Clinton loans campaign 6.4 million dollars
Washington - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has loaned her campaign another 6.4 million dollars from her personal assets, an aide confirmed Wednesday.
The move was seen by pundits as another sign of Clinton's flagging fortunes after she lost by 14 percentage points to Senator Barack Obama in North Carolina Tuesday and took only a razor-thin victory in the Indiana Democratic primary.
But Howard Wolfson, a Clinton campaign spokesman and strategist, told MSNBC Wednesday morning that Clinton will fight on, and that the 6.4-million-dollar loan could be only the first of more loans.
"I don't rule out her giving more," he said.
Last month, within 24 hours after the New York senator's strong victory in the Pennsylvania primary, supporters poured 10 million dollars into her campaign coffers. Earlier this year, after a string of losses to Obama, she had loaned her campaign 5 million dollars.
With only six races left in the campaign for the Democratic nomination, Wolfson conceded that Clinton needs "to do well in West Virginia" next Tuesday.
He also repeated Clinton's vow to have the Michigan and Florida delegates seated at the national party convention in August in Denver, Colorado. The Democratic National Committee is to meet May 30 and 31 to decide whether to seat the delegates, after it had barred their participation because the two states held their primaries earlier than dictated by the national party.
Clinton had a strong showing in both primaries, even though she abided by party rules and did not campaign there. However, in Michigan her name was the only one among the major Democratic candidates to appear on the ballot.
But Wolfson also conceded it will be a tough fight, with Clinton still lagging in the overall delegate count.
"I don't know how this is going to play out" until its over, Wolfson said.
In the quest for the 2,025 delegates needed to capture the Democratic nomination, Obama led by 1,743 to 1,606 for Clinton before Tuesday's result, according to a count by website realclearpolitics. com. North Carolina had 115 and Indiana 72 delegates up for grabs.
With only 200 delegates left in the six electoral contests remaining after Tuesday, both campaigns have turned to persuading nearly 300 undecided super-delegates - Democratic elected officials and party leaders - who could still potentially swing the nomination in either candidate's favour. (dpa)