by Jim Tankersley
Money is the root of all (political) evil. Please send more of it.
That's the gist of Hillary Clinton's latest fundraising appeal to supporters. "With 14 days to go until the people of Pennsylvania vote, the Obama campaign has decided to go all-out," she warns in the e-mail sent this morning. "They're trying to end the race for the White House with an unyielding media blitz. Right now, we're being outspent 4-1 on Pennsylvania television.
"So now, here's what we have to ask ourselves: Have we come this far in our history-making contest for the Democratic nomination only to see the race decided not by the quality of our ideas but by the size of our opponent's media budget?"
In one sense, she's absolutely right: Obama is outspending her campaign in Pennsylvania, on the strength of a record-breaking, more-than-$200 million fundraising haul that includes $40 million in March alone. Clinton, on the other hand, has raised nearly $200 million herself this campaign, though it appears she trails Obama in available cash. A little more than a year ago, pundits tagged her the runaway favorite in the Democratic race, in part because of her fundraising prowess.
We've heard the money-shouldn't-buy-the-nomination argument before, from Democratic candidates such as Bill Richardson, Joe Biden and John Edwards. They're all out of the race now. Clinton is determined not to follow. Answering her own question about whether the campaign will allow ad spending to dwarf ideas, she writes:
"Not a chance -- not if you and I have anything to say about it. And, believe me, we do. Any contribution you make, even as little as $5, can make a difference. If you've never given online, now is the time. Don't let a sea of Obama ads overwhelm our powerful message in Pennsylvania. Contribute now."




Comments
Give me a break. Is Hillary just getting into politics? I for one am very tired of the Clinton's Campaign whining about everything. They are getting what they deserve as hers was one of the worst run campaigns I have seen; time to move the goal posts again for Clinton.
Posted by: Tim | April 8, 2008 11:22 AM
Testing,
Posted by: Catherine | April 8, 2008 11:26 AM
If her campaign was one worth investing in, she wouldn't need to be begging with her hand out. The money would come in naturally.
Posted by: Jeff V. | April 8, 2008 11:51 AM
According to the Obamabots here, money is the only yardstick. Obama has tons of it (from lobbyists, oil company execs, big agriculture etc) so that proves he's the best candidate in their little mind.
America disagrees. for months now Obama hasn';t been able to break out in the polling against McCain who has much, much less money. McCain and the supposed candidate for change are dead even.
Posted by: MJ | April 8, 2008 12:04 PM
wOW!! Mr. Penn still getting paid by the blue-collar donations given to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. What a spit on the face that must be...paying the guy who was trying to outsource your job. It seems Mr. Wolfson is on the same boat.
WAIT!! Look over there, in Beijing!!
Posted by: Guss | April 8, 2008 12:08 PM
Clinton is a sore loser. Hillary, please stop making the rules up as you go. Obama will need your help to win the general, so please, exit the race and rally around the Democratic nominee now.
Posted by: John | April 8, 2008 12:10 PM
How could she!
It has been less than a month ago when her fat cat friends tried to strong arm Nancy & Howard using $ as a weapon.
Marky Mark Penn her manager did not plan correctly only collecting 10 mil for himself and doing her back room dealings with NAFTA and Colombia. Both campaigns raised the same amounts of cash but her team blew it on expensive everything, hotels, donuts flowers, ect. What happen? A direct reflection of her being ready on day one to lead us into deeper debt. Hillary, You're FIRED
Posted by: Daly | April 8, 2008 12:12 PM
Given that the money Obama is spending is 100% lobbyist-free and from we-the-people, and Hillary's is mostly tied to Lobbyists and special interests, I dispute the assertion that 'money' is the root of all evil. I would say rather that money-with-strings-attached is the sourc eof the evil. Money from the people is the only cure for the corruption of government by monied special interests.
Make no mistake, Hillary is a thousand times better than McCain. But Obama will be an order of magnitude better than Hillary as President. The democratic base are voting not just with their ballots, but with their wallets too. She's losing that contest as well as the delegate count and state count. I hope the voters of PA step up and give her another nudge towards stepping aside so that we can finally start returning fire at McCain.
Posted by: CD | April 8, 2008 12:15 PM
How could she!
It has been less than a month ago when her fat cat friends tried to strong arm Nancy & Howard using $ as a weapon.
Marky Mark Penn her manager did not plan correctly only collecting 10 mil for himself and doing her back room dealings with NAFTA and Colombia. Both campaigns raised the same amounts of cash but her team blew it on expensive everything, hotels, donuts flowers, ect. What happen? A direct reflection of her being ready on day one to lead us into deeper debt. Hillary, You're FIRED
Posted by: Daly | April 8, 2008 12:16 PM
Hillary has PLENTY of money to buy advertising. Clinton can do just like Mitt Romney did and spend some of her own 109 million $.
Posted by: Martha Davidson | April 8, 2008 12:17 PM
Hillary is a expert victim. She always plays the victim and it seems to work. She complained the media is being hard on her and they directed their venom at Obama, she cried before NH and women came to her rescue, now she is saying that Obama has more money. Will blue collar workers open their wallets to the Clintons who made 109M since they left the White House?
Posted by: Wayne | April 8, 2008 12:19 PM
WHINE, WHINE, WHINE. THATS ALL WE HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM HILARY LATELY. NOW SHE'S PISSED BECAUSE OBAMA IS RAISING MORE MONEY THEN HER. HILARY YOU JERK, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE MORE VOTERS AGREE WITH OBAMA AND NOT YOU...DUH, YOU THINK. STOP YOUR CRYING AND AT LEAST TRY TO ACT LIKE AN ADULT. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU LOSE IN PA SO YOU GO FADE AWAY AGAIN. WHAT IS YOUR POWERFULL MESSAGE IN PA...THAT YOU WILL EXPORT MORE JOBS AND THE HELL WITH US JOBS AND THE UNIONS. THAT MUST BE IT NOW THAT YOU AND FICKLE BILL EARN $109,000,000 A YEAR...YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE OF PA ARE GOING THRU. GIVE ME A BREAK.
