Democrats launch outside spending group; conservatives charge hypocrisy

Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton

/ CBS

Updated 12:36 p.m. Eastern Time

A group of Democrats aligned with the Obama administration today announced that they are starting an outside spending group similar to the conservative groups that President Obama has decried.

The new group has two arms: Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action. While one of the Priorities groups will disclose its donors, the other will not. The model is similar to that used by American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, the conservative outside groups that raised more than $70 million in the midterm election cycle to spend on behalf of candidates with a "conservative, free-market legislative agenda."

The new Democrat-aligned Priorities groups were launched by Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, two former White House aides, with former Clinton political strategist Paul Begala serving as an adviser. Politico reports that prominent liberals Ellen Malcolm (founder of Emily's List), Democratic fundraiser Jay Dunn, former Clinton adviser Harold Ickes, Democratic donor Rob McKay and other prominent Obama allies have already signed on; the group is reportedly seeking to raise $100 million to help Mr. Obama win reelection.

In an email, Burton described Priorities USA as standing for "policies that are fiscally responsible and reflect America's core value of fairness." After speculating that conservative groups will spend $500 million in the 2012 election cycle, he and Sweeney cast their group as an attempt to level the playing field.

"Americans deserve an honest debate about job creation, the economy, national security and education," said Sweeney. "That debate will never happen if only right wing extremists are engaged on the battlefield."

Democrats have railed against outside groups that do not disclose their donors, with President Obama complaining last year that the anonymous donors "could be the oil industry. It could be the insurance industry. It could even be foreign-owned corporations." The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, complained that "Bush cronies" were "spending millions from secret donors to elect Republicans to do their bidding in Congress."

"This is a threat to our democracy," Mr. Obama said last October. "The American people deserve to know who's trying to sway their elections."

American Crossroads Communications Director Jonathan Collegio responded to the announcement of the Priorities groups by suggesting that "Obama's brazen hypocrisy, in encouraging his own operatives to start groups exactly like the ones he demagogued last year, shows how cynical this President can be when it comes to perpetuating his own power." Crossroads is seeking to raise $120 million in the 2012 election cycle.

Burton suggested Democrats had no choice but to start the groups.

"While we agree that fundamental campaign finance reforms are needed, Karl Rove and the Koch brothers cannot live by one set of rules as our values and our candidates are overrun with their hundreds of millions of dollars," he said. "We will follow the rules as the Supreme Court has laid them out, but the days of the double standard are over."

While the Obama reelection campaign will not accept donations from lobbyists and interest groups, the Priorities groups will accept such contributions.

The explosion in outside groups resulted from the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that allowed for corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited money on political campaigns, though not by giving directly to candidates or party committees.

While Mr. Obama effectively shut off the flow of outside money in the 2008 campaign by making it clear he did not want outside groups backing him, he appears to have given at least tacit approval to the Priorities groups.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Friday that "We don't control outside groups."

"These are not people working for the administration," he said, adding: "The president's position on disclosure remains the same."

Former Senator Russ Feingold, who cosponsored the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform law, sharply criticized Democrats for creating the group, saying, "Democrats who mirror the right-wing tactics of Karl Rove and David Koch do our nation no favors. Our democracy is best served by rejecting the fundamentally corrupt strategy of embracing unlimited corporate influence."

But Public Campaign Action Fund defended the creation of the Priorities groups, saying in part, "In order to change the rules of the game, we need to engage in the rules as they are, not as we wish they were. To act otherwise after Citizens United is to take a knife to a gunfight."

[slatep]

Sounds like at least one of these groups doesn't go along with a transparent and open agenda such as Obama promised in his last campaign.


If they are not doing anything sneaky or illegal, why not disclose the names of their contributors.

[user000049586849302948603]

Got to fight fire with fire. Democrats shouldn't be held to a higher standard than Republicons even though they might want higher standards in place. That would be like saying,"We like for there to be no hitting below the belt, we certainly won't and we like you to not hit below the belt too." Everybody has got to play by the same rules.

[catmomtx]

So, why is it okay for Republicans to do this but not for President Obama?

[MacNfries]

Let the Republicans cry foul. Its long been known that you win a battle again your enemies by embracing their tactics against them. Not sure its even needed, however, now that the true colors of the Republicans and their boss, the Tea Party, have come out.
I can tell you what I've seen in NC ... anonymous donors for the Republicans came into NC and ran millions of dollars of negative ads against Democratic encumbants. Renee' Elder, who replaced Bob Etheridge, said she didn't have any idea who was running the TV ads, but wanted to thank them.
Then the Republican General Assembly started redistricting the state to eliminate 2 more Democratic seats.
They have drawn up new voting rules that will put tougher requirements on the poor to vote in the upcoming 2012 election.
Currently they are holding up the unemployment extension benefit to 37,000 long term unemployeds (a benefit paid for by the Federal Government, not the State) to get our Democratic Governor, Bev Perdue, to sign major cuts to education, which will eliminate thousands of school jobs. The Governor says she will not be forced into signing those cuts.
Also, the Republicans are wanting to access funds from the state lottery, that they fought to keep out of the state, for their personal use, instead of sending it to education as originally promised.
So, in just 4 short months, THIS is what NC Republicans have done for our state.
I know of 37,000 umemployeds that can't wait to kick the whole bunch out of office. Hope they enjoy their 2 years in office.

