When Sen. Hillary Clinton was burning through $36 million in a Senate campaign she couldn’t lose, the reasoning was that the resulting landslide would build momentum and attract contributors for a 2008 presidential run.
Now, the New York Times reports, some Democrats are questioning whether that was such a shrewd move. Yes, Clinton won by more than 30 points — but she no longer has a financial advantage over potential rivals. Her cash on hand is now about the same as that of party luminaries such as Sens. John Kerry and Evan Bayh.
She’s also being criticized for how the money was spent: about $1 million each for her pollster and communications strategist. Then there’s the $13,000 for flowers and $27,000 for valet parking.
“The wasting of money — it drives everybody crazy,” one Clinton fundraiser said. “She’d better get a handle on this if she is going to run for president.”
Posted by Dave Knadler
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28 Comments
You know my greatest fear is that the Democrats thought they won big time. Will not have a clue as to why. And think it was because the voters LIKED the way Democrats spend and mess with things better left alone. OMG Rangel and bring back the draft?Clinton spending money like it is just paper?
I hate to point out to those in office and those wanting the White House. That it was the voter saying we did not like or aprove of how things were being ran. That got Democratic control.Not for you to fix thing that were NOT broken!
I’m not sure if the Democrats won or the Repubs lost. The Dems did not issue a “Contract with America” or any other plan to vote for (or against). Mostly it was “vote for me, I’m not them”. In some places, it was “vote for me, I’m a Democrat, but not liberal”.As far as the Clinton spending goes, it wasn’t our money she was spending, so who cares?
Writerdog is right. The election was about corruption and about Iraq, it wasn’t about Democrats having a better plan. It was the Republicans screwed up and did nothing, so they kicked them out.
Just like the check cashing scam in the early 90’s lost Democrats their 40 year control in the House in ‘94, Democrats may act all big now, but their two years could come real short and another swing can happen.
The funny truth is that wasting money and Democrats go hand in hand.
Kinda’ like Alaska’s”bridge to nowhere”????
No. More like re-distribution of other people’s money.The Alaska deal is a lesson the Repubs better learn.
Of COURSE this election wasn’t about the Democrats having a plan – They don’t have one! They still don’t have one.
The liberal posters on this board don’t have one.
The GOPs fumbled the ball in their own end zone, and all the Dems had to do was fall on it. In ‘08, they’ll have to have a plan (they won’t) or the tide will turn right back the other way.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLAN
21st Century MilitaryTo Ensure Unparalleled Military Strength and Honor our Troops, we will:
Rebuild a state-of-the-art military by making the needed investments in equipment and manpower so that we can project power to protect America wherever and whenever necessary.
Guarantee that our troops have the protective gear, equipment, and training they need and are never sent to war without accurate intelligence and a strategy for success.
Enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century that guarantees our troops — active, reserve, and retired — our veterans, and their families receive the pay, health care, mental health services, and other benefits they have earned and deserve.
Strengthen the National Guard, in partnership with the nation’s Governors, to ensure it is fully manned, equipped and available to meet missions at home and abroad.
War on TerrorTo Defeat Terrorists and Stop the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, we will:
Eliminate Osama Bin Laden, destroy terrorist networks like al Qaeda, finish the job in Afghanistan and end the threat posed by the Taliban.
Double the size of our Special Forces, increase our human intelligence capabilities, and ensure our intelligence is free from political pressure.
Eliminate terrorist breeding grounds by combating the economic, social, and political conditions that allow extremism to thrive; lead international efforts to uphold and defend human rights; and renew longstanding alliances that have advanced our national security objectives.
Secure by 2010 loose nuclear materials that terrorists could use to build nuclear weapons or “dirty bombs.”
Redouble efforts to stop nuclear weapons development in Iran and North Korea.
Homeland SecurityTo Protect America from Terrorism and Natural Disasters, we will:
Immediately implement the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission including securing national borders, ports, airports and mass transit systems.
Screen 100% of containers and cargo bound for the U.S. in ships or airplanes at the point of origin and safeguard America’s nuclear and chemical plants, and food and water supplies.
