Obama Selling White House Access

[chunkymonster]

In 2008, Candidate Obama made the following promise,

Ban registered lobbyists from working in the administration on areas in which they have lobbied over the previous two years and bar officials who leave the administration from lobbying the executive branch for the duration of Obama's presidency

However, as recently reported by the L.A. Times and New York Times, Obama is exploiting a lack of precedent, legal loopholes, and tax-exempt status to re-organize his election campaign into a national advocacy group. Specifically, President Obama is soliciting a "a select group of donors who will each contribute or raise $500,000 or more" to obtain a position on the Board of Organizing for Action.

From he NY Times Article Obama’s Backers Seek Big Donors to Press Agenda

President Obama’s political team is... raising $50 million to convert his re-election campaign into a powerhouse national advocacy network...with few clear rules, ample potential for influence-peddling, and no real precedent in national politics...Giving or raising $500,000 or more puts donors on a national advisory board for Mr. Obama’s group and the privilege of attending quarterly meetings with the president, along with other meetings at the White House. Moreover, the new cash demands on Mr. Obama’s top donors and bundlers come as many of them are angling for appointments to administration jobs or ambassadorships...Many traditional advocacy organizations, including the Sierra Club and the National Rifle Association, are set up as social welfare groups, or 501(c)(4)’s in tax parlance. But unlike those groups, Organizing for Action appears to be an extension of the administration, stocked with alumni of Mr. Obama’s White House and campaign teams and devoted solely to the president’s second-term agenda.

From the L.A. Times article, Obama advocacy group OFA solicits high-dollar bundlers for support

Leaders of Organizing for Action...are courting his top campaign bundlers to be part of a high-dollar fundraising network that will help finance the work of the nascent organization...Bundlers will probably be asked to raised $500,000 to be part of the committee. Such top fundraisers will get perks in return.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Saying he doesnt want to have special access by those who pay their way in shows he is asking HIS people to make it different for him this time around, as HIS ideas are OK, while others arent, much like his many attempts to skirt around congress.

This is dangerous, if people fall into this as being OK, because its simply more lobbying in a differing coat.

 

[musical marv]

In 2008, Candidate Obama made the following promise,

Ban registered lobbyists from working in the administration on areas in which they have lobbied over the previous two years and bar officials who leave the administration from lobbying the executive branch for the duration of Obama's presidency

However, as recently reported by the L.A. Times and New York Times, Obama is exploiting a lack of precedent, legal loopholes, and tax-exempt status to re-organize his election campaign into a national advocacy group. Specifically, President Obama is soliciting a "a select group of donors who will each contribute or raise $500,000 or more" to obtain a position on the Board of Organizing for Action.

From he NY Times Article Obama’s Backers Seek Big Donors to Press Agenda

President Obama’s political team is... raising $50 million to convert his re-election campaign into a powerhouse national advocacy network...with few clear rules, ample potential for influence-peddling, and no real precedent in national politics...Giving or raising $500,000 or more puts donors on a national advisory board for Mr. Obama’s group and the privilege of attending quarterly meetings with the president, along with other meetings at the White House. Moreover, the new cash demands on Mr. Obama’s top donors and bundlers come as many of them are angling for appointments to administration jobs or ambassadorships...Many traditional advocacy organizations, including the Sierra Club and the National Rifle Association, are set up as social welfare groups, or 501(c)(4)’s in tax parlance. But unlike those groups, Organizing for Action appears to be an extension of the administration, stocked with alumni of Mr. Obama’s White House and campaign teams and devoted solely to the president’s second-term agenda.

From the L.A. Times article, Obama advocacy group OFA solicits high-dollar bundlers for support

Leaders of Organizing for Action...are courting his top campaign bundlers to be part of a high-dollar fundraising network that will help finance the work of the nascent organization...Bundlers will probably be asked to raised $500,000 to be part of the committee. Such top fundraisers will get perks in return.

There is an old cliche in life Talk is Cheap.A lot of things Obama promised are not becoming true like he presented it to be.Transparency and Disclosure what happened to this?

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

No new:
lobbyists
Doctors
Taxes (for middle and lower class)
Debt (as this is not patriotic)
Not going after your guns
Not for gay marraige

Im sure the list is much much larger, such as gitmo gone etc.

Sure the hell beats just read my lips

 

[wanamingo]

Welcome to a world with lax campaign finance laws!

Hows citizens united working now that someone you dont like is exploiting it?

 

[chunkymonster]

Welcome to a world with lax campaign finance laws!

Hows citizens united working now that someone you dont like is exploiting it?

It's hard to believe that Corporate Personhood has existed since 1819.

It's a double edged sword. We want the ability to hold companies liable for negligence, bargaining agreements, breaking contracts, etc but at the same time we don't want companies to have the ability to donate to a candidate or political cause.

It's interesting that the same definition of "person" as defined in the 14th Amendment is used to uphold corporate personhood as well as determine the children of illegal aliens born in the United States are legal citizens.

Also, I am not entirely sure that Citizens United has anything to do with Obama selling access to the White House through committee seats on Organizing for America. What Organizing for America does AFTER Obama is done selling access quite possibly will exploit political donations as an expression of the 1st Amendment; but again, that is AFTER Obama gets done selling access. Obama as a standing President selling access and committee seats to his own PAC is really what's at issue here.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Not if you dont want to see it, and how its as bad, even worse, saying he wouldnt do things like this.

 

[musical marv]

No new:
lobbyists
Doctors
Taxes (for middle and lower class)
Debt (as this is not patriotic)
Not going after your guns
Not for gay marraige

Im sure the list is much much larger, such as gitmo gone etc.

Sure the hell beats just read my lips

So again this is political jargon with Obama again and the politicians of Liberals and Republicans.Who do you trust anymore is the question?

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

The ones who say what theyre going to do before being elected, and then doing it after.
There can be exceptions, as things do change, just not often, and not like what we see them doing, and talking like they talk