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More on those Clinton Fat Cats

March 27, 2008 10:43 AM

The 20 Clinton-backing fat cats who vaguely threatened House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to change her tune on superdelegates lest their purses and pocketbooks slam shut have contributed almost "$24 million to Democratic candidates and committees over the last 10 years," according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

They've donated almost $554,000 to Sen. Hillary Clinton's Senate and presidential campaigns and her leadership PAC -- compared to less than a tenth of that, $52,200, for Sen. Barack Obama.

"To borrow from an investment firm's old ad campaign," says the Center, "when big donors talk, politicians listen."

Also: John Aravosis at Americablog says just under a third of these donors had Lincoln Bedroom overnights. (Perhaps more.)

- jpt

UPDATE:  ABC News' Political Director David Chalian reports that a Democratic operative unaffiliated with either campaign and familiar with the reaction to the letter among Members of Congress says, "Members of Congress - who are superdelegates - make up the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee" or DCCC from which the donors seemed to be threatening to withhold funds.

"Threatening the DCCC is equal to threatening the superdelegates Sen. Hillary Clinton's trying to court. The Clinton donor letter will just push undeclared superdelegates in Congress leaning toward Obama to endorse him sooner.  It also reinforces the narrative that she'll destroy the party to win."

March 27, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (172)

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I don't like McCain at all but I will never vote for Obama. I will protest against Obama if he is the nominee. He will make this country and this world just like the church he has attended for the past 20 years --hate filled. I know a lot of you Obama supporters would like that.

Posted by: sean | Mar 27, 2008 3:03:44 PM

Hillary is using every dispicable and crooked angle to try and undercut Senator Obama. Why in the world are these donors writing to Ms Pelosi with veiled but real threats? You can bet your bottom dollar they did not do this on their own, they were following Hillary and Bill's requests (orders, actually).

Hillary, Bill, and their campaign heads want to place themselves in the White House. Believe me, Hillary's "team" would become part of her administration. They have ALL run a horrible campaign: Infighting, loose tongues, poor money management, Bill suffers from Diarrhea of the mouth, and horrific political trash-and-burn tactics. Hillary keeps changing her persona; do Hillary's supporters know WHICH of the MANY Hillaries for whom they are voting?? Hillary also keeps changing her stance and she has lied and lied big time about Bosnia, AFTA, her experience, and much, much more. She thinks smaller states are unimportant and don't matter; she thinks caucus states are undemocratic and don't matter. She has belittled and insulted the voters from these states as NOT BEING REAL. She pledges to accept and abide with the DNC rules, (but only when things go her way; otherwise she wants the rules changed to benefit HER). In short, Hillary's tactics are really hard to stomach!

Someone earlier stated Senator Obama could not take what Senator McCain may hit him with in the General Election. To that person and others of the same ilk, I say: Senator Obama has definitely withstood the Clintons' dirty politicking and has risen above them. We have this young senator from Illinois (David) who takes on "THE CLINTON MACHINE" (Goliath) and he brings them down several notches. I would say that is one of the many good reasons to make him our President!! Senator Obama has proven himself as a man of great strength, good character, integrity, honesty, superb leadership and managerial skills (Note how smoothly his campaign has been run), a great manager of his campaign funds, and definitely a wonderful uniter---it is SOLELY because of Senator Obama's (and his campaign's) great efforts and hard work that we are seeing voters going to the polls and the caucuses in such huge and record numbers! I would say he has already succeeded in uniting the Democrat Party!

It is sad to see his efforts and hard work in unting the party being torn apart by Hillary, Bill, and their campaign, and their filthy and dishonest political tactics. Hillary and her gang are destroying the Democrat Party; they have placed THEMSELVES above the states, the voters, the party, and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The United States got rid of Saddam, the dictator in Iraq. Now Hillary is employing the same dictatorship methods, treating our country and its citizens like Saddam himself treated the Iraqis. "If we cannot win democratically, by golly, I will force myself into the Office of the Presidency, no matter how many dead and injured we leave behind!!" Very, very sad, indeed!

Posted by: NinaK | Mar 27, 2008 3:00:34 PM

Hillary is using every dispicable angle to try and undercut Senator Obama. Why in the world are these donors writing to Ms Pelosi with veiled but real threats? You can bet your bottom dollar they did not do this on their own, they were following Hillary and Bill's requests (orders, actually).

