After raising a mind-boggling combined $517 million to beat each other's brains in according to the latest Federal Election Commission statistics, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are suddenly working together to insure that the latter's reported $20+ million campaign debt can be announced as "handled" at their party's convention.

First, as Cumbaya played softly in the background, Obama and his campaign finance minister each stroked a $2300 check (the maximum allowable private campaign donation) to their vanquished foe's campaign in a symbolic gesture to help Hillary become debt-free. 

Thus, the stage was set for the two candidates to begin co-campaigning in Unity, if not genuine cooperation.  Unity, of course, is the New Hampshire village near the Vermont border known both for its symbolic name and virtual fifty-fifty Democrat/Republican voting splits in recent presidential contests. 

The prospect of raising lots of new money despite the failure of her candidacy will insure Clinton's endorsement and her ongoing campaign support.  While a full payoff of her debt and the full conversion of her popular vote-plurality primary supporters may not be a slam-dunk, a positive byproduct of this quid pro quo for Hillary and Bill Clinton is that they will not have to worry as much about depleting their long-sought nouveau riche-ness.

A couple of new books and some paid speaking engagements featuring either or both Clintons at the podium should quickly replenish their bank accounts -- and then some.  If the former president behaves himself until Election Day he might avoid much larger out-of-pocket expenses. 

It will certainly be worth the effort for Obama's people who will get to dictate when, where, how and if Bill Clinton participates.  This "hush money" will keep the former president from upstaging their candidate and from acting on his ever-present urge to flip the script in favor of apoplectic finger pointing whenever a reporter or heckler says something that gets him red-faced. 

Veracity of the Unity Tour participants' comments aside, imagine what so much redistributed wealth could do for the united candidates' constituents.

You do remember, after so many months of Hillary and Barack being everywhere but Capitol Hill, that both were senators who represented states with extremely large, impoverished inner city population?  And haven't both of their campaign's change-the-process speeches been all about social responsibility, empowerment of the lower classes and helping people pay their bills?

But a more serious question is raised by this unique payoff assistance arrangement.  What if these two candidates had made a pact, early on, that regardless of the outcome of the primaries the winner would help to pay off the loser's debts in exchange for his or her whole-hearted campaign support?

Although it sounds merely like politics as usual, such a conspiratorial scenario would actually undermine the principles of the entire campaign fundraising process by compromising its transparency and accountability.  Unfortunately, the longer the campaign the more chance there is for any number of deals to be made between candidates, their major supporters and their delegates.

With half a billion dollars raised by just these two candidates during the primary season and weeks before their party's convention, let alone the general election, it is obvious that serious campaign reform is long overdue. 

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