Clinton's primary campaign begins April in debt
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/21/art.clintondebt.ap.jpg caption="Hillary Clinton began the month with $10 million in debt."](CNN) - Hillary Clinton began one of the most crucial stretches of her presidential campaign in debt, newly disclosed financial reports show.
According to campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend, the New York senator began the month of April with close to $32 million cash-on hand. But only $9 million of that total are funds that are able to be spent in the primary races. The report also showed Clinton owes more than $10 million, meaning the Democratic presidential candidate was in the red even before she heavily stepped up television advertising in Pennsylvania.
"The numbers are what they are," Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson said on a conference call with reporters. "The money continues to come in strongly. We had a very good month last month of fundraising…we are continuing to have a good month this month."
We will of course be honoring the debt in the coming weeks and months," he also said.
The newly released reports offer the clearest picture to date of just how much of an advantage Barack Obama holds over Clinton heading into the final stretch of the prolonged Democratic race for the White House.
According to the reports, he began the month with over $42 million to spend during the presidential primaries and only carried around $650,000 in debt. Obama has $52 million cash on hand overall.
As has already been disclosed by both campaigns, Obama more than doubled what Clinton raised in the month of March: $41 million to her $20 million. The Illinois senator's stunning haul brings his presidential fundraising total to date to $235 million - $60 million more than what Clinton has raised in the same time period.
John McCain lagged both Democrats in March fundraising - pulling in $15 million in that time period. He began the month with $11.6 million cash-on-hand and, a debt of just over $700,000. He's raised a total of about $75 million.
The report also shows he gave back nearly $3 million from donors for his general election campaign. This move could indicate he is setting the stage to receive public financing for his campaign - an option that will infuse the Arizona senator with $84 million.
(12:45 p.m.: Updates with Wolfson comments)
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How can Clinton financially run a country when she cannot financially control her own campaign??
Hope the residents of PA see what this reflects before they vote.
The picture that goes with the story is hilarious. Hillary is clapping, and the caption says she is $10M in debt. Priceless.
The Clinton stock is sinking fast.
Recommendation: Cash out or sell (if you can)
Solid buy: Obama stock
Hill, pay your bills! You have 100 million you can give, so girl, pay yo bills!
Hillary does not need money from us... She can use her own money... They are rich enough...
Hillary needs to drop out after PA. She's run a good campaign but she can't win, 🙁 and we need to focus on beating Pro-War candidate McCain or more of our sons will be killed in Iraq.
Someone who goes into debt during their campaign, certainly cannot keep America in the black. Just one more nail in the coffin. It's over...
If she cannot manage her campaign, then how can she manage a White House cabinet, staff, etc. This is a true test.
Failure from Day One.
Obama-$650,000 debt
McCain-$700,000 debt
Clinton-$10,000,000 debt!
How can there be this much disparity? Where's all her this experience? To whom does she owe all of this money? Can she really run this country effectively, if she can't even run an efficient campaign?
SHE CAN NOT MANAGE HER CAMPAIGN HOW COULD SHE LEAD THE COUNTRY. IS TIME TO STEP DOWN.
Wow. Do we really want a President who has no idea how to budget?
Wake up America, we need Obama in 2008!
If she can't handle her own campaign funding, how does she plan on saving the economy for the rest of us??
She will also begin May in debt, too. And June. And July. And August.
If she can't balance her own campaign budget... she's gonna pull America out of its largest debt ever how exactly?
WOW all that money...and people in America are struggling to buy food and put gas in their cars. .... What a shame
OMG – it's going to cost half a TRILLION dollars to elect the next president. That is so wrong, what have we done?
Perfect Candidate for POTUS in these tough economic times.
VOTE DEMOCRATIC, DOESN'T MATTER IF ITS HILLARY OR OBAMA, MCCAIN DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ECONOMY!!!!
is that how she is going to manage the country?
maybe THAT will force her to stop the bloodletting . . .
Give up Hillary! I think you're a fine person, but clearly, America would rather give Obama money for his campaign over you.
How in the world can she run this country? She can't even effectively run her campaign!
No problem, Bill has millions from the Middle East, just for this purpose...
And people think she'll be able to balance the budget when she can't even keep her campaign out of debt?
Obama 08!
I really believe that unless Pennsylvania decide who gets the nomination, neither candidate will win in the general election !