Obama's Plight

[Infinite Hope]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071202/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_obama_3

This could be pretty damning for some of Obama's support.

[ccpup]

1. (crickets)

I know. Regardless of what the truth might be -- whether he acted in accordance with FEC regulations or not --, he IS the only candidate to have done this and the appearance of it might leave a stench (coupled with his "who cares if you don't live in Iowa, come and vote for me anyway!" ploy) that isn't easily washed off or forgotten.

[Armstead]

2. From the above article

Whether one thinks this practice is right or not, the old adage "People who live in glass houses...." seems to apply here...Oh, but that was in 2006 before Hillary was actually running for president. Classic parsing.



"Clinton also had her own so-called leadership PAC, called HillPAC, that paid for some of her current campaign staff before she officially launched her candidacy. In 2006, it also contributed about $60,000 to federal and state politicians in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The PAC is inactive now, however.

Clinton said the 2006 donations were appropriate because she wasn't running for president then. "I was a leader in the Senate and I had an obligation as a leading Democrat to raise money to help Democrats run and win," she said Sunday.

The Obama campaign also pointed out that Clinton delivered a check for $100,000 last week from her family's tax-exempt charitable foundation as a donation to a proposed public library in South Carolina. "

[Tellurian]

3. Hillary closed her PAC before she announced for the Presidency!..

She used her PAC for her Senate run...

You got bad information there bud!

[Armstead]

11. Parsing

There is no substantiative difference between what Obama did, and what Hillary did.

Yes, technically, perhaps a case could be made that Hillary was not officially running in 06, so she could bestow gifts on candidates from primary states that way...But that is one of "Meaning of IS" tactics that drives people nuts about the Clintons...The plain fact is that she was preparing to run before she announced, and helping candidates out was currying favor and support in the primaries.

Spin it any way you want -- But that's the plain gist of it.

[sniffa]

10. i love the "news" lately

[JackORoses]

17. you mean the Hillarite Propaganda?

[Colobo]

4. Damning? He's not doing anything illegal.

[BeyondGeography]

5. And good luck with this line of attack as well

==Obama has made a point of not accepting money from political action committees, but he created one of his own to help other Democrats.

``Barack Obama has worked hard to support Democrats all over the country and will continue to do so at the top of the ticket as the Democratic nominee,'' Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.

Among the local officials who received $1,000 from Obama's Hopefund PAC were New Hampshire state senators Harold Janeway, Jackie Cilley and Martha Fuller Clark. All have endorsed Obama.

The PAC also contributed $1,000 each to Sens. Iris Estabrook, Kathleen Sgambati and Lou D'Allesandro, all of whom later endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton. The PAC gave $6,000 to Gov. John Lynch's campaign war chest; Lynch has not endorsed in the presidential contest.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7081378,00.html

[Renew Deal]

6. This is the exact thing that Hillary has been doing the last 4-6 years

So she has no credibility on this.

[ellacott]

7. I agree, most politicians do this

There was a report that Joe Biden has done this also. There are also questions about Clinton offering to pay off Vilsack's $400,000 campaign debt after he endorsed her.

[Renew Deal]

8. Right

It's really nothing and any opposition research person could turn the tables on Hillary.

[Onlooker]

9. Obama, Hillary, and Edwards are all the same

They're mainstream corporate politicians. They're not terrible, they're not great. (For great, we need Kucinich.) But, let's not pretend that one really is more ethical than the other. You can make a case for or against any one of them quite easily. Given that they're the front runners, one of them is likely to be the Democratic nominee, and the only honest issue I think is, Which one has the best chance of winning?

[Tellurian]

12. I agree.. Obama is dead meat!

who needs another election theft.

I'm sick of it!

[Infinite Hope]

13. I'm not a fan of Hillary either...

I just think she has an issue here that clearly undermines his credibility. Being in the Minnesota/Iowa area and having campaign experience including campaign management, this kind of action is the functional equivalent of taking donations from lobbyists. Lobbyists money from his PAC is going to bolster his presidential campaign. Lobbyist money used on a campaign by being channeled through a PAC is no different than direct spending - just more difficult to track. Typically, or at least often, donations to candidates you're seeking endorsement from is done from the campaign. By making those donations from his PAC, he's effectively trying to create only an indirect lobbyist link. It's not a matter of theory, that's the actual strategy. It's a common, and arguably smart, strategy. It just happens to clash at least mildly with his public position on the issue.

[SoxFan]

14. Selective indignation?

Hillary's campaign chairman, Tom Vilsack
http://www.sos.nh.gov/2006%20Receipts%20&%20Expenditures%20Reports/september%2020%20pacs/heartland.pdf

Hillary supporter Evan Bayh
http://www.sos.nh.gov/2006%20Receipts%20&%20Expenditures%20Reports/november%201%20pacs/all110106.pdf

Chris Dodd
http://www.sos.nh.gov/2006%20Receipts%20&%20Expenditures%20Reports/november%201%20pacs/chris110106.pdf

Mark Warner
http://www.sos.nh.gov/2006%20Receipts%20&%20Expenditures%20Reports/november%201%20pacs/forward110106.pdf

Tom Daschle
http://www.sos.nh.gov/2006%20Receipts%20&%20Expenditures%20Reports/june%2021%20pacs/leadership62106.pdf

Joe Biden
http://www.sos.nh.gov/2006%20Receipts%20&%20Expenditures%20Reports/june%2021%20pacs/unite62106.pdf

[rinsd]

16. Not really. This just shows that Obama is more old mold politician than new.

There's nothing wrong with that.

[rinsd]

15. Only damning in that its typical of party bigwigs.

Every Democrat who is something and wants to be something larger, spreads money around.

Hillary both from her campaign and her own PAC has given millions to various Democrats.