Research Briefing

Obama’s Blatant Flip Flop On Super PACs

“On a conference call with members of President Obama’s 2012 reelection committee Monday evening, campaign manager Jim Messina announced that donors should start funding Priorities USA…”(Jake Tapper, “Changing Positions, Obama Campaign Will Push Support For Democratic Super PAC,” ABC News, 2/7/12)

OBAMA EMBRACES WHAT HE ONCE CALLED A “THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY”

In 2010, Obama Called Super PACs And Outside Spending Groups “A Threat To Our Democracy.” OBAMA: “Now, that’s not just a threat to Democrats -- that’s a threat to our democracy.  Every American business and industry deserves a seat at the table, but they don’t get to a chance to buy every chair.  We’ve seen what happens when they do.  They put the entire economy at risk and every American might end up suffering.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Philadelphia, PA, 10/10/10)

But Today, Obama’s Re-Election Campaign Reversed Its Position On Super PACs, “Encouraging Donors To Send Their Unlimited Contributions” To Pro-Obama Priorities USA PAC.  “President Obama's re-election campaign made an about-face late Monday in its opposition to super PACs, encouraging donors to send their unlimited contributions to one such group founded by a former administration spokesman. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina emailed supporters to formally endorse contributions to Priorities USA, the Democratic super PAC founded by Bill Burton, a former White House deputy press secretary.” (Michael O’Brien, “Obama Campaign Reverses Stance, Urging Donations To Super PAC, NBC News’ First Read, 2/7/12)

• Obama’s Decision Marks A “Stark Reversal” From A President Who Has Been Among The “Most Vocal Critics” Of Super PACs To One Who Is Embracing Them. “The decision represents a stark reversal for Obama, who has been among the most vocal critics of these outside political spending groups since the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling that paved the way for the rise of super PACs.” (Michael O’Brien, “Obama Campaign Reverses Stance, Urging Donations To Super PAC, NBC News’ First Read, 2/7/12)

NBC News: “Obama Campaign Reverses Stance, Urging Donations To Super PAC” (Michael O'Brien, "Obama Campaign Reverses Stance, Urging Donations To Super PAC, NBC News’ "First Read" , 2/7/12)

ABC News: “Obama To Benefit From ‘Special Interests’ Via Super PAC.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama To Benefit From ‘Special Interests’ Via Super PAC,” ABC News, 2/7/12)

NBC News: “Last Night’s Announcements Looks Hypocritical No Matter How You Try And Rationalize It.” “But make no mistake: The White House is going to receive plenty of heat -- from good-government groups, liberals, and the media -- for this reversal. Why? Because after all of its criticism of Citizens United and Super PACs, last night’s announcement looks hypocritical no matter how you try and rationalize it.”(Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, And Brooke Brower, “First Thoughts: A ‘Super’ Reversal,” NBC News’ “First Read,” 12/7/12)

ABC News’ “Obama Reverses Course On Super PAC Donations.” (Michael Falcone, “Obama Reverses Course On Super PAC Donations,” ABC News’ “The Note,” 2/7/12)

The Washington Post: “Obama Gives Blessing To A Super PAC.” (Dan Eggen, “Obama Gives Blessing To A Super PAC,” The Washington Post, 2/7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: “In A Shift, Obama Campaign Moves To Support Outside ‘Super PAC.’” (Laura Meckler, “In A Shift, Obama Campaign Moves To Support Outside ‘Super PAC’” The Wall Street Journal, 2/7/12)

TPM: “Obama Campaign To Court Super PAC Cash They Loathe.” (Benjy Sarlin, “Obama Campaign To Court Super PAC Cash They Loathe,” Talking Points Memo, 2/6/12)

National Journal: “In Reversal, Obama Urging Super PAC Donations.” (Alex Roarty, “In Reversal, Obama Urging Super PAC Donations,” National Journal, 2/7/12) 

ABC News: “Changing Positions, Obama Campaign Will Push Support For Democratic Super PAC.”(Jake Tapper, “Changing Positions, Obama Campaign Will Push Support For Democratic Super PAC,” ABC News, 2/7/12)

Bloomberg: “Obama Encouraging Donors To Contribute To Super-PAC Backing Him.” (Julianna Goldman, “Obama Encouraging Donors to Contribute to Super-PAC Backing Him,” Bloomberg, 2/7/12)  

Roll Call: “Obama Backs Super PAC” (Steve T. Dennis, “Obama Backs Super PAC, “Roll Call, 2/7/12)

