Clinton has plenty of campaign cash left over

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061209/NEWS01/61209009

WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton spent lavishly to win re-election last month but ends her campaign with a $14.3 million nest egg she could roll into an expected presidential race.

Clinton spent $37.1 million in defeating little known Republican John Spencer with 67 percent of the vote to his 31 percent in what was easily the most expensive Senate race in the country, according to her latest campaign report filed with the Senate late Thursday.

But that report and previous filings over the last two years show more than $12 million was invested in building a massive fundraising operation critical to a White House bid Clinton has now signaled she’s likely to make.

Millions more were spent in fielding a nationwide army of consultants, lawyers and advisers that also could be the foundation of a presidential campaign.

Some Democratic groups have criticized Clinton for spending too much and giving up what could have been a huge financial advantage over potential rivals for a 2008 race. But others say she is in the best shape of any possible Democratic contender including Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who has recently emerged as perhaps her biggest rival.

‘‘She will probably have more cash on hand than anybody else, and she has a fundraising structure around the country that is unrivaled,’’ said Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf, a veteran of past Democratic presidential campaigns. ‘‘People will look at her money and say they spent a lot. But I think it will pay off in the long term.’’

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060220&s=lizza022006&c=2

Too long to snip, pretty involved.

Also think about the new database Harold Ickes has formed, with its own outreach to the grassroots...all separate from the DNC efforts. A search on Ickes, database brings a lot.

Lots of it is speculation, some of it isn't.

Oops, now it just links to a paid version. I dropped my TNR subscription, but I have the article if anyone is interested.

I might post a few selected paragraphs later, or might not. Need to peruse the forums...don't feel like getting in a battle over it. Not sure what is going on.

When I asked a senior adviser what Hillary's toughest vote in the Senate was, this person immediately answered, "The war vote. It's a big thing going to war." The Iraq war divided Hillaryland. Tanden, for instance, vigorously opposed the war, while a faction of Democratic hawks inside and outside Hillaryland assured the senator of the conflict's wisdom. Hillary is determined not to become tied in a pretzel by her pro-war vote, like John Kerry was. But there is evidence of some regret. In a private meeting with Ken Pollack, an aide says Hillary pointedly questioned the pro-war author: "Ken, you talked to me about weapons of mass destruction. What happened?" Some advisers now also highlight reservations she had. "I talked to her the day we invaded," says one. "She said, 'This could be very messy.' She was very tortured that day. She was never gung ho.... She was thinking, 'This could still go either way.'" The same thing could be said about Hillaryland.

All that blood. All those lives.

I wish her the best of luck.