How Did Hillary Clinton Rack Up $25.2 Million In Debt? What Did She Buy?
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
United States
July 20, 2008 8:29pm CST
I just read this article and I'm astonished at the amount of campaign debt Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign accumulated.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton reports raising $2.7 million from donors in June and ending the month with $25.2 million in debts after suspending her quest for the presidency.
The former first lady owes $12 million to vendors and lent herself $1 million in June for a total loan to her campaign of about $13.2 million.
I remember when I worked as a volunteer at Barack Obama's Philadelphia Headquarters. The food was donated by volunteers. One time we did spluge and had sandwitches from Subway. Even those sandwitches were cut into pieces so they could go around.
We had a couple phones for incoming calls, but all of our outgoing calls were made on cell phones belonging to volunteers. All of the laptops we used belonged to volunteers.
Our office wasn't fancy at all. Our office wasn't located in the prime Center City part of town. Our office was on the 3rd floor of a building we shared with 2 other businesses.
Everyone was responsible for the maintenance of the office. When the trash was full, it was a volunteer who took the trash out to the dumbster.
I don't know what the Clinton campaign was doing, but it sounds as if they spent beyond their means.
I really feel sorry for the vendors who are still owed money. I doubt if they'll ever see it.
My question is how did Hillary Clinton rack up $25.2 million in debt? What did she spend it on? Something doesn't make sense here.
Lloyd
5 people like this
7 responses
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
22 Jul 08
You may be right. It would be a nightmare for her if the vendors actually went public about not being paid for their services.
The only problem is that many vendors rely on income from the campaigns the same way many businesses rely on Christmas income.
No being paid on a timely manner could spell doom for some of the smaller vendors.
Let's hope she pays up quickly.
Lloyd
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
21 Jul 08
Well I guess just like McCains wife spent like half a million on a credit card in one month. What could you possible buy in one month that would cost that and on a CREDIT CARD. I don't know. I could not imagine spending 1 million in my lifetime, but I guess she couldn't donate some of that to lower our gas prices HUH?
1 person likes this
@lilaclady (28206)
• Australia
21 Jul 08
Unfortunately I think it is the same in most countries when any company does a tender for Government or such the cost is made larger automatically, it is a little bit like in some cases if you want to get a quote to have your car dents fixed they ask if it is going through insurance, if so the cost goes up...so I guess its easy money for some...a big rip off....
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
21 Jul 08
It sounds as if you are saying that the vendors took advantage of her by raising prices.
That just might be true. Here are some expenses I just found:
Mrs. Clinton, whose campaign reported sending a $6,585 check to Flutterbyes for flowers in Las Vegas, $5,397.50 to Le Petit Gourmet Catering in Glendale, Colo., and $80,000 to Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. Those were among the bills gleaned from a page-by-page review of Mrs. Clinton’s third-quarter campaign finance report, which showed disbursements of more than $8 million.
It appears that someone was spending campaign funds recklessly. I wonder if anyone was in charge of monitoring her campaign spending.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Confetti was my guess.
I'm not really sure how a person spends so much that they go so into debt...without a back up plan. You know?
How do you accumulate a debt of 25.2 million without realizing, "Oh gosh, I've spent too much I better start considering how I'm gonna pay that money back."?
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
25 Jul 08
It makes me wonder if she would be fiscally responsible with the taxpayer's money.
I think part of it has to do with the fact that she thought she had the nomination locked up.
But you should never count your chickens before they hatch.
Lloyd
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Indeed!
I don't think she would be very responsible with tax-payer dollars with this thing, really. I mean...I'm still hung up over the 'no back up plan' thing. If you're gonna be a leader, you need back up plans...thinking ahead and not assuming things and all that.
I guess overconfidence was her downfall.
@paisleylass (440)
• United States
22 Jul 08
That is a very good question. If she could run up that kind of debt running for office how would she do in office. I cant imagine that kind of money being spent on anything. She shuld have to show how every penny was spent and what her initial plan was to pay it back. That is just my opinion.
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
22 Jul 08
Your opinion is very important. It everyday people like you and I who end up paying for mismanagement of taxpayer money.
I don't know if a plan to pay it back is the right thing. I believe she should have never spent beyond her means.
I also believe it creates many questions on how she would handle the money of the American people.
Lloyd
@reckon21 (3477)
• Philippines
24 Jul 08
Shocking to hear about this news. Too much money
wasted on something useless. Is this how politics
work? That's too big amount. And she even lost it
before the race end. My only question is would
Hillary pay all those debts?
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
25 Jul 08
I agree with you that much money was wasted, especially after she knew she couldn't win the primary.
I hope she pays her debts. If she doesn't, a lot of small vendors may go out of business.
There is a thin line between profits and loses.
Lloyd
@cjgrooms (4456)
• United States
21 Jul 08
I can tell you this, the amount of money WASTED in a political campaign is obscene and they should be ashamed of such wasteful spending. That money could have been better used to help take some of the pressure the country is under instead of paying mud-slingers and such foolishness. I would surely be more likely to vote for someone that proves they have our country's best interests at heart than someone that is so busy trying to smear someone else that it ends up costing billions of dollars.
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
22 Jul 08
I agree with you. The amount of money spent on Presidential campaigns is a rediculous.
If you take a close look at this election cycle, Barack Obama has tried hard to stay clear of using smear tactics against his opponents.
He has be attacked over and over again from both Democrats and Republicans.
I think his approach is refreshing. I hope he will be able to stick to the issues.
Lloyd
