Clinton Sets New Fundraising Records

Clinton Staff Reports Highest First Quarter Fundraising

By Jerry Garner

Although results from the first quarter of campaign fundraising are not due yet, some campaigns are already reporting their results, and the Clinton campaign appears to be breaking new ground. The Clinton campaign is reporting record shattering fundraising activities for the first quarter. If the results are indicative of the Presidential race to come, this will prove to be a very exciting and expensive campaign.

Fundraising results for the first quarter, which ended March 31, must be reported to the Federal Election Committee no later than April 15th. However, some campaign headquarters are reporting their results early as a show of strength. With the amount of money being raised, the Democratic primary elections looks to be a highly competitive race that will likely consist of record spending.

Clinton’s campaign is leading the pack in terms of fundraising receipts. The Senator’s bid for the Democratic nomination has reported a record breaking $26 Million in donations to her campaign during the first quarter. Clinton has also transferred over $10 Million left over from her Senate Campaign, giving her a total of $36 Million for the first quarter fundraising efforts.

Ex-Senator John Edwards comes in a close second with $14 Million raised for his campaign. This is double the amount raised for the same period during his 2004 bid for the Presidency. By comparison, John Kerry had boasted fundraising receipts of just over $10 Million during his run in the primaries.

The world now has their eye on Senator Barack Obama, who is the only Democratic candidate to not report their fundraising results early. It seems the world will have to wait until after the April 15th deadline to know just how much money the Obama campaign has raised, but the Presidential hopeful remained confident during recent press conferences.

"I think we'll do well," Obama said. "I think that we should meet people's expectations. More importantly, I think we will have raised enough money to make sure we can compete for the next quarter and beyond. I think we'll do pretty well."

Early reports hint that the Obama campaign has taken donations from 83,000 people. The Clinton campaign reported that over 50,000 people from all 50 states contributed to Senator Clinton’s campaign, with 80 percent of donations being less than $100 each.

Senator Clinton has repeatedly expressed gratitude at the grass roots efforts that have propelled her campaign forward. Clinton’s campaign boasted over $4.2 Million in campaign contributions that came through the internet, and another $1.8 million that were the results of volunteer telemarketing efforts.

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Taliban Hang 3 Accused of Being NATO Spies

Taliban Commanders Hang Three In Southern Afghanistan

By Jerry Garner

Taliban forces hanged three men in the Southern Afghan province of Helmand Sunday. A Taliban commander claiming responsibility for the executions said the men were found guilty in Taliban courts of spying for NATO and the Western-backed Government of Afghanistan.

The executions occurred in the town of Musa Qala, in the Southern province of Afghanistan called Helmand. The region filled headlines last September when a controversial truce was reached between the British-led NATO forces in the area and the Taliban rebels they were fighting. As the truce fell apart, the Taliban moved into the area and have been firmly in control of the Helmand region since February.

A Taliban Commander who identified himself as Mullah Nizamuddin spoke to reporters from Reuters and the Associated Press by telephone. During these conversations, Nizamuddin claimed responsibility for the three killings, saying that the men were found guilty of spying in a Taliban court and that they admitted to the charges against them.

"They were spying for the British troops and had tipped them off about the location of one of our commanders who was killed by an air strike," Nizamuddin, told Reuters, "They confessed they were spying for the government and foreign forces. We hanged them to set an example for others not to spy on us."

Nizamuddin claimed that the three men were guilty of spying on the late Taliban Commander, Mullah Abdul Manan. Manan’s forces had taken over the Helmand province in early February, but an anonymous tip from locals led to a precision air strike that killed the Taliban leader on February 11th. Remaining Taliban insurgence have continued to thrive in the opium rich region of Afghanistan, turning Musa Qala, in particular, into a Taliban stronghold.

Two of the men were hanged outside of Musa Qala along roads that lead into the town. The third was hanged in the center of town. Namatullah Khan, a villager from Musa Qala, told the Associated Press that the body remained hanging in the town square for hours before the townspeople were courageous enough to take it down for burial.

"The Taliban told the other people of Musa Qala that whoever gives information to the government and our enemies will be punished in the same way as this informer," Khan said.

NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has remained out of Musa Qala, leaving the fighting to be done outside of the town. This was done at the request of local tribal elders who said they were keeping the Taliban in check. The executions of these three men have left many to wonder exactly who is in charge in Musal Qala, and what should be done about it.

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