Hillary's debt: Step right up, folks

Posted: Friday, April 10, 2009 9:17 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: State Dept.

Remember that debt Hillary Clinton racked up continuing her uphill bid for the Democratic nomination? Well, it's still not paid off. And yesterday a fundraising e-mail was sent out in the name of James Carville with the following game-show language: "Contribute now for a chance to win one of these exclusive prizes: Spend a day with President Clinton, New York, NY; American Idol Finale, Los Angeles, CA; Tour the nation's capitol with Carville & Begala, Washington, D.C."

"Make a $5 contribution today, and you could be on your way to one of these once in a lifetime opportunities!"

Here are debts still owed (from greatest amount to smallest):
$5,362,277.82 -- Penn, Schoen & Berland Assoc. LLC for "Consulting Polling/ Mail Expenses"
$397,114.28 -- MSHC Partners, Inc. (NW DC) for "printing"
$147,987.66 -- D. H. Lloyd & Associates, Inc. (K Street) for "committee insurance"
$31,452.00 -- Financial Innovations, Inc. of Cranston, R.I. for "printing"
$4,552.82 -- Mayfield Strategy Group LLC of Palo Alto, CA for Web site consulting

The Washington Post's Al Kamen says, "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." And he picks up on the Mark Penn angle: "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 "A Clinton Carnival of Prizes," The New York Times' Zeleny writes, "Would you like to spend a day with Bill Clinton, followed by a free weekend in New York City? Would you like to attend the season finale of American Idol? Would you like to talk politics over lunch with James Carville and Paul Begala? This is not a game show, but rather three potential prizes in exchange for helping to retire the presidential campaign debt for Hillary Rodham Clinton. An unusual fundraising appeal arrived in the e-mail boxes of prospective donors on Thursday afternoon."

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Comments

Hmmmm... who gives a rats batudy? I am very happy as Clinton for SOS, but not gonna donate to clear her debt. I feel that is her and her teams responsibility. I have my own debt to clear up!

cindy, las vegas, nv (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 9:26 AM)

Too bad Hillary hasn't been able to pay off her primary campaign debt. Still as long as she stiffs Mark Penn that would be a good thing as he was a total jerk and deserves to be shortchanged. If Carville could announce a winner for a visit with Obama he'd have that debt paid off pronto.

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 9:28 AM)

Penn should be the LAST creditor to get paid, and he should agree to take less. Anyone could have given Clinton advice that bad AND that conflicted and charged a lot less for it. Playing both ends against the middle should have consequences, especially where you lose on both ends.

Anna Molly (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 9:36 AM)

Being a Hillary supporter during the primaries, I hate to say this. But this is really pathetic. You'd think that with as much money her hubby makes, she could pay this off herself without begging.

http://jawillie.blog.com

jawillie Philadelphia, PA (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 9:40 AM)

Anna Molly, I have thought the same thing. Mark Penn WAS the reason Hillary lost. I was in Obama's camp all along; but I don't think there is a person out there with honest reflection who can see this was Hillary's to lose. She had the money early and she had the momentum. They completely underestimated their opponent and by the time they realized it, she was bleeding from too many battle wounds. I was extremely embittered about it last April (and May and June); but around October, when I was pretty sure Obama was going to win the election - I started thanking her for putting him through hell in the campaign. It truly did road test him and he sailed through the debates. So, I put my money on the filly and sent her $100. I'm not willing to give more, as I hope she stiffs Penn. By the way, how does that work when you 'transfer' debt to your Senatorial campaign and you are no longer a Senator?

PS. Is the 'raffle' for donations legal?
PSS. I think she is doing a great job at SOS.

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:16 AM)

I like to spend a day with Hillary only if I can talk her fool head off about Slick Willie's wondering eye, why she was dissed as Obama's VP and her blaminmg of America for all the drug problems in Mexico.

Yeah, I wanna win. Big time.

Moonshadow (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:18 AM)

Bill & Hill...
Once scum bags, always scum bags.
May they both rot in hell.

Steve Adams (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:24 AM)

Pay Mark Penn? What an absurd idea. He almost single handedly sunk Hilliary's campaign.

Anna Molly, Eric, Jawille, Good thoughts. :)

Penn should discount his bill to what it is really worth like 10% of the current total

Ed, FW, TX (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:34 AM)

I donated a lot of money to Hillary's campaign...now, she's asking for more to settle her left over debt? Sorry, but there's a line from a movie I like that fits, "Not a cent. Doing things on your own is best..." - Joan Crawfard, Mommie Dearest.

pat huntington ny (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:37 AM)

Why should Hillary expect the public to pay for her campaign. Fiscal responsibility should begin with politicians. She should have, and so should all hopefuls, keep their spending to what they have raised. Will she be another bailout? Enough is enough. Its time for all politicians to learn to live in the real world and pay their debts as we lowly civilians are expected to work and pay ours. They live a plush life, let them exchange places sometime for a month with one of the working class. We need politicians who will put the good of the country ahead of their political aspirations. Our country needs strong leadership now and its not getting it. This whole thing seems to trivialize and make a mockery of our entire country and its system that worked well for close to 200 years. This last generation or so has changed that in a blink of an eye.

