Don't blame Clinton supporters. Okay, they've contributed a little to help retire her debt but they're dealing with rampant inflation and financial insecurity like everyone else. Obama has contributed his $2,300. Now Hillary Clinton is having to pay down her campaign debt with her own money. This must be dealing a one-two punch to former president Clinton, that money machine: his wife won't be president (think what that would have done for the family fortunes!), and he's also stuck with bill for an unsuccessful run.
Even though the fight for the Democratic nomination came to a close in early June, with Senator Barack Obama emerging as the presumed nominee, Mrs. Clinton’s debts to vendors increased to $12 million at the end of the month from $10.4 million at the end of May. In addition, after her latest loan on June 30, Mrs. Clinton has now lent her campaign a total of $13.2 million.
Mo Elleithee, a Clinton spokesman, said the additional loan was made to “pay immediately outstanding debts.”
Mrs. Clinton’s unpaid bills and the degree to which Mr. Obama is working to help her tackle them has been a sensitive spot in the efforts to bring their supporters and the party together. Mr. Obama himself presented a check of $2,300 to Mrs. Clinton at the end of June as a symbolic gesture, and her campaign has continued to send out e-mail asking for help tackling its debt. But the Clinton campaign took in just $2.7 million from donors in June, less than the $5.4 million it spent.
Meanwhile, Obama's campaign took in $25m in a single day. That's almost embarrassing; that's edging close to obscene.
