Posted on 02/07/2003 1:08:00 PM PST by Liz
Sen. Hillary Clinton's leadership PAC, called HILLPAC, had collected $1.3 million by the end of last year and contributed only a fraction of it – $292,000, or 22 percent – to other Democrat candidates, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission and reviewed by NewsMax.com. Already, political experts have said that Clinton's formation of a PAC is a very unusual step for a freshman senator. Such a move is, in fact, widely viewed as the first step in a presidential run.
More evidence has emerged that HILLPAC is nothing more than a shell for Clinton's presidential committee. With so few contributions given by HILLPAC, her committee appears to have another purpose than the traditional one of a PAC, which is to pass contributions on to fellow candidates.
A review of PACs headed by officeholders such as Clinton shows a number have been have been more generous in doling out their PAC funds.
For example, Sen. Don Nickles' Republican Majority Fund PAC donated $376,000 in the last and current election cycles – with 55 percent of funds raised going to fellow candidates.
Some of Hillary's Democrat colleagues were far more generous than she. Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri donated $683,000 – more than he actually took in from individual donors to his PAC, "The Effective Government Committee."
More Like McCain's PAC
But Clinton's PAC looks more like maverick Republican Sen. John McCain's PAC. With more than $2 million raised, McCain has given only a paltry $33,000 to fellow candidates.
One reason for McCain's lack of generosity may be the same as Clinton's. McCain's PAC is viewed as a vehicle for a future presidential run. In such cases, candidates hide their political expenses necessary to build a national political network behind the facade of the PAC.
Still, Clinton's PAC officials emphasize the main purpose of HILLPAC is to help other Democrat candidates. "Next year we hope to give away even more," said Patti Solis Doyle, a HILLPAC official.
Marlo Thomas, SlimFast, FedEx
Contributors to HILLPAC include the elite of New York and Los Angeles, with notable contributions from actress Marlo Thomas, former White House aide John Podesta, SlimFast chairman Daniel Abraham and financial writer Andrew Tobias.
Clinton has also received $124,500 from corporate and union PAC corporations that gave her the maximum amount allowable, $5,000, including Long Island's Cablevision and Federal Express.
She appears focused on using the money she does give to fellow candidates to build her own power base in the Senate.
The few receivers of the Hillary largesse so far have included fellow Democrat senators in tough re-election races, such as Missouri's Jean Carnahan, Montana's Max Baucus and South Dakota's Tim Johnson. Clinton has also donated to several House members facing difficult elections, such as Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill.
According to the Buffalo News, HILLPAC also gave $10,000 to the embattled Sen. Bob Torricelli, D-N.J.
Howard Wolfson, the political director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and a former campaign adviser to Clinton, says Clinton has given to liberals and moderates alike. The committee routinely provides an updated list of needy candidates to PACs.
Taboo in Oklahoma
Recently, Rep. Brad Carson, D-Okla., who comes from a conservative district, caused a minor stir by returning $2,000 from HILLPAC.
"He didn't want to start any unwanted controversy that was not needed," said Carson spokesman Brad Luna. "In our district, she's loved in many circles and is controversial in others."
Clinton's leadership PAC should not be confused with her election PAC, which has attracted about $31 million since 1997 and is now down to about $150,000, according to the last report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The lion's share of that pot came from individual contributions, with only about $1 million coming in from other PACs. Around since 1944, political action committees can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. They are limited to receiving up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC or party committee per calendar year.
Some politicians, such as Clinton, also form so-called leadership PACs, which are not technically affiliated with the candidate, as a way of raising money to help fund other candidates' campaigns. Leadership PACs are traditionally viewed as mechanisms to higher office.
About 20 senators, including McCain of Arizona, Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., plurality leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., have leadership PACs, but it is unusual for a freshman such as Clinton to have one.
Despite consistent protests that she is not staging a run for president in 2004, a recent Zogby poll shows Clinton as the second choice among Democrats, behind Al Gore, to be the party's 2004 presidential nominee (as of May 2002).
The poll also shows Daschle running third with 8 percent support, followed by Gephardt and former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey, each with 7 percent support (as of May 2002).
Marlo Thomas is married to the viscerally liberal Phil Donahue......who's doing a major flopola on cable TV talk. These contributors remind me of the movie, "The Stepford Wives," who are programmed to be mindless, to not question or challenge anything or anybody. Hil's donors should be called the Stepford Democrats.
(Clinton) appears focused on using the money she does give to fellow candidates to build her own power base in the Senate. The few receivers of the Hillary largesse so far (as of May 2002) have included fellow Democrat senators in tough re-election races, such as Missouri's Jean Carnahan, Montana's Max Baucus and South Dakota's Tim Johnson. Clinton has also donated to several House members facing difficult elections, such as Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill. According to the Buffalo News, HILLPAC also gave $10,000 to the embattled Sen. Bob Torricelli, D-N.J.
Hil really knows how to pick 'em, eh? Losers, I mean. Hil and Bill also backed Walter Mondale, NY guv loser Carl McCall, and Mass guv loser Shannon O'Brien, and many more too numerous to mention.
This is indicative of Hil building her power base? What a laugh.
But Clinton's PAC looks more like maverick Republican Sen. John McCain's PAC. With more than $2 million raised, McCain has given only a paltry $33,000 to fellow candidates.
What a minute here, Newsmax. Your compairing McCain to Hitlery: She gave 22%, McCain gave less then 2%. Sounds like apples and oranges to me.
22% hardly seems worthy of the attack that Newsmax is making. Have any other Newmax readers noticed that their articles and "news" have deteriorated of late?
I would love to see the following ad, using footage from her testimony in front of Congress and with different questions being inserted electronially:
Q: Ms. Clinton, as co-president can you tell us what achievements you and Bill accomplished between 1992 and 2000?
Ms. C: I really have no information on that.
Q: Well, can you just give us one?
Ms. C: Really, I don't seem to recall.
Q: Ok. Lets move on then. Can you tell us about your plan for education?
Ms. C: I am sorry but I don't have that information.
Q: Excuse me? (Mouth agape)
Ms C: I really don't know.
Q: Ms. Clinton, surely education is important to many voters, please can you tell us something that you think you can do, as President to improve the quality of Education in the USA?
Ms. C: You really will have to ask someone else that question.
(Committee heads shaking as they look at each other incredulously)
Q: Ok. Lets take national defense, in what ways did your co-presidency improve the security of the country, improve the defense capabilties and strengthen the military?
Ms. C: I just don't know.
Comment: Now that is the first true statement you have made
Voiceover: She was a co-President for eight years, can we really endure another four?
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