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Ronda Messick Bumgardner

Tribune Media Services

Published: June 30, 2008

Q. Now that Sen. Hillary Clinton has officially dropped out of the presidential race of 2008, how is her campaign debt repaid to vendors, borrowers, etc.? - J.Z.

A. This question has been on the minds of many, especially because Clinton's presidential campaign debt is believed to be the largest in history.

The New York Times reported last week that Clinton had lent $11.4 million of her own money to her campaign, and also "had about $9.5 million in unpaid bills to vendors at the end of April, according to her most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission."

Campaign-finance rules treat the loans from the candidate differently from the money owed to outside vendors.

Campaigns can repay the candidate only up to $250,000 after the election.

"In the case of the Democratic primary, the election will end when a nominee is selected in Denver. So unless Clinton is able to raise enough money to pay herself back by then, she'll have to write off millions of dollars she lent to her campaign," said an article in the online magazine Slate.

But it's not that easy to write off loans to other vendors.

Businesses must try to collect on their debt, or they may risk being accused of making an illegal campaign donation.

And candidates must make the effort to pay off the debt. There is no time limit on the repayment, however. For example, former Sen. John Glenn spent more than 20 years trying to repay nearly $3 million in debt from his 1984 campaign for the presidential nomination.

Clinton may continue to try to raise money to repay the presidential-campaign debt. But it can be difficult to persuade donors to contribute to a lost cause.

In some cases, a successful candidate tries to help an opponent raise money to retire their debt. "The most discussed option is for Mr. Obama, now the presumed nominee, to encourage his fundraising team to help her with a series of joint events," says the Times. However, it goes on to say there may be difficulties with this approach, given Obama's need to raise money for the general election, and the animosity that developed between supporters of the two candidates during the bitterly fought primary season.

Other possible ways of dealing with Clinton's presidential-campaign debt - ranging from transferring it to her Senate campaign to going through a "debt settlement" process with the FEC - have also been discussed in print, so for now, we'll just have to wait and see how it is handled.

Q. How does a person get a birthday or anniversary card from the president? - C.B.

A. President Bush will send a birthday card to people celebrating their 80th (or older) birthdays. The White House greetings office handles the cards.

The office recommends that people who want to request presidential greetings fax the information, if possible. The fax number is 202-395-1232.

If you don't have access to a fax machine, requests can be sent by mail to the White House, Attn: Greetings Office, Washington, D.C. 20502-0039.

Your request must be received six weeks in advance.

People also may request cards from the president for other occasions.

Anniversary greetings are sent to couples celebrating their 50th (and subsequent) wedding anniversary. Send a request for a wedding note after the wedding. Include the couple's married names and current or new address.

Baby congratulations are sent to babies born during the Bush administration. Send request after the baby's birth. Include baby's date of birth and full names and address of baby and parents.

Greetings are sent to people in recognition of Eagle Scout awards, Girl Scout Gold awards, bar or bat mitzvahs, or equivalent occasions. You must include the name and home address of the honoree, form of address (Mr., Mrs., etc.), the date of the occasion (month, day, year), age (birthdays) or number of years of marriage, your (the requester's) name and daytime phone number and any specific mailing instructions if other than to the honoree's address.

In most cases, greetings will be mailed from the White House about 10 days before the occasion. For more information, contact the White House Greetings Office at the address above or by telephone at 202-456-5447, or online at app1.whitehouse.gov/greetings/home.

Q. Can you tell me where the phrase "military-industrial complex" comes from? I have heard it used numerous times recently. What is its origin? - T.F.

A. The term gained popularity in the United States when it was used in the farewell speech by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Jan. 17, 1961. It refers to a conglomeration of the armed forces, the businesses that supply weapons and supplies, and civil governments. Here is a part of the speech showcasing its usage:

"A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction. Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or, indeed, by the fighting men of World War II or Korea.

"Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense. We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security alone more than the net income of all United States corporations.

"Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence - economic, political, even spiritual - is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes."

Sound bites of the speech have been referenced on numerous occasions in pop culture, appearing in songs, video games and film, perhaps most famously in the opening scene of Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK.

Why We Fight, a 2005 documentary film by Eugene Jarecki, used the speech as a jumping-off point to examine the rise of the military-industrial complex in America.

Q. How can I get a credit report? If I find that a false report has been made to a credit agency resulting in a diminishing of my credit rating, would there be a cause of action for slander or credit slander against the reporting entity and its principal? - R.G.

A. The passage of the 2003 Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act entitles you to one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every 12 months.

You can visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 877-322-8228 or mail a written request to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

There are three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If you correct an error on one credit report, you will have to do the same on the other two. You have the right under federal law to challenge items on your credit report. The credit bureau has 30 days to decide whether that item should be removed.

The credit bureau relies on information from creditors. If a creditor insists that the information sent to the credit bureau is correct and the credit bureau refused to change your report, you can sue the creditor in small-claims court to get it to correct the information.

There are requirements for reporting debts or delinquencies. If the collection agency has put a new date on your account, the agency is breaking the law. In most cases, there is a seven-year limit on how long negative information can stay on your credit report. (There are some exceptions. For example, unpaid tax liens can stay on your record forever.)

There is also a "statute of limitations" on how long creditors have to file a lawsuit to try to collect an unpaid debt. The length of this varies by state and also by type of debt. After the period is up, creditors have fewer options on how they can collect the debt. But that does not mean that the debt has been erased.

Send your questions to Straight Answers, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Or send e-mail to answers@wsjournal.com. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column. Personal replies are not possible.

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