Would you help pay off Hillary's debt?

Uh, no. I wouldn't.

Why bother? Her and Bill have a net worth of about 140 million dollars, not even counting future earnings. She doesn't need the money. It was her decision to prolong this campaign beyond any real hope of viability. To repay her for doing so is morally wrong.

Cycloptichorn

That's what I meant with the parenthetical at the end though... I'll have to go find some more about that.

She can't repay her campaign debts with her own money. I'm not sure what will happen if she just is in hock. (Will research and be back...)

Isn't it the opposite - that she can't raise money to pay herself back, if she drops out?

My guess is that the debts wouldn't just vanish, and the vendors would have to get paid somehow.

Cycloptichorn

Read the whole L.A. Times article (I'd just read the excerpt I quoted on First Read).

Not sure what you mean about "opposite" -- I said in my original post that she can't pay herself back if she drops out, even if she has the money. Evidently she can, but only up to $250,000 (not much of a dent in her debt):

More:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-14-campaign-debt_N.htm

I'd be happy to contribute $36 or whatever to help bring this whole thing to a close.

No, I mean the other way around - her campaign is more then 20 million dollars in debt, not COUNTING the money that she's loaned herself, iirc; if I'm wrong about that, it's still 9 million or so owed to vendors. That money has to be paid, and she can't raise more money to pay it if she drops out.

I could give a damn if she EVER gets HER money back. I honestly don't think she should. Ask Mitt Romney how it feels to drop money on your own political campaign; nobody was talking about the necessity of paying him back the money he gave his campaign.

Cycloptichorn

Candidates can continue trying to raise money after they end their campaign but the money has to go toward paying off existing debts or into an account for a future campaign. Dodd, Richardson and Giuliani all still have active WWW sites attempting to raise money to pay off their campaign debts.

The quirk with all of this is that the people who are owed money by the campaign HAVE to chase after that money. Let's say that Hillary's campaign owes the Hilton hotel chain $500K for over-night stays. Hilton can't just write off the debt. That would be considered an illegal campaign contribution. They'd have to sue her campaign for the money and try to collect. They can only write it off after it remains unpaid. But any money she raised for future campaigns could be hit to cover those debts. If she decided to run again in 2012 or 2016 she'd have to pay back all of the old debtors before spending money on her new campaign.

The only debt that can be written off without any issues is the money she lent the campaign herself.

Here's a good Slate article that covers what she can and can't do...

http://www.slate.com/id/2190880/

While I wouldn't mind paying to end this thing, I have a problem with donating money to a multi-millionaire. Certainly she made several decisions that put her in this predicament, I don't feel too charitable about bailing her out of them when she has the means to do it herself.

I could be convinced otherwise, though. Say, if Obama decided to take some of the money that was donated to him to do it, I don't think I'd get all incensed about it.

I voted "other" because my saying "no" is irrelevant to whether I'm a Hillary Clinton supporter or a Barack Obama supporter.

I'd feel the same way if it were Obama or Edwards that was asking for help in repaying themselves and their debts after mismanaging the strategy and finances of their campaigns.

If Hillary needs some cash, she can write another book or get Bill to let her tag along on a couple of his million dollar speaking engagements overseas as a co-speaker.

I answered OTHER because there wasn't a Heeeellll-naw! button.

Heh...!

OK, I'm starting to change my mind, myself.

My main thinking is -- wrap up this chapter, move on, start the process of unifying the party. Show some nice Obama-ish positivity and inclusion.

But yeah, I'm sympathetic to the "multi-millionaire is in debt, boo-hoo" part even though she can only pay back $250,000 of it.

Basically I'd love it if the vendors (hotels, whatnot) would get paid, and Mark Penn et all never get a cent. But I agree about the whole make your bed/ lie in it part too... she continued the campaign past when she was in financial difficulty and knew possible consequences.

So I'm conflicted. :-)

Heh, a little funny from today's Boston Globe:

An exit strategy for Hillary
By Todd Domke
May 15, 2008

QUITTING isn't easy. Especially if you're a Clinton.

Imagine a strategy session at Hillary '08 campaign headquarters. . .

Hillary Clinton: "We'd better write a concession speech. We won West Virginia, but Edwards endorsed Obama, and we keep losing superdelegates."

James Carville, adviser: "Dang fools - ain't nothin' super about 'em. Well, let's prime the pump for 2012. Hillary, you've gotta give a 'Thanks for the memories' speech that'll make Democrats say: Uh-oh, we picked the wrong one again!"

Mark Penn, fired pollster (joining by speakerphone): "I've got an idea. And it has nothing to do with the campaign owing me $4.5 million. Instead of renting an expensive hall for the concession speech, let's just e-mail it to the media."

