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Human Events...
President Fundraiser
is on the move
8 million-dollar events in 3 days
by John Hayward
02/17/2012
The Oval Office sits empty, as President Obama invests most of his time
in running for re-election. Even his “2013 budget proposal” was
nothing more than a campaign document. Any resemblance between
that proposal and a serious attempt to perform the duties of governing
was purely coincidental. And remember, his previous budgets were
equally absurd – not just controversial, but obviously impossible to
pass, and packed with delusional assumptions and big-spending wish
lists.
Obama also spends a great deal of time on tours to promote D.O.A.
legislation he introduced solely for the purpose of demonizing its
opponents, like his $450 billion “jobs bill,” which was almost as silly
as his budget proposals.
Today finds the President in Seattle for a few more big-bucks events,
as reported by the Seattle Times:
President Obama plans to make a cash withdrawal from his base of
wealthy Democratic donors in the Seattle area Sunday, popping in for
two fundraisers as part of a West Coast campaign swing.
No public events have been announced for the president’s visit, but
donors who pony up thousands of dollars can get up close and personal.
First up is an exclusive brunch at the Medina home of former Microsoft
executive Jon Shirley.
The event costs $35,800 per couple and 100 people are expected to
attend, according to a Democratic Party official.
Then Obama will head to a larger fundraiser at the Paramount Theatre in
Seattle, with tickets starting at $100 for balcony seats and up to
$7,500 for VIP seating and a receiving-line photo with the president,
according to event invitations. Up to 400 people are expected at that
event, which will include a lunch catered by chef Tom Douglas and a
performance by the Robert Cray Band.
This comes on the heels of another $38,500-per-plate extravaganza in
California yesterday. Via Twitter, Mark Knoller of CBS News is
keeping score: “In Seattle, President Obama does 2 more fund-raisers -
bringing 3-day total to 8 & total since filing for re-election to
92.” Obama filed for re-election on April 4, 2011. That’s
92 fundraisers in a little over ten months.
National elections are expensive, and even with all the advantages of
incumbency, a President seeking re-election would be obliged to spend
some time raising money. Byzantine campaign finance laws increase
the amount of time a candidate must devote to such activities.
But at some point, the amount of time spent on campaigning and
fund-raising becomes excessive - especially when coupled with a
willingness to twist the duties of the President’s office, such as
providing leadership on the federal budget, into campaign tools.
It’s also food for thought when assessing the viability of various
Republican campaign strategies against the President. No one is
going to be able to out-spend him. In fact, the ability to
prevail despite a massive imbalance in campaign spending should be a
top item of interest in any Republican resume.
Read this and other articles at Human Events
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