Hillary Clinton to hire some 'summer fellows' after reports of interns working for free

[azurnoir]

Hillary Clinton has hired eight “summer fellows” as full-time paid staffers, just weeks after the Guardian revealed that the presidential frontrunner’s campaign was using experienced political operatives as unpaid interns.

The Clinton campaign is adding 20 full-time field organizers in Iowa, seeking to increase her presence and rally Democrats in the crucial caucus state, which she visited on Tuesday as her team acknowledged fears of a better-than-expected showing from the independent challenger Bernie Sanders.

The Iowa hires, however, represent the continuation of a trend in Clintonland that new staffers – no matter how much political experience they may bring from previous campaigns – initially must work for free before getting on the Clinton payroll.

Many high-ranking staffers worked for free as “volunteers” on the Clinton campaign in the weeks before she formally launched her campaign in early April. Political watchers told the Guardian last month it represented an attempt to wiggle around federal campaign-finance rules that ban an undeclared campaign from paying staff.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/07/hillary-clinton-unpaid-interns-full-time-staff

[beam me up scottie]

1. I'm sure her supporters here were OUTRAGED over this.

Right?

[artislife]

2. This is sooo entertaining....

[beam me up scottie]

4. Check out the original thread about her unpaid interns I just kicked.

Oops.

[SamKnause]

3. I have come to the conclusion

that nothing she could do, or has done would outrage

her supporters. It is truly mind boggling !!!!

We have a once in a lifetime chance to get an honest

politician elected to the presidency.

Her supporters are doing every thing they can to destroy

our chances of changing the direction of this country.

[beam me up scottie]

5. You're right, they save all of it for Bernie.

Because he's a real threat to her and they know it.

[azurnoir]

6. shhh don't say that :)

[beam me up scottie]

7. Thank you for posting this thread.

I didn't know that Hillary was cheating her interns.

Good for the Guardian for breaking the news.

[DanTex]

12. Because obviously interns on a campaign are so important for the direction of the country.

[OnyxCollie]

8. Why hire Haitians at 60 cents an hour, when you can get labor for free? nt

[misterhighwasted]

9. Is HRC the only campaign doing this or is it just common practice

..as the seanon begins full swing into 2016?

Just curious if this is another select hit-piece intended to discredit, like the NYTimes just did, or if the guardian compiled a list of all candidates in the running, from all Parties.
Ya know, if they really want to be taken serious about their concerns of campaign staff hiring practices, and be super sleuths, the guardian would certainly want to protect it's journalistic reputation, or so one would think.

The Guardian wouldn't want to come off looking like the discredited NYTimes would they?
Just sayin.

[HereSince1628]

10. "it represented an attempt to wiggle around federal campaign-finance rules" no doubt.

Always grazing through the holes in the wire is one of the behaviors I like least about conservatives, pirate equiteers, and Wall Streeters.

While the grass on the other side seems to be 'free', this practice regularly leads to the most obvious 'tells' re short-comings in executive function.


https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/r5lztLXwVyoaaaxdJZBdMQ--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9NDQ1O3E9OTU7dz02NDA-/

[azmom]

15. Her campaign has tons of money, yet she

Expects her interns to work for free. WTF

Interns are paid in many jobs. Intern does not mean free labor, and with the cash she has, I just don't get that type of thinking.

[99th_Monkey]

11. It's sad that it's important to post this information. :(

Bernie wouldn't make this an issue, because it isn't something the American
people much care about, because this whole "what does your candidate pay their
campaign workers" issues is a big fat red herring floated by Hillary people, to
try to distract from other more pressing issues that DO profoundly effect poor
and working people's lives, and is why people are thronging to Bernie's campaign.

That said, thanks for posting it.

Now can we get back to discussing real issues?

[stevenleser]

13. Bernie has no room to talk about paying folks on his staff

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251479793#post7

Since he isn't paying many of them he amount he says should be minimum wage.

[azurnoir]

14. The $15 an hour is in 2020 not right now

The bill he introduced calls for raising the federal wage from its current $7.25 an hour to $9 in 2016; $10.50 in 2017; $12 in 2018; and $13.50 in 2019 — before hitting $15 in 2020.

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2015/07/27/sanders-touts-15-per-hour-wage-but-doesnt-pay-it

[beam me up scottie]

16. Bernie not only pays his interns $12/hr, he also covers 80-90% of their health insurance.

Interns on Sanders’ Senate office staff are paid $12 an hour, Briggs said. That’s more than some interns make in Congress. A 2013 report in the Atlantic magazine found that only 35 of the 100 senators paid their interns at all.

Beyond the interns on Sanders’ campaign staff, there’s a wide range of pay. Most workers won’t get rich off the job. Campaign manager Jeff Weaver makes the most, earning $4,934 twice monthly.

Briggs, who is Sanders' Senate spokesman and his campaign spokesman, draws half a salary from both roles, and gets his health coverage through his Senate job. Next month, he said, he will shift to one day a week on the Senate staff.

For campaign workers, Sanders appears to be more generous with health coverage than the average U.S. employer. His July campaign-finance report lists expenditures to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont to cover employee health insurance. All full-time campaign employees are eligible for coverage on the first of the month following their hire date, Briggs said.

The campaign covers 90 percent of the premium for those making less than $35,500 a year and 80 percent for those making more, Briggs said. According to the Insurance Journal, U.S. employers are contributing an average of 66.4 percent of health premiums this year.

[neverforget]

17. If they're still unpaid when I become President, I'll pay them then.

[beam me up scottie]

18. And I'll let them come to the coronation.

Someone has to serve hor d'oeuvres.