Hillary, Bill, and their campaign heads want to place themselves in the White House. Believe me, Hillary's "team" would become part of her administration. They have ALL run a horrible campaign: Infighting, loose tongues, poor money management, Bill suffers from Diarrhea of the mouth, dispicable political trash-and-burn tactics. Hillary keeps changing her persona; do Hillary's supporters know WHICH of the MANY Hillaries for whom they are voting?? Hillary also keeps changing her stance and she has lied big time about Bosnia, AFTA, her experience, and much, much more. She thinks smaller states are unimportant and don't matter; she thinks caucus states are undemocratic and don't matter. She has belittled and insulted the voters from these states as NOT BEING REAL. In short, Hillary's tactics are really hard to stomach!

Someone earlier stated Senator Obama could not take what Senator McCain may hit him with in the General Election. To that person and others of the same ilk, I say: Senator has definitely withstood the Clintons' dirty politicking and has risen above them. We have this young senator from Illinois (David) who takes on "THE CLINTON MACHINE" (Goliath) and he brings them down several notches. I would say that is one of many good reasons to make him our President!! Senator Obama has proven himself as a man of great strength, good character, integrity, honesty, superb leadership and managerial skills (Note how smoothly his campaign has been run), a great manager of his campaign funds, definitely a wonderful uniter---it is SOLELY because of Senator Obamas great efforts and hard work that we are seeing voters going to the polls and the caucuses in such huge numbers! I would say he has already succeeded in uniting the Democrat Party!

It is sad to see his efforts and hard work in unting the party being torn apart by Hillary, Bill, and their campaign and their filthy and dishonest political tactics. Hillary and her gang are destroying the Democrat Party; they have placed THEMSELVES above the states, the voters, the party, and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The United States got rid of Saddam, the dictator in Iraq. Now Hillary is employing the same dictator methods, treating our country and its citizens like Saddam himself treated the Iraqis. "If we cannot do it democratically, by golly, I will force myself into the Office of the Presidency, no matter how many dead and injured we leave behind!!" Very, very sad, indeed!

Posted by: NinaK | Mar 27, 2008 2:42:58 PM

It is absolutely unbelievable how the Clintons have convinced their followers that Obama is a liar, that he was the one who started the negative campaign, that Obama is a Muslim, that Obama should be held accountable for the Michigan legislature unwillingness to agree on a revote!! All you need to do is to listen to the news and read a bit of history if you were not an adult during the 90s.

How can you let a candidate think for you? Yes, Obama has a lot of shortcomings and yes more will surface about him in the next few months, but how could you possible ignore the history of the Clintons! What a state of denial!

They both have problem areas; they're human. But just don't deny your candidate's shortcomings by attacking the other. At least, acknolwedge that while talking about one or another candidate unfair game, you are being much more unfair by not being balanced.

It strikes me that Clinton's supporters are fanatics too and of the worse kind. Have you noticed how many of them write blogs all in CAPS, just to convey anger?

Thanks to the blogger who posted on the civil suit against the Clintons for campaign fraud in LA County. Not much press coverage on that one. I checked it out and he's right. Filed in 2003 it's still pending trial, now scheduled for April 25th.

Posted by: SVO | Mar 27, 2008 2:38:14 PM


Geevil said: "A Clinton /Obama ticket can't be beat and I hope Obama realizes that."

I certainly think a Clinton/Obama ticket could be pretty strong, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that without Obama, she doesn't fare so well. So why not just lose the losing part of the ticket, especially when he already polls so well on his own?

Whereas, based on recently released opinion polls, I doubt an Obama/Clinton ticket would help him at all. How did she manage to make such a bad negativity rating even worse?

Still, I find it funny that supporters of the 2nd place candidate try to come up with rational arguments to say why she should be 1st and the 1st place 2nd.

I remember in 200 when somebody asked Al Gore if he wished Ralph Nader would drop out of the race, he responded with a laugh and said, "Actually, I wish George Bush would!" To me, this is that same kind of wish... at least in Al Gore's case he knew it was a joke.

Posted by: patrick | Mar 27, 2008 2:23:00 PM

The super-delegates are supposed to do what is best for the party. The Clintons think they are the party, the elections have proved them wrong. They are the ones with "experience" but were caught unprepared after Super-Tuesday. Excuses, excuses just like Bush they want us to listen to fairy tails. People like Tony who have no knowledge since he repeats the lies of the Clintons.
Tony's thinking: if the fat cats contribute to the party they should own it. That is fascist thinking, that makes you a Republican.

