Obama reverses on super PACs, seeks support

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's campaign is asking top fundraisers to support a Democratic-leaning outside group that is backing the president's re-election bid, reversing Obama's opposition to "super" political action committees, which can spend unlimited amounts of cash to influence elections.

Obama's campaign urged wealthy fundraisers in a Monday night conference call to support Priorities USA, a super PAC led by two former Obama aides that has struggled to compete with the tens of millions of dollars collected by Republican-backed outside groups.

Obama has opposed the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision that stripped away some limits on campaign contributions. The new super PACs can't coordinate directly with campaigns, but many have played a major role in the Republican primary contests, raising millions of dollars to use in negative advertising in early contests such as Iowa, South Carolina and Florida.

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Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in an email to supporters Monday that the president's campaign "can't allow for two sets of rules" in which the Republican presidential nominee benefits from "unlimited spending and Democrats unilaterally disarm."

"We decided to do this because we can't afford for the work you're doing in your communities, and the grassroots donations you give to support it, to be destroyed by hundreds of millions of dollars in negative ads," Messina said.

Messina said senior campaign officials, along with some White House officials and Cabinet members, would attend and speak at fundraising events for Priorities USA but would not directly ask for money. He said Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama would not be part of the effort and would remain focused on Obama's campaign.

The decision to promote the outside Democratic group came after new fundraising reports revealed a large disparity against Republican super PACs. American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, two groups tied to Republican strategist Karl Rove, raised $51 million last year while major Democratic groups, including Priorities USA Action, collected $19 million last year.

Republicans criticized the Obama campaign's embrace of the outside groups, calling it a hypocritical shift by Obama after he chided the influence of secret, special-interest money. Obama has previously referred to the money as a "threat to our democracy."

"This is a brazenly cynical move by Barack Obama and his political handlers, who just a year ago had the chutzpah to call outside groups a threat to democracy," said Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for American Crossroads.

The super PACs have played a major role in the primary contests. In GOP primaries so far, groups working for or against presidential candidates have spent roughly $25 million on TV ads — about half the nearly $53 million spent on advertising so far to influence voters in the early weeks of the race.

The group supporting Mitt Romney, Restore Our Future, collected $17.9 million in contributions since July, most of which it spent on advertisements supporting Romney or attacking Republican rival Newt Gingrich. A pro-Gingrich group, Winning Our Future, received $11 million from the family of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson.

The new super PACs can't coordinate directly with campaigns, but many that are active in this election are staffed by longtime supporters or former aides of the candidates.

[kaylag04]

Barack Obama is the perfectly evolved politician. He can switch perspective on issues of moral certaintude at will, with no hesitation, embarassment or conscience. It is a chilling, Charles Mansonesque ability that most in the political class can only aspire to.

[nearl451]

What'd you expect him to do? Concede the race to big money? The law of the land is "Citizens United". It ought not be and it is ruining our election process AND ought to be rethought.

However, the President is not going to concede the race and pretend big money doesn't matter.

[antoniof123]

What is sad is it shouldn't be this way so now it is going to get really ugly with super pac's in the mix things are going to go from bad to worst with attack adds.

And of course you got idiots out there crying to do this.

[gerryrigger]

Obama realizes that you can't bring a knife to a gunfight. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

[jayz1943]

What happened to the self-proclaimed principled man of integrity who so many Americans voted for? the one who promised "an open and transparent administration, the one who quoted scripture and claimed his "Christian values" guided his decisions? So easily you forsake integrity and the tenets of Christian values. What would Jesus say?! Like Eminem's "Slim Shady" raps out, "Will the Real Obama PLEASE Stand Up, PLEASE Stand Up!"

[ATLCurtis]

The republicans are such liars and hypocrites, it's hard to believe they are even thinking of calling him out on this.

He was against the decision from the get go, but the activist judges on the supreme court voted 5-4 to rape the American people. The five "conservative" judges against the four "liberal" judges.

This is the worst of the "dubya" legacy, these activist judges legislating their views instead of following the law. It is incomprehensible to imagine what will come down the pike. Of course, we know they will say that our new health care overhaul is unconstitutional, they are salivating at the prospects.

You can't really blame the President for playing the game the way republicans do. They have shown they have no interest in helping the American people.

[ratpatootie]

Since 94% of the time the winner of the election is the one who spends the most, I can understand why he changed his mind. Compared to his other lies (FISA, medical marijuana, administration transparency, and single payer immediately come to mind from a long list) this is no big deal to me, I did not expect anything different. It's the Citizens United decision that is at the root. Support Movetoamend.org!

[inketolstoy]

Doesn't sound much like change you can believe in.

[cbs_bull]

The American politics is just getting dirtier and dirtier after the Supreme Court allowing unlimited spending in presidential campaign. This is very sad for America.

[netjunkie1]

I suppose it helps the economy.....lol

[venusvegasvada]

It's like trying to cut a deal with the old Soviet Union. You disarm your nukes and so will we.

In a show of good faith, you cut back on your nukes but notice the other side is building more than ever before. At some point you have to acknowledge it isn't working.

Sort of the MAD doctrine of Super PAC's. Sad mess we have ourselves in.