Superdelegate (from Young Democrats of America)Turns Down $1 Million Offer from Clinton Donor

[oldpol]

Source: The Huffington Post

One of Sen. Hillary Clinton's top financial supporters offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization's two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat, a high-ranking official with YDA told The Huffington Post.

Haim Saban, the billionaire entertainment magnate and longtime Clinton supporter, denied the allegation. But four independent sources said that just before the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, Saban called YDA President David Hardt and offered what was perceived as a lucrative proposal: $1 million would be made available for the group if Hardt and the organization's other uncommitted superdelegate backed Clinton.
Members of the Young Democrats agonized about the potential fallout of Saban's call; his financial offer represented one-third of the group's 2008 budget. Democratic officials and fundraisers were consulted about how to respond, and at times the discussions were "emotional," one participant said. "It is scary for them, Haim is very powerful, he has great influence over donors who give to them." "I said I thought that the appropriate response was to call Haim back and say thank you but we are not interested," said the source. "I also said that it was surely the case that this story would get out because it is too interesting not to and they should think about how to deal with it. It was a day or two . They felt afraid. They were like, 'Holy shit, this is Haim Saban.'"

Contacted about the report, Saban, initially very friendly, became curt. "Not true," he said, "it's simply not true." He declined to elaborate. Did he talk to the YDA superdelegate? "I talk to many, many superdelegates. Some I don't even remember their names." Did he propose any financial transaction? "I have never offered them or anybody any money" in exchange for support or a vote, he said. The Clinton campaign did not return a request for comment. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/19/superdelegates-turned-dow_n_102450.html

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/19/superdelegates-turned-dow_n_102450.html

[truthisfreedom]

1. Ruh-roh.

[Raven]

2. If this is true, it has to be some sort of a campaign financing violation not

to mention an outrage.

[oldpol]

4. Haim will probably say he was freelancing and not working for Hillary

if the Young Dems have the phone tapes...

[Bacchus39]

16. commonly referred to as a bribe. n/t

nt

[NJmaverick]

3. I believe it has been tactics like these, that have allowed the race to stay close

I find this report very disturbing.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Hillary is bribing superdelegates to support her

Not surprising coming from McDougal's Whitewater partner.

[Adelante]

5. Cynics united to corrupt our youth

Blech

[Yael]

6. Ouch!

[rateyes]

7. WOW. I wonder what Haim Saban would have wanted

in return for that donation had Hillary become the nominee? :shrug:

:wow:

[Megahurtz]

8. Cute.

Just cute. :eyes:

:sarcasm:

[Juche]

9. Aren't they both doing this

I thought both were bribing superdelegates.

Besides, if the money actually goes to a useful cause then good.

This one wanted $20 million to register latino voters in swing states.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/08/california-superdelegate-wants-20-million-for-his-support/

I'd go for it.

[oldpol]

11. 500,000 per vote < 20 milllion....

I guess Haim was going where the voters were cheapest :(

[Robbien]

12. That is so lame. Use deflection instead of discussing the issue

"Hey look over there, maybe perhaps all politicians are doing this dirty trick."

It is getting so sold. Someone coming along trying to stop a discussion by throwing out the lame distraction, "They BOTH could be doing it, so stop blaming MY guy."

[SlingBlade]

13. FoxNews ?

:puke:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. “Nobody showed me any money yet,” Ybarra told the Associated Press.

How does this prove they're "both" doing this when one superdelegate asks for money and no one gives him any? It doesn't.

The article you posted even goes on to state this could pose legal problems. It could even cause the courts to undo a superdelegate's vote under such circumstances.

[AntiFascist]

20. Right, this is how money trumps the democratic process...

if this is how Hillary got to the White House, imagine how much control special (or foreign) interests would have?!

[Saydrah]

21. The better deal: Buy Hill out

Obama should spend $20 million to retire Clinton's campaign debt and get her out of the race, not to buy a single delegate.

[oldpol]

27. Obama isn't allowed to pay off HRC's debt

but they can use the DNC donors list to fundraise for her

[Kaleko]

22. Aren't you slimeballing Obama,

by saying, "Aren't they both doing this"?
with innuendo that rivals Republican smear campaigns on John Kerry?

[Juche]

24. LMAO, I Love you guys

Some of you make me embarassed to be an Obama supporter and I can understand why Hillary's supporters are loathe to throw their lot in with Obama's supporters. Every criticism is met with such resistance. Its like the personality cult around Bush back in 2002. No thanks.

