Let it go, Melissa!  The Clintons will be history if Obama is elected.  If  Barack can make it easier for her to go away by helping to pay off her campaign debt, it's worth the money.

No you should continue to press Obama and Hillary both ..We can handle it...

No, no, Melissa -- your $ to Obama stay with Obama. Unless you contribute to a clearly labeled fund for HRC, your earnings are safe! Let's not get confused. The Clintons may be mean but even they don't believe that slaves should pay their slavemasters for slavery -- or do they? Just teasing...

Melissa,

I hear what you're saying but now (amidst the general election campaign) is not good timing for the kind of truth and reconciliation you want to see.  Right now we need to convince Hillary supporters to get onboard the friendship train -- everybody shake a hand make a friend y'all, as Gladys Knight and the Pips so aptly put it back in the day.

Once Obama wins the presidency and is "officially" the leader of the Democratic Party, that's the point when he should and I believe he will put the Clintons' in an appropriate place.  Up until now Billary has been the center of power and influence in the Democratic Party -- that's about to change.  They are about to go from star players on the team to contributing role players coming off the bench ONLY as needed.  I don't think we have to worry about the Obama campaign putting Bill and Hillary in check when the time is right.

Regarding your contributions -- money contributed to the Obama campaign cannot be used to retire Hillary's debt -- that would be illegal as I understand it.  Obama can help Hillary raise money to pay the debt, but any such venture would be clearly defined as a fundraiser for Hillary's debt.  Not to worry about our money going to Hillary.  I know I'm not trying to give her multi million dollar ass a dime of my money to help payoff her campaign debt.  As far as I'm concerned she can tell Bill to write another book or hit road for some speaking engagements.

A week off is good at times (Mrs. Harris-Lacewell) when dealing with politics.  A week off should give you just enough time to find a shovel to help dig yourself out of the BS politicians pile on.  As regards to Sen. Clinton getting a red dime of money donated by Obama's sincere contributors. I have to bring up the Hall & Oates song "I can't go for that (No Can Do)."  

Before even looking into it, I thought that would be very unfair and ALMOST unforgiving for Sen. Obama's campaign to do.  Especially when I question many of Sen. Clinton's tactics while running her campaign.  I equate Sen. Obama's being asked to aid in resolving Sen. Clinton's campaign debt to this:  If two people were at an auction and bidding on the same item,  each are driving the price higher and higher until one has reached his or her (in this case let's say her) spending limit.  If bidders had to pay their last bid regardless win or loose. And, the loosing bidder asks the winner to help pay their bidding debt. The same bidding dept that they acquired bidding against the winner.  No one of sound mind would even consider this, yet audacity has lead some to seek this type of lunacy from the Obama Campaign.

I understand politically it may be worth the cost to pay off Sen. Clinton's debt to use her voice to call in her sheep.  But for those who have donated to Sen. Obama.... believe me....the dude is as smart as he looks and come November he'll once again be the highest bidder. Peace EadyMedia

right on melissa! my sentiments exactly! i just hope he is wise enough to not give her a position in his administration.  if he does that, that will surely send me over the edge!  all that hope, change, new kind of politics, etc. will be nothing more than empty rhetoric which will have serious negative implications on a global scale, particularly at a time when the world desperatley needs something and someone to adequately rise to the occassion.

Melissa, the substance you seek Obama to use in attracting Clinton supporters has been there for them to see.  We live in a political age when regular citizens are given the spotlight to ask questions of the candidates during a televised debate and ask why one does not wear a flag pin; the questioner obviously overlooking the fact that she herself was not toting one on her bosom.  This is an era of the symbolic and anything that does not fit into the symbol is unpatriotic.  Obama is politician of the highest Shakespearean order.  He is shrewd and cutthroat when need be.  He is also pragmatic which is why we see him moving toward the center.  

But as far as the Clinton they can be an asset, particularly Hillary.  Bill I am not so sure of because he is still licking wounds that were, for the most part, self-inflicted.  His legacy has a tarnish on the gloss now because of his ill-temper and lack of fore-thought.  But it's Obama's fault?  It's not Obama's job, during a primary campaign that saw him running against two Clinton's in essence, to big him up and save him from his own running commentary.  I believe Obama wins the Office with or without the Clinton's.  Although the news media will keep the question out front because Obama and Clinton pushes ratings.

OKay, Ms. Melissa, I have to say, that as an Obama supporter, your anti Hillary rants, particularly that shoutdown on CNN  a while back, disappoint as it lacks diplomacy associated with the Obama camp.   As a woman who speaks so strongly to the ways that gender, race and sex, intersect the destinies of African American woman, and hopefully women in general, I am wondering how you yourself reconcile your anti Hillary, woman of privilege, married to a former president rhetoric?

This woman, after all, suffered an embarrassment huger than any of us will ever know.  And all alone she had to get up out of the dirt, brush her shoulders off, and then have the nerve (not arrogance) but serious gut, to run a successful campaign for senator, and then democratic presidential nominee.

How many women could shake the chains and do something so fierce?  NONE, and if there were, they would have done it.

Does the color line prevent you from being empathetic on any level with Hillary Clinton?

You talk about her privilege, but I don't see how living under a man's shadow equals more than financial privilege.  

if Obama really wants to become president, he had best remember that Hillary was ahead in the polls when this thing first started and currently, his lead against McCain drops a point every week.

The Clintons of the last six months? I got to know Bill (and his policies, politics and lack of ethics) quite well during his administration, and even if Lani Gunier isn't holding a grudge, I am. Bill's support of the Obama campaign is not a gift, but a curse--as proven by his contribution to his wife's bid for the Democratic nomination. Separating Hillary from Bill, I think she can be an asset. Even though I doubt that she can substantively help "unify" the party, and I'm sure that her fringe following has no intention of crossing over, he can benefit from her name, relationships and advice. At the very least, he can learn from her mistakes.