defendandprotect
Obama Campaign Open to Helping Clinton Pay Off $20 Million Debt
Source: Bloomberg
Obama Campaign Open to Helping Clinton Pay Off $20 Million Debt Jonathan D. Salant
Thu Jun 5, 12:01 AM ET
June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama's campaign is open to paying off some of the more than $20 million in debt accrued by defeated rival Hillary Clinton, a top adviser said.
``Certainly that is something that would be on the table,'' the adviser, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, told Bloomberg News reporters and editors yesterday. ``Obviously we want to help each other.''
Money for Clinton to retire her campaign debt -- $11.4 million of which is owed to herself -- may help smooth relations between the two camps following a 16-month primary campaign where the candidates at times exchanged personal attacks. The urgency for Clinton, 60, is she has until the Aug. 25-28 Democratic convention to pay off her $11.4 million personal loan. Otherwise, by law she can recoup no more than $250,000.
``Candidates who win primaries who reach out to the opposition have a much better chance of winning, and candidates who don't are called losers,'' said former Michigan Governor James Blanchard, who co-chaired Clinton's Michigan campaign. ``I would expect Barack Obama is in the process of reaching out.''
Daschle, an Obama campaign co-chairman, said the issue hasn't yet been discussed with Clinton's staff.
McCain's Law
The rule banning Clinton from paying herself back after the nominating convention is part of a 2002 campaign-finance law co- sponsored by Obama's Republican rival for the presidency, Senator John McCain of Arizona. The law had several provisions to make it more difficult for people to finance their own campaigns.
Clinton has until the convention ``to raise money to retire the loan or else she will have made an $11 million contribution to her campaign,'' former Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080605/pl_bloomberg...
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3340918well, this is just going to piss off the O supporters even more..