The purpose of this thread was to paint Hillary as corrupt, when Obama is doing the same thing.

http://www.capitaleye.org/capital_eye/inside.php?ID=336


Like I said, I'm an Obama supporter who has donated money to his campaign, but its not like they aren't both doing this.

[leveymg]

26. There's a big difference between $6,000 PAC donations (Obama) and $1 million bribe

Many Senators and Congressmen run their own PACs and give money to their colleagues. Barack and Hillary included.

According to the OpenSecrets article you linked to, Barack Obama appears to have made a number of relatively small donations, averaging $6000 each, to other Democrats:

Since 2005 Obama has given 52 of the undecided superdelegates a total of at least $363,900

.

Meanwhile, Hillary's given out more than $800,000 since she started her PAC in 2000.

The $1 million gift reportedly offered by Haim is a whole nother kettle of fish. Stinks of big money bribery.

[stillcool]

28. Both Candidates have been giving..

money to Democratic Candidates..since...2005.

Obviously, Senator Obama has fought hard for the Democratic Party, donating to Democratic candidates, raising money for Democratic candidates and traveling to events to help build the party all over the country," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said.

The study tracked donations received by members of Congress from the candidates' leadership PACs and from their candidate committees. It tracked donations made to governors by examining the presidential candidates' expenditures.

Among the findings:

— Since 2005, Obama's committees gave $228,000 to superdelegates who have endorsed him, $363,900 to those who were still undecided, and $102,400 to those who have endorsed Clinton.

...but I guess that's the same thing as offering a million dollars for a vote.. on your planet.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

30. Both Hillary and Obama have PACs to support party building

That's normal politics and nothing like offering a 1 million dollar bribe for two superdelegates to endorse Hillary.

If Hillary had done this herself, or with money from her PAC, it would be a huge issue. As it is it wasn't her so I don't expect it will be that big of a deal.

[redqueen]

31. Enjoying your stay so far?

:hi:

[stillcool]

29. offering a million dollars for a vote...

is the same thing as donating to other Democratic Campaigns..since 2005?

Obviously, Senator Obama has fought hard for the Democratic Party, donating to Democratic candidates, raising money for Democratic candidates and traveling to events to help build the party all over the country," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said.

The study tracked donations received by members of Congress from the candidates' leadership PACs and from their candidate committees. It tracked donations made to governors by examining the presidential candidates' expenditures.

Among the findings:

— Since 2005, Obama's committees gave $228,000 to superdelegates who have endorsed him, $363,900 to those who were still undecided, and $102,400 to those who have endorsed Clinton.

[Doctor_J]

10. SHe could have my endorsement for a fraction of that

Luckily for us Hardt has more integrity than I do.

[MilesColtrane]

14. Bribery, plain and simple.

Is this one of the same Clinton supporters who's all up in arms because, not counting Florida and Michigan delegates would be "subverting democracy"?

I'm glad they told him to fuck off.

[Saydrah]

15. So the young Democrats are worth supporting after all.

The fact that the Young Democrats rejected this offer gives me faith in the future of our party. Maybe the Bush/Clinton/Bush years of continual fiscal scandal and corruption have created a backlash of honesty?

[Indenturedebtor]

17. My generation is REALLY pissed off n/t

[Truth2Tell]

19. Washington Congressman Jim McDermott

stayed publicly neutral in the Presidential primary race until just last week, despite representing a district that caucused 75% for Obama, and despite widespread rumors in local Party circles that he has strongly favored Obama for more than a year.

Coincidentally McDermott has been able to pay down more than $1 Million in legal bills from his long-running civil case with Republican John Boehner, thanks to a recent generous influx of support from a group of Democratic donors with close ties to...

anyone, anyone?

[TheWraith]

23. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this illegal?

If it's not, it really should be. It amounts to bribery.

[brooklynite]

32. No - just sleazy

We're talking about Party Official votes, not those of "real" voters in state contests.

[bean fidhleir]

33. Probably not. The whole candidate selection process is supposedly

an informal, private process like the process of electing the officers of a club. It's not technically "public" in the sense of being controlled by law. Which is how three small, non-representative, whitebread, conservative states get to have their primaries first every year and thereby strongly bias the selection of the Dem nom'ee.

Just one more way in which the Democrats aren't democrats.

[KamaAina]

34. South Carolina is "whitebread"?

three small, non-representative, whitebread, conservative states get to have their primaries first every year

30 percent of SC's entire population is African American. Among Democrats, that figure is presumably more than half.

[bean fidhleir]

35. Okay, only 2 are whitebread. But all are conservative and unrepresentative

And I wonder how well Black people fare when they go to vote in SC.