Barack Obama Makes (Another) Bailout Plea for Hillary Clinton

Joe Biden just sent me an e-mail! Okay, right, by now I've learned not to get all that excited when I check my inbox and find a message from the president-elect, David Plouffe, the VP-to-be, or any of the other gang in that social network known as the new administration. What's interesting, however, about this rather impersonal appeal for cash, is that it comes on behalf of the newly appointed candidate for Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton. Here's the pitch:

Our campaign pledged to help Senator Hillary Clinton--one of the vital members of our team and our future Secretary of State--retire her campaign debt. That's the money her campaign owes to the vendors across the country that make our political process possible.

Barack and I had the deepest respect for Hillary as an opponent on the campaign trail. Her undeniable intellect, talent, and passion strengthened Barack as a candidate and tested our movement for change.

We welcome Hillary as a partner in our administration, and I hope you will show your support by helping Barack fullfill our campaign promise.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, donate here. But from the AP, we learn a bit more about Clinton's outstanding tab:

At the beginning of November, Clinton owed $7.5 million to vendors from her failed presidential bid, according to campaign finance records. The largest share of the debt--about $5.3 million-- is owed to the polling firm of Mark Penn the Clintons' long time political strategist.

So Hillary owes Penn--the guy who arguably sabotaged her campaign more than any other adviser--$5.8 million. And now Team Obama is asking the donor base to foot the bill. Well, I guess there's a certain logic to that. Hey, come to think of it, conspiracy theorists might wonder if Penn was working for Obama all along. Happy Bailout Season, everyone!