Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper

« Previous | Main | Next »

Obama Open to Helping Clinton Relieve Her Campaign Debt

May 09, 2008 6:10 PM

While taking care to say the very question is premature, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, Friday indicated an openness to helping Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, with her millions in campaign debt.

Clinton's campaign debt is thought to be upwards of $10 million -- not including the $11.425 million she loaned her campaign from her personal funds. They are numbers perhaps not as immediately troubling as the 170 delegates by which she trails Obama in their race to the magic 2,025 delegate number to clinch the nomination -- but they are troubling numbers for her nonetheless.

Visiting “Luis’s Taqueria” in Woodburn, Oregon with his brother in law, Craig Robinson -- the new basketball coach at Oregon State University -- Obama helped himself to some tacos and signaled to Clinton that should she concede the nomination he would help her with the debt.

“That’s not a conversation that we’ve had because our working assumption right now is we're still in the middle of a race,” he said when asked about her debt.

But when asked again, ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports, Obama said, "historically after a campaign is done and you want to unify the party -- particularly when you’ve had a strong opponent -- you want to make sure you’re putting that opponent in a strong position so that they can work to win an election in November."

Obama said, "obviously I’d want to have a broad range discussion with Sen. Clinton about how I could make her feel good about the process and have her on the team moving forward -- but as I said its premature right now, she's still actively running and we’ve still got business to do here in Oregon and other states.”

- jpt

May 9, 2008 in 2008: Democrats, Clinton, Hillary, Obama, Barack | Permalink | Share | User Comments (126)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

alohaone, yes you have helped destroy the party for not voting for a dem. It's Hillary or then McCain for you. Way to go. Take your toys and go home.

Posted by: d | May 9, 2008 10:44:14 PM

Nomination is unattainable by Hillary
Clinton. She cannot reach the goal.

Her supporters would do well to learn
to be fair and courteous.

Vote for Obama in the General.

Posted by: anon | May 9, 2008 10:44:01 PM

I have never read so many comments that have no basis for their argument. OBAMA has been selected by the people to be the nominee. Clinton has lost and now should step aside and support the party.

Posted by: Travis | May 9, 2008 10:42:07 PM

the only way the obamas will get to see the white house is if Hill & Bill invite them to take a tour of it.

Posted by: andrea | May 9, 2008 10:34:55 PM

this Craps about Clinton supporters destroying the party make me SICK.... who has unified the party in 92 after its humiliating defeat 2years ealier ?? who fight so hard for health care reforms???(I remember then that for almost 2 years , that is the most talked-about issue after Bill was Pres.), who got the gut and wit and talent to stand against the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy ( and don't you tell me that it did not exist , not after the creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and over 50 mil. of tax-payers' money and countless dead-end , good-for-nothing so-called investigations on Who Bill **** that have absolutely nothing to do with the people's dinner plates ), who has helped improved the conditions of the Black communities in inner cities ??? People who criticize the Clintons as power-hungry couple forget one thing , all politicians are power-hungry , there are only 2 kinds of them , the one who can actually do the job that they are hired to do (like Clinton ) and those who screwed up on the job (like Jimmy Carter and soon OBAMA if he is elected) , NOW , some people say Bush JR. , but hey , he did keep us safe all these year and he did get those Al-Qaida running for their lives with their pants down , didn't he??? Bush has his short-coming , but he by no-mean an incompetent like Jimmy Carter who turned a great nation into laughing stocks of the world ...Anyway , the Dems. party has forgotten all that the Clintons have done for them , just like the black people ....this party is going down the tube with the like of Jimmy CArter and Nancy Pelosi and Barrack Hussein Obama ....If Clinton is not the nominee in Nov. and if she still does not run as an independent , I am voting for Mc Cain, that clown Obama can go back to Chicago with his discriminative church for the next 20 years.....

Posted by: alohaone | May 9, 2008 10:30:48 PM

Obamaknew, my biggest concern is McCain becoming president. And I don't understand how any dem would vote for him. I know Hillary supporters are passionate about her which is fine. But to put this country in jeopardy with a conservative Supreme Court is just insane to me. If people don't like Obama then vote him out in 4 years but we can't do that with the Supreme Court. We are stuck with them. I wish people would see the big picture here. There is so much at stake with the Supreme Court.

Posted by: lisa | May 9, 2008 10:29:13 PM

Hillary keep up the fight. It is not over!!

You will win big i W Virginia.

Republican will crack Obama in November.

Posted by: JT | May 9, 2008 10:26:02 PM

Lisa: It's a fact that race is going to define this election and it's not myself I speak of but the reality of the racial divide in this country. I'm a life long democrat and if Obama is the nominee I'll support that hesitantly as a democrat, but there are many who will not. AND it's those who will not who outnumber those who will and maybe even I, when in the booth might still hesitate before sticking the pin in the O column. Hillary has died hard decades old support and this upstart Obama is not going to change the view of people who waited their whole life to see a woman president or Hillary as president. AND Obama's very candidacy brings the racial baggage with it no matter how you spin it lady. AND if the party disenfranchises FL and MI. I might vote McCain. SEE!

Posted by: ObamaKnew | May 9, 2008 10:23:41 PM

"Hillary needs to bow out after Kentucky. The game is in the bottom of the ninth and Obama is winning, no need to play the last half inning."

==========================================

Whoever said the above has never been a New York Mets fan. Remember 1969? I do. I was there at Shea.

