[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/05/14/art.dean.gi.jpg caption="Howard Dean is the chairman of the Democratic National Committee."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Democratic Party has reached an unusual joint fundraising agreement with both its remaining presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The agreement, announced Wednesday, creates a new entity, the "Democratic White House Victory Fund" - a move which will allow both candidates to fundraise for the cash-strapped Democratic National Committee, and to help shoulder some of their primary and general election expenses. John McCain has already created his own Victory Fund with the Republican National Committee β but those funds are usually created after a nominee has been decided.
Obama and the DNC had come to an agreement several weeks ago.
βIn signing this agreement, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are demonstrating their commitment to unifying our party and ensuring that we have the resources needed to win the White House, no matter who the nominee is,β said DNC Chairman Howard Dean in a statement. The message is clear. Democrats are unified to put a Democrat back in the White House so we can get our economy back on track, bring our troops home and finally do something about our ailing health care system."
I don't care if Hillary endorses Obama or campaigns for him, if she's not the nominee I WILL vote for McCain, the lesser of the two evils.
This is wrong. Clinton should shoulder the responsibility of the financial ineptness of her campaign. The mismanagement of funds to the tune of $20,000,000 should not be borne out by the general election DNC funds. We have a race to win. AND, I made substantial donations to Obama that should NOT be used to fund a campaign of Hillary Clinton without my agreement.
I want to know if this helps her get out of debt (READ: pay herself back for the money she wasted, I mean loaned herself trying to steal an election)....
HIllary is preparing to step down. This 'deal' helps her recoup some of the millions she's sunk into her own campaign.
HIllary's quitting.
So does this mean Hillary gets paid back the the money she lent her campaign, even when she loses? I think that is a crazy deal for the Dems to make, as she rips the party apart by staying in far longer than she should have. Go ahead and self destruct the party and pay Hillary for doing it. She really is a schemer and the leadership dumb enough to agree to a deal like this deserves the mess they've allowed.
Looks like Hillary will be paid back some of the loans she made her campaign. Her and Bill are multi-millionaires and should be able to pay their own bills, it was her decision to loan the money to her campaign, she should not be reimbursed.
If the DNC is really interested in getting us back on track, then how a bout stopping ads that are based on 6 month old comments made by Mc Cain and taken out of context.
As a democrat, I'm ashamed of Howie and his cronies and the image they are presenting of our party! You would think they were using Karl Rove as an advisor.
Would this contest bind the two candidates to run together for the general election? Would this pay off Hillary's debt?
We need more details, CNN.
i hope it doesnt benefit witchlarry
I don't think so-Hillary is going independent. she's taking along (me included) her 17 million voters.
This is called C.Y.A......
The DNC has been emailing me for donations to the DNCC and I have responded that I will donate after I see what they do on May 31 regarding Michigan and Florida.
I believe in our society we reward those who follows the rules and punishes or at the very least discourage those who breaks the rules. IF in fact they break the rules to favor Senator Clinton, they can write off my votes forever. I am not committed to a party, I am committed to the Constitution of the United States.
Well, we all know which candidate will have the finances to conribute to the fund, and which one can't : )
OBAMA, 2008!!!
OK.... Chelsea 2012!!!
So.....is this how her 20 mil debt gets paid?
And they trust her to support Obama?
I am curious how she is going to explain 'she has the experience, McCain has the experience, but Obama has a speech!'. That should be tricky.
I personally would just pay her debt, and shake her hand, thank her, wish her well, and hope she goes and becomes a college administrator. She plays way to dirty. I would not want her on my team, I would not be able to trust her, Clintons have never been trust worthy.
Everything that comes out of theirs mouths are lies or stretched truths, spun to their favor. Out of the Karl Rove handbook. I do not like her. Half of America does not like her...and she is WHITE.
senator clinton agreed because she knows she needs help! watch how later she defies these rules. talk of committment to unifying her party. givve me a break!
Good deal
Obama/Clinton 08/ 12
YES WE CAN YES WE WILL
whats the matter dean did you spend all your money buying off the supper delagates for obama i hope you get beat for the whitehouse you need to be replaced your a poor excuise for leaded of the dem. party. VOTE REPUBLICAN they don,t turn there backs on you. HILLARY HILLARY HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT.
I will donate a $100 every two weeks until this election is over. The money will start rolling once Obama gets this done on June 3rd.
Howard Dean will be shocked. It will be McCain/Bush top 10 percent verses the Obama's 90 percent of neglected Americans.
Now we are acting like adults.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This equals if you are nice HRC we will pay your debt.
"for the cash-strapped DNC"....
Again – if the dems can't manage their own campaign or party – WHY would we EVER give them the reigns to healthcare????
I wish that I could be more enthusiastic about this move on the part of the front-runner who has raised tons of money for his campaign. I hope this isn't a way to say when the time comes to choose the nominee, oh sorry Barack but we feel that Hillary will have the best chance to win the White House this fall. If I were Barack, that deal would have been brokered after the nominee was chosen. Who knows it may be legit but I have suspicions that he will raise money to pay off Clinton's debts and she will still be the nominee. I have been contributing to Obama's campaign online and this is my queue to cut off my funds until a nominee is chosen.
If paying of Hill's election debt will bring this to an end quicker then I'm all for it. I'll pay anything to get her out of the race!