Democrats’ Super PAC Panic

February 9, 2012

Facing a Disgruntled Base and Disappointing Fundraising, Democrats Jettison Campaign Promises and Dish Political Payback to Left-Wing Interest Groups

After spending the 2010 campaign attacking campaign spending by so-called Super PACs, President Obama committed a brazen flip-flop earlier this week, announcing that he would encourage his 2012 donors to donate to a super PAC started by his former staffers.
This is the second time Obama has abandoned a major promise on campaign financing, but this flip-flop seems to originate from internal panic on Obama’s campaign team that their fundraising advantage is much smaller than expected, with many disgruntled Democrat donors holding their campaign cash.
Democrats are therefore engaging in an elaborate 2012 attempt to dish out political payback to their interest group supporters to prop up their fundraising numbers as we head towards the elections. What campaign promise will Democrats jettison next?

After spending the 2010 campaign attacking campaign spending by so-called Super PACs, President Obama committed a brazen flip-flop earlier this week, announcing that he would encourage his 2012 donors to donate to a super PAC started by his former staffers:

OBAMA “BLESSES SPUTTERING SUPER PAC” STARTED BY HIS FORMER STAFFERS: “President Barack Obama — in an act of hypocrisy or necessity, depending on the beholder — has reversed course and is now blessing the efforts of a sputtering super PAC, Priorities USA Action, organized to fight GOP dark-money attacks.” (Glenn Thrush, “Obama Super PAC decision: President Blesses Fundraising for Priorities USA Action,”Politico, 2/6/2012)

FLIP-FLOP TAKES PLACE LITERALLY WITHIN THE SPAN OF A DAY: “On Monday morning, Obama reviled the ‘negative’ tone of the super PACs, a dominant fundraising source in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. But by the evening, word leaked to POLITICO that Obama had offered his support for Priorities USA Action, which thus far has raised a fraction of what GOP-backed groups have raked in.” (Glenn Thrush, “Obama Super PAC decision: President Blesses Fundraising for Priorities USA Action,” Politico, 2/6/2012)

“OBAMA’S TOP CAMPAIGN STAFF AND EVEN SOME CABINET MEMBERS WILL APPEAR AT SUPER PAC EVENTS”: (Glenn Thrush, “Obama Super PAC decision: President Blesses Fundraising for Priorities USA Action,”Politico, 2/6/2012)

“SUPER PAC SWITCH BATTERS OBAMA BRAND”: (Glenn Thrush, “Super PAC Switch Batters Obama Brand,”Politico, 2/7/2012)

This is the second time Obama has abandoned a major promise on campaign financing, but this flip-flop seems to originate from internal panic on Obama’s campaign team that their fundraising advantage is much smaller than expected, with many disgruntled Democrat donors holding their campaign cash:

FLASHBACK TO 2008: “OBAMA TO BREAK PROMISE, OPT OUT OF PUBLIC FINANCING FOR GENERAL ELECTION”: (Ed O’Keefe, “Obama to Break Promise, Opt Out of Public Financing for General Election,” ABC News, 6/19/2008)

RECENT REPORTS THAT “OBAMA FUNDRAISING ADVANTAGE DISAPPEARING”: “That brings the combined Obama + Democratic outside group totals to $98.3 million cash-on-hand, with the GOP groups tallying $94.1 million. Take out the Democratic groups strictly devoted to Congressional activities, and it’s a virtual financial tie. With labor and environmental groups poised to help Obama’s re-election, Democrats still could hold a narrow edge. But it’s hardly the cash advantage that would allow Team Obama to run negative advertising uncontested against Romney, without an aggressive response.” (Josh Kraushaar, “Obama Fundraising Advantage Disappearing,” National Journal, 2/1/2012)

“A FAR CRY FROM THE VISION OF A BILLION-DOLLAR OBAMA RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN,” TOP DEMOCRATS BACKTRACKING: “It’s a far cry from the vision of a billion-dollar Obama re-election campaign bankroll that Democratic strategists are now downplaying. And it shows that the amount of time Democrats spent complaining and attacking the liberalized campaign finance laws before the 2010 midterms would have been better spent preparing for an infrastructure utilizing super PACs to their advantage. Priorities USA, headed by former White House spokesman Bill Burton, hasn’t yet shown it can compete with American Crossroads so far – and time is running short.” (Josh Kraushaar, “Obama Fundraising Advantage Disappearing,” National Journal, 2/1/2012)