[meboard]

by DJ_Independent April 29, 2011 1:39 PM EDT
User can't help it. He would not know the truth if it bit him on the azz
----
Always about azzzs with you isn't DJ...you're transfixed on azzzs.

[inketolstoy]

"Americans deserve an honest debate about job creation, the economy, national security and education," said Sweeney. "That debate will never happen if only right wing extremists are engaged on the battlefield."

The hypocrisy of the liberal mindset is so clear in this statement. After saying America deserves an honest debate, he immediately attacks those who disagree with him calling them right wing extremists. That is "honesty" from the progressive side of America. Words empty of ideas but not meaning.

[pasha128]

Money talks in Washington. The conservatives assured that with their Citizen's United court decision. Now they find hypocrisy in the fact parity in financing requires others to follow their lead in financing tactics. It's not the president or the administration or political parties that is doing this -- these organizations must be independent of the political parties and individual candidates.

[user000049586849302948603]

Conservatives: "They're not play fair. They're doing exactly what we do. Boo hoo hoo!"

[catmomtx]

I still don't understand why you people seem to be saying it's okay for Republicans to use what ever anonymous donors they can, but not okay for President Obama to do the same. Republicans are the ones who voted against the transparency act that would have made the anonymous donors public. So, why is it okay for Republicans and not for the President?

[us_1776]

The Supreme Court created this madness.

And now we all will be subject to more political advertising with more distorted lies than you have ever seen in your life.

Thanks Supreme Court morons.


.

[omega39-2009]

And even more "anonymous" big money donors expecting returns on their investments from the victorious.

[MacNfries]

I don't think anyone realizes just how accurate your statement is, us_1776. The capitalist system that our country runs on, is being over run with GREED, and its infecting everyone it comes in contact with, like a virus. It is in the worse shape in our country's history.
The capitalists become powerful by destroying their competition ... any way to monopolize their products & services. Any way to have complete control all avenues of production, services, and pricing.
We are becoming a nation run by Corporations, who control and influence our elected officials and laws. Those who have MONEY continue to control the way our country is run, while paying no taxes themselves, and then giving us a pile of beans called "supply-side economics" ... trickle down wealth. Well, I can speak for millions of people now ... the trickle down is YELLOW!

[mikelpond]

sorry kids, but the supreme court in it's wisdom made the rules and everybody has to play by the SAME RULES. I know, I know, you're rich and you shouldn't be expected to play by the same rules as the other guys but that's the way it works here in our country. alternatively, you could choose to leave; the Camen Islands might suit you better.
don't let the door hit you on your way out!

[smitvict]

Excellent. Now Obama has a secret way to get the union boss labor donations and money from those fringe left wing groups. All the while whining about the Koch bros, Bush cronies and Rove.

[jimbom121]

How about we get rid of all the secret campaign donations? What's good for one group is good for the other?

[realist51]

seven out of the top ten donator's last year were pacs for republicans in 08 3 out of five were unions for democrats now that the rules have changed with the citizens united ruling! How else do you think we can afford to play? what do you think you own the ball park now lets play some hard ball.

[crazyname]

the dems have done a lousy job and it looks like they have to cover it up. Truly amazing. If they put as much effort into solving our economies needs as they do raising money, covering their backsides and going on vacation, this recession would have been over 2 years ago. Problem is they don't want it gone, they are trying to buy the election in 2012. Keepthe poor poor and dumb, and lie to the electorate. A winning strategy for the dems. A loosing one for the american taxpayer!

[omega39-2009]

Funny you should talk about vacations since one of the first things Republican house did was schedule a one week recess for every two weeks "worked". In an ideal world those pinheads would be in Washington all three weeks working on jobs and the economy but since their most notable accomplishment to date was to try and defund NPR and Planned Parenthood, maybe their schedule isn't such a bad thing.

[raydar2]

In 2010 Obama made a promise to take public campaign finances after McCain put him on the spot because Obama and the democrats complained about the republicans using outside groups. Public campaign finances limit you on what you can spend. Of course as in Obama style he backed out after McCain signed up. Obamas first lie.
Now as in the hypocrisy of the democrats is known for. It is wrong for them but alright for us to do it. They are now using the republicans tactics.
This shows Obama and the democrats are desperate and in trouble.

[jimbom121]

Citizens united changed everything.