Clinton/Hsu Donations: Can She Stop The Bleeding?
By: John Harwood | CNBC Chief Washington Correspondent
After initially dismissed questions surrounding donor Norman Hsu, Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential race has moved to limit the fallout. The campaign has said it will give away Hsu's donations, and Hsu himself has said he will no longer give money to candidates now that reports have surfaced that he's a fugitive from California authorities in a 1990s grand theft case. Clinton herself said today that she was "surprised" to learn of such a thing and is now taking appropriate action.
But the Republican National Committee has jumped on the issue,smacking Clinton in a press release as she prepares to go on David Letterman's late night talk show tonight. Democratic rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards have been more circumspect, since they know that Clinton's campaign machinery would quickly spin up counter-attacks over Edwards' trial lawyer money and Obama's ties to indicted Chicago real estate executive Tony Rezko.
Still, Democratic challengers have been waiting for something to happen that could slow down Clinton's march to the Democratic nomination, which almost certainly will be settled within five months. Whether this controversy drags out or is quickly extinguished, it is precisely the sort of break they've been waiting for.
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