Next thing you know, we're gonna see the party hierarchy holding tin cups on a street corner decked out in shuffle shoes and a Mr Bojangles rig because somebody stuck them with a dinner tab they can't pay.

Someone better call a *checks notes* waahmbulance https://t.co/mDQUtu8X3v

— tree hugging s*ster 🎃 (@WelbornBeege) November 14, 2024

DANCE

The Axios story says the DNC bigwigs are nervous because they're unable to get a full accounting of exactly what the tab's going to be. Invoices are still pouring in, "Please help bail us out of this hole" emails are still pouring out, and the occasional check trickles back to lubricate the empty coffers and offer some hope.

...Why it matters: Debt beyond a few million bucks could hamper the Democratic National Committee's efforts to rebuild the party over the next four years.

• The intra-party tension has put scrutiny on how Harris' team — which raised well over $1 billion in less than five months, between the campaign and outside groups — spent its money.

Driving the news: Democratic Party chair Jaime Harrison privately has expressed concerns about the campaign's spending and has asked about the potential level of debt, two people familiar with the matter told Axios.

• The extent of the debt remains unclear because the campaign is still raising money — and still receiving invoices from vendors and others.

The intrigue: Tensions already had been building between Harris' team and Harrison.

• Some on the campaign roll their eyes at the fact Harrison has been followed around by a documentary crew since the Democrats' convention in August.

The post-election fundraising was derailed, and you'll never guess who they're blaming: TRUMP.

What a hoot. Trump's the reason Kamala can't knock another couple of solid million off of her debt load.

Why? 

Because he won too big and too clean.

Between the lines: Harris' campaign expected to be able to raise money in the days after the election, as some swing states can take days to count votes.

• But Trump's victory was clear early — making post-election fundraising more difficult.

DANCE

"Hold Trump Accountable" on one hand while writing at least a $50 check with the other, wouldja, please, WOULDJA?

Kamala Harris is 20 million dollars in debt to her campaign so she’s now asking for money to “hold Trump accountable”.

I’m not sure how paying off her debts to Beyoncé and Lizzo will stop Trump, but if you fall for this I have some beachfront property to sell you in Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/q8mo8Sa6TO

— The Misfit Patriot (@misfitpatriot_) November 14, 2024

Like any relationship where money was once plentiful and suddenly becomes an issue, to use a Cold War phrase, "tensions are high." Being emotive progressive Democrats, everyone and their mother knows it.

And we are now beginning to see headlines one used to associate only with leaked Enquirer stories about TV series co-star wars and ginned-up Republican controversies.

Clashes, confusion and secrecy consume the Harris campaign's finances

It isn’t unusual for a campaign to carry debt. What is unusual are the explosive clashes in and around the Harris universe.

Wow! I thought catfights were only media tabloid MTG/Boebert territory. Dems never used to get this kind of press.

If Kamala Harris' campaign was known for anything, it was its blockbuster fundraising. In just a matter of months, it crossed the $1 billion mark, in a stunning and record-breaking pace.

Now, less than a week since the vice president conceded the contest, it not only has run out of money, it’s still asking for more. The campaign emails and texts, known for their ubiquity throughout the election, aren’t expected to stop anytime soon.

It seems there are a few people of humility left in the campaign world, and, however, it happened, we are hearing about it.

...But several campaign officials questioned that contention, saying it appeared the requests were meant to pay down debt. One senior campaign official called the practice of asking supporters for more money after losing decisively and having taken in so much money as “appalling” and another described it as “disgusting.” A third person who was flooded with complaints from donors questioned how Democrats could save their credibility moving forward.

...What is even more unusual are the explosive clashes taking place in and around the Harris campaign universe. Interviews with more than a dozen campaign officials and allies reveal a deep distrust of leadership, questions over payments to consultants and celebrities, as well as anger over what they say was a pervasive lack of transparency over finances and analytics. The sources were granted anonymity to speak about internal campaign dynamics.

The current remaining Harris staff is boiling about the situation and have started snarking at each other and "leadership" in off-the-record interviews.

"Leadership" - I guess that leaves Harris out of it. I know - that was mean.

Donors who were already feeling abused are angry and are now getting repeatedly hit up to hand over even more cha-ching, even as their legitimate inquiries about campaign spending get the old brush-off.

Some of the quotes from those anonymous senior campaign officials aren't helping to soothe the ruffled feathers of donors who felt led astray by the rah-rah Democratic machine.

...Donors have leveled complaints about transparency of the spending to campaign officials, according to three Harris sources. The officials said they were at a loss over how to respond because they, too, said they were kept in the dark over the state of the finances as well as Harris’ winning prospects.  

"I always knew we could lose," a senior member of the team said. "I was never prepared for us to lose the night of the election."

Another source who has frequent contact with donors complained of a lack of transparency from the campaign, saying, “I feel misled.”

I ALWAYS KNEW WE COULD LOSE 

There's a revelation. Anyone with half a brain and a fistful of money should practice caveat emptor, however dreamy the prospective candidate is. Or fervent your antipathy to the opposing candidate.

And now that Dem donors have watched the empty suit they financed glitz, glam, cackle, and celebrity party her way to coming up spectacularly empty against Hitler himself, well...there's a sour taste in champagne mouths.

The folks who run the formerly well-financed Dem money machine are worried the check writers won't want to play again for quite a while if they can't get this rough fiscal patch smoothed over.

...But the bigger issue, the source who has been in contact with donors said, is that the dynamics are risking the party’s credibility with donors moving forward.

“They have to feel like they have a say and they don’t. They feel pushed aside,” the person said. “What will happen with them, honestly? They’ll all take a hike for the midterms.”

It's not a pleasant place to be - on the explaining end of a billion-dollar disaster that caused other people's money to be ill-spent.

DNC official Lindy Li called the Harris campaign a “$1 billion disaster” earlier today.

“The truth is this is just an end epic disaster, this is a $1 billion disaster…They’re $20 million or $18 million in debt. It’s incredible, and I raised millions of that. I have friends I… pic.twitter.com/EzTFtoKbpv

— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) November 9, 2024

...“The truth is this is just an end epic disaster, this is a $1 billion disaster…They’re $20 million or $18 million in debt. It’s incredible, and I raised millions of that. I have friends I have to be accountable to and explain what happened because I told them it was a margin-of-error race.”

As more campaign spending records come to light and more people's minds are blown at what it was all wasted on - never forget the Trump campaign won on about a third of what the Harris campaign spent - there's going to be an epic amount of tapdancing involved if they hope to salvage anything.

Truth be told, sympathies are not high.

"Whatever we can do to help them during this difficult period," Trump teased on X.

A whole lotta folks better learn to dance.