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 Americas & Beyond | June 2008 
Obama to Donors: Help Clinton
 Associated Press
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Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday asked his finance team to help Hillary Rodham Clinton pay off a debt of at least $10 million from her failed presidential campaign, setting the stage for joint appearances by the two former rivals later in the week.
In a teleconference with his top fundraisers Tuesday afternoon, Obama asked them to do what they could to help Clinton, according to two Democrats familiar with the call. A campaign spokesman confirmed that Obama had asked them to help the former first lady.
"Some of our donors have asked and Barack said if they have the ability to raise or give money to help on debt, we encourage them to do so," spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Obama's green light to his money bundlers came two days before he and Clinton were scheduled to meet in Washington with some of her top fundraisers in a show of unity after their bruising contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Friday, the two planned to campaign together in New Hampshire.
Obama clinched the nomination earlier this month; Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed him.
The former first lady reported a $22.5 million debt at the end of May, more than half of which was a personal loan to her presidential campaign. Clinton, in a call to her top fundraisers last week, said she would concentrate on paying off money owed to vendors, not her personal loans.
Obama's finance team has expanded since he secured the nomination earlier this month, providing a broad base of potential assistance to Clinton. At least 200 fundraisers attended the campaign's national finance meeting in Chicago last week. Scores were unable to attend, one participant said.
In urging his top fundraisers to help Clinton, Obama was counting on them to seek out their pool of donors to raise the money in large increments. Donors who have not contributed to Clinton's campaign could give up to $2,300 to help her pay off her debts.
It remained to be seen whether Obama would make a similar appeal to his Internet donors, a vast network of small-dollar contributors who helped Obama shatter fundraising records during the primary contests. As of the end of May, Obama had raised more than $287 million.
Clinton donors had been making a clear case to Obama that he needed to use his fundraising resources to help her get out of the red. Her national finance co-chair, Hassan Nemazee, told The Associated Press last week that Clinton would be freer to campaign for Obama and raise money for him if she did not have to concentrate on retiring her debt.
Moreover, Nemazee said, it would be easier for Clinton fundraisers who wanted to help Obama to be able to tell former Clinton donors, "Look what Senator Obama has done for Senator Clinton."
At least one Obama supporter said that message was heard, prompting Obama's entreaty to his finance team on Tuesday.
Hillary Returns to Her Day Job
Thomas Ferraro - Reuters
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Hillary Clinton's fellow Senate Democrats embraced her on Tuesday with a pair of standing ovations, tears and cheers as she returned to the U.S. Capitol from her historic yet unsuccessful presidential bid.
"We're happy to have her back," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters as he emerged with Clinton from a closed-door meeting with Democratic colleagues.
Clinton used the meeting and comments afterward to call for a united party to back Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who defeated her in the race for their party's presidential nomination.
"We're going to work very hard to elect Senator Obama," said Clinton, who came up short in her effort to become the first woman U.S. president.
Clinton urged backers to shift their support in the November election to Obama, not Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who has sought to woo them.
"If you care about the issues I care about ... you really have to stay with us in the Democratic Party and vote for Senator Obama," she said.
The Democratic senator from New York brushed off questions about the possibility of being Obama's vice presidential running mate.
"I'm not seeking any other position," Clinton told reporters. "This is totally Senator Obama's decision."
Clinton, who conceded defeat and endorsed Obama on June 7, will campaign with him for the first time on Friday in Unity, New Hampshire, where each received 107 votes in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary in January.
"This is going to be a symbolic event that I hope will rally the Democratic Party behind our nominee," Clinton said.
Asked what's next for her, Clinton said, "My role is to be the very best senator I can be."
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democrats' failed 2004 presidential nominee, said Clinton must shift gears.
"The hardest thing to do is to sort of adjust your pace from speaking to the nation and sometimes even to the world about what you want to get done, and then to come back and settle into the pace of the Senate," Kerry told reporters.
Clinton was introduced at the Democratic luncheon by Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who was quoted by a colleague as saying Clinton "is revved up, riled up and raring to go."
"When Senator Clinton walked into the room, of course, everyone stood and cheered," Reid said. "There was a tear or two and lot of high fives."
Clinton also received an ovation after brief remarks.
"She said she was more committed than ever to working for the American people," said Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. |
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