She Spent What?
It seems that Hillary Clinton, who frankly did not face any credible challenge in this election, managed to spend $30 million dollars for her walkover victory. That got the New York Times' attention.
Since 2001, when she took office, Mrs. Clinton has spent at least $36 million on her re-election. For 2005 and 2006 through Oct. 18, she spent $29.5 million; a final tally will not be available until next month.
At that level, she spent nearly twice as much as Senator Charles E. Schumer, her Democratic colleague from New York, did in his 2004 re-election campaign, when he spent $15.5 million and won 71 percent of the vote, four points more than Mrs. Clinton won this year.
For her money, Mrs. Clinton also won a slightly smaller percentage of the vote in New York this year than did Eliot Spitzer in his successful race for governor. Mr. Spitzer, who raised nearly $41 million for his campaign, won 69 percent of the vote.
Mark Penn, Mrs. Clinton’s pollster and longtime adviser, received at least $1.1 million. Mandy Grunwald, her longtime communications strategist, received more than $930,000. Hudson Media Partners, an offshoot of the Glover Park Group consulting firm where two prominent Clinton advisers, Howard Wolfson and Gigi Georges, work, received nearly $200,000.
Campaign aides said much of the consulting work went toward building a donor list that would be vital in a presidential race. But they did not specify the work done by each of the consultants or say exactly how much of the money they received went to preparing for a presidential run rather than Mrs. Clinton’s Senate re-election. And the figures have raised eyebrows among the people who raise money for her.
“We’re not in this business to make consultants rich,” said one fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely about the direction of the campaign.
“The wasting of money — it drives everybody crazy,” the fund-raiser said. “She’d better get a handle on this if she is going to run for president.”
Beyond the level of spending, there is also some concern within the Clinton camp about the adequacy of the controls on what is being spent.
A close friend of Mrs. Clinton, Maggie Williams, received a $37,500 consulting fee, paid to her firm, Griffin Williams Critical Point Management, at the end of July.
This is an awful lot of money spent on an already sure thing. Her campaign staff did some, shall we say, questionable decision making. And she's managed to drop her cash on hand down to about the same level as John "No Hope" Kerry. But she did it in style, apparently!
Yet Mrs. Clinton has also continued to travel and entertain in style. Around $160,000 was spent on private jet travel for her and her advisers in 2006. Her catering and entertaining bill was at least $746,450, with tabs ranging from a $124,155 bill at the New York Hilton to a $2,500 bill for a backroom fund-raiser at Ben’s Chili Bowl, the famous Washington hot dog shop.
How in the heck do you run up $2,500 at a hot dog shop? Good Lord. I am definitely in the wrong business.
By Arlo, Tuesday, 21 November , 2006 @ 10:47 am
Its an interesting article. Hillary Clinton burnt through enormous money this year and in 2000. Her carpetbagging NY Senate run in 2000 cost Gore the presidency, for sure. She took millions that would have gone to his race and she stirred up a generalized anger not limited to NY, certainly cost a lot more than 537 votes in FL alone. If McCain is the Republican candidate against her, that is one horrible choice for the voters, IMO.
Another thing about the article: are we finally going to start seeing detailed reporting on where all this money goes? I heard the other day that McCain is expected to amass $100 million for the primaries. What do they do with that kind of money? He’s already got near 100% name recognition.
By Quilly Mammoth, Tuesday, 21 November , 2006 @ 12:18 pm
First, Arlo is right…McCain-Clinton is a bad situation for the American voter.
Second. Clinton neighbors mysteriously gunned down.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15828895/
Just sayin’.
By mokus, Tuesday, 21 November , 2006 @ 12:54 pm
“A close friend of Mrs. Clinton, Maggie Williams, received a $37,500 consulting fee…”
Maggie Williams, Maggie Williams, now where have I heard that name before? Hummm, close friend of Hillary Clinton…
Oh, yeah, that Maggie Williams. The Maggie Williams who ran Hillary’s office when she was First Lady, the Maggie Williams who ransacked Vince Foster’s White House office, hid his files in Hillary’s closet, and refused to allow the FBI access to Foster’s office.
The Maggie Williams who fled to Europe rather than allow herself to be questioned by investigators looking into events surrounding the strange death of Vince Foster and his involvement in the deadly botched ATF raid in Waco.
Yes, there’s a good chance this Maggie Williams is that Maggie Williams.