than someone who sat in a church for 20 years that spews hate and now claims he never knew...

Judge people like my parents harshly if you want, but the fact is that they are good and decent people, they are not hysterical, they are not dishonoring Hillary. They supported her, she lost, now they are moving on to the candidate of the two remaining who they see as more prepared and likely to be better for the country. They don't love either, but they dislike one a little bit less than the other. Understanding people like them (and people like me who choose NEITHER candidate) would be better than trying to shame people into unity.

I have to wonder why instead of asking what is wrong with Hillary supporters who won't support Obama no one asks what is wrong with Obama that there are SO many of us who are unwilling to support him, despite her heartfelt pleas...

Just leave it to Billary to retire their own debt.

Call her supporters, ask for their support but make it clear they won't get any favors for it, and if they say no or complain, tell them to have a nice day.

Obama should tell all the voters he is doing this; and those supporters that backed away did so because they would not agree to his commitment to no special favors.

That way he avoids tainted money, and slams the Billary Scum Machine in the process :-)

And don't forget that she stayed in the race (and kept piling up the debt) about three months past where it became clear that she had only the thinnest reed of hope.

Those who are saying that Obama is under no obligation to help Clinton retire her campaign debit are absolutely correct.

But by the same token, Clinton's under no obligation to try to rally her supporters to Obama, or ask her major donors to support him, or do campaign stops with him, or anything, really.

And michelle - no, you shouldn't line up to blindly vote for whoever the Democrats put in front of you. But if you think about it, it might make sense to open your eyes and vote for a man who's policies and voting record are overwhelmingly similar to Hillary's.

Just a thought.

At what point did Hillary's financial incompetence become Obama's problem?

When he became the Democratic nominee, that's when.

Let me preface this by stating that I've been a die-hard Obama supporter since the beginning. And by the time March, April, and May rolled around, and Clinton was still in the race, my blood was boiling over. How could she continue a campaign she had NO hope of winning? How DARE she damage the nominee by staying in with the kitchen-sink strategy? How DARE she keep asking for money from those poor, working-class folks she claimed to be fighting for, when she knew it was just to pay off HER debts (and not, as she claimed, to win the campaign)? Somewhere along the line, Senator Clinton should have realized the Wisdom of the Crowds: when people won't give you money, it means they have little faith in you winning.

Even now, it seems that the pay-my-debts demand seems arrogant. I especially liked the analogy above: "They played demolition derby with us, and now they want a tow after running their car into the ditch."

But here's the problem: Clinton may have driven the car, but the bet in the demolition derby was that the winner got the loser's car. All those vendors, strategists, and other debtees might be a lot less willing to work for the Obama campaign in the fall (or Democrats in future years) if they don't get the money they're owed. So that 50-state strategy, energized by the dramatic-if-futile race between Obama and Clinton as they raced through the states and built up the infrastructure of support networks, would be harmed when those very networks are less willing to help out a candidate who wouldn't help get them paid.

So, yes, have Obama's mega-rich, maxed-out donors help pay down Clinton's debts. Except for the Clintons themselves, who should have realized the folly of their investment. Also, ignore Mark Penn's debts: without the Clintons, he won't be helping out the Democrats anytime soon. Or at least we can hope.

Hillary Clinton claims nearly 18 million supporters. Five dollars a piece from the people who haven't already maxed out should nicely cover her debt. Alternatively, she should list her debts, much like a bridal registry, and people could choose to allocate money to specific debtors. This would help out all of those mom-and-pop caterers and municipal school auditoriums that got stiffed by a Democratic organization that we will need behind us in the fall.

and Hillary has 20mil that she can't use to pay her primary debt, but she can give it to Obama for his GE.Those are the rules.

If he retires her debt, she can give him access and millions to his GE effort.

goes to show how those snotty Obots here are clueless.

Interesting. The Obama supporters sound like the George W. Bush supporters after "winning" the election in 2000. "Get over it." "Move on." Worse; you expect your candidate to act accordingly.

What is interesting is the relative naivete of that position.

Everyone wants to know why these people can say "Hey I'll contribute and use my machine for you but you have to do something for me." The answer, because Obama asked them to do something for him. Plain and simple if he didn't want their money, he wouldn't be on the phone with them--move on.

What makes all of this so funny is that the comments here are precisely what Obama was NOT supposed to be about. He was supposed to bring everyone together, not send people away. Apparently he isn't as good a leader as you all think because he hasn't got you "trained." Or was he just a good politician who had a great line that a bunch of kids took hook line and sinker i.e. he's just like the failed politics of the past with new packaging?

One or the other you can't have it both ways. Either you believe in him as a leader or as a politician. If he's a leader follow his leadership. If hes a politician--he's a liar and you bought it. Either way...get over it.

They want something "before they make nice"? WTF? They backed the wrong horse and they lost. If anyone should be "making nice" it's Hillary and her big money donors. And so far I haven't seen her do a damn thing to help Obama.

Barak - be a man - don't be a pussy!

