Bill Clinton asks: Could you spare $5 please?

It's not for him, you understand. It's for his poor wife, Hillary, the one who recently loaned herself $5 million. She needs it to compete with the Illinois money machine named Barack Obama, who's already running his first TV ads in Pennsylvania.

And the message with that fundraising plea? Don’t let Obama wrap up the nomination in the Keystone State on April 22.

"The Obama campaign is already on the air with their (sic) first ad in Pennsylvania, putting their (sic) fundraising advantage to work," Clinton writes in his latest e-mail money message. "They're (sic) going to spend every dollar they've (sic) got to end this race in Pennsylvania, and we can't let that happen."

Clinton says his wife needs help to get on the air in Pennsylvania to match Obama’s spending advantage. "In Texas and Ohio, your incredible support kept us competitive, and today this race is close thanks to what you did for Hillary," Clinton writes.

"Now the Obama campaign is going to do everything they (sic) can to try to beat Hillary in Pennsylvania. They're (sic) going to try to outspend us 3-1 on the air -- and their (sic) first ads are already up and running" he repeats.

Readers may not be surprised to discover that they can make a real difference. The former president says a contribution of as little as $5 would go a long way to evening the playing field before April 22.

Apparently Clinton didn't have room in the e-mail to mention that, in point of fact, his wife currently enjoys a double-digit polling lead over Obama in Pennsylvania, as we reported here earlier today in the latest Quinnipiac University poll. It shows Clinton has actually widened her lead to 53 to 41, even without your money.

--Jill Zuckman

Jill Zuckman writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau.

Comments

[ajk]

A collective (sic) noun (sic) looks like a singular (sic) noun (sic), but is really plural (sic). Anyone (sic) you put sic (sic) after every (sic) plural (sic) reference (sic) to the collective (sic) noun looks foolish (sic).

[Adriane]

Was there a point to this article?

Should she stop seeking funds if she is ahead in the polls, even though he will outspend her 3 to 1 or more? Or are you saying donating $5 isn't enough to make a difference? Hmmmm... okay - off to donate $10 instead!

[Paul V]

Barack Obama is a liar

To all
Obama speech ,,,, Not sure if you caught Not only did Obama,,, Refuses to denounce him,, but even More,, He say in his own words,,,
Barack Obama was in church when Jeremiah Wright,, was spewing Anti-American, Racist ism ,,,, Those were his own words,,, barack was there
After going on keith Oberman ,Show obama said he would denounce that if he heard that language he would leave and not tolerate it , and denounce it
After he went on MSNBC,, he went on FOX CNN ABC< all the news station saying he was never there,,, in his church when he said these things,,
But Now today during his speech,,He states flat out Say’s HE was there,,, Last week Barack Obama Lied,, went on all the news stations, and Lied,,
But your not reporting that,,,, You can rest assure,,, cnn ,,, Fox , ABC,,, Msnbc,, are getting more on this ,,, they will be reporting on this, and we will see
If you chose to report, Obama Lying on tv,,, If this was Hilary clinton lying and caught lying on all the new station,,, you can be sure,, you would talk about it every hour
people will be on your station debating this,,,, people analysing , if it is hilary clinton but it was not her it was Barack Obama, ,, it bad enought He lied, about being in church
With Jeremiah Write, when he said these anti american ,,,,,and still refuse to denounce him…all the news agency want to do is speak on how good his speech was,
Not that he lied,,, Last week on all the news agency ,, He was never there today in how own speech He say I was there,,,,should play all Obama videos from last week
stating he was not there,,, or heard any of the anti-american Jeremiah Write, said in his church then play his speech today saying he was there and he did hear him in church and refuse to denounce Jeremiah Wright,,,

[celested9]

Yes, and I was one of the people who received Bill Clinton's email requesting a contribution. I gave PROUDLY and I only wish it could have been more but I am currently unemployed.

