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MONTHLY ARCHIVES
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Biden Asks Donors to Help Clinton Retire Debt
December 05, 2008 11:34 AM
In an email to supporters sent this morning, Vice President-elect Biden asks donors to help President-elect Obama's nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, retire her more than $7 million in campaign debt.
"Our campaign pledged to help Senator Hillary Clinton -- one of the vital members of our team and our future Secretary of State -- retire her campaign debt," the email from Biden says. "That's the money her campaign owes to the small vendors across the country that make our political process possible.
"We welcome Hillary as a partner in our administration, and I hope you will show your support by helping Barack fulfill our campaign promise," the letter said.
The letter reminds Obama-Biden supporters of Clinton's myriad efforts on behalf of the ticket. Of the $7.5 million in debt, $5.3 million is owed to the firms of Clinton's controversial strategist, Mark Penn, one of Obama's strongest critics within the erstwhile Clinton presidential campaign.
Biden's email is merely the latest effort to help Clinton retire her debt before ethics laws guiding the Secretary of State's office prevent her from doing so.
The New York Senator, her husband, and "Ugly Betty" actress America Ferrera will hold a fundraising event on Dec. 15, and Clinton's mother will soon be hawking a children's book about her daughter's candidacy -- "Dreams Taking Flight" by Kathleen Krull -- some of the proceeds from which will also help retire the debt.
The letter from Mr. Biden is below:
***
FIRSTNAME(Friend) --
President-elect Obama and I have been assembling our team, and we plan to hit the ground running next month.
We want to be ready to go, and that's why I'm asking you to help us honor an outstanding commitment we made during the election.
Our campaign pledged to help Senator Hillary Clinton -- one of the vital members of our team and our future Secretary of State -- retire her campaign debt. That's the money her campaign owes to the small vendors across the country that make our political process possible.
Barack and I had the deepest respect for Hillary as an opponent on the campaign trail. Her undeniable intellect, talent, and passion strengthened Barack as a candidate and tested our movement for change.
We welcome Hillary as a partner in our administration, and I hope you will show your support by helping Barack fulfill our campaign promise.
Will you make a contribution of $AMOUNT or more now to retire Hillary's campaign debt?
I saw your generosity and commitment to this team throughout the election, and I know we can do it.
In the general election, Hillary was one of our strongest advocates. She traveled the country and did more than 70 events, raising money and bringing new supporters into our campaign.
As Secretary of State, she will be indispensable in furthering Barack's agenda for change.
Let's welcome Hillary to the team and thank her for efforts by helping to retire her debt to the hard-working individuals and small businesses that were a part of the election:
Your support and generosity got us this far, and I know I can count on it now.
Thank you,
Joe
-- jpt
December 5, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (29)
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The next donations that I will make will go to charity or deserving non-profit organizations. Sorry... Senator Clinton's campaign debt does not fall in those categories.Clintons are cash wealthy by most American standards.
Posted by: threeriverscrossing | Dec 5, 2008 1:44:29 PM
Help the Clintons retire their debt? NOT. How about they help me retire my debt since they make oh about 100 millions dollars more than I.
Posted by: Lori | Dec 5, 2008 1:40:34 PM
Brooklyn Democrat,
Way to go buddy. Thanks.
We bought our President for $750 million (yep we bought him, he didn't buy us).
We can afford to buy our SoS for 10% of that ($7.5 million).
Boy, who says the people can't have what they want, when they put their money where their mouths are.
Democracy is really good.
The Republicans always thought the Dems would never understand the phrase "money talks". Now we have evened the playing field and they are whinning.
GO OUT THERE AND HELP HILLARY GUYS. SHE NEEDS US TO DO HER JOB AS SOS UNDISTURBED.
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Dec 5, 2008 12:58:28 PM
fugetaboudit!
write a book or something! Just leave me alone!
Posted by: Rick Wyatt | Dec 5, 2008 12:56:36 PM
I have a problem with helping pay off her debt to Mark Penn. Given how hard Senator Clinton worked to help get Obama elected, however, I'll probably hold my nose and make a donation.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Dec 5, 2008 12:41:53 PM
Mr. Biden is doing what he promised, but I am not inclined to help.
Hillary is a millionaire in her own right, she took a calculated chance, and I think wasted a lot of money after it became impossible to get the nomination without resorting nepotism via the superdelegates and usurping the rank and file voters.
I don't feel her pain right now.
A middle-aged white woman in Michigan
Posted by: Elcee | Dec 5, 2008 12:18:52 PM
We are almost 67 million people who voted for Obama. If every one of us could contribute at least 1$, we could end up with 67 million dollars. But they way I can figure it out, this is not going to happen!
Posted by: FM | Dec 5, 2008 12:18:17 PM
I received an email from Biden today. It was a stretch for me to donate to Obama. Hillary knew for the last couple months of the campaign that she did not have a chance at winning the primary, yet she continued. I do not feel sorry for her problem.
Posted by: Jim | Dec 5, 2008 12:11:32 PM
What!! Another bailout. At least these Americans get a direct choice of where their hard earned money is going. Or maybe they can have a fundraiser to help the auto workers.
Posted by: Bailout Barbie | Dec 5, 2008 12:07:45 PM
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