Bill Clinton: "No, we gotta do something that says, 'The Clintons Were Here.' Like when I left office - I took furniture and rugs outta the White House and piled them on a truck like 'The Beverly Hillbillies.' You gotta send a message. Say something like: 'I concede the nomination battle, but I will never surrender.' "

Chelsea Clinton: "Uh, shouldn't you sound more - gracious?"

Carville: "Good point. Score one for the amateur. Yep, act gracious, Mrs. C - so voters feel guilty about rejecting you. But don't overdo it. As we say in Louisiana, gracious is just another word for loser."

Bill: "Brilliant - triangulate the gracious thing with a guilt thing."

Chelsea: "But that's not - "

Carville: "And add a twist of get-even. But be subtle, like this: 'Some Clinton folks abandoned me. But I don't think of Bill Richardson as a Judas. He was just being opportunistic. And Robert Reich, another ingrate, blahblahblah.' "

Bill: "And praise the loyalists. Like me. I went to all those rinky-dink towns, talkin' until I couldn't think straight. You wouldn't believe how many kind ladies invited me to come and sit a spell at their homes."

Long, awkward silence.

Hillary: "Anyway. . . I'll be gracious and humble. Nobody can outgracious me. But let's also set impossible expectations for Obama so later we can say, 'Toldya so.' "

Bill: "Right, lay the groundwork for some quicksand."

Carville: "Just say, 'I'm confident Barack will unite the country and denounce those who are anti-American, like his wife, his crazy pastor, and his Weatherman bomber friend.' "

Chelsea: "Um, wouldn't that sound a little harsh?"

Carville: "I admire your naiveté, dear. But let me give you a little history lesson: The last 20 Democrats who graciously dropped out never got elected."

Pollster Penn: "But, Hillary, don't say anything to cause a backlash and make it harder to raise money."

Carville: "Backlash is beautiful. Sound-bites gotta have bite. But the speech shouldn't be 'just words.' We need visuals - like, throwing in a towel. TV would eat that up. Political Props Hall of Fame, baby!"

Hillary: "But throwing in a towel would look so final. What if Obama implodes?"

Carville: "Hmm. Well, since entering a race means 'throwing your hat in the ring,' why not pull a hat out of a ring? If things change, you can throw it back in."

Bill: "And when you're campaigning for Obama, wave the hat at the crowd. We'll get ringers to shout, 'Throw it back in, Hillary!' "

Hillary: "Wonderful. I'll smile, and point at them with my finger-jabbing gesture."

Chelsea: "Mom, it doesn't sound like you're ready to quit."

Hillary: "Why should I? I'm the electable one. Hard-working white people love me."

Carville: "Even lazy white people. My moonshine-swiggin' cousins adore you! Although one confuses you with Martha Stewart."

Bill: "Hillary, maybe you should stay in the race. What have you got to lose?"

Chelsea: "Dignity?"

Carville: "Dignity and four bucks will get you weird coffee at Starbucks. We're Dunkin' Donuts people. We ain't quitters."

Hillary: "People respect the not-quitting thing. It's very popular."

Bill: "So we agree on our exit strategy: Pull a hat out of a ring, and keep the hat."

Pollster Penn: "And don't buy an expensive hat. It's just symbolic."

Hillary: "Let's pass the hat at rallies - donations for the 'Don't Quit' campaign."

Chelsea: "Well, good luck, everyone. I'm leaving the campaign to go work in the real world."

Carville: "We will miss you, dear - even though you know nothin' about politics."

Chelsea: "Thanks, I concede that."

Obama's considering it:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=aPKtsGLZmHZM

I ain't happy about that.

Me either...

I don't mind if he helps pay off vendors, but I hope to christ he doesn't help pay of Hillary herself, who needs the money not one whit.

Cycloptichorn

What if that's his gesture instead of offering her the VP?

Obviously some sort of meaningful unifying gesture needs to be made, and I infinitely prefer this to making her VP (or even putting her in charge of Health and Human Services -- isn't the point that while elements of her health care plan are very good, her approach was terrible back then and is unlikely to be much better now? Pugnacity is still the name of the game for her. And the elements of her plan that are good can still be used. Name the bill after her, that's fine.)

I've been reading a lot of comments from her online support crowd, and these people seem determined to not vote for Obama no matter what he does for her, even put her up as VP. And a lot of them truly are bitter fools, who can't see that McCain would be a disaster as president. The thought of Obama spending my donation to placate these a$$holes really turns my stomach.

I suppose if it has to be done, then fine, but I hate it, I really do.

Cycloptichorn

Why not just have Bill ebezzle it out of his charity?