Are we reducted to this kind of snarky behavior? Sneering and belittling? I suppose when Barack asks for money a heavenly choir sings.

I am so proud of Hillary and Bill as they are both such tough cookies. Together we will fight to the end. I hope Bill will ask again. And, maybe, maybe, maybe, next time, I'll be employed and will be able to really contribute.

A PROUD CLINTON SUPPORTER!!!!

[celested9]

So Jill, are you upset that Hillary is ahead in PA?

Aren't non-Obama supporters allowed to choose also?

[Petey]

I'm sorry Paul V, but you must not have listened to Obama's speech. He said that he was not in attendance when Rev. Wright made the comments in question, and that has been his claim from the first day those clips were leaked.
Nobody is going to report on his "lying" because he did not. You will only find those claims posted on message boards by idiots who do not know any better.

[NinaK]

Wow, the Clinton campaign must be running out of money again!! They sure went through that $33M quickly. Guess they spent it all in Texas and Ohio. They don't have enough money to run ads?? With her "double-digit" lead, she shouldn't have to run too many.
The Clintons are D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E FOR M-O-N-E-Y!

Hillary flew into Michigan yesterday evening to try to keep the "redo" alive. This after MI said it was still in limbo and that it had to make a deciision by today since their legislative folks will be taking a two-week break.. Hillary is D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E for D-E-L-I-G-A-T-E-S!

And of course, according to them, Senator Obama is "dragging his feet" in not agreeing to a redo. They seem to blame him for all their woes. How about taking responsibility, Hillary?? This, after MI has said they do not have the money and would have to rely on private donors; however there seem to be legal questions about private donors contributing to a public political issue.

[NinaK]

Barack Obama is a liar

To all
Obama speech ,,,, Not sure if you caught Not only did Obama,,, Refuses to denounce him,, but even More,, He say in his own words,,,
Barack Obama was in church when Jeremiah Wright,, was spewing Anti-American, Racist ism ,,,, Those were his own words,,, barack was there
After going on keith Oberman ,Show obama said he would denounce that if he heard that language he would leave and not tolerate it , and denounce it
After he went on MSNBC,, he went on FOX CNN ABC< all the news station saying he was never there,,, in his church when he said these things,,
But Now today during his speech,,He states flat out Say’s HE was there,,, Last week Barack Obama Lied,, went on all the news stations, and Lied,,
But your not reporting that,,,, You can rest assure,,, cnn ,,, Fox , ABC,,, Msnbc,, are getting more on this ,,, they will be reporting on this, and we will see
If you chose to report, Obama Lying on tv,,, If this was Hilary clinton lying and caught lying on all the new station,,, you can be sure,, you would talk about it every hour
people will be on your station debating this,,,, people analysing , if it is hilary clinton but it was not her it was Barack Obama, ,, it bad enought He lied, about being in church
With Jeremiah Write, when he said these anti american ,,,,,and still refuse to denounce him…all the news agency want to do is speak on how good his speech was,
Not that he lied,,, Last week on all the news agency ,, He was never there today in how own speech He say I was there,,,,should play all Obama videos from last week
stating he was not there,,, or heard any of the anti-american Jeremiah Write, said in his church then play his speech today saying he was there and he did hear him in church and refuse to denounce Jeremiah Wright,,,

Posted by: Paul V | March

Paul, hogwash! Hillary has lied, lied, lied, and lied throughout her campaign!!
She is lying about her experience
She is lying about her Foreign Policy experience
She is lying about crossing the threshold of the Command-in-Chief
She is lying about Obama, just like you
She is lying, lying, lying, lying
The media has called her out on some lies, wish they'd keep doing their "fact checks"! Maybe they just got tired of doing fact checks on her because everything comes back us UNTRUE or grossely exagerated. Maybe you and your ilk have gotten used to her many, many lies and distortions that you believe it's okay for her to do so??? Or, maybe because you KNOW how much SHE lies, you think everybody else is a liar too??Hillary has shown herself to be disgraceful and certainly not worthy of the highest office in our land. You just keep wearing your rose-colored glasses because you really do not want to see Hillary for what she truely is.
A LIAR!

