Bush BBQ For Big Donors Bugs Foes
President Bush invited top fund-raisers for a private barbecue down the road from his ranch Saturday as he turned his attention from rebuilding Iraq to re-election politics.
The Bush campaign was shuttling in about 350 people, each of whom had helped collect $50,000 by June 30 for his 2004 campaign. They were getting personal attention from Bush and Karl Rove, his top political adviser, at the nearby Hickey Broken Spoke Ranch.
The Bush supporters got a break from a string of 100-degree days when brisk winds blew an early afternoon rainstorm over Crawford.
Two groups that monitor fund-raising activities, Public Citizen and Texans for Justice, said the barbecue showed that campaign donors get the president's ear and favorable treatment from the Bush administration.
"These people are some of the smartest businessmen in America, and if they didn't continue to see a payback in their investment in the Bush campaign, they wouldn't continue to make these kinds of donations time after time," said Tom Smith, director of Public Citizen for Texas.
He spoke at a news conference a few miles from Mr. Bush's ranch. An inflatable White House stood behind him, marked with the sign: "White House for Sale." Secret Service agents and local authorities kept an eye on the event.
"President Bush today is hiding his big donors behind plumes of barbecue smoke," said Craig McDonald, executive director of Texans for Justice. He said the fund-raising technique violates the spirit of campaign finance laws.
McDonald called Mr. Bush's quest for $170 million or more in an unopposed nomination contest "an obscene fund-raising drive." He said the public should know exactly how much money is raised by each supporter.
"The legal limit is $2,000, not $200,000," he said.
He said the Bush campaign should identify everyone attending the event, how much the campaign has credited them with raising and where they work.
While individuals are limited to $2,000 contributions apiece, Mr. Bush's pioneers collect at least $100,000. This election, Bush created a new class of fund-raisers called rangers, who solicit at least $200,000 each.
The Bush campaign is not required to release information about the donors, but Mr. Bush has released the names of Rangers and Pioneers on his campaign Web site.
"The president's campaign in 2000 set a standard for disclosure in political fund raising and the campaign will again in 2004," said Dan Ronayne, a campaign spokesman.
Some Republicans note the president's effort is no more questionable than the numerous political action committees raising soft money to support Democrats.
Asked whether the big fund-raisers get unique access to the president, Ronayne said, "People support the president because they appreciate his leadership."
One Republican noted that multibillionaire George Soros is committing $10 million to a new Democratic-leaning group aimed at defeating Bush next year. This Republican said Bush would need to counter such spending.
One Democratic rival is trying to use Mr. Bush's Texas vacation in his own fund-raising plea. John Kerry's campaign sent an e-mail soliciting money. "We need you to help us raise $100 dollars for each of the 1,446 miles between the White House and the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas by Friday, Aug. 15th," the e-mail from the campaign of the Massachusetts senator said.
The barbecue was closed to the news media. Mr. Bush's only public words Saturday were his weekly radio address, in which he said Iraq is making steady progress establishing its economy, basic services and a democratic system and that should improve security in Iraq and the Middle East.
"We're keeping our word to the Iraqi people by helping them to make their country an example of democracy and prosperity throughout the region," he said. "This long-term undertaking is vital to peace in the region and to the security of the United States."