Obama/OFA Put Price Tag on the Office of the President

February 25, 2013

Lansing, Mich., Feb. 25, 2013 — Today, Michigan Republican Party Bobby Schostak called on the Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Lon Johnson to join him in condemning the President Obama’s hypocrisy on campaign finance.

Organizing for Action (OFA), a spin-off from Obama’s presidential campaign and run by Obama’s key advisers, announced that donors can buy access to the President by donating $500,000 a year to OFA. Aside from the ethical implications – allowing individuals, union or corporations to buy access to the President of the United States is unheard of and this action flies in the face of Pres. Obama’s previous statements concerning the influence of money in politics.

“I am urging the Michigan Democratic Party to join me in condemning President Obama and Organizing for America for selling access to the Office of the President,” said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak. “President Obama’s previous commitment to putting an end to the influence of money in politics clearly ring hallow. The action by OFA and the Obama White House to allow this demonstrates another sad hypocritical move by Pres. Obama to say one thing and do another concerning money in politics. First, the President attacked Super PACs, then he proceed to form his own Super PAC. Today, he put a dollar sign on the cost of a visit with the President. This is sad, despicable, and it will be terrible stain on the Presidency. I urge the chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party to put partisanship aside and condemn the act of putting a price on a meeting with the President.”

Additional Information:
Feb. 10, 2007, Obama’s speech announcing his campaign for president:

“…the cynics, and the lobbyists, and the special interests who’ve turned our government into a game only they can afford to play. They write the checks and you get stuck with the bills, they get the access while you get to write a letter, they think they own this government, but we’re here today to take it back. The time for that politics is over.”

Associated Press: Hypocrisy? Obama Embraces ‘Super PAC’ After Condemning Them.
New York Times: Obama’s Backers Seek Big Donors to Press Agenda
Weekly Standard: Carney Unable to Defend OFA Arrangement, Hurries Away From Podium.