Oh, and which of the 20+ Hillaries are you voting for? With her many changes in personas, which she changes about as often as she changes her pantsuits, do you which of the many Hillaries you are voting for? Does anybody KNOW WHO Hillary is? Does she??

[dave]

what a bargain - for a scant $5 now you can make sure you'll be robbed blind later.

[rita forte]

Your obsession with grammar is kind of sic (sic).

(You forgot a letter, Rita. It's spelled sick.)

[Luke]

ajk - Clinton specifically says "The Obama campaign IS" blah blah blah. If it were a plural noun, shouldn't he be saying "The Obama campaign ARE?"

You're the one who looks foolish.

[G]

I am white. I am not there when blacks were kept slave. I have condemned slavery but I cant disown it. Can we move on?

[CPC]

Just did. Never donated before. I was sitting on the fence before between Obama and Clinton, and saying either one would be better than the Republican. In the course of the campaign, I changed my opinion and realized that Obama is just not qualified. His resume is thin, and now, I have issues about his courage, leadership and judgment. I just can't, in good conscience, vote for Obama. This goes beyond party affiliations. I urge others to vote for Hillary. If she wins the nomination, well and good. If she losses the nomination, then, I urge even die-hard liberals to vote for McCain.

[Rose Carter]

What percentage of the $5 goes under the table to the superdelegates so HIllary can steal the nomination?

[LK]

And your point of this article is? This is standard campaign fundraising e-mail propaganda - nothing spectacular here.
Are you guys running out of useful news to cover or running out of filler material for your newspaper? Anymore pointless articles like this and I will cancel my subscription.

(FYI, this isn't a newspaper. It's a blog. It's online. It's free. So there's nothing to cancel. Thanks for reading.)

[TJFRMLA]

I just gave another $100 to Barack Obama. That brings my total to $700. I will be contributing again instead of going to Vegas for my birthday. Me and 3 of my girlfriends will be doing a LA Weekend of free events for my birthday so we can all donate to the Obama campaign.
Yea!!!!!
BARACK OBAMA...THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

[cdl]

My check's in the mail Bill. I'm happy to help.

[mayping hutton]

My check's in the mail too, and it won't be just 5 bucks. We are not good in finance since Katrina, but we love Bill and Hillary who really work their heart out for this country and the world.

[tokyovince]

this infighting is ugly. obama will win (statistic certainty) so why aren't we now focusing on beating McCain? I am a lifelong democrat and history teacher and I see this kind of snarky infighting as sadly reminiscent of why we could not get our act together to elect our candidate to office in the sixties and seventies.

to eveyone: get over it. all politicians are liars. is that even a quesiton?

we all love our woman / man more than the other one but this is divide and conquer and we are letting ourselves be conquered here.

once again: get over it or welcome President McCan in Januarly 2009.

[Robert Laughing]

You MAY have an audience in far, freak-fringe Hollywood, Slick Willie, but I'd give you $500 if you would commit ritual seppu-ku...but that would require you to have a code of honor...hahaha, WHAT was I thinking.....?

[Ebenedzer W. Kaputnick jr]

Tokyovince,
You say ¨All politicians are liars ¨ I guess you are the type
that enjoys beeing lied to, hence your life long democrat
affiliation. I guess some people never learn and democrats
sufer from low self esteem along with an abyssmal lack
of morals and principles.

[robert No longer in L.A.]

Guess you can't sell the Lincoln bedroom till you steal the election, like your hero, George Bush. Let's see: Bush, Slick Willie, Son of a Bush...wife of Sick, ere...I mean Slick Willie - wow.......WHAT A SUPERPOWER - in our DELUSIONS! McCain should start drooling (but not 'on camera') in about 7 months! More like Bush everyday - ignorant and arrogant.