Prevent outsourcing of critical components of our national security infrastructure — such as ports, airports and mass transit — to foreign interests that put America at risk.
Provide firefighters, emergency medical workers, police officers, and other workers on the front lines with the training, staffing, equipment and cutting-edge technology they need.
Protect America from biological terrorism and pandemics, including the Avian flu, by investing in the public health infrastructure and training public health workers.
IraqTo Honor the Sacrifice of Our Troops, we will:
Ensure 2006 is a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with the Iraqis assuming primary responsibility for securing and governing their country and with the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces.
Insist that Iraqis make the political compromises necessary to unite their country and defeat the insurgency; promote regional diplomacy; and strongly encourage our allies and other nations to play a constructive role.
Hold the Bush Administration accountable for its manipulated pre-war intelligence, poor planning and contracting abuses that have placed our troops at greater risk and wasted billions of taxpayer dollars.
Energy IndependenceTo Free America from Dependence on Foreign Oil, we will:
Achieve energy independence for America by 2020 by eliminating reliance on oil from the Middle East and other unstable regions of the world.
Increase production of alternate fuels from America’s heartland including bio-fuels, geothermal, clean coal, fuel cells, solar and wind; promote hybrid and flex fuel vehicle technology and manufacturing; enhance energy efficiency and conservation incentives.
I just love it when people who did not vote as I did (With the winning Dems) tell everyone else why I voted the way I did.
Republicans were voted out because they were ruining America.
tracy-Where did this tripe come from?
Nice tracy, but joe and fleetwood aren’t listening. They refuse to open their eyes and see what is going on.
Joe, how can you make this statement “The funny truth is that wasting money and Democrats go hand in hand.” when 7 of the 8 TRILLION dollars of the national debt is due to republican spending? Go read this and then tell me a bout democrats and spending.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061121/ap_on_go_co/cluttered_congress
Dave S. I agree, that’s the first thing I thought when I read Joes illogical statement.
http://www.democrats.gov/rs.html
THE DEMOCRATIC PLAN
21st Century MilitaryTo Ensure Unparalleled Military Strength and Honor our Troops, we will:
Begin by appointing impeached judge-for-sale Alcee Hastings as head of the House Intelligence Committee.
Dave s: I think the Republicans in Congress abandoned their ideology with their spending programs. But to compare them with Democrats, well they are strictly minor league.
Deficit measures are not a measure of spending. The Dems will be trying to hike taxes so they can spend more. And they will try to tell us that letting current tax cuts expire are not tax increases.
No, if the Democrats raise taxes it will be to pay off the debt that the Republican administration has created for us. And I am willing to beleive the republicans did it so there would be no / less money for the social programs the Republicans have raped over the past 12 years — it was the Democrats who created the welfare reform of in the 90’s. It was the republicans that removed 12 Billion dollars from the College Student Loan Program that subsequently raised the interest rate for student loans —
It has been this republican administration and the likes of Tom Delay that have divided our country. Congress has been held by the Republicans for 12 years, when they had the chance to implement ethics reform they did it by being the most unethical Congress ever, when they had the chance to create immigration reform they sided with big business and did nothing, they had the opportunity to implement Health Care reform they let Drug companies and Insurance companies write legislation that only serves their own interests, when they called our troops to war on terror / Iraq they gave lip service to their support by providing inadequate equipment and no bid – no oversight contracts to their friends (Halliburton / KBR) in the defense industry, who have wasted billions of our tax dollars and increased the probability of a long protracted war that would only serve the interests of big business, and their own pocketbooks — costs that we will be paying for —
As Tracy stated the Democratic plan was stated and restated several times in the weeks leading up to the election and reemphasized after — what the Dems want to do is bring some integrity and ethics back to Congress, and have boldly promised not to be a party of revenge — they won’t try to impeach (the consequences are the possibility of “Dead Eye Cheney” becoming president and another impeachment) –
and I’m a compassionate conservative independent — not beholden to either party — but know when I have seen a crook — and it has been the republicans for the past 12 years — they have no concept of the “WE” in We the people — they are totally consumed by their own self interests —- just ask the Right Wing Christian Conservatives they’ve lied to for 12 years ……….
