TPMMuckraker
Obama Using The White House As A Fundraising Tool
Justin Elliott | October 28, 2009, 9:51AM
Pres. Obama and green champagne at 2009 St. Patrick's Day reception in the East Room
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Try to look surprised: The Obama Administration has doled out access to the White House and to top aides as a way to keep top Democratic donors feeling special.
The Washington Times has a good rundown today on how it all works, including invitations for two bundlers to bring their families to the famous bowling alley at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House.
As in past administrations, access to the White House is an irresistible addition to the Dems' quiver of perks for donors.
The Times reports:
At least 39 donors and fundraisers also were treated to a lavish White House reception on St. Patrick's Day, where the fountains on the North and South Lawns were dyed green, photos and video reviewed by The Times and CBS News also show.Presidential aides said there has been no systematic effort to use the White House complex to aid fundraising, though they acknowledge the DNC has paid for some events at the presidential mansion.
DNC documents obtained by the Times show that donors who promised to give $30,400 for four consecutive years were promised access to meet "senior members" of the administration and "senior members" of Congress.
All of this is reminiscent of Obama's campaign strategy of giving "VIP" contributors access to high-level advisers.
Late Update:: The White House responds.
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Why oh why
October 28, 2009 10:06 AM
I know few will be outraged, but this is the source of all other problems: the influence of money in DC, and the fact that politicians are not even trying to hide it anymore.
Campaign finance reform should be the #1 issue when assessing the record or platform of a candidate.
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Indie Pro
October 28, 2009 10:17 AM in reply to Why oh why
right on
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Chris
October 28, 2009 10:29 AM in reply to Indie Pro
I do agree. But what would the Tea Baggers protest then?
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sexysadie
October 28, 2009 12:21 PM in reply to Indie Pro
this is absurd. Many of the top donors to the campaign were long time friends of the Obamas. The families that was invited to the movie theater were that of John Rogers and Eric Whitaker, two of Barack's oldest friends. They went to grad school together, have raised their children together, played weekly basketball games together, taken vacations together... is the President not allowed to have his friends visit the White House? He lives there for godssake!
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hunter
October 28, 2009 12:49 PM in reply to sexysadie
Uh...did you read the article?
Having your friends who just happen to be contributors over to the White House is one thing. Having the DNC offer people access in exchange for their promise to donate in future years is quite another.
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Johann
October 28, 2009 5:53 PM in reply to hunter
The Obama's have yet to invite a male prostitute posing as a journalist to the White House twenty or thirty times. Until they do, they are far short of the abuses of the Bush White House.
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trblmkr
October 28, 2009 10:35 AM in reply to Why oh why
SCOTUS ruled that money is free speech and can NOT be touched by McCain/Feingold. I think the vote was more than 5-4 but I can't recall. Anyway, we are fucked.
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Docb
October 28, 2009 10:49 AM in reply to Why oh why
Please folks..how many time has the WTimes done a come on header to get people to read their hogwash...Politico is the same ..The attention span of the readers is 5 seconds..they get paid by the 'hit'!
The Whitehouse has been a rallying spot through out the centuries for both parties..business conducted , donors invited but the use of a bowling alley NOT in the Whitehouse is certainly not the Lincoln bedroom...the party needs to raise money--the DSCC and DNC are getting hammered because they have not done their job and passed HC insurance reform or climate change legislation.
Get real..
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Dorn76
October 28, 2009 11:10 AM in reply to Why oh why
A President McCain might've made some progress on campaign finance reform, but he would've started WWIII before it made any difference.
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Why oh why
October 28, 2009 11:22 AM in reply to Dorn76
"A President McCain might've made some progress on campaign finance reform"
No he wouldn't have. McCain was in bed with lobbyists (perhaps literally) and a hypocrite of the highest order. Lobbyists ran his campaign.
Don't forget that Obama talked about finance reform as much as McCain during the campaign (especially after he ditched public funding). That is why a politician's actual record is as important as his promises, McCain's jokes about bear DNA asides.
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fbacon2
October 28, 2009 11:47 AM in reply to Why oh why
We've got a lot of #1 issues these days. I'm losing count.
I wonder where the Wash Times will be if the Supreme Court allows corporate cash to fund candidates again.
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DownriverDem
October 28, 2009 10:40 AM
Until we get campaign finance laws changed, Obama has no choice but to raise the money. Are we crazy? The Repubs will use all the money they can throw to beat us.
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Ethan
October 28, 2009 10:42 AM
The Washington Times is the DC equivalent of the NY Post.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 28, 2009 11:13 AM
The President is engaging in politics? Shocking! Shocking, I say!
Reminds me of the incissive, rapier-like reporting the Times did when GWB donned the kneepads for his BFF's at Enron.
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caseynm
October 28, 2009 11:58 AM
What president in the past 60 years hasn't done this?
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sherifffruitfly
October 28, 2009 11:59 AM
The Washington Times.
TPM's anti-Obama campaign with anonymous rumormongering and right-wing sources continues.
You guys might be new, but you'll do just fine with the villagers, I predict.
I expect to see a rash of new hiring at TPM, as the cash begins to flow in.
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Ethan
October 28, 2009 12:16 PM in reply to sherifffruitfly
That's a little harsh for TPM. While I think TPM ought to not treat the Wash. Times like unbiased publication, I don't think they have bad intentions.
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nellieh
October 28, 2009 12:45 PM
Unfortunately, those opposed to the enviroment policy, (clean air, clean water, global warming etc) financial regulation, (SEC, Fed. Bank. direvitive bundling) slowing the Military Industrial Complex, and Health Reform have deeper pockets than those promoting them. I don't give a hoot if they advertise like Motel 6 and offer their own bedroom to raise money for these policies. If using the White House for fund raising was a new concept, I could see the WT screaming. But they will scream against anything the RNC wants them to. What a non- story. Newspaper reporting, with the exception of the McClatchey Publications, is so lame. No wonder they are going down the tubes.
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lousgirl84
October 28, 2009 5:30 PM
I posted on this story earlier and my comments are not here. Looks like a lot of comments were taken out.
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lousgirl84
October 28, 2009 6:44 PM
The white house has responded to this story!!
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BennyBoy1984
October 30, 2009 1:37 PM
I think this is all utterly fabulous: http://tinyurl.com/ycymp8v
I would give tours of the White House too if those people helped me get there. Its called making friends!
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