June 13, 2011

The Time For That Kind Of Politics Is Over

News Reports Show Obama Is Giving Plenty Of Special White House Access To Donors Who Write Big Checks
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PROMISE: When Obama Announced His Candidacy For President, He Pledged To End Special Interest Access To His Administration. "Special interests have turned our government into a game only they can afford to play ... They get the access while you get to write a letter ... The time for that kind of politics is over. It's through." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks Announcing
Campaign For President, Springfield, IL, 2/17/07)

MEMO REVEALS OBAMA POLITICAL TEAM PRESSURED WHITE HOUSE TO GIVE ACCESS TO DEEP-POCKETED DONOR:
Obamas Political Team Urged White House To Give Key Donor A Sense Of Access. Hoping to keep the support of a key Florida supporter, the president's political team suggested that top White House aides give him the sense that his voice was being heard inside the administration. (Sam Stein, Obama Campaign Advised White House
Staff To Give Top Donor Sense Of Access, The Huffington Post, 6/13/11)

The Memo Also Raises Legal Questions Set Forth By The Hatch Act, Which Prohibits Federal Employees From Engaging In Partisan Political Activities -- Though Those Boundaries Are Foggy.
(Sam Stein, Obama Campaign Advised White House Staff To Give Top Donor Sense Of Access, The Huffington Post, 6/13/11)

Under Obama, Donors With Deep Pockets Are Granted More Input Than Average Citizens. But while the courting of Haddock can be viewed as, simply, a basic political activity, it also underscores what good government advocates see as a dangerous confluence of campaigns and governance. With elections growing increasingly expensive, donors with deep pockets are granted more input than average citizens. (Sam Stein,
Obama Campaign Advised White House Staff To Give Top Donor Sense Of Access, The Huffington Post, 6/13/11)

Democracy 21s Fred Wertheimer Called It An Inappropriate Memo And Warned That The Obama Campaign Should Be Careful About Creating Impression That Access Is Provided In Return For Contributions. It is an inappropriate memo, said Fred Wertheimer, the Founder and President of the group Democracy 21. And as we head into the campaign season and the political money raising season the Obama campaign should be extra careful about creating the potential impression that access is being provided for campaign contributions and fund raising. (Sam Stein, Obama Campaign Advised White House Staff To Give Top Donor
Sense Of Access, The Huffington Post, 6/13/11)

Democracy 21s Wertheimer Said The Obama Campaign Should Not Be Pushing On Obama Administration Officials To Grant More Access To Deep Pocketed Donors. "That should not lead to campaign officials basically urging the White House and administration that they need to provide more access to this individual since he is a big fundraiser," said Wertheimer. "Obama campaign officials should not be
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pushing Obama administration officials to open the door to more access for this individual as we head into a huge fundraising season." (Sam Stein, Obama Campaign Advised White House Staff To Give Top Donor Sense Of Access, The Huffington Post,
6/13/11)

AND THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THAT THE DNC ORGANIZED A MEETING BETWEEN OBAMA AND WALL STREET EXECUTIVES IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Just Before Announcing For Reelection, Obama Brought Two Dozen Long Time Donors To The White House. A few weeks before announcing his re-election campaign, President Obama convened two dozen Wall Street executives, many of them longtime donors, in the White Houses Blue Room. (Nicholas Confessore,
Obama Seeks To Win Back Wall St. Cash, The New York Times, 6/12/11)

Obama Asked The Donors How To Speed The Economic Recovery. The guests were asked for their thoughts on how to speed the economic recovery, then the president opened the floor for over an hour on hot issues like hedge fund regulation and the deficit. (Nicholas Confessore, Obama Seeks To Win Back Wall
St. Cash, The New York Times, 6/12/11)

The Meeting Was Organized By The Democratic National Committee To Try To Win Back Wall Street, One Of Obamas Main Sources Of Campaign Cash. The event, organized by the Democratic National Committee, kicked off an aggressive push by Mr. Obama to win back the allegiance of one of his most vital sources of campaign cash in part by trying to convince Wall Street that his policies, far from undercutting the investor class, have helped bring banks and financial markets back to health. (Nicholas
Confessore, Obama Seeks To Win Back Wall St. Cash, The New York Times, 6/12/11)

OBAMA HAS GRANTED TOP DONORS WITH VIP ACCESS TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Obama Awards Top Donors With "VIP Access To The White House." "During his first nine months in office, President Obama has quietly rewarded scores of top Democratic donors with VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings... High-dollar fundraisers have been promised access to senior White House officials in exchange for pledges to donate $30,400 personally or to bundle $300,000 in contributions ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, according to internal Democratic National Committee documents obtained by The Washington Times." (Matthew Mosk, "EXCLUSIVE: Democratic Donors Rewarded With W.H. Perks," The Washington Times, 10/28/09) DNC Created Menu Of "Exclusive Access Opportunities." "The DNC has presented a menu of exclusive access opportunities to top givers, according to internal DNC documents provided to potential donors and obtained by The Times." (Matthew Mosk, "EXCLUSIVE: Democratic Donors Rewarded With W.H. Perks,"
The Washington Times, 10/28/09)

Donors Offered Parties In White House Bowling Alley And Movie Theater. "One top donor described in an interview with The Times being given a birthday visit to the Oval Office." Another was allowed use of a White House-complex bowling alley for his family. Bundlers closest to the president were invited to watch a movie in the red-walled theater in the basement of the presidential mansion." (Matthew Mosk, "EXCLUSIVE: Democratic
Donors Rewarded With W.H. Perks," The Washington Times, 10/28/09)

Select Individuals "Provided Access To A Series Of Invite-Only Briefings By Senior Administration Officials Organized By The DNC." "'I don't think it's surprising that people that support the president do go to functions at the White House and have other access, but there are many, many more Americans who attend events and town halls and other things at the White House every single day,' DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said... Only select members of the public, however, were provided access to a series of inviteonly briefings by senior administration officials organized by the DNC." (Matthew Mosk, "EXCLUSIVE: Democratic Donors
Rewarded With W.H. Perks," The Washington Times, 10/28/09)

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