Dont waste the bandwidth trying to inform these kookaide drinkers about the democratic plan.
They refuse to believe there is one, no matter how many times it is posted.
They refuse to see that indeed, it was the republicans who ran up the deficit and spent THEIR money like it was just so much printed paper.
They will whine when the bill for the “wingnuts gone wild” spending bill and the deficit bills come due.
Then they will blame the adults for raising taxes to pay off the republican irresponsible spending spree.
And whine when THEIR favorite programs have to go on a fiscal diet.
Same song, second verse.
Hell, they still think reagan was a fiscal conservative….
Yes ksfg — pigs squeel loudest when they are squeezed —–
Well, Sen. Clinton used all that money for Sen. Clinton.
Surprise, surprise.
Unlike the Reich-wing, Democrats being sentient beings sometimes critize people within their own party.
I think it was selfish and typical of the Clinton mind-set–me, me, me.
Clinton, never forget, was why Al Gore didn’t win bigger and sweep Bush into the dustbin of also-rans.
(Gore did win, he just didn’t win by enough for the Reich-wing to steal it.)
Both Clintons can go suck eggs as far a this liberal is concerned–and take James Carville and Rahm Emmanuel with you.
Right you are, KSGRL, as usual.
Bush (TM) is spending 1.6 BILLION a week in Iraq.
I wonder what that figures out to per person per minute.
Probably more than you and I make in a year per minute.
The best thing that Bill “BJ” Clinton could have done is resigned when he was caught lying and before he was dragged through impeachment.
Then Al Gore would have been the incumbent in 2000, and everyone would have been outraged at the Reich-wing’s witch hunt of Clinton.
It would have been the best thing for our country.
But, no, Clinton put his own welfare first.
And we got the
WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER.
http://www.toddalbert.com/files/images/bushsmack.swf
It amazes me that so many posters are already saying that Dems do not have a plan. Tracy is quite right. We have many plans to better this country. The only reason these hoary old myths about Democrats and spending are only being thrown onto this site is being the Republicans don’t have anything else meaningful to say.
Democrats indeed have to assume the responsibility for good government, controlling costs, providing for REAL homeland security etc. But I think we need to wait and see what happens. Personally, I think the Democrats will produce. So lets give them a chance to prove themselves.
“Republicans don’t have anything else meaningful to say.”
This statement would only be true, IF the Republicans ever had anything meaningful to say.
Tracy:
The democratic “plan” is the usual vague platform nonsense. Both parties put it out. It’s meaningless; kinda like being for motherhood and apple pie.
Generalities are long; specifics are short.
The Democrats have a plan – anything Bush would do, we’ll do just the opposite.
Sounds like a workable plan to me.
Let’s see, no war, no deficit, no reductions in consitutionally protected rights, no horrific attacks on American soil, no infingement on women’s right, etc.
Sounds good to me.
WPE – GWB
WSClark–
You’re right. Bush (TM) came into office determined to do everything the opposite of Clinton.
Clinton focused on terrorism–they ignored it.
Clinton ignored Star Wars–they pushed it.
Clinton raised taxes, balanced the budget and paid down the national debt–Bush (TM) lowered taxes for the rich, spending went out of control, and the national debt is at a historic post-war high.
Clinton was careful not to get our troops caught in an overseas quagmire–Bush (TM) gave us Iraq.
So you’re right, WSC. If the Dems simply do the OPPOSITE of everything Bush does, we’ll be doing great.
Bush is not running in 2008. For what is out there to vote on, RUDY is the most positively proven with results/stats. Rolled up the sleeves to run NYC and Federally prosecuted the mob previous to that. Hillary would wish the problem away. Hillary starts off by saying she is a Yankees fan to become Senator. When RUDY came to Boston, he did not say he is a Red Sox fan to get extra votes. We need proof, not talk. Oh, and, hey Hillary, name some players… is there anything you won’t do for a vote?