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Obama embraces super PAC funding, despite past criticisms

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February 08, 2012|By Shira Schoenberg

President Barack Obama spoke in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. (AP File Photo )

President Obama is putting a renewed focus on raising money through his super political action committee, after fundraising figures showed the Democratic president falling far behind his Republican rivals in super PAC fundraising.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina wrote on the Obama campaign blog that Obama dislikes the current campaign financing system, but Democrats cannot play by two sets of rules.

“With so much at stake, we can’t allow for two sets of rules in this election whereby the Republican nominee is the beneficiary of unlimited spending and Democrats unilaterally disarm,” Messina wrote.

As the Globe previously reported, the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action raised just $4.1 million in itemized donations in 2011. In contrast, Restore our Future, supporting Republican candidate Mitt Romney, raised more than $30 million. The Republican super PAC American Crossroads, run by Karl Rove, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, raised over $50 million.

While the Obama campaign far outraised each of the Republican campaigns, a super PAC has certain advantages over a campaign. Super PACS can accept unlimited donations, while campaigns are constrained to accepting $4,800 per donor (or $5,000 per donor for a regular PAC). Super PACs can accept donations from corporations and labor unions, which are barred from contributing directly to candidates.

Obama has criticized the use of super PACs, and has said he opposes the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, that led to the creation of super PACs. Messina reiterated that stance in his blog post, arguing that the Supreme Court decision “accelerated a dangerous trend toward a political system increasingly dominated by big-money interests with disproportionate power to spend freely to influence our elections and our government.”

But Messina said the campaign has no choice but to become part of the system. Messina wrote that Republican super PACs and non-profits are expected to spend half a billion dollars opposing the president. “This cycle, our campaign has to face the reality of the law as it currently stands,” he wrote.

Senior campaign officials and some White House and Cabinet officials will attend and speak at Priorities USA fundraising events, though they will not directly solicit donations for Priorities USA, Messina wrote. President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden will not do so. Legally, a candidate is not allowed to coordinate with a super PAC.

Messina sent the blog post to campaign supporters, with a fundraising solicitation for the campaign. Bill Burton, a senior strategist for Priorities USA Action, emailed supporters a New York Times story about the shift, with an email urging supporters to donate to the super PAC.

Several liberal groups, such as MoveOn, have urged Obama to support a constitutional amendment limiting campaign contributions, as well as legislation requiring the disclosure of all campaign contributions. Politico reported today that Obama campaign officials said Obama still favors action – including if necessary a constitutional amendment – to enact “reasonable limits” on campaign spending.