Posted by: gator-ron | Mar 27, 2008 2:19:59 PM

The fact is it was a war zone the news cast even said it was risky for the first lady

Posted by: Bishop | Mar 27, 2008 2:19:03 PM

Obama has a lot of little supporters as does clinton and like Clinton he gets 90 % from big supporters MSNBC did a whole hour on a friday night where was everyone on spring break or partying some place.

Posted by: Bishop | Mar 27, 2008 2:16:43 PM

the rest of your can act in accordance with your hatred and your pride.....I will always act for the love and protection of my family

Posted by: chris | Mar 27, 2008 2:16:18 PM

Clinton will send all those that support Obama to Gitmo!

She loves this nation and will not allow unpatriotic people to live in it.

Posted by: J | Mar 27, 2008 2:15:05 PM

because I love my son and want what is best for him, I am supporting Senator Clinton because she is capable of achieving that which is in his best interests as well as the best interests of all our children, our troops and America....additionally, she is the only one who can win in November.....my child does not need mccain in the white house and neither does yours.....Senator Clinton for President....she will be successful in her campaign for the White House, and she will be successful in her campaign for a better future for America

Posted by: chris | Mar 27, 2008 2:14:56 PM

Everyone knows that both Obama and CLinton can not win without the supers

Posted by: Bishop | Mar 27, 2008 2:08:27 PM

roger - Sorry to burst your bubble but that is not a lie. You are voting for Obama and you do not know this. What else do you not know. Voting blind - Figures. Google and find the truth.

Posted by: freedom20082009 | Mar 27, 2008 2:07:14 PM

I am having a hard time stopping laughing. how people can insist obama gets his way and no revote in Michigan or Florida because that is the democratic party rule laid out before the nomination. But,they don't want to play by the rules when it comes to the longer standing rule on super delegates. Gimme a break all you well educated sincere party of the people members.I may die laughing here.

Posted by: Beau | Mar 27, 2008 2:06:57 PM

Poor and Unemployed, that is not true. They do remove posts that are disrespectful, regardless of the slant, and the responses to those posts. I expect they will remove this one fairly quickly, too. LOL.

Posted by: Jill | Mar 27, 2008 2:06:04 PM

That was funny!!!! Fool agains!!!! LOL!! I like that!!!

Clinton SHOW YOUR TAXES ALL 8 YEARS!!! YOU "FOOLAGAINS" !!!LOL!!!

Posted by: Sherry | Mar 27, 2008 2:05:26 PM

obamakerry followers have consistently shown that the only way they know how to support obamakerry is to harmlessly attack Senator Clinton.....I wonder why they are unable to actually argue FOR obamakerry instead of against his opponent?

Posted by: chris | Mar 27, 2008 2:04:57 PM

Clinton supporters have completely lost it. They have let emotion for their candidate cloud rational thought. Keep threatining the party. Keep campaigning negatively. Who cares if the Democratic party is in jeapordy. As long as Clinton has a 2% chance, let's destroy the party. Pathetic excuse for Democrats.

Posted by: Demcratic SuperDelegate | Mar 27, 2008 2:04:12 PM

obamakerry acted like a deer in the headlights when he finally came under some scrutiny before the texas and ohio primaries and he subsequently lost 3 of 4 after winning the last 11......he has shown that his campaign will inevitably falter when such anti-American special interest groups target his candidacy for the White House

Posted by: chris | Mar 27, 2008 2:02:24 PM

DNC rules for the nominating process:
(1) a delegate hasn't won until they get 2,024 pledged delegates

So, if neither candidate reaches the 2,024 threshold by pledged delegates then neither candidate has won.

(2) the super delegates are to exercise their independent judgment as to the candidate they vote for.

One of them may be ahead, but he/she has not won. Further, the super delegates are not obligated, in any way, to vote for the candidate who is ahead in pledged delegates, popular vote or any other measure.

These are the DNC rules. ( NANCY PELOSI is NOT following her own Party RULES - Something really wrong here!)
The Superdelegates know the DNC rules and they know what they are expected to do. They do not need NANCY PELOSI to tell them how they should vote, she should stay out of it.

Posted by: freedom20082009 | Mar 27, 2008 2:02:04 PM

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