July 19, 2011

Thanks A Bundle
With Deflated Support From His 2008 Base, Obama Has To Turn To Bundlers To Raise Cash, But What Will They Get In Return?
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MANY OF OBAMAS 2008 SUPPORTERS HAVE FAILED TO SAY THEYRE IN THIS TIME AROUND
Less Than 10 Percent Of Obamas 2008 Donors Have Re-upped. Interestingly, it also tells us something else--of the approximately 3 million individual donors who gave to Obama for his 2008 run, so far less than 10 percent have re-upped. (Micha L Sifry, Some More About The Grassrootiness Of Obama's Second Quarter Fundraising
Numbers Tech President Blog, 7/13/11)

Some Of Obamas 2008 Bundlers Have Declined To Help Him In 2012 As Enthusiasm For Obama Has Waned. Other veteran bundlers from the last cycle have yet to commit to fundraising again, suggesting the enthusiasm for Obama that propelled their leadership in 2008 has waned ahead of 2012. (Devin Dwyer, Obama
Bundlers Raise Big Cash for 2012 Campaign, ABC News Political Punch, 7/15/11)

Only About One In Five Of The Supporters Who Bundled Checks For Mr. Obama Last Time Appear On The List Disclosed By His Campaign Friday. (Nicholas Confessore, New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled
Obama Campaigns Record Fund-Raising Quarter, The New York Times, 7/16/11)

One 2008 Bundler Refuses To Get Involved In 2012 Because Obama Has Been Too Gutless. I have made it clear I dont want to get involved, said Jon Merksamer, 58, a California small business owner who helped raise close to $500,000 for Obama in 2008. I dont think hes been too liberal, or too conservative. I think hes been too gutless, he said. It is a common reaction to become even angrier with people who youd had hope for that turned out to be such a major disappointment.
(Devin Dwyer, Obama Bundlers Raise Big Cash for 2012 Campaign, ABC News Political Punch, 7/15/11)

A MAJORITY OF OBAMAS FUNDRAISING HAUL CAME FROM A SMALL GROUP OF ELITE FUNDRAISERS
But Mr. Obamas Election Filings Suggest That The Presidents Grassroots Machinery Is Being Financed By A Relatively Small Group Of Big-Ticket Donors. (Nicholas Confessore, New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled
Obama Campaigns Record Fund-Raising Quarter, The New York Times, 7/16/11)

At Least Half Of Obamas Fundraising Came From Well-Connected Donors. At least half of the $72.5 million Mr. Obama raised both for his campaign and a special account with the Democratic National Committee came from well-connected donors who reeled in more than $50,000 each for his campaign from friends, family and other associates. (Patrick OConnor And Brody Mullins, Reports Detail Campaign Fund-Raising, Spending, The Wall Street
Journal, 7/16/11)

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244 Bundlers Accounted For 40 Percent Of Obamas Haul. In all, 244 people were listed on the website as soliciting or bundling - donations totaling at least $50,000 from their networks of friends and professional acquaintances. (Glenn Thrush & Kenneth P Vogel, Of Obamas $86 Million, 40% From Bundlers, Politico, 7/15/11) In Fact, If The Maximum Amounts Raised By These 200-Plus Elite Moneymen And Women Are Used, The Total Could Be As High As $60 Million. That's 70 Percent Of The Total Announced Haul. (Michael Beckel, Elite Fund-Raisers Help Presidential Candidates Rake In Millions, Center For Responsive Politics, Open Secrets Blog,
7/15/11)

Obama Devoted His Attention To The Powerful Donors During His Fundraising Events. Obama devoted his attention to powerful donors over the last quarter, packing in three or four DNC fundraising events during trips to cities like Los Angeles and New York. Many of his highest-producing bundlers hail from both of those regions. (Rebecca Kaplan, Bundlers Raise At Least $35 Million For Obama In Q2, National Journal, 7/16/11) And Spent Lavishly To Entertain Rich Donors. But Obama has also spent lavishly to entertain rich donors at $35,800-a-plate fundraisers in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee, including $117,000 at the Broadway Theatre and $185,000 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, both in New York. His campaign paid Sony Pictures $102,000 for catering and site rental after holding two events there in April. (Dan Eggen And T.W. Farnam, 2012 Presidential Race: Expense Reports Give Peek At Candidates Priorities, Styles, The
Washington Post, 7/17/11)

