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Obama Won’t Rule Out Easing Clinton Campaign Debt
NYT ^ | May 9, 2008 | Jeff Zeleny

Posted on 05/09/2008 7:43:04 PM PDT by Hadean

Updated WOODBURN, Ore. – Senator Barack Obama said today that he would not rule out the possibility of helping Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton retire her campaign debt to bring her into the fold and unify Democrats. But he said no discussions have taken place yet.

“Obviously, I’d want to have a broad-ranging discussion with Senator Clinton about how I could make her feel good about the process and have her on the team moving forward,” Mr. Obama said. “But as I said, it’s premature right now. she’s still actively running and we’ve still got business to do right here in Oregon and in other states.”

Mr. Obama stressed that it was premature to talk about lending aid to his rival, declaring: “That’s not a conversation that we’ve had because our working assumption right now is that we’re still in the middle of a race.”

To keep her campaign afloat, Mrs. Clinton has lent herself money several times in recent weeks, amounting to about $6 million within a month or so. The debt that her campaign has accumulated has become a focal point of questions surrounding the future of her candidacy. Speculation has spread – by supporters of both candidates – about whether Mr. Obama throwing a financial lifeline would help bridge the divide between the partisans and offer Mrs. Clinton an exit strategy.

Mr. Obama suggested today that there would be some precedent for helping erase her debt.

“I think historically after a campaign is done and you want to unify the party – particularly when you’ve had a strong opponent,” Mr. Obama said, “you want to make sure that you’re putting that opponent in a strong position so that they can work to win an election in November.”

(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; clinton; fundraising; obama; primary

1 posted on 05/09/2008 7:43:04 PM PDT by Hadean
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To: Hadean

Now THAT’S interesting... I must admit I never considered this possiblity.


2 posted on 05/09/2008 7:45:11 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (La Raza hates white folks. And John McCain loves La Raza!)
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To: Hadean

Well, you know what they say: Money talks.


3 posted on 05/09/2008 7:49:47 PM PDT by Rocky
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To: Hadean

Obama would be crazy(maybe he is) to put her on his ticket. He’s going to lose anyway.

With her he would lose worse...

Is FR being slow for everyone else tonight? This evening has been horrible, at least from my puter.


4 posted on 05/09/2008 7:51:07 PM PDT by KoRn (CTHULHU '08 - I won't settle for a lesser evil any longer!)
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To: KoRn
Is FR being slow for everyone else tonight?

slow for me tonight as well. Also, do you see a ’t in the title of this thread? Sometimes when foreign characters are inserted like that it's me.

5 posted on 05/09/2008 7:55:18 PM PDT by Aaron0617
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To: Aaron0617

i.e. it took about 15 seconds for my above post to upload.


6 posted on 05/09/2008 7:56:59 PM PDT by Aaron0617
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To: Hadean

Obama playing the gracious victor. First he’s indirectly offered her a VP spot now he’s even going to pay her bills..hah


7 posted on 05/09/2008 7:59:18 PM PDT by underground (Viva la Socialisme Wall Street)
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To: Aaron0617
do you see a ’t in the title of this thread? Sometimes when foreign characters are inserted like that it's me.

It's not on your end. FR must be working on the site.

8 posted on 05/09/2008 8:00:17 PM PDT by Hadean
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To: Hadean

Under other circumstances, this might be considered a bribe...


9 posted on 05/09/2008 8:06:26 PM PDT by Redbob (WWJBD - "What Would Jack Bauer Do?")
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To: Hadean
How is "retiring" her debt in exchange for her support not a bribe?

I'm sorry, since when did we start "retiring" debts instead of paying them?

10 posted on 05/09/2008 8:15:45 PM PDT by bill1952 (I will vote for McCain if he resigns his Senate seat before this election.)
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To: Nervous Tick

Yup....doesn’t surprize me.....now he’s buying the other half of the Democrats.


11 posted on 05/09/2008 8:21:09 PM PDT by RC2
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To: Redbob
You nailed it. It IS a bribe.

Funny how liberal politicians rail against corrupt behavior among corporation moguls, but indulge in the same practices themselves.....in this case, thinly-disguised bribery.

Leni

12 posted on 05/09/2008 8:24:24 PM PDT by MinuteGal (I Love My Country More than I Dislike McCain !)
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To: Hadean

I would be very angry if my candidate gave my money to the candidate I didn’t support and wouldn’t even give a wooden nickel to.


13 posted on 05/09/2008 9:04:15 PM PDT by skr (I serve a risen Savior!)
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To: KoRn
With her he would lose worse...

Not sure about that. We could stand to lose in a landslide against a united, energized, and expanded Democrat party with an Obama-Clinton ticket.

14 posted on 05/09/2008 9:05:54 PM PDT by nwrep
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Helping a former opponent retire campaign debts is far from new.

May be a legal form of bribery in some cases, but it’s very common.


15 posted on 05/09/2008 9:26:54 PM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: KoRn

It was wicked slow last night;like a dial up connection!!!


16 posted on 05/10/2008 9:49:41 AM PDT by blaveda (blaveda)
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To: blaveda
"It was wicked slow last night;like a dial up connection!!!"

It seems better today. I think the hampsters were out for an evening of fun last night, and Mr. Robinson has them back in the server now, doing their important work.

17 posted on 05/10/2008 9:52:09 AM PDT by KoRn (CTHULHU '08 - I won't settle for a lesser evil any longer!)
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