OBAMA’S FLIP-FLOP AN ATTEMPT TO WIN OVER GEORGE SOROS, OTHER BIG LIBERAL DONORS:“That wasn’t quite enough, however, to win over George Soros, Peter Lewis and grudgy Clintonites like Steve Bing.” (Glenn Thrush, “Super PAC Switch Batters Obama Brand,” Politico, 2/7/2012)

MEANWHILE, “A BAD SIGN FOR OBAMA IN MISSOURI” AS 9% OF DEMOCRAT PRIMARY VOTERS FILE PROTEST VOTES AGAINST HIM: “But in a twist that may cause a bit of heartburn in the White House, his closest competitor is ‘uncommitted,’ at nearly 9%.” (Neil King, “A Bad Sign for Obama in Missouri,”The Wall Street Journal, 2/7/2012)

Democrats are therefore engaging in an elaborate 2012 attempt to dish out political payback to their interest group supporters to prop up their fundraising numbers as we head towards the elections. What campaign promise will Democrats jettison next?:

POLITICAL PAYBACK FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD?:

NEW OBAMA DECISION WOULD FORCE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS TO SUBSIDIZE CONTRACEPTION IN OPPOSITION OF THEIR BELIEVES, OR DROP INSURANCE AND PAY A FINE: “Yet Casillas was dismayed when the Obama administration recently ruled that religious institutions had to follow the same rules as other employers and offer free contraception as part of health insurance coverage. The idea that the government would force Catholic hospitals to subsidize birth control – or, to avoid the mandate, drop health insurance for their employees – appalled him.” (Stephanie Simon, “Obama Risks Catholic Vote With Birth-Control Mandate,” Reuters, 2/7/2012)

IS THIS POLTICAL PAYBACK FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND THE DEMOCRATS’ ACTIVIST BASE?:“In late January the Health and Human Services Department required almost all insurance plans to cover contraceptive and sterilization methods, including the morning-after pill. The decision came after passionate lobbying by religious groups and liberals from the likes of Planned Parenthood, amid government promises of compromise.

“In the end, Planned Parenthood won. HHS chose to draw the rule’s conscience exceptions for ‘religious employers’ so narrowly that they will not be extended to religious charities, universities, schools, hospitals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other institutions that oppose contraception as a matter of religious belief.” (Editorial, “ObamaCare’s Great Awakening,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/8/2012)

KEYSTONE SABOTAGE WAS POLITICAL PAYBACK FOR GREEN INTEREST GROUPS:

“THE ANTI-JOBS PRESIDENT” REJECTS JOB-CREATING KEYSTONE PIPELINE: (Editorial, “The Anti-Jobs President,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/19/2012)

GREEN GROUPS THREATENED TO ABANDON OBAMA IF HE APPROVED KEYSTONE: “Environmental groups have been protesting the pipeline that would run from Alberta oil sands to Texas refineries, and there have been rumblings that greens would abandon Obama next fall if he approved it.” (Dan Berman and Darren Goode, “Obama Punts Keystone XL Pipeline,” Politico, 11/10/2011)

HEALTHCARE WAIVERS HAVE BEEN POLITICAL PAYBACK FOR BIG LABOR:

“LABOR UNIONS PRIMARY RECIPIENTS OF OBAMACARE WAIVERS”: “Labor unions continued to receive the overwhelming majority of waivers from the president’s health care reform law since the Obama administration tightened application rules last summer.” (Paul Conner, “Labor Unions Primary Recipients of ObamaCare Waivers,” The Daily Caller, 1/7/2012)

543,812 UNION LABORERS RECEIVED WAIVERS FROM DEMOCRATS’ GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER, ONLY 69,813 PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES ALSO RECEIVED SUCH WAIVERS:“Documents released in a classic Friday afternoon news dump show that labor unions representing 543,812 workers received waivers from President Barack Obama‘s signature legislation since June 17, 2011. By contrast, private employers with a total of 69,813 employees, many of whom work for small businesses, were granted waivers.” (Paul Conner, “Labor Unions Primary Recipients of ObamaCare Waivers,” The Daily Caller, 1/7/2012)