The Nation: Clinton Campaign Offered Cash on Craigslist

[marmar]

CLINTON CAMPAIGN OFFERED CASH ON CRAIGSLIST...For but a fleeting moment this afternoon, Virginia CraigsList temporary job seekers had an opportunity more intriguing than babysitting or SAT tutoring.

The Huffington Post is reporting that the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign used CraigsList to offer volunteers a quick way to make money.

Fieldworks, a political consulting firm working on the Clinton campaign, was offering $2 for every person a volunteer persuaded to sign a petition saying Hillary Clinton should be on the Virginia primary ballot. Clinton needs 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot. So, theoretically, the entreprising CraigsList peruser could have made some quick cash finding several people willing to at least give voters the chance to choose Clinton.

Alas, that is no more, as the post is now disabled.

Fieldworks declined comment directing all questions to the Clinton campaign headquarters in Virginia. Virginia headquarters said they would offer a reply, but have yet to get back. An update will provided if either the Clinton camp replies or this reporter finds any other part-time employment worth passing along.


Posted by Matthew Blake at 12/07/2007 @ 4:53pm

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=257869

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ElizabethDC]

2. . . .

:spray:

You kill me, Ronny, you kill me.

[ronnykmarshall]

5. You gotta laugh around here.

This place is a septic tank, so why not drag it out to the gutter?

[wyldwolf]

3. well, also remember The Nation has been so honest about Clinton in the past... not

[MonkeyFunk]

4. LOL

don't you just hate liars?

Isn't it standard to pay signature-collectors?

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Not if it's for Hillary!

Oh and by the way .... do you still have my underware BIG boy?

[Prophet 451]

36. Is it usual to pay them this way?

Please note, this is not a set-up, it's an honest question. Is it normal to pay sig collecters per signature obtained or it is more usual to pay them by the hour?

[Stephanie]

38. In NY it's illegal

I'm trying to find the VA law, but you cannot pay for signatures in NY. You can pay workers by the hour to collect signatures, but you can't pay a bounty on the signatures. I think it's presumed this could lead to fraud, at least in NY State.

[Prophet 451]

39. I was wondering about that

Even presuming the campaign organisers are honest, such a set-up is wide open to abuse.

[cuke]

41. IOW, yes, it's the normal way of doing this

NY has some of the strictest campaign finance laws in the nation. Just because it's NY law, I would not assume it applies to the rest of the nation. Quite the contrary, in fact.

[Stephanie]

45. I made no such assumption. I just wonder what the statute is in VA.

When I have more time I'll look into it.

[BootinUp]

7. nominated

for DUzy. :rofl:

[ronnykmarshall]

8. Thanks!

I'll clear off the mantel!

[flyarm]

9. ewwwwwwwwwww....n/t

[terrya]

11. Damn the misrepresentations on Craig's List!

I HATE it when that happens.

No, not really...

[durrrty libby]

12. I love how you wrap it up in a few words

:loveya:

[Catherine Vincent]

15. ...

:rofl:

[Blue-Jay]

10. I rely on CraigsList for serious political commentary.

and used Ford F-150s.

and crack whores.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ronnykmarshall]

14. DEB!!!

You tramp!!

[Debi]

20. You got something against tornados? n/t

[durrrty libby]

29. So is that what they mean by "midwest values"?

[Debi]

30. You'll have to ask Blue-Jay -

says it's his post :shrug:

I just found it on the internets

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Debi]

35. Ahhhh, message received n/t

[durrrty libby]

44. Pay him no mind. Someone said his equipment was non-existent

[juajen]

40. Ya'll are soooo funny. This thread is a trip.

I'm really getting upset with the trashing of Hill, and this calmed me down. Thanks a million.

[Blue-Jay]

17. You found my picture!!!

I'm simultaneously flattered and horrified.

[ronnykmarshall]

Who's your decorator?

Stunning!

[Blue-Jay]

23. The checkout gal from Big Lots.

[Debi]

21. Had any takers yet? n/t

[Blue-Jay]

24. Is that an offer?

[Debi]

27. I don't have the 'equipment' necessary for the advertised undertaking

:blush:

[Blue-Jay]

31. I can probably find an adapter at Sears.

edit: or Radio shack. They have everything.

[Debi]

32. !!

:spray:

What do I ask the sales clerk for?

[Blue-Jay]

34. Give them my name and say "wish list".

That usually works at most national chains.

[sniffa]

16. paying signature collecters is standard fare

[ClarkUSA]

18. Not for the Obama campaign -- they were the first candidate to get onto the VA ballot 2 weeks ago.

With 40,000+ signatures (more than twice than that needed). All the word was done by volunteers and not one was paid.

Funny how Fieldworks and/or the Clinton campaign didn't say the ad was false... hmmm... not that there's anything wrong with having to pay people
to work for Hillary because she is short of passionately dedicated volunteers.

[sniffa]

19. um, ok

so when he does pay volunteers in other states, then what?

[ClarkUSA]

26. From what I'm hearing, the Obama campaign has no shortage of motivated volunteers...

So we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. Nonetheless

even if this story is true, it's a non-issue. It's standard to pay signature-gatherers, and there's nothing wrong or even unusual about it.

[Stephanie]

25. In NY it's legal to pay collectors, but it's illegal to pay "per signature"

I don't know what the law is in VA but this violates election law in NY. You can pay petitioners by the hour but you can't pay a bounty on signatures.

[sniffa]

28. i can't speak for VA. law

but many states allow per signature. that always leads to shady practices to trick people into signing.

we have that issue every time the bigots try to ban gay marriage in our state (ma).

[Stephanie]

37. I'm trying to find the VA ballot access regulations but no luck so far

I'd think that might be a reason they pulled the ad.

[cuke]

42. And that's a relatively recent law

It used to be allowed to pay by the signature not very long ago.

[cuke]

43. So what?

I've done that

[nealmhughes]

46. So, does this mean that Mrs. Clinton is a "real" Chicago Democrat?!!

humor.