Tom Baldwin in Washington
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Hillary Clinton’s determination to remain in the presidential race may spell bad news for small businesses in the states that have yet to vote.
Staff have left a trail of unpaid bills and trashed offices across America in the past three months, raising fresh doubts about the viability of her run for the Democratic nomination. A property manager who let rooms to the campaign last summer in Clinton, Iowa, said that he found rubbish, rotting food, holes drilled in the walls and permanent stains on the carpet. He did not receive unpaid rent until last month — but kept the $500 (£250) deposit to cover clean-up expenses.
In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, landlord Terry Bennett went to the media to complain about late payment from Clinton campaign tenants who, he said, “left enough trash for a small army” — but no rent. When he eventually got his cheque, he donated it to Barack Obama.
Ohio event management companies owed money by Mrs Clinton were quoted yesterday warning others to ask for money up front. Jim Phillips, the owner of Show Tyme Exhibits, said that he needed a $607 invoice settled. “I’m a small guy,” he said. “I could use that.”
The delayed payments may reflect her straitened circumstances after the most expensive battle for the Democratic nomination in history, in which she has recently been heavily outspent on advertising by Mr Obama.
Bill Clinton, in a weekend e-mail to supporters, underlined the urgent need for money before the end of March. “Our opponents and the media will scrutinise our fundraising reports and look for any sign of weakness,” he said.
Although February was her best month yet in fundraising, documents filed last week with the Federal Elections Commission show that at the end of that month Mrs Clinton’s total of $38 million in the bank was mostly money that can be spent only if she wins the nomination.
The Politico.com website reported that if she had paid off the $8.7 million in unpaid bills and not loaned her campaign $5 million, she would have had less than $2 million available for this month. Mr Obama would still have had $31 million cash-in-hand even if he had paid off the $625,000 owed to creditors.
Mrs Clinton’s biggest debts are to her pollsters, strategists and advertising consultants. She also has hundreds of outstanding bills for catering, security, printing and hiring venues. By the end of February, her campaign had not, for instance, reimbursed the Hy-Vee chain for making thousands of sandwiches on the night of the Iowa caucuses.
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Anyone CAN become President. Just look at Obama. That's a guy who came from nothing, and made something.
Obama's campaign, and his methods of raising funds, are almost entirely grassroots. I think that if you take a look at the way that he's managed his campaign, it reflects well on how he'll manage our country.
Mike, Orlando, FL
Voters
Say NO! to senator Clinton socialized medicine
If something is perceived as free, people will consume more of it than they would if they had to pay for it.
free public medicine isn't really free. What the consumer doesn't pay, the taxpayer does. Social medicine discriminates against the productive.
Poor quality of services.
Patients often feel they are on an assembly line.
Cancer sufferers denied the opportunity to improve their chances by paying privately for drugs.
General practitioners reduced the average time they spent with their patients
Hospital emergency rooms have become their primary doctor. Patients lie in temporary beds in emergency rooms, sometimes for days.
Surgery candidates face long waiting lists it can take six months to have a cataract removed.
Heart surgeons report patients dying on their waiting lists. But then, it's free
alma Ludivina, san antonio, texas
Nancy, spare me with this Florida/Michigan garbage. If HRC was winning, do you honestly think she would be pushing for re-votes? Of course not. It's disingenuous and shameful to try to convince people that Barack Obama is somehow a villain for playing by the rules that all candidates agreed to.
Alan, Chicago,
Amen Nancy.
Chad, Chicago , IL
Hillary Clinton cannot run a decent campaign, so how on earth could anyone think she could run the country?
It is time for her to get out. She needs to preserve at least a tiny shred of dignity, if not for herself, then for the rest of the women across America.
Susan, Pennsylvania, US
Interesting, that one unpaid debt is the $292,000 owed by Hillary for Health Insurance for her own campaign staff.
Ms. Hillary "Health Insurance For All" Clinton apparently supports this promise ONLY if she doesn't have to pay for any of it.
Craig Houghton, Seattle, Washington / USA
Hillary Clinton has a huge amount of support - not from the media, but from Americans who have already voted in the primaries or are due to vote in the next 10 contests. Let's let each voter have his or her say and be included in this exciting process.
And while we're at it, how can Americans stand by and watch Florida voters be disenfranchised yet again? And Michigan's voters? They are American citizens who exercised their right to vote and are being disregarded and disrespected. Don't punish them; punish Howard Dean and the Party "Leadership" for its lack of leadership in resolving this issue. [I say seat Florida as is, and give Barack some or all of the âUncommittedâ delegates.]
Can Barack Obama and his supporters really be proud of excluding fellow citizens from the voting process, just in order to win?
Nancy Sabet, Chicago, IL
The Times need not be negative nor anti-Clinton Mr Jones, the nature of her campaign does a good job of that. Telling it like it is cannot be negative.
Charles Lewin, Helsinki,
And this is supposed to be the "experienced candidate", the one who is "tested and ready to go." Apparently, all of her experience didn't help her organize and run a decent campaign, which is kind of sad when you consider that she has an ex-President who did organize and run two successful campaigns for the Presidency as a husband (meaning he doesn't charge her US$2 million or more for his advice).
With that in mind, at least she's run a better campaign than John McCain, who nearly wiped himself out last year only to drag his way to victory after the more "conservative" candidates divided the people who would be most likely to stop a McCain nomination amongst themselves.
Brett, Salt Lake City, USA
The photo says it all. Did she have her hand up like that when reciting her terrifying ordeal in Bosnia?
K, london, UK
This is bad. Always pay the little guys first! Mark Penn and his like can wait for their money. So thoughtless...
Oh well, she was probably traumatized by dodging all those imaginary Bosnian snipers...
Amy Hasslacher, Washington, DC, USA
If they cannot pay there bills now god help the people if she got the white house
james, Swan River, canada
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