Forget those committed to remaining first place losers and move on. You are accumulating support from so many non-traditional places that it won't matter anyway.

Your election, and my support, is about what has to be changed in this country. It has nothing to do with Clinton's debt. Getting involved makes you not only look weak but, unsure of yourself as well. ie. a little bit of a wienie

So fucking what if she is mad at you and behaving like a spoiled overindulged brat. All she is accomplishing is the justification of all the awfull things Republicans have said about her for years. Toxic doesn't begin to describe her actions. You don't need her or her die-hards to win.

Here is the key question: What should Senator Obama's priority be; should he put raising money to pay off the debt that Senator Clinton amassed, long after it was clear that she could not win the nomination, and was only using the borrowed money to hurt his image, ahead of making sure that he raises enough money to make sure that he does not run short of funds during the main event?

First things first: Should Senator Obama put paying his own ongoing campaign bills ahead of Hillary Clinton's past bills, which were accumulated after she could no longer win the nomination.

There is an old story about a woman who had two pet chickens that she loved with all her heart. One of the chickens took very ill, so the woman made chicken soup out of the healthy pet, in an effort to restore the sick bird.

Is that what you want to do with the Obama campaign? Do you really want him to starve his own funding efforts in order to try and nourish the sick one.

Priorities folks, priorities. Winning back the White House comes first. Hillary is not going to become homeless.

"Yeah Obama! You don't need her or her supporters!" - del7

He needs people who support him because they believe it is the right thing to do, not because of quid pro quo. I may end up feeling as you do about him if I were to see him fall prey to fear and greed by attempting to buy off support from the Clintons. That would not be alpha behavior; it would be omega as well as politics as usual.

I believe that less than 1% of Hills 18mil voters are more concerned about her debt than they are about Democratic Party goals.

Cassandra - you rock. I truly like your questions.

I believe that first and foremost, Obama has to be true to himself. So long as he remains so, I believe that he will not need to compromise his integrity to realize the support of Hill's voters. He must, especially to women, show that he is a leader, an alpha male. This is not something that can be faked, or bought. Either he is, or he isn't. Either Hill's supporters will feel confident that a woman's right to choose, education, health-care, jobs and, etc. will be protected and nurtured under his leadership or, they won't. After all, these are the top priorities of the Democratic Party, not the Clintons, and why we identify as Democrats.

If Obama is a true alpha leader, the people will follow. That's nature. The rest is either politics or bullshit. Only time will tell.

If he has to negotiate with his integrity to find his way into office then why don't we just elect Joe Lieberman as President? After all, he is the ultimate champion of quid pro quo. If Obama does this, then he is no better and no more worthy of your trust. If Obama caves to the Clinton pressure, then he will cave to others as well. That is not the kind of leadership I am hoping for.

The country needs a real honest to goodness leader, not another poser.

Also, if Obama is truely an alpha male, why would he be concerned about what Hillary wants when his percieved loyalty is to his pack, the Democrats?

Either he will prove to the pack that he is their leader or he won't.

I have an idea: Let's let all of HILLARY'S supporters pay HER debts, and all of OBAMA'S supporters pay HIS!!

If you really think Obama can win without the enthusiastic support of the overwhelming majority of Hillary Clinton's supporters, then you are truly delusional.

The votes of the majority of Clinton supporters and the support of her major donors are two different issues. Her major donors are a small subset of Hillary supporters.

Polls show Obama has the support of about 70% of former Hillary supporters. So Obama has the overwhelming majority of Hillary's voters.

However, I'm sure he would like to convince more of them that he is the better choice over McCain. I cannot imagine how anyone who admires Senator Clinton and supports her on the issues, as I do, could vote for Senator McCain, a man who is almost her polar opposite and someone Senator Clinton would never vote for herself.

These major donors are mad because they gave a lot of money and now want something for it. They thought they were buying influence with the next president and she lost. They seem to think they have paid for influence with Senator Obama. I guess they forgot they supported his opponent.

But I have confidence that he can diplomatically bring them into the fold if they really care about the issues.

I think the point everyone is making is, electing a Democrat president should be the first priority, not retiring Hillary's debt. Their threat that they won't help unless Hillary is taken care of makes a political party a personal racket. That's not what any of us want.

I wish you all can see what we are looking at from london. I mean how is it posible for any right thinking person requesting Obama to pay HRC's any money???. This is pure blackmail.You Americans are such good people. We come to your country for holidays and we love it. We wish we can have Obama as our politician here in England.Most Europeans Politician are already using Obama's speach and emulating his stands. Can you all see what God has given you? Don't let HRC and Co comes in between you and your destity of a lasting PEACE. We are already imaging how the WORLD will be peaceful when WE have PRESIDENT OBAMA.What Americans have to realise is that The WORLD LOOKS UP TO YOU. And we pray for Peace. You guys are bless. So please think of what you and your faimly and the World will have and not the CLITONS. Bill is making money already in Europe. Doing speaches. The Clitons are loaded more you and I. They are just trying to blackmail and be divise again. Ask yourself ..Howe