Obama putting infrastructure behind the effort to raise money for HRC: has a prominent fundraiser,

[Pirate Smile]

Alan Solomont, running it.

Hillary says thanks

"Senator Clinton appreciates Senator Obama's generous efforts and is continuing her efforts to raise the monies he needs to ensure a victory in November," her campaign (which still has a bit of staff) says.

There's some grumbling from her donors that Obama hasn't pushed hard enough to retire her debt, and hasn't emailed his list asking for small contributions to her.

But there's a detail in the New York Post today that suggests he's putting a bit of infrastructure behind the effort to raise money for Clinton: He reportedly has a prominent fundraiser, Alan Solomont, running it.


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Hillary_says_thanks.html

PASSING PLATE FOR HILL
O PUSHES DONORS TO PAY DEBT


STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: Chuck Schumer climbs over Maryland Sen.Barbara Mikulski yesterday to welcome Hillary Rodham Clinton back to Congress after her long and bitter presidential campaign.
-snip-
In a conference call yesterday, Obama urged his major fund-raisers to help his former rival settle her $10 million in vendor debts, sources told The Post.

The Illinois senator jumped in on a scheduled weekly national finance call with his donors and fund-raisers, and spoke about Clinton having "acquired some debt to vendors" in her long, hard-fought campaign, a source said.

Obama noted that Clinton is now supporting him, and said "we need to help her" in the interest of party unity.

He said he would be relying on his major donors to help her out, and specifically named longtime Democratic fund-raiser Alan Solomont, the source said.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06252008/news/nationalnews/passing_plate_for_hill_117016.htm

edit to add the following in case anyone is confused about this process:

NO $$$ you send to Obama goes to Hillary. People have to send Hillary $$$ for Hillary to get anything.
Obama is asking his big $$$ people (who are already at the limit of what they can give him) to send some $$$ to Hillary to pay off her vendors (not her loans to her own campaign) for the sake of party unity.

ANY DONATIONS TO OBAMA GO TO OBAMA, NOT HILLARY! If you want to help Hillary pay off her vendor debts, you have to donate to HRC.

[NightWatcher]

1. I read: Obama takes effort out of raising money for general election to pay off Hillary

So I'm sure that she'll get her 12 million back. Did she use this against Obama? "pay me 12 million, or else I'll be a huge thorn in your side".

Party Unity vs. Payoff (blackmail?)

Sorry Obama, I donated to your movement during the primaries but I'm not sending another nickle till the "Hillary debt" is done and over with.

[Pirate Smile]

2. NO $$$ you send to Obama goes to Hillary. You have to send Hillary $$$ for Hillary to get anything.

He is just asking his big $$$ people (who are already at the limit of what they can give him) to send some $$$ to Hillary to pay off her vendors (not her loans to her own campaign) for the sake of party unity.

ANY DONATIONS TO OBAMA GO TO OBAMA, NOT HILLARY!

Please inform yourself and don't spread falsehoods.

I'm going to add this to the OP in case anyone else also doesn't understand how this works.

[NightWatcher]

5. he is taking away from the "fundraising effort" people who have given their limit could

donate in other ways. Obama shouldnt have to waste time and effort to pay off her debt from a poorly run campaign

[Pirate Smile]

6. Obama obviously thinks this will end up helping him and the party to do it, otherwise

he wouldn't. There are a lot of Clinton donors who he needs to have donate to him. Perhaps this will make them more willing.

[Diane R]

3. Money diverted to Hillary is less money for the GE. She ran up the debt, it's her problem. ARGH!!!

[Pirate Smile]

4. This may make the Clinton donors (and there are many) more likely to donate to Obama and, hopefully,

the DNC, DCCC, and DSCC, along with directly to state and federal candidates.

Obama's request is to the big money people, not the small donors with limited resources - I agree that the smaller donors should be focused on helping the candidates who are literally on the ballot in November. The people with lots of money to give could afford to help Hillary out with a couple thousand dollars and still contribute to all the other Dems needing to raise money.