SOME RICH AND POWERFUL DONORS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL INTERESTS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
The Sunlight Foundation Said Obamas Bundler List Is A Veritable Rolodex Of The Rich And Powerful Across The Country. The Sunlight Foundation, which tracks campaign contributions, called Mr. Obamas bundler list a veritable Rolodex of the rich and powerful across the country among them youll notice a C.E.O., editor, former politician and even a former lobbyist. (Michael D. Shear, Obamas Haul: Big Money From Big
Donors, The New York Times, 7/15/11)

Obamas Bundlers Include Business Executives Whose Companies Have Substantial Interests Before The Federal Government. But the presidents bundlers include business executives whose companies have substantial interests before the federal government. (Nicholas Confessore, New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama
Campaigns Record Fund-Raising Quarter, The New York Times, 7/16/11)

Including The Chairman Of Salesforce.com And The Owner Of MWW Group, A Lobbying Firm In DC. Marc Benioff, who raised more than $500,000, is also chairman of Salesforce.com, a company whose software the Obama administration has adopted for wide use in federal agencies. Another bundler, Michael Kempner, is president of the MWW Group, a national public affairs company that has a lobbying practice in Washington. (Nicholas Confessore, New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama Campaigns Record
Fund-Raising Quarter, The New York Times, 7/16/11)

While Some Of Obamas 2008 Bundlers Companies Have Profited, Or Are Poised To Profit, From The Obama Agenda. Some Obama bundlers have ties to companies that stand to gain financially from the presidents policy agenda, particularly in clean energy and telecommunications, and some already have done so. Level 3 Communications, for instance, snared $13.8 million in stimulus money. At least 18 other bundlers have ties to businesses poised to profit from government spending to promote clean energy, telecommunications and other key administration priorities. (Fred
Schulte, John Aloysius Farrell, And Jeremy Borden, Obama Rewards Big Bundlers With Jobs, Commissions, Stimulus Money, Government Contracts, And More, IWatch, 6/15/11)

AND MANY OF THE CAMPAIGNS ELITE DONORS ENJOY SPECIAL ACCESS TO OBAMA
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Obama Claimed In A Fundraising Email That He Is Not Dining With Washington Lobbyists And Special Interests. Most campaigns fill their dinner guest lists primarily with Washington lobbyists and special interests. We didn't get here doing that, and we're not going to start now. We're running a different kind of campaign. (President Barack Obama, Campaign Email To Supporters, 6/15/11) But Obamas Bundlers Offer Donors Special Access To Obama, Including The Chance To Ask The President Direct Questions In A Closed-Door Atmosphere. Several of the key bundlers, including Benioff, held events at their homes in which Obama came. These events usually gave donors special access to Obama, including the chance to ask the president direct questions in a closed-door atmosphere. (Dan Eggen And TW Farnam, Obama Fundraising Report Signals Juggernaut Campaign, The Washington Post,
7/15/11)

Just Before Announcing For Reelection, Obama Brought Two Dozen Wall Street Executives And LongTime Donors To The White House. A few weeks before announcing his re-election campaign, President Obama convened two dozen Wall Street executives, many of them longtime donors, in the White Houses Blue Room. (Nicholas Confessore, Obama Seeks To Win Back Wall St. Cash, The New York Times, 6/12/11) Obama Opened The Floor For The Donors To Talk To Him On Hot Issues. The guests were asked for their thoughts on how to speed the economic recovery, then the president opened the floor for over an hour on hot issues like hedge fund regulation and the deficit. (Nicholas Confessore, Obama Seeks To
Win Back Wall St. Cash, The New York Times, 6/12/11)

17 Of The 30 Attendees Are Bundlers For 2012, Accounting For A Minimum Of $3.95 Million Of The $86 Million He Raised. In March, for example, Mr. Obama hosted about 30 supporters, many with ties to Wall Street, at an informal discussion in the Blue Room of the White House about financial regulation and the economy. No money was raised at the event, which was similar to receptions and events held by past presidents. But 17 of those guests appeared on Fridays list of bundlers for Mr. Obamas re-election campaign, accounting for a minimum of $3.95 million of the $86 million he raised. (Nicholas Confessore, New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama Campaigns Record Fund-Raising Quarter, The New
York Times, 7/16/11)

3 Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street SE - Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 - www.gop.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.