Politico’s Ken Vogel: Obama Is “Trying To Have It Both Ways Here.” VOGEL: “He's trying to have it both ways here. This is a president who going back to his earliest days in politics has made getting rid of the interests of the influence of big money in politics sort of a central part of his political identity. In 2008, he and Senator McCain combined to discourage outside spending. In 2010, he complained about it bitterly when Karl Rove and some of these republicans raised a lot of money for these outside groups. But after they rode these outside groups to beat democrats rather badly in the midterm elections, democrats started to back away from their opposition and now, you see them actively trying to raise the exact same kind of money.” (CNN’s “Out Front” 2/6/12)

• Click To Watch Politico’s Ken Vogel Discuss Obama’s Super PAC Hypocrisy

Politico’s Mike Allen: “He Was Against It Before He Was For It.” ALLEN:"Yeah, he was against it before he was for it. The Obama campaign looked at the huge numbers that were being racked up on the other side, probably $200 million, $300 million take by Karl Rove's Super PAC, the one that he started, American Crossroads, and they decided that they needed to get into the game. So, this is quite remarkable. They're saying up front that cabinet officials, campaign officials, White House officials, will appear at events for Priorities USA, which is the Democratic Super PAC started by the former White House aides, Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney. Now they say the President, the First Lady, the Vice President will not appear. But this is a big billboard, telling the President's biggest donors, hey, you need to be stroking checks to Priorities USA which has had very slow fundraising so far. This is the ultimate jump-start." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 2/7/12)

• Click To Watch Politico’s Mike Allen Discuss Obama’s Super PAC Flip Flop

The Daily Beast’s Patricia Murphy: “Did Anyone Ever Believe The Obama Campaign Was Not Going To Get Into Super PAC Or That They Have Not Been Already? Please.” MURPHY:  “Well we have come a long way from the days of change you can believe in and hope that things can be different.  David Axelrod saying that we have to live in the world as it is, not the way we wish it could be. And did anyone ever believe the Obama campaign was not going to get into Super PACs or that they have not been already? Please.” (MSNBC’s “Now” 2/7/12)

New York Magazine’s John Heilemann: “The Obama Campaign Have Been In Two Successful Elections The Biggest Bunch Hypocrites On Earth About This Issue.” HEILEMANN: “Well, look, the Obama campaign, the Obama campaign have been in two successful elections the biggest bunch hypocrites on earth about this issue. In 2008, there was a public financing system that existed which he pledged to abide by and he had a rival who pledged to abide by it, and he decided, because he could raise a lot more money outside the system,  to not only opt out of the system, but to destroy public financing forever in American politics. He was the instrument of that and they did it for totally cynical reasons. There's not a principled argument. It was just there’s no way we can turn down this amount of money.  I say, as a campaign strategist, I say if they had not done what they did, I would have called it political malpractice. They should have done exactly that and won the election. But to stand around now and complain about, well, the system is such a mess, but we have to play in the system, as it is and we hate doing it, but you guys are complicit in making big money as bad as it is in presidential politics as anyone in the country except for maybe the Supreme Court justices in Citizens United. But, they are at the top of the list of people who have messed up money and politics in America.”  (MSNBC’s “Now” 2/7/12)

• Click To Watch MSNBC Contributors Discuss Obama’s 2008 Hypocrisy

IS OBAMA TRYING TO DISTRACT FROM HIS OWN BUNDLERS’ “FUGITIVE” TIES?

The New York Times: “Obama To Return Major Donations Tied To Fugitive.” (Mark McIntire, “Obama To Return Major Donations Tied To Fugitive,” The New York Times, 2/6/12)

“Last Fall, Carlos Cardona And Another Brother In Chicago, Alberto Rojas Cardona, Began Raising Money For The Obama Campaign And The Democratic National Committee.” (Mark McIntire, “Obama To Return Major Donations Tied To Fugitive,” The New York Times, 2/6/12)

• The Cardonas Are Brothers Of A “Mexican Casino Magnate” Who Fled The U.S. On Fraud Charges And Have Been Asking For His Pardon. “Two American brothers of a Mexican casino magnate who fled drug and fraud charges in the United States and has been seeking a pardon enabling him to return have emerged as major fund-raisers and donors for President Obama’s re-election campaign.” (Mark McIntire, “Obama To Return Major Donations Tied To Fugitive,” The New York Times, 2/6/12)
  
  
• Obama Campaign Officials Later Said They Would Return The More Than $200,000 Raised By The Cardona Brothers.  “Later in the day, the campaign said it was refunding the money raised by the family, which totaled more than $200,000.” (Mark McIntire, “Obama To Return Major Donations Tied To Fugitive,” The New York Times, 2/6/12)

Politico: “Obama To Return $200K+ In Donations” (Byron Tau, “Obama To Return 200k+ In Donations,” Politico, 2/7/12)

National Journal: “Two Major Obama Fundraisers, Donor Tied to Mexican Fugitive – Report.” (“Two Major Obama Fundraisers, Donor Tied To Mexican Fugitive – Report,” National Journal, 2/6/12)