"It ain't over, 'til it's over".
Yogi Berra

P.S. - It ain't over 'til Denver.

Posted by: Yavo Lem | May 9, 2008 10:23:38 PM

Paul writThats the way life is. First Obama made us small town Americans mad because of the "clinging to gun" statement and so he can forget our votes!"
=============================

As if you were perfectly happy being socioeconomically stagnant. You'd get far more respect by simply saying you're jealous of the educated Black guy. At least that would be an honest response. (lol)

Posted by: Dems | May 9, 2008 10:13:44 PM

And for those of you who say you'll vote for McCain, are not TRUE democrats.
You're probably the same ones who voted for George W. twice. Look where it got us?
Do you really want to see Roe v. Wade overturned?
Do you really want to see more Americans die for oil?
Do you really want a future for our children?

Posted by: s_ben | May 9, 2008 10:12:49 PM

Clinton should fight on , it's 2min. left in the game , you are down by 3pts. , your opponent has the ball at your 40th . It's a dire situation but NOT impossible , especially when your opponent has shown his weakness . Just hit him hard so he fumbles like he had earlier (because this guy has a hard time holding on to the ball), you can get the ball back , with one minute , 2 plays , touch down as time run out , I believe she can still win , just like Bill says , you gotta believe girl, go for it , the Clinton can always come back , NO matter what. The only reason Obama is surging is because the Dems party has been hijacked by the ultra-left liberals , they will be in for a surprise come Nov.08 . The media is biased , the party powers are biased , the Black community is biased . Look at the number , if Obama has not won the Black Vote by at least 90% , he is nowhere near where he is today , next question is , how can you win any group by 90% ?????? Remember , if people vote fairly , a good candidate can only win by 65% of a group Max. , and that is plenty , Obama won by an ave.of 90% of the Black votes , and that is after all that the Clintons has done for the Black community (they do not call him the first Black Pres. for nothing) , this is appalling , gross injustice to say the least . I say Clinton should fight on , 'til the END , for justice ,for Glory , for the American people who deserve better than an inexperient , 1st.-term junior Senator who had shown that he is a bigot( by listening to the hatred rhetorics of Wright for 20 years) for President . Clinton should fights to the End , and after that , as an independent like Joe Libermann if she is not the nominee. NO Retreat , No Surrender , she owes that much to herself, to her supporters , to the country and to the Name Clinton itself ...Go Hillary , look at John McCain, see how he came back from the Death ??? Go Hillary , you can do it ...make us proud ...Hillary or McCain 08 ---Absolutely NO OBAMA ....

Posted by: alohaone | May 9, 2008 10:12:08 PM

How is Hillary going to get our country out of debt when she can't even keep her own campaign in the black?
She scares me.
She's touting "experience", but she is clearly the weaker candidate.
Hillary is probably shocked because she didn't see Obama comming. She underestimated him.
She thought it will all be over by super tuesday, while Obama kept pressing on.
Sen. Obama ran a more organized campaign, and it shows.
Senator Obama deserves this nomination for all his hard work, honesty, and dedication.

Posted by: s_ben | May 9, 2008 10:07:14 PM

Like this was a fair race media wise that is bs they had thier fun and as for women supporters we think it was a very bias race they trashed Bill played the race card and thier are plenty of us out here that will not vote for Obama and why the hell can't he go to WV and KY thats Hillary's fault to right Ted kennedy is an ass he knew this would happen that women would stay with HIllary thru thick and thin and that AA would stay with Obama maybe he wants McCain they are close friends there are millions of women we have put millions of are dollars out for Hillary we truly believe that she is the best for us.just like Obama supporters love him we love her

Posted by: Bishop | May 9, 2008 10:02:38 PM

Obama is destroying the democrats, not Hillary. Obama wants to disenfranchise Fl and MI and if they do that, there will be no more democratic party anyway. Obama is going to bring misery and disappointment as the nominee, so whether it's Aug or Nov. Obama people better prepare for the possibility of a big big disappoinment. Then what will the black vote mean, nothing at all. I think Hillary was correct in saying she has the white vote. Obama's candidacy has made this about race and race is what will determine who the president is.

Posted by: ObamaKnew | May 9, 2008 9:57:34 PM

I think Senator Clinton knows she has lost but still running to recover the money that she has loaned to her campaign and to pay off debts.

Posted by: plaridel | May 9, 2008 9:52:19 PM

To all who have been claiming that Hillary would beat McCain based on polls, before the voting even started. Remember, those same polls had Hillary beating Barack before the voting started.

Posted by: runnerin1 | May 9, 2008 9:46:51 PM


I believe that Hillary should, after she takes the Presidential Oath of Office, show her gratitude to Senator Obama for his kind offer to retire her campaign debt. I think this would best be done by offering Senator Obama a high governmental position, like Ambassador to Kenya.


Posted by: Yavo Lem | May 9, 2008 9:44:48 PM

I'd love to tell Obama what he can do with his money, but you wouldn't publish it.

Posted by: s. valenti | May 9, 2008 9:40:36 PM

Paul, what a wonderful post, thank you.

Posted by: lisa | May 9, 2008 8:37:05 PM


Thanks lisa, it is heart felt. I can't believe that people don't see what to me is so obvious.....

Posted by: Paul | May 9, 2008 9:40:07 PM

Post a comment





 

POLITICAL VIDEOS