Cafferty File

How much should Obama help Clinton with debt?

Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton may be campaigning and fund-raising together these days. But behind the scenes, there are some nasty wounds that are a long way from being healed.

The New York Times reports that many Obama donors are not too eager to help Clinton pay off her estimated $23 million in campaign debt. Some are saying things like "Not a penny for that woman. Or her husband. Or – god forbid – Mark Penn."

Obama has asked his top donors to help Clinton retire her debt, but Clinton officials say so far they've come up with less than $100,000, which one adviser describes as a "paltry sum."

Obama's donors say they think Clinton racked up most of this debt after it was mathematically impossible for her to win the nomination, and she simply spent additional money doing damage to Obama. His campaign also says it's unclear how much money from Obama supporters will satisfy the Clinton camp.

Meanwhile, Clinton's people think Obama has been half-hearted in his fund-raising efforts on her behalf and should do more to include Hillary's people in his campaign. Some are also complaining that Obama has not asked his 1.5 million small donors to contribute to Clinton.

It's a delicate dance for Barack Obama. If he's seen as unhelpful, then Hillary and Bill Clinton and their supporters might not be so eager to jump aboard his campaign.

Here’s my question to you: How much money should Barack Obama be expected to raise to retire Hillary Clinton's debt?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

David in Wisconsin writes:
Not a dime, Jack. Hillary threw the kitchen sink at Obama and now that she needs him, she and her campaign expect him to come to the rescue. Here's a message for you Hillary: karma does exist!

Stacy from Virginia writes:
Jack, How did it become Obama’s responsibility to retire Sen. Clinton’s debt? She should have to get a second job, take a second mortgage, work longer hours, and sell her valuables on eBay like the rest of the Americans who are in debt up to their eyeballs. Nothing sickens me more than someone who creates a big mess and then stands above it and says, “Boy that stinks, who is going to clean this up?” I guess it does take a village to clean up her poor planning and overspending, Jack.

J. from South Carolina writes:
I think Obama should help Hillary 100% with her campaign debt and then follow that with an offer to be V.P. He cannot help out less than that, and then drop her. No way! He owes his nomination to her.

T. writes:
Even the suggestion that Obama help pay Clinton's debt is sickening to me. She put herself in debt. She spent her own money. No one owes her a dime. Why isn't Obama paying my student loans? Or my mortgage? Or for my vacation? Because I didn't spend it on a national advertising campaign for public office? Get real.

Gary writes:
It appears the "Hillraisers" are trying to extort a V.P. job or several million dollars in campaign funds from Sen. Obama. Who's in charge of Hillary's campaign, Tony Soprano?

Jennifer writes:
How many times did we hear about the 18 million Hillary supporters from Hillary herself? Where are they? Where is the little boy who sold his bike to donate to the Hillary campaign? Doesn't he have a train set he could sell to help her?