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Romney Campaign Press Release - Obama's Short Memory on Special Interests

April 15, 2012

"Less than four years after promising to drive special interests out of Washington, President Obama has done the exact opposite—granting top donors special favors and access to his White House. This is just another example of President Obama's failed record, which he'll be desperate to hide from voters this November." —Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

In 2008, Candidate Obama Campaigned On A Pledge To "Change The Culture In Washington" So That "Special Interests Aren't Driving The Process":

Candidate Obama, In 2008: "We're Going To Have To Change The Culture In Washington So That Lobbyists And Special Interests Aren't Driving The Process." (Sen. Barack Obama, Presidential Debate, Nashville, TN, 10/7/08)

But President Obama Has Provided Special Access To His White House For Major Campaign Donors:

"Special Interests Have Had Little Trouble Making Themselves Heard" In President Obama's White House. "Although Mr. Obama has made a point of not accepting contributions from registered lobbyists, a review of campaign donations and White House visitor logs shows that special interests have had little trouble making themselves heard. Many of the president's biggest donors, while not lobbyists, took lobbyists with them to the White House, while others performed essentially the same function on their visits." (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

"Approximately Two-Thirds Of The President's Top Fund-Raisers In The 2008 Campaign Visited The White House At Least Once, Some Of Them Numerous Times." "More broadly, the review showed that those who donated the most to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party since he started running for president were far more likely to visit the White House than others. Among donors who gave $30,000 or less, about 20 percent visited the White House, according to a New York Times analysis that matched names in the visitor logs with donor records. But among those who donated $100,000 or more, the figure rises to about 75 percent. Approximately two-thirds of the president's top fund-raisers in the 2008 campaign visited the White House at least once, some of them numerous times." (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

Political Contributions "Continue To Lubricate Many Of The Interactions" Between Obama Officials And Their Guests. "But the regular appearance of big donors inside the White House underscores how political contributions continue to lubricate many of the interactions between officials and their guests, if for no other reason than that donors view the money as useful for getting a foot in the door." (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

Contributions Were "Given In Close Proximity To Meetings" Raising "Questions About Whether They Came With Expectations Of Access." "Some of the donors had no previous record of giving to the president or his party, or of making donations of such magnitude, so their gifts, sometimes given in close proximity to meetings, raise questions about whether they came with expectations of access or were expressions of gratitude." (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

Former Representative Patrick Kennedy — Who Maxed Out To President Obama While Seeking Favors From The Obama Administration — Claimed His Donation Was Simply "How This Business Works." "But Patrick J. Kennedy, the former representative from Rhode Island, who donated $35,800 to an Obama re-election fund last fall while seeking administration support for a nonprofit venture, said contributions were simply a part of ‘how this business works.'" (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

  • Kennedy: "If You Want To Call It ‘Quid Pro Quo,' Fine." "‘If you want to call it ‘quid pro quo,' fine,' he said. ‘At the end of the day, I want to make sure I do my part.'" (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)
  • Kennedy: "It Won't Hurt When I Ask Them For A Favor If They Don't See Me As A Slouch." "And as a former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he said he was keenly aware of the political realities they face. ‘I know that they look at the reports,' he said, referring to records of campaign donations. ‘They're my friends anyway, but it won't hurt when I ask them for a favor if they don't see me as a slouch.'" (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

The Obama White House Allows Major Campaign Contributors To Accompany "Clients To Meetings With Administration Officials." "Noah Mamet, another veteran Democratic fund-raiser and consultant, emphasizes on his firm's Web site that he and his partners ‘are not lobbyists.' Instead, they help their clients ‘strategically navigate the worlds of politics, philanthropy and business.' Mr. Mamet, who donated $35,800 last year, and his partners have visited the Obama White House more than a dozen times, including at least four occasions on which they accompanied clients to meetings with administration officials. Mr. Mamet declined to comment." (Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, "White House Opens Door To Big Donors, And Lobbyists Slip In," The New York Times, 4/14/12)

And President Obama's Special Favors Didn't Stop With Campaign Donors — He's Allowed Top Super PAC Donors To Make "Repeated Trips To The White House":

Top Obama Super PAC Donors Have Also Made "Repeated Trips To The White House." "Top donors to the super PAC supporting Obama, like Chicago investment manager John W. Rogers Jr. and Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, gave more than $150,000 combined to Priorities USA Action, according to finance reports, while also making repeated trips to the White House." (Jack Gillum, "Top Obama Donors Among Frequent White House Guests," The Associated Press, 3/26/12)

John Rogers — A Frequent White House Visitor And Obama Appointee To An Advisory Council — Gave $50,000 To Obama's Super PAC. "Rogers is a longtime Obama friend who contributed $50,000 in January — nearly all the money the super PAC collected the entire month. Rogers was selected by the administration in October 2010 to head a financial advisory council, and visited the White House more than two dozen times since Obama took office, including one-on-one meetings with former chief of staff William Daley and Jarrett, Obama's senior adviser." (Jack Gillum, "Top Obama Donors Among Frequent White House Guests," The Associated Press, 3/26/12)

Another Top Obama Super PAC Contributor Gave $50,000 Only Months After He Was Granted Multiple Meetings With Top Obama Advisors. "Lenny Mendonca, a director of consulting firm McKinsey & Co., gave $50,000 to Priorities USA Action in November 2011, according to records submitted to the Federal Election Commission. Visitor logs showed Mendonca met in June 2011 with Carl Shapiro, one of Obama's top economic advisers, and three months earlier with Melody Barnes, then the president's chief domestic policy advisor." (Jack Gillum, "Top Obama Donors Among Frequent White House Guests," The Associated Press, 3/26/12)

Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - Obama's Short Memory on Special Interests Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/301475

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