Mary Garvey, St. Joseph, MO (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:44 AM)

Why should she, there are plenty of suckers (oops) I mean supporters willing to help out.

jthes (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:47 AM)

The debt is hers, nobody else. The poor bobos that allowed her to charge that money are SOL. If Hillary can't pay her debts, fire her!! We have enough deadbeats skulking around D.C. She needs to go back to Arkansas and raise peanuts, away from the snipers.

Pacheck, Huntington Beach, Ca. (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:50 AM)

I wouldn't cross the street to spit on Mark Penn (and I cleaned that up for FR) so I sure as heck wouldn't contribute money that could wind up in his pocket.

Joe Don, Topeka, KS (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:08 AM)

This is to Steve Adams, She and her husband are not scum balls he served our country well, pulled us out of a ton of debt, for idiots like you to vote bush in twice! If anybody is scum it is you!

Gabe, Pa (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:16 AM)

Bill gets mega bucks for speeches and so maybe he should start talking and use that to pay off Hill's debt. Speake over seas and get money coming TO the US instead of leaving.

eagle1776 (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:44 AM)

She'll probably end up getting a bailout

barbfv, Lansing, MI (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:56 AM)

My charity money is going to more worthy causes like feeding the poor. If I run into Hillary on a street corner in rags begging for food, I will buy her a Big Mac. Otherwise, she got herself into this debt and should get herself out.

JScott, Boise, ID (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:57 AM)

Hilary's friends will raise as much money as they can for her and after that, they will force Penn to make a reasonable settlement. That happens in all campaigns. Most losers end up in debt and work for years making speeches etc.to pay it off. Bill and Hilary have the resources to settle this and they probably will by the end of the year but don't forget that she also owes 6 million to her self that she had loaned to the campaign. She will never recoup that. Penn should settle for a dime on the dollar if he has any integrity. His advice was worthless and in fact may have cost her the nomination. To put all your eggs on Super Tuesday was foolish. There were far too many small primaries to offset whatever gains could be made that day.

Opa2 Tempe, AZ (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 12:09 PM)

Mark Penn - hey wasn't he the guy that said after Super Tuesday (you know the first one) you will have the nomination in the bag. Yeah he was the one that thought she would get 100% of all of CA votes. Plain stupid. Now the other stuff - why would you go to a Financial Innovations for printing?? Sounds like a financial planning group to me - why not go to Kinkos for petes sake. Somewhere I know I am wrong but does this make sense??

But bottom line she should have the decency to pay off all the expenses but Penns - he shouldn't get a cent - he literally destroyed part of her campaign. I mean do you remember how much they paid for rooms, room service, meals in the beginning?? It was all over First Read.

SAM, USA (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 12:46 PM)

Wake up Americans, these guys (Repugnants and Democrappers)have no idea or care of how they appear in our eyes. They are simply stealing your money any way that they can!!

Give me a break - Secretary of State of Amerika is selling off hubby and others in a raffle???? Doesn't that make her a pimpette?

Stop falling for this illusion and notice the trail of money and who these crooks are guarding!!!

Wake Up!!!!!!!

Randall Wallace, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 12:48 PM)

Hillary should get Turbo Tax Tim Geithner to do her taxes for her.

He should be able to "find" enough to pay back her debt.

I heard that Hillary is starting a new company. With the new company's profits she will be able to pay back the debt in 4 years. The new company makes telepromptors.

The Last Living Democrat (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 12:50 PM)

Pay the man what he is owed. She signed a contract with him and even if he did not do the job she licked she still owes him for his work. The public should not be responsible for her debt. She can pay it off like everyone elses has to.

Richard Bryan TX (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 1:00 PM)

Hilary would have been a perfect president - she ran her campaign finance just like the Federal Gov't runs the nation's finance.

shm224, ny, ny (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 1:46 PM)

Hillary Clinton and team kept racking up bills even after they KNEW she did not stand a chance at becoming our President. She and her team were overly stubborn and self-centered. Now she and team want the public to pay for her unnecessary bills?? She should have conceded instead of figting a losing battle. NO, we, the American people do NOT owe Hillary one red cent!! She and Bill make millions of dollars, they can pay for these expenditures. Asking us, who are struggling to remain in our homes, pay electric bills, and buy food for our families, is absolutely shameful. Hill & Bill, pay your own campaign debts!! Have you no conscience and no shame??

NinaK (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 1:47 PM)

Mary Garvey, I disagree with you that we are not getting strong leadership. President Obama was handed down a whole bunch of problems by the Bush administration. In the short time he has been in office, he has already done much, much more than any previous presidents in the same amount of time. He IS a very strong and ultra intelligent leader. Yes, I know, it is FOX news, Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, and the rest of the far-right repubs that keep criticizing our new leader. They are trying to distract from their own incompetence and failures!!

NinaK (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 1:53 PM)

NinaK (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 1:54 PM)

Maybe Obama will give her a bailout. They are both worthless and deserve each other. Mabye Bill will hit on the First Lady?

Donald Donald (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 2:50 PM)

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