Are donors paying for access to Obama?

Eyebrows were raised when a newspaper report over the weekend suggested that donations of $500,000 or more to Organizing for America, the group spun off of President Obama's presidential campaign organization, will net donors regular meetings with the president at the White House.

"Giving or raising $500,000 or more puts donors on a national advisory board for Mr. Obama's group and the privilege of attending quarterly meetings with the president, along with other meetings at the White House," the New York Times reported.

White House press secretary Jay Carney was grilled about the report today and asked if the report is true and how it jells with the president's repeated call to change the way business is done in Washington.

Does the Times' report suggest "access to the president is being sold?" asked Fox News' Ed Henry.

"No," Carney said.

"So $500,000 -- does that guarantee you access to the president?" Henry asked later.

"This is an independent organization," Carney said about Organizing for America. "I would point you to that organization for how it raises its money."

Henry's follow up questions were met with Carney's response to contact Organizing for America.

[vernique3]

The supreme court ruling that corporations are people allowed this misuse of money for political gain. We no longer have a democracy but a oligarchy where a small number of people control government for their private gain.

[hypnotoad72]

Oligarchy, plutocracy, corporatism...

Few would disagree with you.

But we are definitely no democracy, nor are we a republic. Apart from name.

Yet we talk, as a country, of bestowing democracy onto other countries while it's clear we're being robbed of ours.

It's a funny ol' world...

[Barry-been-inhalin]

Obama, the prostitute president. Lets just put a red light on the White House porch.

[freeb22]

You could say the same thing about any president or member of congress in the last 30+ years. Nothing new here.

[BBould]

If Pres. Obama wanted to maintain integrity and honor, he would come out publicly against this. But we all know he won't.

[magnumdr]

DUH! Politics has been this way for a long time. Money talks and the poor walk.

[freeb22]

Exactly.

[chatmandu7451]

Where will all the money go? To the democrats? To the uber-liberals? To the Socialists? Who will control the money, Obama?

[burgesskj]

SCOTUS has made the decision that MONEY IS SPEACH.
Those with deep pockets got it, you should too.

[burgesskj]

That would be nice, if the millions of Americans making small-dollar donations could have access to POTUS, democracy with a small 'd'.

This potential ascension of real democracy is marvelous, versus the 32 billionaires and 3017 millionaires who have direct Quid Pro Quo access to the Republican party, or the 2 Koch brothers who fund the Tea Party, which has retarded economic progress for the entire nation for that last 5 years.

[TJphoto]

ALL Elected Officials are for sale regardless of party. How do you think the financial industry got Congress to cap credit card interest rates at 32%. How many of you can name a member of Congress who would stand up before the cameras and say that was the right thing to do?

[excop1949]

This is a trick question, right?

[indvfreedomliberal]

Most of the Obama backers here trying to spin and or cover for it whined like babies when Bush was president but now show their parisanship rather than convictions for fixing Washington for in reality they have no convictions just hate.

[freeb22]

I whined then and I am whining now. I won't defend Obama, but I would just point out that you could replace Obama in this article with any president or member of congress for the past 30+ years and it would be just as applicable.