Posted by: BOO-HOO | April 8, 2008 12:19 PM
How could she!
It has been less than a month ago when her fat cat friends tried to strong arm Nancy & Howard using $ as a weapon.
Marky Mark Penn her manager did not plan correctly only collecting 10 mil for himself and doing her back room dealings with NAFTA and Colombia. Both campaigns raised the same amounts of cash but her team blew it on expensive everything, hotels, donuts flowers, ect. What happen? A direct reflection of her being ready on day one to lead us into deeper debt. Hillary, You're FIRED
Posted by: Daly | April 8, 2008 12:21 PM
Money can't buy you Love. Money is the least of Hillary's woes. She may be trying to raise money for her Exit, so that she can pay herself back $5M. The campaign owes money to many and is in the Red. Political Currency (Credibility) is lacking in the Clinton camp not $dollars. Her latest charade in suggesting Bush not attend the Olympics is a joke. Where was she in protesting the Tibet / China issue when she was in the White House for 8 years? Tibet has been an issue since 1949. Where was she when the Olympic Committee awarded China the host honors?
Posted by: Fareed | April 8, 2008 12:27 PM
Just one more example of the lies and misdirection of Camp Clinton.
She "fires" Mark Penn, gets great headlines for this, only to discover that she simply moved him behind the curtain ("pay no attention to the man behind the curtain..."), and yesterday Mark Penn is prominently involved on the Clinton Press Call???
Hillary had a VAST advantage in early fundraising and an "insurmountable" lead six months ago. She blew all her money on things like $12,000 donuts and $11 MILLION to Mark Penn.
Now she wants low-dollar working folk to pay for Penn???
This Fairy Tale is even worse than her Bosnia Sniper-Gate lies.
Posted by: Earl | April 8, 2008 12:39 PM
Given that the money Obama is spending is 100% lobbyist-free and from we-the-people...
Posted by: CD | April 8, 2008 12:15 PM
You, the people? Not hardly.
Obama claims to not accept money from federally registered lobbyists... but he accepts money from these same lobbyists' business associates and spouses... and he accepts money from lobbyists who happen to not be registered. He accepts bundled checks. He uses lobbyists and other government relations professionals as advisers.
Obama specifically claims not to accept money from "The Oil Industry"... yet he has accepted several hundred thousand from individual Oil Company executives.
Ever read a newspaper, CD?
Posted by: MJ | April 8, 2008 12:42 PM
Wow, she really has Obama to thank for keeping her campaign on life support because without copying his campaign strategies all the wind would be sucked out of her campaign by now. Obama '08!!!
Posted by: RuthieM | April 8, 2008 12:59 PM
"Given that the money Obama is spending is 100% lobbyist-free and from we-the-people" -CD
Yep, thats what Obama says, and when he does he is LYING to you!
http://www.factcheck.org/just-the-facts/more_spam_an_obama_mislead.html
Posted by: Chris | April 8, 2008 1:14 PM
Matter of fact I do read the papers...and I've checked out the website of Obama's campaign too. To donate you have to check boxes declaring you're not a lobbyist or working for one. Look for yourself. If a lobbyist sends money after declaring they're not a lobbyist then that's THEIR lie, not Obama's. Over 40% of Obamas money comes from small donations (
Posted by: CD | April 8, 2008 2:03 PM
The Clintons made 110 million dollars since 2001 and Hillary is complaining about money? AND asking for $5.00 donations from blue collar women? AND she pays over $40,000 each year to get her houses cleaned. AND she loaned her campaign 5 million as a "good investment," in her own words? Her donations are almost the same as Obama's, but hers are chiefly from lobbyists and corporations. AND she has mis-spent the money so badly that unlike Obama she has little but failure to show for it. This is the CEO and manager we want in the WH? If you will buy a used car from Hillary, be prepared to walk.
Posted by: shirl | April 8, 2008 3:19 PM
None other than the Supreme Court has ruled that money is speeech. That why corporations use so much of it buying the influence of any politician they can get to. And that's why Hillary's big money donors tried to use theirs to strong Nancy Pelosi. And that's why Obama's grass roots support is so amazing.
Posted by: Miss T | April 8, 2008 3:23 PM
How can voters believe anything Clinton says any more?
Do we trust Clinton when she says she is against NAFTA or do we believe video tape that shows her active role during its inception?
Do we trust Clinton when she says she she was under sniper fire during her trip to Bosnia or do we believe the video tape that proves she was not?
Do we trust Clinton when she says she supports equal rights for all Americans or do we believe she supports remarks made by attack dogs like the former President or Geraldine Ferraro?
Do we trust Clinton when she talks about a pregnant woman who lost her child and died herself or do we believe the doctors that treated the woman who tell quite a different story.
Do we trust Clinton who agreed with the Democratic party's decision regarding Minnesota and Florida's consequences for moving their primary dates or do we believe she has now flip flopped because she needs the votes?
Clinton, in her desperate attempts to be the consumate candidate has mis spoken and outright lied many times during this campaign run and no longer has any credibility when she speaks.
It is time for Clinton to end her seriously flawed campaign based on her failure to be honest with America on so many issues.
Voters and super delegates must realize that Clinton has lost all credibility, and this latest Colombia gate fiasco illustrates her lack of honesty and integrity.
Posted by: RicRoe | April 9, 2008 3:54 PM