Monday, March 24, 2008

While raising less, Sen. Clinton has been spending at a faster clip: She burned through 92% of her campaign receipts in February, while Sen. Obama spe

By MARY JACOBY, T.W. FARNAM and AMY CHOZICK, WSJ

...While raising less, Sen. Clinton has been spending at a faster clip: She burned through 92% of her campaign receipts in February, while Sen. Obama spent only 77 % of his contributions.

Even so, the Clinton campaign did cut back on expenses after big donors complained it was spending too much on hotels and catering. Sen. Clinton has begun holding more intimate campaign gatherings at supporters' houses and fewer lavish big events. Staff and reporters flying on her chartered campaign plane are getting cheaper boxed lunches instead of higher-end catered meals.

Staffers are staying at less-expensive hotels, too. In January, the campaign spent $38,000 at relatively plush Radisson Hotels, but only $11,000 at them in February. Spending at Holiday Inns rose to $61,000 in February from $21,000 in January.

Top staffers are also being paid less. Communications director Howard Wolfson's consulting firm was paid $267,000 in January, after picking up $421,000 in 2007. In February, Mr. Wolfson got $33,000.

Top advisor Mark Penn's firm made $3.8 million in January and $3.1 million in February. Media advisor Mandy Grunwald's firm was paid $761,000 in January and $608,000 in February.

Sen. Clinton's previous campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, was paid far more than her counterparts on the Obama and McCain campaigns, earning about $12,000 a month before she resigned from that position in February amid a campaign shake-up. Sen. Clinton's new campaign manager, Maggie Williams, is working without pay....

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